Tent weight is a frequent area of concern for many backpackers, especially for beginners who are faced with a tsunami of gear choices without understanding what they need for the weather conditions they plan to backpack in, what they’ll like or dislike in a tent, or what’s a reasonable amount to pay for one.
If you’re just getting into backpacking, one rule of thumb is to keep the weight of your first backpacking tent under 2.5 to 3 pounds per person. It can be lower than that, but that’s a good upper limit to shoot for and one that’s still relatively easy to carry in a backpack. That also gives you a range of fairly reasonable pricing options.
If you’re hiking with a partner, you may be able split the components of the tent between you so you each carry half or part of the weight. You can also repackage the tent so it has a more manageable shape than the bag it originally came in. For example, I usually stuff my tents into a stuff sack or even loose inside my backpack to use the space inside my pack more efficiently.
Buying your first tent
If I can offer one piece of sage advice for beginner backpackers when buying their first tent, it’d be:
- Don’t buy the lightest weight tent money can buy.
While people who tell you that “successful backpacking depends on carrying the least amount of weight possible” are trying to be helpful, they never seem to take into account your needs and desires, the demands of the terrain and weather, where you plan to hike, trip length, what your goals are, or how much disposable income you have to spend on gear. While a lower weight tent weight helps, plenty of people have been very successful backpackers when carrying heavier tents and pack weights.
Everybody has different needs: take the time to learn what yours are before you try to buy the perfect tent, even if that means buying a less-than-perfect one at first. For example, you might want to buy a tent that can return, even if it’s been used (Hint: REI’s return policy), to get your feet wet. You might ultimately decide it’s a tent you like, but you’ll still have the option of returning it and choosing something different.
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