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We purchased and tested 13 of the best ultralight tents from Durston, Zpacks, Tarptent, Hyperlite, Nemo, Slingfin, and more to help you find the right UL shelter for your next big adventure
Explore further into the backcountry with an ultralight tent, like the award-winning Durston X-Mid 1P.
Credit: Justin Simoni
By Justin Simoni ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Updated November 15, 2025
We've been testing and reviewing ultralight tents since 2012. Our expert ultralight backpackers have purchased and tested over 50 of the best ultralight tents on the market, including the 13 we tested side by side for this review.
The best lightweight tent is without a question the Durston X-Mid 1P. Not only does it offer plenty of room and weather protection, but it's actually affordable. Two-person tents jump up dramatically in price; however, the Zpacks Duplex Classic is an ultra-durable option that's sure to serve you well for years. The exception to that 2-person rule is the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2, which is a very reasonably priced first UL tent.
Editor's Note: We updated our ultralight tent review on November 15, 2025, after retesting a few of our award winners and adding a new tent from Nemo.
Double wall tent w/removable floor and bug netting
Trekking Poles Needed for Set-up?
Yes
Measured Floor Dimensions
93 x 33 in
Measured Weight of Included Parts
Total: 28.9 oz; Fly: 15.2 oz; Inner Mesh: 9.88 oz; Stakes large (4) 2.33 oz; Stakes small (4): 1.06 Stake stuff sack: 0.2 oz; Tent stuff sack: 0.42 oz
With this latest generation of the Durston X-Mid 1P, we can confidently say that this is one of the best one-person trekking pole-style tents made in the Galaxy. We love the improved, thinner, and lighter polyester rain fly with its inherent lack of stretch, even when it gets drenched from an all-night shower. The dual doors and peak vent windows mean air can move as freely as one would like while we snooze in comfort and condensation doesn't build up, leaving the tent interior dry in the morning. The inner mesh sets up after the rain fly, meaning our gear and ourselves stay drier when we're pitching it up in a brewing storm. “You can even leave the inner at home if you feel like it. That saves weight and expands the livable interior space.” Clever design details abound to make your tent life more enjoyable, even when you're keeping an eye on the overall weight of your pack.
For those who are seeking the ultimate lowest weight in a tent, the X-Mid 1P is not that. “There are several other products I reach for if absolute weight is my goal, but livability while camping does suffer in those lighter options”, admits our lead tester. Look into the Zpacks Hexamid for a simpler one-person trekking pole super tarp, or the Tarptent Aeon Li for a little more overall protection, with its built-in floor. The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is a nice compromise for something just a little lighter in the same price range as the X-Mid 1P.
Zipperless closure system is great for sandy environments
Excellent weather protection
Livable space is large and comfortable
CONS
Small vestibule
Clear color lacks privacy
Upgrade is hard to figure out without instructions
SPECIFICATIONS
Capacity
2 person
Type
Single wall tent w/ sewn in bug mesh and floor
Trekking Poles Needed for Set-up?
Yes w/o flex kit
No w/ flex kit
Measured Floor Dimensions
45 x 90 in
Measured Weight of Included Parts
Total (tarp + upgrade): 28.3 oz; Tent: 18.1 oz; Stuff sack: 0.3 oz (Flex upgrade: poles: 9.8 oz, pole bag: 0.1 oz)
The Zpacks Duplex Classic easily outperforms the competition with the lavish comforts of a full tent construction at a ridiculously lightweight. It's tall enough to sit up straight and be comfortable, and we love the two vestibules for cooking in blustery conditions and for storing gear. This tent holds its shape in windy or stormy conditions, even on an exposed ridge or open field. With a built-in bug net and full floor, summer nights will have you safe from flying pests, while the Dyneema fabrics wick and shed water without any absorption, even after hours in a downpour. We also tested the Duplex with the optional Freestanding Flex Kit Upgrade while fast-packing in Canada, climbing in the desert, and hiking to high lakes in the mountains. “The Zpacks Duplex Classic is still going strong after five years. While the investment was a big one, it's worth it.”
While there are many positives, this tent is not perfect. If you buy the base model, you will need two poles to pitch the Duplex — or spend more money on the freestanding upgrade. Second, the setup is unfortunately not very intuitive and requires a tutorial. The light material is see-through at night, so you'll have to decide if you're okay with that, and condensation can become a problem in humid places. “This isn't a cheap tent, and while I think the performance is worth the cost, not everyone may feel that way,” admits our tester. But if you want the best and are willing to throw down the cash, the ZPacks Duplex has everything you could want in an ultralight construction. It packs down small, is durable, and offers incredible protection in all kinds of weather. The Tarptent Aeon Li is another great option if you're flying solo and have trekking poles for pitching. For something even more minimal, consider the Zpacks Hexamid.
Variety of set-up options for ventilation and warmth
CONS
Requires a single center pole longer than the average trekking pole
Expensive
SPECIFICATIONS
Capacity
2 person
Type
Floorless pyramid
Trekking Poles Needed for Set-up?
