Budget Backpacking Tents, Hammocks, Other Shelters, and Accessories

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Sweet Spot Recommendations

For most beginner budget backpackers, I recommend a 3-season, double-wall, free-standing or semi-freestanding tent.

If you feel you must use a lighter tent, I recommend a single-wall trekking-pole tent with side mesh panels or equivalent means of removing condensation.

To learn about 3-season, 4-season, single-wall, double-wall, free-standing, semi-freestanding, non-freestanding, and trekking pole tents, see Learn about Tents for Backpacking

Tent Comparison Table

Click arrows in headings to sort

Tent	MSRP	People	Seasons	Structure	Walls	Entry	Doors	Vestibules	Poles	Trail Weight (lbs)	Height (in)	Width (in)	Length (in)	Footprint
Bisinna 2	$69.99	2	3	Freestanding	Double	Side	2	2	Poles	4.7	47.2	23.6	82.7	No
Lanshan 1P	$149.99	1	3	Non-freestanding	Double	Side	2	2	Trekking pole	2.2	49.2	29.5	89.7	No
Lanshan 2P	$169.99	2	3	Non-freestanding	Double	Side	2	2	Trekking pole	2.8	49.2	43.3	86.6	No
Naturehike Cloud-Up 2P	$169.00	2	3	Freestanding	Double	Front	1	1	Poles	3	41.3	49.2	82.7	Yes
Featherstone UL Obsidian 1P		1	3	Freestancing	Double	Side	2	2	Poles	2.8	45	38.5	81	No
Featherstone UL Granite 2P	$139.99	2	3	Freestanding	Double	Side	2	2	Poles	4.2	43	51	84	No
Featherstone Backbone 1P	$179.99	1	3	Non-freestanding	Single	Side	2	2	Trekking pole	1.9	45	Head 32 / Foot 20	85	No
Featherstone Backbone 2P	$199.99	2	3	Non-freestanding	Single	Side	2	2	Trekking pole	2.2	45	Head 50 / Foot 43	85	No

Freestanding Double-wall Tents

Bisinna 2

$55.99 as of 8/16/2025

MSRP $69.99

Freestanding double-wall tent

Specifications
Doors: 2
Vestibules: 2
Floor: 190T* Polyester Taffeta
Canopy: B3 No-see-um Mesh;
Rainfly: PU2000mm water-resistant 190T* Polyester Taffeta
Poles: 7001 aluminum
Length: 82.7 in
Width: 23.6 in
Height: 47.2 in
Weight: 4.7 lbs

*190T means 190 threads per square inch

Pros

Incredible low price!
Vent on rainfly

Cons

4.7 lbs is heavy for backpacking—the polyester fabric is thick and heavy to compensate for its low strength-to-weight ratio
The poles get caught in the pole sleeves
Water can eventually seep through the seam stitching of the rainfly in heavy rain, but you can solve this problem by seam-sealing the stitching.

My Thoughts

Since this tent is made of polyester, weighs 4.7 lbs, and has snag-prone pole sleeves, it may not be at the sweet spot, but its price is insanely low for what it offers. It should be good enough for two-day backpacking trips after you’ve sealed the rainfly seams.

Naturehike Cloud-Up 2-person Lightweight Backpacking Tent with Footprint

MSRP $165.32

Freestanding double-wall tent

Specifications
Doors: 1, front entry
Vestibule: 1, front
Floor: PU4000mm waterproof 20D nylon with silicone coating
Canopy: High desity B3 mesh inner tent
Rainfly: 20D Silicon Coated Ripstop Nylon
Poles: 7001 aluminum alloy
Length: 82.7 in
Width: 49.2 in
Height: 41.3 in
Weight: 3 lbs

Features

Includes footprint, 20D Silicon Coated Ripstop Nylon
Seam-taped
Fast fly pitch

Pros

Good value
Footprint included (most other brands require you to buy expensive separately sold footprints)
Fast fly pitch
Quality materials
Popular and receives good reviews

Cons

Heavier than some competitors
Droopy walls
Short for people over 6 feet tall
Limited head room
Small vestibule
Fly vent is low
Single-door, single-vestibule front entry inconvenient for 2 people
Clips slightly inconvenient
3-season despite sometimes being advertised as 4-season

My Thoughts

I would rather buy a 2-door, 2-vestibule, side-entry tent like the Featherstone Granite.

