Lightweight one-person tent: 15 options for camping compared

If you are looking for the best lightweight single person tent then you have come to the right place. It’s not easy to find a good product in the maze of thousands of single person tents available on the market.

Here are 15 options: fourteen tents and a tarp. You are sure to find something that suits you.

How do you choose a one-person tent, and what should you look for?

When you hike alone and carry everything on your back, the tent is one of the heaviest things in your pack. It has to weigh little and still get through a night of heavy rain, so that you wake up in a dry sleeping bag. The trouble is that tent descriptions are full of numbers and abbreviations that say little until you know where they come from: 3000 mm, 20D, 210T, PU, silicone, minimum weight, freestanding. Below I explain what they mean and why figures from two different tents cannot always be compared directly.

The tents in this comparison run from the cheapest to the top of the range. Several of them, such as the Grand Canyon Apex 1 and the Trinordic Endra, are described by their makers as tents for one or two people. Weight, waterproof rating and construction come from the makers, and where a maker does not publish a value, from the shop’s product page or another source that quotes the maker’s figures. Where I could not find a value in any source, the table says “no data”. This is a comparison of data, not a field test.

In my opinion, before you start comparing grams, it is worth answering three questions. How far will you carry the tent, what weather will you sleep in, and do you walk with trekking poles? The answers decide which columns of the table matter most to you.

• Weight, because you carry it every day. Check whether the maker gives the weight of the tent alone or of the whole set with stakes and bags. I explain the difference below.
• Water column of the flysheet and the floor, which tells you how well the fabric resists leaking. A high number helps, but seams and pitching also decide whether the inside stays dry.
• Construction. You can pitch a freestanding tent almost anywhere, while a trekking-pole tent is usually lighter but needs ground you can push stakes into.
• Single or double wall. This decides the weight and where the moisture from your breath ends up.
• Vestibule, doors and inside dimensions. Two tents with the same capacity can feel very different inside, so compare the floor dimensions, peak height, number of doors and vestibule space¹.

What does the water column mean, and is 3000 mm enough?

The water column, or hydrostatic head, tells you how much water pressure a fabric withstands before it starts to leak. In the test a sample of fabric is clamped over a water reservoir and the pressure is raised step by step until drops appear on the other side². The result is given in millimetres, so 3000 mm means the pressure of a column of water 3 metres high¹. The method is described in the ISO 811 standard, published in Europe as EN ISO 811:2018, which replaced the older EN 20811³.

Compare numbers from different tents with care, though. The makers report them themselves, usually without confirmation from an independent lab⁴. They also do not always describe the threshold the same way. MSR, for example, says that a fabric with a 1500 mm coating withstands such a column of water for more than one minute before a single drop appears⁵. On top of that, waterproofness drops with use, especially as the fabric wears. Whether the inside stays dry therefore depends not only on the fabric, but also on the seams, on how low the flysheet reaches and on pitching the tent well.

The table shows this well. The MSR Hubba NX from the top price bracket has a flysheet rated at 1200 mm according to the maker, while cheap polyester tents with a PU coating, such as the Grand Canyon Apex 1 and the Trinordic Endra, declare 3000 mm^{6, 7}. That does not mean the cheaper tent keeps rain out better. These numbers describe different fabrics with different coatings, reported by different makers without a common check.

How much is enough? As a rule of thumb, fabric rated at 1000 mm or less is best seen as shower resistant, 1500 mm usually does for summer camping, and tents for year-round use have at least 2000 mm⁸. The floor usually has a higher rating than the flysheet, because it works under more pressure. When you kneel or sit on wet ground, your body weight pushes water into the fabric. In my opinion, for a cheaper polyester tent with a PU coating it is worth looking for a flysheet of at least 2000 mm, ideally 3000 mm, with taped seams, because every fabric loses some of its waterproofness over time.

Single-wall or double-wall tent?

Most tents in this comparison are double-wall tents. They have an inner tent, a light inner shell often made largely of mesh, and a waterproof flysheet pitched over it. The flysheet keeps the rain out and collects condensation on its inside, which is why it should not touch the inner tent⁸. A single-wall tent has one wall that does both jobs. That makes it lighter, but the water condensing on the ceiling reaches you and your sleeping bag more easily when you brush against it or when it starts to drip⁹. In this comparison the single-wall tent is the Night Cat 1P.

In double-wall tents the pitching order matters too. With many models you first put the inner tent up on the poles and then throw the flysheet over it¹⁰. This is how Naturehike describes pitching the Mongar Pro¹¹. Other tents are pitched flysheet first, and in some the inner tent is clipped under the flysheet, so both layers go up at once. When you pitch in the rain this makes, in my opinion, a big difference, because the inner tent is under cover from the start.

Freestanding, semi-freestanding or trekking-pole tent?

A freestanding tent stands on its poles alone. You can put it up without stakes, which helps where stakes will not go into the ground¹⁰. Grand Canyon says that the Apex 1 can be set up on rock or sand without any pegs⁶. A semi-freestanding tent also stands on its poles, but some corners are not held taut by them, so you cannot do without a few stakes. With many freestanding tents you still have to stake out the vestibule to use it.