Yes, unless suspended from the peak
Measured Floor Dimensions
83 x 107 in
Measured Weight of Included Parts
Total: 23.8 oz; Fly: 19.3 oz; Stuff sack: 0.5 oz; Extra guy lines: 4.02 oz
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 is easily the most spacious ultralight option we've tested. Top-quality DCF material surrounds you on all four sides of this pyramid, ranking it among the best for weather protection. Its tall, steep sidewalls and huge footprint mean there is enough space for two people to sleep, along with their favorite four-legged friend, and even space left over for gear, a kitchen, or simply spreading out. This Mid is a killer option for setting up as a base camp when staying a while deep in a wilderness area like the Wind River Range, to then explore glaciers or test yourself on some of the classic rock climbs. “It's been hard to switch back to lower-ceiling tents once you get used to the UltaMid 2.”, admits our lead tester. In snowy areas, the lack of a built-in floor means you can dig down, making the bottom a garden level of sorts, giving you even more space underneath the shelter.
But all of this space comes at a cost, and the UltaMid 2 is expensive. This tent is also so tall that it needs a center pole longer than a single trekking pole, so you'll need something to lash two poles together, or buy HMG's own long pole solution. The Ultamid 2 does not come with a mesh enclosure or bathtub floor – these are sold separately and are not inexpensive accessories. But if you want an adaptable, super weather-resistant shelter that will never have you lamenting the tradeoff in space or comfort, the UltaMid 2 is the ultralight tent for you. Perhaps one of the only tents that comes close to offering interior space is the Tarptent StratoSpire Ultra, which comfortably accommodates two.
Total 11.3 oz; Tarp: 9.2 oz; Stuff sack: 0.3 oz; Extra guy lines: 1.8 oz
For true ultralight aficionados and die-hard thru-hikers, no form of shelter burdens you less than a tarp. Of the stand-alone tarps in our lineup, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp is by far the most protective. The design allows for endless adaptability when it comes to pitching options and locations. At only 11 ounces, including copious amounts of tie-out cordage, this tarp is one of the lightest shelters in our entire review. If you don't like carrying a lot of weight and you're willing to skimp on the comforts of a traditional fully covered shelter, this ultra-bomber and durable tarp is our best recommendation.
The super low weight comes with a minor caveat in that you will likely want to bring along a ground cloth to sleep on, and depending on the season and weather, you may also need a bivy sack for added weather and bug protection. You'll also need extra stakes and cordage. This ups the overall shelter system weight and costs a bit. Also, remember that both the price and the weight are for the tarp without the trekking poles needed to set it up or the stakes required to keep it affixed to the ground, so you will have to figure in the money and weight attributed to both. Regardless, if you are in the market for a tarp, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp is the best one we have ever used. “One of the beauties of tarps is that you don't always need to set it up if the weather seems calm, giving you ultimate freedom of a cowboy camp”, notes our tester. The Zpacks Hexamid is also worth a gander if you want to cut even more weight; it's only 13.55 ounces in total, but we found it a bit less adaptable and not quite as easy to set up.
We've tested a lot of trekking pole tents, and our skepticism when receiving the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro ran deep. Anyone can produce an inexpensive tent, but can it also be of good quality and deliver value — can it be a product that we would confidently recommend to a friend? We're happy and a little relieved to say, yes, we would (and do) recommend the Lanshan. “The Lanshan 2 Pro punches well above its class when it comes to high-quality features we've grown accustomed to having at the end of a long, hard hike”, notes our tester. The rain fly is an excellent, waterproof, and strong 20D sil-nylon, and the solid inner doors keep all but the burliest of storms at bay. We love the roomy interior and vestibules, and the setup is as easy as it gets for a two-person, single-wall trekking pole design.
So what's not to love? Well, what you don't get from the Lanshan 2 Pro is the absolute lightest tent out there. Tipping the scales at over two pounds for everything that's included makes this tent stand out as one of the heaviest in our lineup, and the one-piece design of the tent means it's not possible to divide it up so that two people can share in carrying the weight. “The tent will also need to be seam-sealed before you take it out into the wilderness, an oftentimes messy step”, notes our tester. Lastly, we'd suggest investing in some better stakes, as the ones that come with your purchase are small and not as tough as we'd prefer. If you can spend a bit more, the Gossamer Gear The Two is another well-priced option that's a bit lighter. For the same weight, the much more “batteries-included” Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P is also an option.