Featherstone UL Granite 2-Person

$124.99 as of 8/30/2025

MSRP $139.99

Freestanding double-wall tent

Specifications
Doors: 2, side entry
Vestibule: 2, sides
Floor: 20D Silnylon with 2000mm polyurethane coating
Canopy: Noseeum Mesh
Rainfly: 20D Silnylon with 2000mm polyurethane coating
Poles: 7001 Aluminum
Length: 84 in
Width: 51 in
Height: 43 in
Trail Weight: 4 lbs 3 oz
12 stakes included
Footprint included

Pros

Excellent value for a 20D silnylon tent
Ample space in tent and vestibules
20D silnylon has high strenth-to-weight ratio
2 vents on the rainfly
Popular and receives good reviews

Cons

Somewhat heavy at 4 lbs 3 oz

My Thoughts

This is the freestanding double-wall tent I would buy.

Featherstone UL Obsidian 1-Person

MSRP $129.99

Freestanding double-wall tent

Specifications
Doors: 1, side entry
Vestibule: 1, side
Floor: 20D Silnylon with 2000mm polyurethane coating
Canopy: Noseeum Mesh
Rainfly: 20D Silnylon with 2000mm polyurethane coating
Poles: 7001 Aluminum
Length: 81 in
Width: 38.5 in
Height: 45 in
Trail Weight: 2 lbs 12.5 oz
12 stakes included
Footprint included

Pros

Excellent value for a 20D silnylon tent
20D silnylon has high strenth-to-weight ratio
2 vents on the rainfly
Popular and receives good reviews

Cons

Non-freestanding Double-wall Trekking-pole Tents

Lanshan Ultralight 3-Season Backpacking Tent, 1-Person or 2-Person

Non-freestanding, double-wall trekking pole tent

Specifications
Doors: 2
Vestibules: 2
Floor: 20D nylon, silicone/PU 6000mm
Canopy: High-density mesh
Rainfly: 15D nylon, silicone/PU 5000mm, seam-taped
Interior pockets: 1, mesh

Features

Ventilation window
2 hooks for lamp or fan

2-person

MSRP $169.99
Weight: 2.8 lbs
Length: 86.6 in
Width: 43.3 in
Height: 49.2 in
Requires 2 trekking poles, not included.

1-person

MSRP $149.99
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Length: 89.7 in
Width: 29.5 in
Height: 49.2 in
Requires 1 trekking pole, not included.

Pros

Excellent value
Ultralight
Can be pitched as a tarp tent without inner tent
Can be pitched as an inner mesh tent without rainfly

Cons

Cramped for tall people
Inner mesh loose and saggy. If you are over 5’10” tall, your feet may push through the loose mesh of the inner wall and touch the wet outer wall, making the foot of your sleeping bag wet from condensation.
Some Amazon reviewers report that rain leaks through the side guy-line tie-out points. You can fix this by seam-sealing them.

Non-freestanding Single-wall Trekking-pole Tents

Featherstone Backbone Ultralight Tent

Non-freestanding trekking pole tent
Single-wall, mesh side panels for condensation runoff

Specifications:
Doors: 2, side entry
Vestibules: 2, side
Poles: None. Requires 2 trekking poles (not provided)
Floor: 15-denier Sil-Nylon with 2000mm polyurethane hydrostatic rated coating
Canopy: Noseeum Mesh
Rainfly: 15-denier Sil-Nylon with 2000mm polyurethane hydrostatic rated coating

2-person

Not sold on Amazon as of 8/3/2025

MSRP $ 199.99
Headwidth: 50 in / 127 cm
Footwidth: 43 in / 109 cm
Length: 85 in / 215 cm
Height: 45 in / 120 cm
Pack Weight: 2 lbs 8 oz (1.15 kg)
Trail Weight (tent, 6 stakes, 2 ram hooks, stake bag): 2 lbs 4 oz (1.03 kg)

1-person

MSRP $179.99
Headwidth: 32 in / 81 cm
Footwidth: 20 in / 51 cm
Length: 85 in / 215 cm
Height: 45 in / 120 cm
Pack Weight: 31 oz (888 g)
Trail Weight (tent, 6 stakes, 1 ram hook, stake bag): 27 oz (779 g)

Pros