Best Backpacking Tent Under 50 Dollars
Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re looking for a replacement tent that provides good value but won’t break your bank account, it’s possible to find a great tent to take backpacking on every budget.
Shelter from the elements is very important, and some of the top of the line tents do have extra protection and features that you may want to pay extra for.
Sometimes you may have to carry a bit of extra weight or keep up on repairs, but you can still find some great values while spending less.
There are a few quality tents available for backpackers looking to find a tent for under $50.
Best Quality Affordable Tent
The Coleman Sundome is a great quality tent, and although it doesn’t come close to being ultralight, it makes up for it with the value it provides. It’s a well-made and sturdy tent, with an excellent design. It’s one of the easiest tents to get set up quickly as it only has two poles. The instructions are even sewn right in to the carry bag so you won’t lose them.
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The Sundome is quick and easy to set up and comes with an effective rain shield. |
Coleman Sundome 2-Person Tent Info
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Lightest Most Affordable Tent
If you’re not willing to sacrifice the space and extra weight but still want to get an affordable tent, the Current is a great choice. It’s designed for sleeping, so you won’t be able to stand or even move around sitting up very comfortably, but it gets the job done.
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A lightweight, compact, and weatherproof tent with a Dutch “D” style front door. |
Wenzel Current 2-Person Tent Info
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Most Affordable Tent
Cedar Brook makes a decent tent that is certainly one of the most affordable tents you can find. It is easy to get in and out of, and also has a few extra features like a rain fly and mud mat. Like most backpacking tents, it won’t take up too much room in your pack.
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A very affordable lightweight backpacking tent with easy entrance and lots of ventilation. |
Mountain Trails Cedar Brook 2-Person Tent Info
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What To Look For When Choosing A Tent
When choosing any tent, you will want to know the size, height, and number of people you want to be sleeping in it.
A single person can fit in a 1-person tent, but they will have more room and ample storage for their gear in a 2-preson tent.
Likewise, 2 people can sleep in a 2-person tent, but some 2-person tents will feel very cramped for 2 people. If you want to store your gear inside the tent it can become even more crowded.
To find the right tent for your adventure, consider the importance to you of all the most common tent features when choosing the right tent for your backpacking adventures:
- Length and Height
- Doors and Windows
- Vestibule Area
- Durability and Protection
- Setup and Use
- Weight and Portability
- Budget
Even if you don’t mind having to duck down to get into the door, the length of the sleeping area is more important for your comfort. You’ll want to take your height in to consideration so that your feet and head aren’t squished up against the sides of the tent.
How important it is to you to be able to stand up inside of your tent? Even if getting in the door requires you to duck, the peak height of the tent may or may not allow you to do much more than lie down or sit up. The more lightweight you want to keep the tent, the less standing up you’ll be doing inside the tent.
Depending on the layout of the tent, and the number of people that you’re sleeping in it, having more than one door may be your preference. It can be nice not having to crawl over another person while they’re sleeping.
Tent windows can be unzipped to reveal a mesh covering, which is helpful for airing out the tent, while still keeping the bugs out. Some tents even offer a skylight which may or may not be uncoverable. A skylight is a great feature for not only ventilating the tent but also for viewing the stars above while you’re lieing in the tent.
A vestibule area is a sheltered area outside the main sleeping area of the tent. It’s a great place to leave your bags, or your shoes. Depending on how many people and how much gear you are bringing, this may or may not be a requirement for you.
The environment you’ll be camping in will determine how important a heavier duty design is. Warm summer nights in dry areas are different from cool, wet, stormy, and windy conditions.
There are 3-season and 4-season tents. A 3-season tent won’t be suitable for winter camping so if you’re looking for colder climates make sure you’re looking at tents that are rated for winter camping.
Weatherproofing features are also very important if you’re camping anywhere that the possibility of rain could happen. Some tents include a rain cover, but it’s also a good idea to spray your tent with a waterproof treatment.