Tunnel tents almost always need stakes and guylines to stay upright⁸. Trinordic describes the Endra outright as a non-freestanding tunnel tent⁷.

The third group are tents without poles of their own, where a trekking pole takes the place of a tent pole. You find this mainly in very light tents. A trekking-pole tent is not freestanding, so it only stands once you stake it out and tension the guylines. In this comparison there is one such tent, the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 1, pitched with a single trekking pole. In my opinion it makes sense mainly if you walk with trekking poles anyway.

What is a tent made of: nylon, polyester, silicone, PU, 20D and 210T?

Light tent fabrics are usually nylon or polyester, and both break down in UV light over time⁸. Nylon is stronger and stretches more, and when it gets wet it expands as well¹². That is why a nylon flysheet can slacken in the rain and need re-tensioning at night. Polyester stretches less and holds its tension better, and some makers say it is also less sensitive to UV. The stretch of nylon has an upside, though, because in strong wind the fabric gives a little instead of tearing.

The bare fabric would let water through, so it is given a coating. Most often this is silicone or polyurethane, PU for short. Silicone strengthens the fabric and sheds water well, but it is so slippery that seam tape will not stick to it¹³. PU is cheaper and lets you tape the seams, but it does not strengthen the fabric and breaks down in sunlight over time. That is why some makers put silicone on the outside and PU on the inside. It is a compromise: the outside sheds water well, and the seams can still be taped on the inside. In descriptions you will see this as Sil/PU. Mildew also damages the coating, so dry a wet tent as soon as you can after a trip⁵.

Markings such as 20D or 68D are denier, the weight of the yarn in grams per 9000 metres¹⁴. The lower the number, the thinner the yarn and the lighter the fabric, but, for the same material, usually weaker too. The T figure, such as 210T, is the number of threads in one square inch of fabric, counting the threads in both directions together. Thin threads can be woven more tightly, so light fabrics often have a higher T number. The T number therefore tells you about the density of the weave, not directly about strength, and denier alone will not let you compare nylon with polyester. Ripstop is a fabric with a stronger thread woven in at regular intervals, to make it harder to tear.

Two examples from the comparison. According to the maker, the Naturehike Cloud-Up Pro 1 has a 20D silicone-coated nylon flysheet and a 210T polyester floor¹, while the Grand Canyon Apex 1 has a flysheet of 68D polyester with a PU coating⁶.

In ultralight gear you will also come across DCF, Dyneema Composite Fabric, more and more often. It is not a woven fabric but a laminate of Dyneema fibres sandwiched between two sheets of polyester, very strong for its weight¹⁵. It does not let water through, but it costs more than ordinary fabrics. There is no DCF tent in this comparison.

Why are seams taped?

Every stitch is a row of tiny holes in the fabric that water can seep through in a downpour. That is why the seams of the flysheet and the floor are often sealed with tape or a liquid sealant⁸. In the description look for “taped seams” or “sealed seams”. On fabrics coated with silicone only, tape does not stick, so the seams are sealed by hand with a liquid sealant¹³. Before your first trip, check in the description whether the maker has done it, because an unsealed seam can leak even with a high water column on the fabric².

Where does water inside the tent come from when it is not raining?

It is usually condensation. It also forms in the rain, so a wet inner wall does not necessarily mean the flysheet is leaking¹. Warm, moist air inside the tent meets a cooler wall and the water settles on it as drops. The moisture comes from your breath and skin, from wet ground and from wet gear inside, and there is most condensation in high humidity, on cold nights and in the rain⁵. No tent removes it completely, so ventilation is what counts. Keep at least two vents open so that air flows across the tent, use the mesh in the inner tent, and keep wet gear out of it.

In a double-wall tent condensation collects mainly on the flysheet, and the inner tent keeps it away from you⁸. In a single-wall tent it settles on the same wall you can touch, which is why a small cloth for wiping down the ceiling comes in handy with such a tent⁹.

What is the vestibule for?

The vestibule is the covered space under the flysheet, without a floor, between the inner tent and the door. You keep your boots and pack there⁸, and in the rain also wet clothes you do not want to bring into the inner tent⁶. In my opinion, in a one-person tent the vestibule deserves as much attention as the weight, because the inner tent usually has no room for anything but you and your sleeping bag. If the maker gives its area, compare it. MSR gives a vestibule area of 0.84 m² for the Hubba NX⁵. In this comparison the Bessport 1P, the Geertop Blazer 1 and the Naturehike Mongar Pro, among others, have two doors.

Minimum weight or packaged weight?

