Possibly the best all-around, lightweight shelter is a pyramid shelter. I have used Pyramid Shelters on trips to Alaska, Patagonia, the Sierras, major European treks and around the world. (Picture of Alison in a Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL on the G20 in Corsica. Considered to be the toughest long distance trek in Europe, the GR20 is legendary for its violent weather.)
Recommended Tents, Tarps and other Shelters
Why would I not take a conventional tent?
Pyramid Shelters, Tarps and Shaped Tarps are lighter and better ventilated than most Conventional Tents, yet give excellent wind and rain protection. For instance a pyramid shelter with a palatial 65+ ft2 floor area and 5+ feet of headroom can weigh between 1.5 to a only pound depending on fabric (43ft2/lb to 65 ft2/lb). A well-known 2-person backpacking tent is almost 5 pounds for 47 ft2 floor area and 3+ feet of headroom (9.6 ft2/lb). So the pyramid shelter has between 4.5 to 6.8 times more room per pound than a conventional backpacking tent—put differently it is a larger storm-worthy shelter that weighs 4 pounds less!
See Shelter Weights and Stats for a detailed comparison table of Tents, Tarps and other Shelters.
Quick Answers for Tent and Shelter Selection
1) I just want to get the best all-around shelter and be done: Look at the Pyramid Shelters Page
Pyramid shelters are light and keep you dry!
Consider pyramids from Mountain Laurel Designs, Hyperlite Mountain Gear or My Trail Co. Pyramid shelters give you huge floor area and great storm protection for the minimum weight. Many of the pyramid shelters have an optional insert which has full mosquito netting and a bathtub floor, effectively making them a tent when needed. But giving you the option of leaving the insert at home, saving both weight and pack volume.
2) I want a conventional Tent from a major retailer like REI: Look at the Tents and Tarptents Page
Consider lightweight tents like the REI Quarter Dome 1 Tent, or the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent. (If you want to save a bit more weight, look at the Tarptents, altho these will not be from REI.)
3) I feel adventurous & want to go really light: Look at the Tarps and Shaped Tarps & Pyramid Shelters Page
The 7.8 ounce MLD Cuben Fiber Grace Duo Tarp was our choice for the Wind River High Route: Don and I weathered a strong thunder and hailstorm at the back of Cirque of the Towers. Exposed at over 10,000 feet in a mountain meadow, it kept us and all our down gear dry.
Consider one of the pyramids without an insert and/or in Cuben Fiber. Or consider Tarps (like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Tarps, or Mountain Laurel Designs Tarps) and Shaped Tarps if you backpack in places with occasional rain (Summer in the Sierras or the desert of Southern Utah) and/or camp in more sheltered areas (below treeline, behind large rocks, etc.). Tarps and Shaped Tarps far more floor area but a bit less headroom than a pyramid. They are significantly lighter than pyramids. e.g. a 2-personMountain Laurel Designs Cuben Fiber Grace Duo Tarp is 8 oz vs the 16 oz for the DuoMid XL. (Note: that some skilled and adventurous backpackers use Tarps above treeline in the high mountains and other exposed areas that get appreciable wind and precipitation. Some even winter camp under a tarp!)
Shelter Types and Stats
These shelters are listed by weight (high to low). In general they are also listed in increasing floor area (ft2) per pound (lb) of shelter weight (ft2/lb) . That is a conventional 4 pound tent provides only 5 square feet of floor area per pound of shelter weight, while a Cuben Fiber tarp provides an astonishing 100 to 130 square feet per pound of shelter weight—over 20x floor area per pound.