In addition to how quickly and easily you can get the tent unpacked and set up for sleeping, other things to consider are the layout, zippered door and windows, bug netting, rain cover, footprint, and vestibule access.
A lightweight tent is often preferred since a tent is usually the biggest and heaviest piece of gear that backpackers need to pack and carry.
Keep in mind that going ultralight means you’ll be be sacrificing some level of shelter protection from heavier wind, sand, or rain.
With so many tents for all budgets, it’s possible to find the right balance between features and keeping the cost down.
The Best 2-Person Tents For Backpacking
The best 2-person backpacking tents are lightweight, compact, and have appropriate levels of weather protection for your environment.
For 2 people backpacking together, the greatest benefit of a 2-person tent is that the weight can be split between them. A 2-person tent will have just enough room for two people to sleep in, but they are also popular for the solo traveller.
For the solo traveller, a 2-person tent offers a nice bit of extra living room.
The extra space to keep your gear or have access to items you don’t want to keep unzipped in the vestibule, will make things more comfortable.
Lightest 2-Person Tent For Backpacking
When backpacking, finding the lightest tent to pack up and carry around is important.
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A very affordable lightweight backpacking tent with easy entrance and lots of ventilation. |
Mountain Trails Cedar Brook 2-Person Tent Info
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Best 2-Person Tent For Tall People
Whether you’re getting a 2-person tent for 1 or 2 people to share, if one of them is tall, you have a lot more space concerns.
To comfortably fit a taller person or couple, make sure the sleeping height is long enough.
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The Lunar Duo Explorer has more than enough room for 2 taller people, with a lot of height for sleeping and sitting comfortably. |
Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer Info
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Best 2-Person Backpacking Tent under $100
Sticking to your budget when your budget is small doesn’t mean you have to go without a decent tent.
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A durable and lightweight tent that is very well designed and quite affordable. |
Topnaca Naturehike 2-Person 4-Season Tent Info
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Easiest 2-Person Tent to Set Up
Nothing is easier to set up than a pop-up tent that sets itself up for you in 2 seconds.
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A spacious instant-pop-up tent that is well designed for keeping you dry in harsher weather. |
Quechua Pop-up 3-Person Tent Info
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Best Value For 2-Person Backpacking Tent
Strong, durable liners, and a great roomy design make this our choice for the best all-around value in a 2-person tent.
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The MSR Hubba Hubba is spacious, easy to assemble, and offers exceptional rain protection. |
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Tent Info
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Lightweight Backpacking Tents
Shelter is fairly important in most cases when you’re sleeping outdoors.
Tents are also one of the biggest items you’ll have to figure out how to fit in with all your gear and carry. As always, we’re looking for the lightest and most durable tents for backpacking.
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The Snugpak Ionosphere is an extremely small and compact 1 person tent. |
Snugpak Ionosphere 1-Person Tent Info
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The MSR Hubba Hubba is spacious, easy to assemble, and offers exceptional rain protection. |
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Tent Info
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A very affordable lightweight backpacking tent with easy entrance and lots of ventilation. |
Mountain Trails Cedar Brook 2-Person Tent Info
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A durable and lightweight tent that is very well designed and quite affordable. |
Topnaca Naturehike 2-Person 4-Season Tent Info
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A well-made and affordable 2-person, 3-season tent with 35 square feet of sleeping space and 2 separate vestibule areas. |
Mountainsmith Morrison 2-Person 3-Season Tent Info
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The Lunar Duo Explorer has more than enough room for 2 taller people, with a lot of height for sleeping and sitting comfortably. |
Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Explorer Info
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A lightweight, compact, and weatherproof tent with a Dutch “D” style front door. |
Wenzel Current 2-Person Tent Info
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The Sundome is quick and easy to set up and comes with an effective rain shield. |
Coleman Sundome 2-Person Tent Info
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A sturdy and spacious 3-person tent that comfortably sleeps 3 or 2 people with all their gear. |
Mountainsmith Morrison 3-Person Tent Info
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A spacious instant-pop-up tent that is well designed for keeping you dry in harsher weather. |
Quechua Pop-up 3-Person Tent Info
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The Best Tarps for Backpackers
Tarps have so many different uses, including when it rains, at camp, or for sleeping. If you can find the room you will be so glad you have one.