This is where it is easiest to go wrong. MSR gives weights under the American standard ASTM F1934-98, in which the packaged weight is everything in the box, while the minimum weight is only the inner tent, flysheet and poles, without stakes, guylines and the stuff sack⁵. Other makers talk about “trail weight” or “minimum package weight”, and many shops give one number without saying what it is. The difference is often more than a hundred grams. According to the maker the MSR Hubba NX weighs 1.12 kg minimum and 1.29 kg packaged, the Naturehike Cloud-Up Pro 1 weighs 1.23 kg or 1.39 kg¹, and the Trinordic Endra 1.4 kg or 1.7 kg⁷. On top of that, the real weight can differ a little from the catalogue figure, because batches of fabric and coating do not weigh exactly the same.

In the table, when the maker gives both values, I show the higher one, with the accessories. When you compare tents outside the table, first check which weight each of them means.

What are poles and stakes made of?

Cheaper poles are made of fibreglass, more expensive ones of aluminium alloys, which are stronger and more durable. The pole sections are joined by an elastic cord running inside⁸. For aluminium, makers often give the alloy and the tube diameter. Trinordic gives a 7001 alloy and an 8.5 mm diameter for the Endra⁷. Among the tents in this comparison, the Grand Canyon Apex 1 and the Mil-Tec Recom are examples with fibreglass poles, and the Trinordic Endra, the Naturehike Mongar Pro and the Tatonka Koli 1 are examples with aluminium ones.

Stakes, also called pegs, hold the tent to the ground and against the wind together with the guylines. Makers supply different ones. Grand Canyon includes steel pegs with the Apex 1⁶, Trinordic includes 12 aluminium stakes with the Endra, and Naturehike includes V-shaped aluminium stakes with the Mongar Pro¹¹.

A tarp or a bivy instead of a tent?

A tarp is a sheet that you pitch above you on lines. It has no floor, walls or mesh, so you protect yourself from wet ground and insects separately. The sheet is pitched with a gap above the ground, so that air flows underneath and condensation does not build up¹⁶. The Helikon-Tex Supertarp, the only tarp in this comparison, has no floor or mosquito net, which is why it sits in a separate group in the table.

A bivy, or bivouac sack, is a light, waterproof cover that you sleep in together with your sleeping bag. It takes up less space than a tent and is quick to set up. There is no bivy in this comparison, and the Geertop Blazer 1, although low, is a full double-wall tent.

How do you read the comparison table?

Values in the table come from the makers, and where a maker does not publish a value, from the shop’s product page or another source that quotes the maker’s figures. Where I could not find a value, the table says “no data” rather than my guess.

• Weight is the value given by the maker, or by the shop when the maker does not publish it. When the maker gives both a minimum weight and a weight with accessories, I show the latter.
• Waterproof rating is the water column of the flysheet, or of the wall in a single-wall tent. The floor usually has more.
• Construction tells you whether the tent is a dome, a tunnel or a trekking-pole tent, a low double-wall tent or a tarp.
• Seasons are what the maker or the seller declares. A 3-season tent puts ventilation and low weight first, while a 4-season tent has a stronger structure, more fabric and less mesh¹. When choosing, the weather you will sleep in matters more than the label.
• Price is a price bracket on the day of checking, not an exact amount, because shop prices change often.

How I work out the “Value for money” score is described in the methodology next to the table. Remember that the data will not tell you how a tent copes with a gale or how long its seams will last.

Sources

1. Naturehike, Cloud Up Pro 1, specifications and FAQ (water column, condensation, seasons): naturehike.com
2. Philip Werner, Section Hiker, “Hydrostatic Head Explained: Measuring Waterproofness”: sectionhiker.com
3. SIS (Swedish Institute for Standards), SS-EN ISO 811:2018, description of the standard for the hydrostatic pressure test of fabrics: sis.se
4. Philip Werner, Section Hiker, “How Waterproof is Silnylon?”, with the author’s reply in the comments on self-reported ratings: sectionhiker.com
5. MSR, Hubba NX Solo, specifications and FAQ (weights under ASTM F1934-98, water column, condensation, mildew): cascadedesigns.com
6. Grand Canyon, Apex 1, specifications: grand-canyon.dk
7. Trinordic, Endra, specifications (in Swedish): trinordic.se
8. Wikipedia, “Tent” (construction, water column, seams, poles, vestibule): en.wikipedia.org
9. Section Hiker, “Single Wall Tents vs Double Wall Tents: Which is Right for You?”: sectionhiker.com
10. Section Hiker, “Freestanding Tents Explained: Guide to Types and Setup”: sectionhiker.com
11. Naturehike, Mongar Pro 1, specifications and pitching steps: naturehike.com
12. Backpacker, “Could This Fabric Revolutionize Ultralight Backpacking Tents?”, on silnylon and silpoly: backpacker.com
13. Intents Outdoors, “What are Tent Fabric Specifications and Coatings?”: intentsoutdoors.co.nz
14. Wikipedia, “Units of textile measurement” (denier, thread count): en.wikipedia.org
15. Wikipedia, “Dyneema Composite Fabric”: en.wikipedia.org
16. Wikipedia, “Bivouac shelter” (bivouac sack, pitching a sheet): en.wikipedia.org