Choosing a camping tent for thru-hiking is not totally different to browsing real estate. After all, the shelter you choose is going to be your home for the next few weeks or even months. Even if you want to eschew the luxuries of modern life and are ready to embrace the minimalism of life in the wild, you still need a protective space to rest at night after those long days on your feet.
I’ve definitely made the mistake of going too minimal on a thru-hike, and while I enjoyed having a tent that didn’t take up too much space in my pack, I regretted it when the rain (or midges) came and I had to hid in my coffin-sized shelter for hours on end.
