We took some of the most popular backpacking tents into the field and tested them for livability, ease-of-setup, and overall ...

Most backpacking tents use aluminum poles, typically made by DAC or Easton. Sometimes the quality of the aluminum is also listed—frequently it’s 6,000 or the slightly stronger 7,000.

Packing along a tent repair kit is a great idea, especially for trips lasting more than 3 days. These kits usually include patches, tent pole sleeves, duct tape, spare zippers, and seam sealer.

REI’s latest backpacking tent falls squarely into the latter camp, weighing a mere 1 lb. 15 oz. if you leave behind the vertical poles it comes with and uses your own trekking poles to pitch it ...

Even the finest tent is only as comfortable as the bedding inside it. When backpacking, the combination of a tent and a comfortable sleeping pad can add up quickly in terms of weight and pack space.

It may not be the lightest in our lineup (the 2-person model weighs in with a minimal trail weight of 3 pounds, 15 ounces), but REI’s fool-proof backpacking tents are still some of the best on ...

When it comes to ultralight backpacking gear, the importance of silnylon can't be overstated. The simple fabric construction--lightweight ripstop nylon impregnated with a waterproof silicone ...

Backpacking tents we recommend Best of the best: Alps Mountaineering’s Ibex 1-Person Tent Our take: Light, versatile one-person tent that’s durable and easy to set up. What we like: Very ...

Yes, really. My first backpacking trip at age 28 was a hilarious fiasco that involved a child-sized sleeping bag, a leather jacket and two adventurers crammed into a tiny single-person tent.