Since tarps can cover such a large area, they can be heavy and large. That’s why we found the lightest, and most compact multi-purpose tarps for backpacking trips.
How To Choose The Right Backpacking Stove
The most popular features of backpacking camp stoves are an important preference in making the right decision: speed of boiling water, and flame control for simmering food.
It’s also helpful to consider the climate: whether you will be using your stove in cold weather, high winds, or high elevation.
There are three main types of backpacking stoves: liquid fuel, canister, or alternative fuel.
Advantages of the Different Types of Camp Stoves
When choosing the type of backpacking stove to use, consider how important the features you need are for your intended use.
Liquid Fuel Stoves
- boil water very quickly
- work very well even in cold weather
- decent simmering capabilites
Canister Stoves
- boil water very quickly
- excellent simmering capabilites
- more fuel efficient than liquid fuel in the longer term
Integrated Canister Systems
- boil water very quickly
- designed to be very fuel efficient
Alternative Fuel Stoves
- the main advantage is you don’t have to carry any fuel at all.
The Lightest Camp Stove
If your main concern is keeping your backpack lightweight, you’ll want to choose a backpacking stove that doesn’t weight a lot but still gets the job done. This little stove wieght just 25 grams and works quickly to boil water in all temperatures.
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A tiny titanium stove that folds up small enough to fit inches the palm of your hand.
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BRS Ultralight Camping Gas Stove Info
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Best Backpacking Stove for Boiling Water
When backpacking, boiling water fast makes staying hydrated easier and also preparing meals. The all-in-one Flash cooking system holds 2 cups of water and is designed to bring it to a boil in just under 2 minutes.
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A highly efficient fuel canister stove system with a wind shield, temperature indicator, and a built-in 1-liter cooking cup.
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Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System Info
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Best Backpacking Stove for Simmering Food
For the backpacking gourmet, there are camp stoves with adjustable flame control features, allowing you to boil things quickly, as well as prepare meals that require being simmered slowly.
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This popular camp stove has a collapsible design, and an adjustable flame control valve to let you simmer food on low heat.
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Etekcity Outdoor Backpacking Camp Stove Info
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Best Backpacking Stove for Two People
Canister stoves are very popular for couples, since you will end up going through more fuel than a solo backpacker. Since you’ll be needing more fuel, especially if your trip is longer than 20 meals or so, it saves weight to carry canisters instead of additional liquid fuel supplies.
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A popular ultra-lightweight camp stove with a very broad flame for quick cooking.
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SnowPeak Giga Power LiteMax Info
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Best Features on an Alternate Fuel Stove
Along with not having to carry any fuel, you can even charge your USB devices from the energy it produces.
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20 minutes of charging with a strong fire gives you about 60 minutes of talk time on most smartphones.
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BioLite Wood Burning Campstove Info
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Best Backpacking Stove Under $50
If you’re looking for a good starter stove but want to keep to your budget, there are decent stoves you can get for under $50.
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A great backpacking stove that’s very durable, affordable, and has a strong distributed flame.
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Kovea Supalite Titanium Stove Info
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Best Value Backpacking Stove
The MSR Whisperlite is one of the most popular backpacking stoves because it’s lightweight, easy to use, efficient, and still not as expensive as stoves of similar quality.
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A stable, rugged, and compact camp stove capable of using a wide variety of different fuels.
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MSR Whisperlite International Stove Info
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The Best Camp Stoves to Bring Backpacking
Camping stoves are a lot easier, more convenient, and quicker than setting up an actual fire-pit and starting a fire.