| Lb | Ft2/lb | Type of Shelter | Example | Pros and Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tents and Tarptents | ||||
| 4 | 5.0 | Conventional retail tent | REI Passage 1 | Pro: low price, readily available, full floor and bug protection, freestanding Con: heavy, low ft2/lb area & headroom |
| 2.6 | 8.2 | Lightweight retail tent | REI Quarter Dome 1 | Pro: moderate price, readily available, full floor and bug protection, semi-freestanding Con: heavy, low ft2/lb area & low headroom |
| 2.1 | 14.3 | Tarptent | TarpTent Squall 2 | Pro: OK price, full floor and bug protection Con: not available at major retailers, not freestanding FYI: requires trekking poles |
| Pyramid Shelters | ||||
| 1.7 | 18.2 | Pyramid shelter silnylon w innernet | Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid | Pro: full rain & wind protection, large floor area, 4+ ft high, full floor and bug protection, modular – take innnet only when needed Con: moderately expensive with innernet, not available at major retailers, not freestanding FYI: requires trekking poles |
| 1.1 | 29 | Pyramid shelter silnyl w/o innernet | Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid | Pro: moderate price, great ft2/lb ratio, full rain & wind protection, large floor area, 4+ ft high Con: no floor or bug netting, not available at major retailers, not freestanding FYI: requires trekking poles |
| .7 | 46 | Pyramid shelter Cuben w/o innernet | Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid | Pro: Exceptional ft2/lb ratio, full rain & wind protection, large floor area, 4+ ft high Con: High price, no floor or bug netting, not available at major retailers, not freestanding FYI: requires trekking poles |
| 1.1 | 57.3 | Pyramid shelter (Cuben Fiber) | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2 | Pro: Exceptional ft2/lb area, full rain & wind protection, large floor area, 5+ ft high Con: Expensive, no floor or bug netting*, not available at major retailers, not freestanding FYI: requires trekking poles, *can get optional floor/bug net insert |
| Tarps and Shaped Tarps | ||||
| 1.9 | 38 | Flat tarp with innernet & beak (Cuben Fiber) | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo II UL Shelter System | Pro: better rain & wind protection than plain flat tarp, large floor area, full floor and bug protection, modular – take “insert” or beak only when needed Con: Very expensive, not available at major retailers |
| 1.2 | 40 | Shaped tarp Silnylon fabric (Cuben 0.7 lb and 72 ft2/lb) | Mountain Laurel Designs TrailStar | Pro: Great ft2/lb area, moderate price, good rain & wind protection, huge 50+ ft2 floor space Con: (vs. a pyramid; less headroom, somewhat less rain & wind protection), no floor or bug netting*, not available at major retailers FYI: *there is an innernet for the TrailStar |
| 0.8 | 80 | Flat tarp Silnylon fabric | Mountain Laurel Designs Grace Duo | Pro: High ft2/lb area, moderate price, decent rain & wind protection, huge floor space Con: (vs. a pyramid; less headroom, somewhat less rain and wind protection), no floor or bug netting*, not available at major retailers FYI *can get optional innernet, 7.8 oz in Cuben |
| 0.6 | 115 | Flat tarp Cuben Fiber | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo II Tarp | Pro: Exceptional ft2/lb area, decent rain & wind protection Con: Very expensive, (vs. a pyramid; less headroom, somewhat less rain and wind protection), no floor or bug netting*, not available at major retailers FYI *can get optional floor/bug net insert |
| .5 | 130 | Flat tarp Cuben Fiber | Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Fiber Grace Duo Tarp | Pro: Exceptional ft2/lb area, decent rain & wind protection, huge floor space Con: Very expensive, (vs. a pyramid; less headroom, somewhat less rain and wind protection), no floor or bug netting*, not available at major retailers FYI *can get optional innernet, |
Hi Alan, Thank you so much for the great site. I’m learning so much!
I haven’t seen anything about poncho-tarps. seems to me like a very good UL gear. What are your thoughts about them? Do you have any experience with them? any ones recommended?
Thank a lot,
Nivge.
