You're looking for the ideal tent for your next trip? If it is “your” first tent, you may have some doubts about which one to buy, but don't worry, in this post I will give you some suggestions on how to choose the right tent for your next adventure!
La travel tent is one of the essential accessories for a traveler.
A traveling tent becomes a home: wherever you go, in fact, whether it is a beach holiday with friends, or a desert trekking in Iran or maybe a few days of hiking in Kyrgyzstan in the remote wilderness, or safari in Tanzania, or camping on the side of an active volcano in Guatemala, in short, you will have one house.
In this post, I will try to give you some tips on how to choose the right curtain for you according to your needs of the moment and, finally, I will give you some examples of curtains that could be for you.
We will examine the various ones together features the right tent for all budgets and travel styles: cheap tents, light tents, trekking tents, travel tents.
First of all think what do you need this curtain for: will you use it only once or will you also need it in the future? Do you want it big to be comfortable, or light and small for a bike trip? Would you like a "normal" tent or a tent for a safari, perhaps to be mounted on the roof of your off-road vehicle?
Well, read on!
QUICK TIPS:
Best beach tent: Pacific Breeze
Best camping tend for an all-round value: Ferrino Proxes, Tenda a Tunnel
The best choice for travelers backpacker: MSR Hubba Hubba Nx V7
Traveler tent in bike or motorbike: VAUDE Hogan UL 2p
BEST ECONOMIC TENT: QUECHUA MH100
Decathlon has tons of tents for all tastes.
My best economic choice is undoubtedly QUECHUA MH100: it costs not even 30 Euros, is easy to assemble and has decent standards. The perfect tent for your holiday if you want to spend little!
Click on the button below to see more cheap tents on Decathlon!!!
TENTS on DECATHLON
- 1. Seasonality and use
- 2 - Weight
- 3 - Dimensions and living space
- 4 - Durability
- 5 - Cost
- 6 - Protection and weather resistance
- 7 - Design and usability
- The best travel tents
- Beach tents
- The best beach tents
- 2 - Camping tents
- The best camping tents
- 3 - Tents for Backpacking and Trekking Travel
- The best tents for backpacking trips
- 3 - Tents for travel by bike or motorbike
- The best tents for bike trips
- Safari tents
1 - Seasonality and use
The first step in understanding how to choose the best travel tent for your needs is to ask yourself when you use it (in what climatic conditions)?
Will you go to the sea and the beach or to the high mountains?
The tents are divided mainly into tents 3 seasons o 4 seasons. Assuming that most people travel with the tent in the summer months, or use it for a camping by the sea, the best-selling tents are those 3 seasons.
These tents are best if you are not planning a trip to difficult lands or conditions and the market offers a huge variety, from the lightest to the largest, so you will be spoiled for choice. The price range is also very variable, from cheap to more expensive.
If, on the other hand, you are planning a trip in more difficult conditions, perhaps in the high mountains with the danger of rain and strong winds, then it is better to opt for 4-season tents.
Let's say that in most cases, 3-season tents are suitable for all those who do not plan to climb Everest.
The next step is to think about the types of trips you will take.
Traveling with a tent and backpacking for months or do you need a tent for a weekend at the beach?
If you are in the second option, and therefore you will not make frequent use of it, I would look for something with a reasonable price, a simple installation and disassembly process, durable materials and good all-round liveability.
As journeys become longer and more ambitious, factors such as weight and size rise to the top of the priority list (more on these considerations below).
If you go to extreme conditions, then you will need to reduce the comfort of a spacious tent for one with a more aerodynamic shape to prevent the wind from taking it away.
In short, based on the type of trip you take, try to match the design of the tent to your style. Cheaper tents are perfect for occasional outings, and ultralight models can be overkill for many people and situations.
2 - Weight
Il weight is one of the most important considerations when choosing a tent. And here too we return for a moment to the use you will make of it and how and for how long you will go around with your tent.
In fact, the weight can change a lot: the extreme trekking tents and therefore you have to camallare on your back for example on a mountain, will have a different weight than a tent for a family of 5 who will go camping by the sea and want to be comfortable.
The weight obviously depends on the invoice of the curtain and is generally inversely proportional to the budget available: lighter curtains cost more.
Most of the cheaper tents use cheaper materials that are heavier and these models often weigh 4 kg and up, while the lighter and more expensive tents can weigh even less than 2 kg.