Who doesn’t love a good meal, and when you’ve finally made it to your camp for the night, a fire-cooked meal is the most delicious nourishment.
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A stable, rugged, and compact camp stove capable of using a wide variety of different fuels.
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MSR Whisperlite International Stove Info
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This popular camp stove has a collapsible design, and an adjustable flame control valve to let you simmer food on low heat.
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Etekcity Outdoor Backpacking Camp Stove Info
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A highly efficient fuel canister stove system with a wind shield, temperature indicator, and a built-in 1-liter cooking cup.
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Jetboil Flash Personal Cooking System Info
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20 minutes of charging with a strong fire gives you about 60 minutes of talk time on most smartphones.
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BioLite Wood Burning Campstove Info
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A tiny titanium stove that folds up small enough to fit inches the palm of your hand.
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BRS Ultralight Camping Gas Stove Info
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A popular ultra-lightweight camp stove with a very broad flame for quick cooking.
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SnowPeak Giga Power LiteMax Info
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A great backpacking stove that’s very durable, affordable, and has a strong distributed flame.
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Kovea Supalite Titanium Stove Info
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Top Rated Sleeping Pads for Backpackers
The best sleeping pad to bring backpacking depends on the season, weather conditions, and terrain where you will be sleeping.
With so many options we wanted to find the best sleeping pads that backpackers prefer to bring on long hikes.
People have different comfort levels. You may be fine with a simple pad to even out the ground, while other people may prefer a more insulated or inflatable mattress.
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Therm-a-Rest’s best-selling durable foam sleeping pad that packs up small and provides a comfortable supportive rest.
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Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest Classic Info
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An ultralight version of the RidgeRest sleeping pad that also has a reflective surface to redirect radiant heat back to your body.
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Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Mattress Info
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An insulated air mattress to provide a more even surface, that inflates and deflates very quickly.
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Klymit Insulated Static V Sleeping Pad Info
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A very luxurious and durable self-inflating air mattress that is very thick and comfortable.
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ALPS Mountaineering Lightweight Series Self-Inflating Air Pad Info
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Compact Sleeping Bags for Backpacking
If you’ve ever tried to find the perfect sleeping bag, you know sleeping bags come in many different colors, styles, seasonal ratings, materials, and weight.
For backpackers, it’s helpful to have a sleeping bag that is small and light. Luckily there are a lot of options that compress small enough to leave some room in your backpack.
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A very tiny and light sleeping bag that’s perfect for summer camping. |
ECOOPRO Warm Weather 3-Season Sleeping Bag Info
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A very popular and affordable ultralight full-sized sleeping bag. |
OuterEQ Ultralight Sleeping Bag Info
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A 3-season camping bag that will keep you warm on cooler nights without adding too much bulk. |
Bundle Monster Cool Weather 3 Season Sleeping Bag Info
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A down-filled sleeping bag warm enough for 0 degree camping, yet still small and light enough for packing. |
Outdoor Vitals Summit 0 Degree Down Sleeping Bag Info
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Save space overall and keep each other warm with a sleeping bag made for two. |
Ohuhu Double Sleeping Bag with 2 Pillows and a Carrying Bag Info
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Backpacking Pillow Comparison
Even though some people consider taking along a pillow to be unecessary, to others they are more than just a luxury.
We wanted to see what the differences were between all the best camping pillows.
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One of the lightest, inflatable air-filled camping pillows available. |
Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow Ultralight Info
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An inflatable pillow designed to keep your head comfortable centered and to pack away small. |
Klymit Pillow X – Inflatable Camp Pillow Info
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A compressible urethane foam-filled pillow with soft polyester on the outside. |
Therm-a-Rest Compressible Pillow Info
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A wide comfortable filled camping pillow with a brushed flannel pillowcase. |
TETON Sports Camp Pillow with Pillow Case Info
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A compressible insulation-filled camp pillow with a microfiber fabric on the outside. |
ALPS Mountainerring MicroFiber Camp Pillow Info
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