Unless you’re an insect obsessive you probably haven’t given much thought to snails.
But if we can give you one fact that’s both impressive and relevant for this piece on backpacking tents, let it be this: standard snails can carry up to ten times their own body weight on their backs.
It’s something you’ll want to keep in mind as you begin your search for the ideal tent to take on backpacking adventures. If a snail can carry its entire world on its back, surely you can manage a small tent to sleep in for a night or two when you’re hitting the trails? Of course you can, and we’ve found the best options out there. We’re ES Best; it’s what we do.
If you’re wondering just how big a backpack tent should be, the answer depends wholly on how much discomfort you can live with, plus stamina levels. The more you’re willing to carry, the more comfortable you’ll be at the end of the day. That said, a bigger pack may slow you down and if you’re only away for one night in fair weather, you won’t need much to sleep in.
The rule of thumb? Go for a tent that’s easy - and quick - to pitch and dismantle and folds down to compact dimensions. It doesn’t have to fit inside your backpack, but if you can strap it on easily and keep your hands free, you’ve struck gold. If you’re walking with a mate, you could get a heavier tent and split the weight between you.
Be prepared for a snug sleep; hiking tents are truly miniscule - they have to be. Most will be low-rise designs made solely for laying down in at night rather than the spacious living area you’d expect in most family-sized tents.
To help you get one step closer to your next adventure, we’ve rounded up the lightest tent designs with quick and easy set-up that will get you pitch perfect - even in on a pitch black night.
From low-laying constructions to shield you from the weather to tiny packages that morph into a bedroom for the night, here are the best backpacking tents to add to your kit.
See our favourites below - and happy trails!
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Vango Cairngorm 300 Tent
Weight: 2.6kg
Packed dimensions: 47 x 15cm
Off on a DofE hike, or know someone who is? Each level of the award is challenging and involves walking for various mileages - so you’ll need a light but comfortable tent to catch precious kip in. Vango is among the most trusted names in outdoor equipment, and this 2.6kg tent is more than up to the job of keeping you safe from the elements as you clock up those miles.
The tunnel tent claims to sleep three people but for those carrying bulky equipment, whittle this number down to two to leave space for your stuff. It uses a light, single-hoop structure with tension bands to make the most of every inch of space and packs down to 47 x 15cm - you have to see it to believe it.
Buy now £117.00, Snow+Rock
Kelty Dirt Motel
Weight: 1.36kg
Packed dimensions: 38.1 x 15.2 x 15.2cm
A cracking design paired with an excellent name: welcome to the Kelty Dirt Motel. It’s a no-frills kind of place; you’ll have to check yourself in and there’s no room service, but if all you’re after is a temporary roof over your head, step this way.
The lightweight tent brushes the scales at 1.36kg and once up, there’s enough space to sit up as well as lay down so you won’t need to exit the tent to get dressed. It’s set up to share with a friend with two porches and two doors to get in and out of.
Hiking in a heatwave? Sleep under just the inner mesh and do a spot of stargazing, safe in the knowledge that should a sudden thunderstorm occur, the waterproof fly topsheet will keep you dry as a bone.
Buy now £280.00, Amazon
Forclaz Dome Tent 1 Person MT900
Weight: 1.3kg
Packed dimensions: 39 x 11 x 10cm
If you’re the kind of explorer who’ll go out (almost) whatever the season, this trekking tent has got your name all over it. Made in the French Alps, the Y-shaped tent offers enough headroom and space to bed down for an evening in the wild. Covered in a waterproof flysheet, there are pockets to stash your stuff and there’s even enough room to keep your backpack (up to 70L) inside with you, away from marauding wildlife.
Buy now £149.99, Decathlon
Decathlon 2 Person Blackout Pop-Up Tent
Weight: 4.7kg
Packed dimensions: 59 x 20 x 20cm
Pop up tents seem like a good idea at the time - practically set up in two seconds flat, what’s not to like? Well, we’ll tell you. The pack up can be like wrestling with a demon made of tarpaulin or requiring a master’s degree in origami.
No such trouble with Decathlon’s time-saving design, which promises easy dismantling as well as construction. It’s an eco-design too, thanks to the greige and rope dyeing processes (leaving them in their raw state sidestepping the need for harmful chemicals).
A handy thing to have in the hall cupboard for hiking and fishing trips as well as weekends away, the single internal chamber has space for two but we think it’ll be more comfortable for one sleeper - and it should be easy to carry solo at 4.7kg.
Buy now £119.99, Decathlon
Naturehike Mongar Ultralight 20D Silicone Backpacking Tent
Weight: 1.8kg
Packed dimensions: 50 x 15cm
In a world full of green or blue tents, why not opt for something that stands out against the hillside?
Available in a vibrant violet hue (although white and two shades of green are also available), this lightweight tent is low and wide, offering enough space for one to sleep or sit cross legged inside with a max height of 100cm.
It’s a dinky little thing at just 1.8kg, and the flysheet offers a fantastic wraparound shield, keeping your inner tent protected from the weather, whatever the conditions outside.
Packed down, the tent measures 50 x 15cm.
Buy now £159.00, Amazon
Coleman Unisex Adult, Darwin 2 Tent
Weight: 2.8kg
Packed dimensions: 46 x 15.5 x 15.5cm
If you’re looking for a roof over your head for just a few days, Coleman’s Darwin tent is an attractive option - thanks mostly to the fact that, when packed, it weighs just 2.8kg and measures 46 x 15.5 x 15.5cm, only slightly bigger than a 10-inch iPad.
Once constructed though, the spacious interior has enough room to insert a double airbed. It has plenty of other magic tricks up its sleeve, from a roomy porch area to store your stuff and shoes, as well as a place to sit and relax before you head out to the festival.
Pitch time, it’s not as fast as a pop-up tent but it’s still fairly quick, using a ring and pin pole attachment to get the extended dome structure up and ready to party.
Buy now £79.99, Amazon
Clostnature Waterproof Camping Tent
Weight: 2.72kg
Packed dimensions: 40 x 17 x 17cm
To claim this tent can sleep six is a stretch of the imagination, unless you’re counting your childhood set of Sylvanian Families. It does, however, offer plenty of space for two but with no outside area of porch, you’ll have to pack light or store your stuff elsewhere to be comfortable inside.
That said, it has lots going for it, from the fast set-up time of 10min (even on your own) and just 2.72kg in packed weight. It’s also waterproof and has factory-sealed seams to protect against the infamous British weather.
The inner tent is the star of the show here, with a shorter second layer, the flysheet, protecting the mesh panels from the elements. Also available in forest green.
Buy now £49.99, Amazon