However, lighter curtains have a number of trade-offs. In general, when the weight decreases, the price increases, the duration decreases, interior space decreases, features are reduced and configuration becomes more complicated. The right choice should be based on your budget and how you intend to use your tent.
If you have to climb Everest, every extra ounce of weight can become a big hassle. If you travel by car, arrive at the campsite and set up your tent, then you can take a heavier one.
3 - Dimensions and living space
For the most part, the tents can be 1 to 4/5 people. Two-person models are the most popular and are designed to fit two standard-width mats placed side-by-side.
1-person tents are typically small and light.
However, when you are evaluating a tent for you and your girlfriend or family, you should also evaluate other things.
Do you have enough baggage to fit inside the tent? Consider taking a 3-person tent even if you are only two in order to have extra space for backpacks or suitcases.
Le three-person tents are a nice solution also for small families, or couples traveling with a dog. Finally, four-person tents are the least common as they are quite heavy and bulky but can be a family-friendly option.
Knowing the capacity of a tent gives you an idea of ​​his interior space, but to better understand its livability requires a few more elements.
In general you should evaluate:
Floor size (Length x height): the vast majority of manufacturers provide these measurements and by looking at them you can understand if your mattress or sleeping bag fits us or not.
Peak heightPeak height represents the highest point inside the tent, often right in the middle, and this can be helpful in determining whether or not you can sit comfortably or even stand upright.
General form: also try to pay attention to the general shape of the tent, for example if it is an igloo or if the walls are very inclined. Check if the base is rectangular. All this information gives you the idea of ​​livability inside your tent.
When it comes to the size of travel tents, however, you also need to think about the size when the tent is closed and folded for transport.
In fact, if you have to put it on top of your backpack, you will not have the same needs as those who load it in the car.
In addition to the weight and size when it is mounted so pay attention to that too.
4 - Durability
A general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that as the weight of a curtain decreases, its lifespan decreases.
Choosing the duration here too depends again (but look a bit) on the use you will make of it.
If you are going to use it often to go camping by the sea then it is worth spending a little extra money to get one that will last you most of your life.
The same if you are a safari or road trip enthusiast.
However, if your intention is to use it sporadically, then it is not necessary to spend a lot of money.
A good portion of backpackers, both novice and experienced, typically choose something in between, which is why the tents Hubba Hubba they are among the most common tents I have seen in my life among backpackers.
They are light enough but should be able to withstand multiple years of mistreatment and backpacking travel.
One of the problems with curtains is that if they lean against sharp stones they could tear. A good practice, if you have no weight problems, is to buy any one separately telo (garden shades are also fine) which not only protects the awning, but also ensures better resistance to humidity.
5 - Cost
I prices of tents they vary widely, from around $ 150 for a budget model from a well-known brand to $ 800 and more - so it's worth being careful about what you get for it.
Obviously in some cases, such as trekking in extreme or particularly windy areas, we will have to spend more to try to combine resistance and design with lightness.
When, on the other hand, it is used less professionally, then you can go for cheaper models.
Please note: that there are models that cost a little less but do their job very well and manage to combine quality with a decent price.
6 - Protection and weather resistance
Weather can be unpredictable in the wilderness even in the height of summer, but the good news is that almost any tent around can withstand a light summer storm.
In general, to stem the rains or the penetration of water, all the upper sheets are waterproof, as are the "floors" with raised sides, a bit as if they were small tubs.
The more expensive models generally they are more resistant to atmospheric agents compared to budget options since their materials are more robust and will last longer (a notable exception is some ultralight designs that sacrifice weather protection for reduced weight).
And if you are expecting to encounter rain and wind, look for a tent with a rain cover that reaches the ground for maximum coverage and draft points along the outside to attach the cable to increase wind resistance.
Almost as important as the weather protection is ability of a curtain to ventilate.
This is a very important thing because it ensures breathability, keeps the scorching heat at bay and avoids accumulations of humidity due to our breathing during the night.
Tent manufacturers use a double wall construction, which encourages airflow by making the tent body and rain cover two separate pieces.
Most of the curtains also have windows to improve the air circulation inside the tent.
7 - Design and usability
Another of the things to consider before buying a travel tent is the design but not for the aesthetics (even if it also takes that) but above all for the its usability.
If you go camping, perhaps you would like to have a tent with a veranda where you can store things for eating, stoves and other items when you are not using them.
If you travel as a backpacker, on the other hand, you would like to have an extra space for your backpack.