Hi Nivge that’s an excellent Question! Poncho-tarps have a few limitations that have excluded them from “Recommended Tents, Tarps and other Shelters” and “Best Lightweight Rain Jackets for Hiking & Backpacking.” First, if it is raining hard, then you have to take your rainwear off to setup your shelter. In the process, you and all your gear usually get quite wet. That’s the main dis-advantage of something that is your rainwear AND shelter — it can’t be both at the same time. And 2) if you have strong winds (not uncommon when it rains) the poncho flaps and blows around horribly and lets a lot of rain in. So it is really on suited for hiking on trails (no bushwhacking or climbing or scrambling) in areas that are sheltered from the wind. Hope this helps. Warmest, -alan
Thanks for the quick response!
Stuff to think about(:
Having a hard time picking out a good solution from your amazing informational guides. I’m a beginner just getting started in the Pacific Northwest. Have to go as lightweight as I can because of arthritis – so I’d also be looking at something with livable space as I would spend more time in basecamp. Money is an issue. I’m looking at big rains, maybe snow, winds, & dense underbrush. Prefer something with broad applicability for terrain and weather. Get cold very easily. I’m adventurous and would be up to learning to pitch a tarp. Totally against hammocks, though. Maybe that’s too much to ask all around. Thoughts? Also, have you ever considered a guide for just getting started, super budget? Thanks!
Hi Crayola, sorry to have missed your message. I am just back from guiding for a few weeks in the backcountry with no email. On a budget and need a bomber shelter with lots of room? If you are feeling ADVENTUROUS and up to tarp camping I would recommend one of the Mountain Laurel Designs Pyramid Shelters — either the Solomid XL or Duomid in silnyolon as a first choice. Alison and I just took our MLD DuoMid XL for two wet weeks in Patagonia and it did stunningly well. Unless bugs are crazy bad you an skip the inner nest and just use a Polycro ground cloth from Gossamer Gear. If you are super adventurous! you can go super cheap with just a two-person silnylon tarp. Alison and I have used this successfully many times (altho good campsite selection does help with a tarp). That being said I have used tarps many times above treeline. Hope this helps. Warmest, -alan
Have you seen or checked out Zero Gram tarp shelters? I had just purchased one with a bug-net and tub. I really like it. I mostly camp in Michigan and we have bad bugs and can get surprise thunderstorm at any the time. It’s is less than 3lbs all together. I would be interested in your thoughts on it. Thanks.
Derek, I am not familiar with Zerogram shelters. I just checked out their site and they look intersting. That they test to 70 mph winds (if that really equates to in-field use) is very impressive for a tent just over 3 lbs. Looks somewhat similar to some of the Big Agnes tents but with more of a 4-season mountaineering bent than 3-season camping comfort. You’ll have to let me know how it works out in terms of livable area and condensation etc. All the best, -alan
Hi Gerry, thank you for posting . I like the solo Patrol Shelter too (with superlight bivy), especially for the shoulder seasons. Leaning toward a Serenity Shelter under my duo Grace Tarp for warmer weather. And Cuben is totally worth it!
I’m considering getting a Duomid for using with 2 people but am concerned about the entrance. It looks like opening the door in the rain would cause one of the occupants to get rained on and since I backpack in the Pacific Northwest, that could be an issue.
The other option I’ve considered would be something along the lines of a TT Stratospire 2 which I’d use without the bug nest. The only qualms I have with it is a very large footprint and about $100 more expensive.
Would a mid work out in rain or would the extra weight, size and cost of the TarpTent be worth it?
James, seriously consider a DUOMID XL. Due to the Asym shape, all the living area is behind the door/pole is protected. The area in front serves as a vestibule and cooking area. It is what Alison and I use. Best, -alan
Thanks for the quick reply, I’ll look at the XL. This would be my first lightweight shelter purchase and from what I’ve heard MLD doesn’t disappoint.
Thanks again,
James
Thanks for turning me on to Tarptent, Alan. I just ordered a 3 person Rainshadow II that will fit me and two of my kids while still being under 3 pounds. Love the site! Keep doing what you do!
So glad the TarpTent worked Matt. And love that you are getting out with your kids. Nothing better. Warmest, -a