In short, there are many things to evaluate and many are up to your taste and your need.
But one of the things you need to pay attention to in my opinion is there presence of internal pockets and their location. In fact, it could happen that you wake up at night in the dark and have to look for your flashlight: with a pocket over your head you know immediately where to find it.
The same thing goes for other items that you would always like to have on hand: sunscreen for example, or sanitizing wipes, cell phone or beauty kit.
So evaluate how many pockets there are and where they are positioned!
The best travel tents
Now that you know how to choose your travel tent, let's see which are the best.
Keep in mind that even if a model that is the best this year (2021), the new model may come out in the next few years. It does not mean that you have to change the curtain, on the contrary: a good tent is forever.
Simply, materials and technologies evolve: more resistant and long-lasting materials are coming out, but you can't keep up with everything and then it's not like we need the latest product on the market.
My tent is 30 years old. Now I have to buy a new one, the top sheet, despite having done it several times waterproofing, now it loses water. the bottom got a hole in it, I patched it up a thousand times, it can't take it anymore.
But it lasted 30 years: I bought a very good model and in the end I made up for its cost at least 100 times!
To make it easier for you to choose the travel tent, I have divided them into a kind of broad categories: beach tents (or camping by the sea), camping tents (generic), backpackers tents, safari tents (to be mounted on the roof of the Jeep), trekking shoes and tents for cycling trips (or by motorbike).
For practically each model mentioned below then, depending on your needs, you can choose whether you want the model for 1, two, 3 or 4 people.
Let's go !!!
1 - Beach Tents
When you choose a tent for a weekend on the beach, maybe moving by car there are not many things to pay attention to. In fact, you don't need a tent that is too professional or too light and small to carry, very technical and with a specific design for wind or snowstorms.
In short, they are those curtains that you can safely buy from Decathlon (see here all the models) or from Amazon (see here all the models)
The features to look out for are the following:
- Liveability
- Sweat (it's very hot on the beach)
- Cost
- Dimensions when mounted
Generally, however, those interested in beach tents are not looking for tents to sleep with on the beach, but sunshades to use during the day, perhaps to provide some shade where small children can rest.
These will therefore be what I will propose to you below. If you are looking for a tent to sleep on the beach, the ones I talk about later for camping are fine!
Best Beach Tent: Pacific Breeze - Easy to Install Beach Tent
For the perfect all-rounder tent, look no further: the beach tent Pacific Breeze Easy Setup is what you are looking for. Assembly is quick and easy and the tent is also incredibly spacious.
Its fiberglass frame makes the tent durable enough for rain, wind and other outdoor activities.
Despite its size, the tent is nonetheless light: it is made of breathable and water-repellent polyester and weighs only 2 kg!
In addition, the tent boasts a UPF 50+ sun protection and large windows, so you and your kids are sure to stay cool.
PACIFIC BREEZE su AMAZON
Pacific Breeze for me it's the best ever, but if you want more ideas check out the beach tents below!
Best budget: iCorer Pop Up Beach Tent: economic pop-up tent that does not skimp on functionality.
Better installation: WolfWise Easy Pop Up Beach Tent: Just throw the Zomake tent in the air and you will have a beach tent ready in seconds.
Best for children: Monobeach children's beach tent: Features a mini pool so your child can still play in the water without setting foot on the shore.
BEACH TENTS on AMAZON
2 - Camping tents
For camping tents, the above is more or less valid.
There are some very interesting ones HERE on DECATHLON, but other models that in my opinion could do for you (them or their variants) are the following.
The best camping tent: Ferrino Proxes, Tunnel Tent
What I personally like about this tent is that it has a very high livability given by the shape with almost vertical walls, perfect for camping situations where there is no wind that blows away.
It is a not too expensive tent, large and with an outside space to put your luggage.
It has a fly-sheet and a breathable and water-repellent polyester interior. there is the version for 3 to 6 people!
FERRINO PROXES su AMAZON
Best family camping tent: Coleman Coastline 3 Plus
There are so many family tents, but I chose this one for the affordable price (excellent value for the quality) and why Coleman it is a real institution (just look at the reviews of its tents).
The store Coleman Coastline 3 Plus it is suitable for small families who love camping on weekends or whenever they have the opportunity to indulge in this activity.
It is a well-sized tent to accommodate a family unit of 3, giving them enough room to breathe and not feel trapped inside.
Couples can also take advantage of the Coleman Coastline 3 Plus tent for a quick escape from the stresses of work and everyday life.
COLEMAN COASTLINE su AMAZON
As said the tent Coleman Coastline is for 3 people.
If you are looking for something for a larger family try looking there COLEMAN Rocky Mountain 5 Plus:
La Rocky Mountain Five it is an ideal family tent for those who go camping using a car (it is not very light) and in particular it is perfect for parents who want their children to sleep long even on bright summer mornings.
There is ample room for shelter from humid weather and for sleeping at night and it is easy to assemble and put away.
If you haven't found what you are looking for, by clicking on the button below you can find a lot of other tents for families with children.
TENTS for FAMILIES on AMAZON
3 - Tents for Backpacking and Trekking Travel
Here we already go on needs a little different from those above.
Backpackers often travel on a low budget, they stop to sleep in tents in the most disparate places (from cities to National Parks), but above all they load the tent over the backpack:
So weight and measurements when the tent is packed are very important things !!
Always HERE on Decathlon find some interesting models. But if you want something top that allows you to have a multipurpose, resistant and light tent I suggest you look at the models I put below which are the ones I have seen most often with backpackers!
My favorite brand for curtains is Ferrino: it does not have exorbitant prices and is a company that boasts decades of records for sports and mountain things.
You can look at all FERRINO curtains on Amazon here
Best tent for backpacking travel: MSR Hubba Hubba Nx V7
Urka Urka 400 and broken EURO !! You will think I am crazy to propose this tent to you when there are a lot of much cheaper options!
Ok you are right but I have to start with this one because besides being my purchase, this is without a doubt the best backpacking travel tent money can buy.
It is very light (1,54 kg), designed for even difficult conditions (heavy rain, wind etc etc) and is one of the most waterproof backpack tents in circulation.
THEMSR Hubba Hubba Nx V7 it is designed for two people and is really spacious enough for a two-person tent; it is shaped to allow you to sit upright.
This two-person tent is one of the best backpacker couples tents - there's room for ahem to roll around.
MSR is one of the most respected brands in the backpacking travel tent and gear industry and has really decent customer support - when you buy an MSR tent, it comes with a lifetime warranty, so you can see it as an investment, it will be the last tent you will have to buy in your life!
HUBBA HUBBA Nx V7 su AMAZON
MSR designs lots of tents for backpackers.
Take a look here to see OTHER MODELS
4 - Tents for travel by bike or motorbike
Even tents for travel by bike or motorbike have quite specific needs: they must take up little space when closed and must be light (especially if you are traveling by bike!).
For the rest, depending on the trip you intend to do, it will be up to you to choose other characteristics.
In my opinion a light 3 season is the best choice: the Hubba Hubba NX V7 is one choice but there are others: the one you find below the Vaude is one of the best.
Best bike travel tent: VAUDE Hogan UL 2p
Vaude is one of the best known brands that produce bicycle equipment and bags, so they are very popular among those who travel this way.
The models Hogan UL e VAUDE Power Lizard they are 3 season tents, for 1 or 2 people and they weigh little: 1,85 kg and 1,12 kg respectively.
They are excellent tents: wind resistant, made for hikers, climbers and bikers in the worst conditions they can encounter. The same as the MSR (which we saw earlier, my tent!): quality and brand come at a price.
On Amazon you can find the VAUDE Hogan UL 2 people at 345 € and Vaude Power Lizard for 1 or 2 people for € 375
Vaud designs lots of tents for bikers and hikers.
Take a look here to see OTHER MODELS
5 - Safari tents
Le safari tents they are quite specific but above all they can be of different types: the ones to be mounted on the roof go a lot (more difficult for a lion to reach you during the night ... joke).
The concept is quite simple: a curtain attaches directly to the roof rack system on top of the vehicle and when you arrive at your destination, you simply open it, climb the ladder and go to sleep.
Compared to standard camping tents, the fact that it's on the roof keeps you safe from rough terrain and makes it easy to set up your camp just about anywhere. Additionally, most rooftop tents include a comfortable built-in mattress, which is a noticeable improvement over a standard airbed.
Having said that, these models are very expensive, often more than 1000 EUROS, for this reason, if you have to make such an expensive choice I recommend that you ask for information in a shop or from a specific manufacturer.
In addition, there may be curtains that are more suitable for your vehicle.
So I don't recommend buying them on Decathlon or on Amazon and I would go to specific manufacturers.