Total: 40.7 oz; Fly: 9.5 oz; Inner mesh: 14.1 oz; Stuff sack: 0.8 oz; Extra guy lines: 0.6 oz; Stake stuff sack: 0.1 oz; Stakes: 4.6 oz; Poles: 10.6 oz; Pole stuff sack: 0.1 oz; Emergency pole repair splint: 0.3 oz
If you're coming from conventional backpacking, entering the ultralight world may feel like setting off on a trip without a map: you know generally where you need to head, but the details are a little hazy. The Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P is the tent that will hold your hand and ease your transition. Featuring a more conventional dome-style design with its own tent pole, you'll most likely feel right at home with how to set this tent up. The upside is that the Hornet Osmo 2P probably weighs many ounces less than the non-UL tent it's replacing. Unlike the trekking pole tents and tarps that dominate our lineup, this tent can be set up without committing to an exact placement. This gives you the freedom to move it around to catch the sunrise in the morning through one of its twin doors, or to properly face an incoming storm head-on for maximum storm-worthiness. “I often hike late into the night, and setting up a tent once I get to camp can feel like a chore,” admits our lead tester. “But the Hornet Osmo makes putting up a shelter as easy as it possibly can be.”
“Familiarity without all the weight” may be all you need to justify the purchase of the Hornet Osmo 2P, and we think it's a wise choice. But weight can't be dropped without compromises, and that's as true for this tent as it is for all the tents in our lineup. For the Hornet Osmo 2P, you're going to find the interior is pretty tight for two people, with barely enough room to have two 20" sleeping pads side by side. “Using this tent alone is pretty luxurious, but if I'm sharing it with my partner, she makes me promise I won't squish her into the side!” laughs our tester. If you're best friends or in a very committed relationship, this may not be a deal breaker. However, if you need a little more space to stretch out, consider a different tent. The 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro is another affordable, entry-level option, with a much roomier interior. However, as a trekking pole tent, setup is a bit more complicated. If you want to go all-in, the Zpacks Duplex Classic is pretty much as good as it gets for a two-person ultralight design, but it's a solid investment.
The Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P packs a big punch in a tiny package.
Total: 10.9 oz; Tarp: 7.7 oz; Stakes (6): 2.3 oz; Extra guy lines: 0.6 oz; Tarp bag: 0.2 oz; Stake bag: 0.2 oz
We love our 2+ person backcountry palaces for more casual trips, but when we get the itch to test ourselves on just how far or fast we can go in a short weather or long weekend window, we often pack the SlingFin SplitWing. “The SplitWing is the shelter someone pulled right out of my dreams. Weighs very little, packs down to nothing, sets up fast, and provides just enough weather protection for when I just need a few hours sleep in between marathon days”, gushes our lead tester, a mountain athlete. You don't have to be so extreme to want to set FKTs across mountain ranges to find the value of the SplitWing. Being so light and small packed up, it's perfect to have for simple, no-nonsense overnight trips where you just need to get away without bringing half a camper van with you. “On solo day hikes, I'll bring it along just in case something happens and I get benighted”, offers up our tester. And all this at a price that is sometimes half of other tarp options made of DCF.
What makes the SlingFin SplitWing so impressive is that it knows its own limitations and isn't trying to be everything to everyone. This may not be the best shelter to bring along for long trail trips where you're chancing being confined in your tent all day waiting for a particularly stubborn weather system to pass. Look instead for one of the double-wall tents like the Durston X-Mid 1P Gen 3 or a semi-freestanding one-person tent like the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1. All these being fully enclosed means wet weather is less likely to ruin a long-distance trip. SlingFin also offers up modular accessories for the SplitWing, like a ground cloth, bug net, and vestibule cover, which allows you to tune the tarp exactly to the demands of your trip. “I love the idea of the SplitWing accessories, as they extend the usefulness of such a simple shelter”, says our lead tester.
With just a little practice, it takes just a few minutes to put up the SlingFin SplitWing, perfect for when you just want to get into your sleeping bag after a long day of crushing trails.
Credit: Justin Simoni
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The ultralight tents are ready to take you wherever you want to explore.
Credit: Justin Simoni
How We Tested
We purchase all the tents that you see in this lineup at retail, to test them outside in deep glacier-cut valleys and on top of high mountain passes. These ultralight tents have been used for backcountry overnight ski missions in the Northwest, bike tours in the desert, and backpacking adventures throughout the USA and beyond. Our testing is objective and based on well-founded, unbiased, hands-on experience. After spending weeks and months in these tents, we've identified key differences and the best uses for each one.
We test and rate ultralight shelters based on five performance metrics:
A whole squad of ultralight tents, pitched and ready to be scrutinized.
Credit: Nolan Anderson
Why Trust GearLab
Our ultralight tent testers include a team of seasoned adventurers who have a craving for long excursions and light gear. This review is headed up by Justin Simoni, with support in prior years from Andy Wellman, and Matt Bento.
Justin is an outdoor adventurer, coming up with nearly impossible trips on foot to test his mettle against the Colorado mountains. He keeps a detailed account of his inspiring adventures on his blog: Justin Simoni as: THE LONG RANGER. Andy is a seasoned ultra-trail runner, writer, and publisher. Outside of spending hours rambling across the United States in search of new adventures, he has published several climbing guides. Matt is a Yosemite Search and Rescue veteran who knows the importance of going fast and light.
Our team of Gearheads has taken our ultralight tents to the ends of the World in the many years of testing.
Analysis and Test Results
This review highlights ultralight tents, tarps, and shelters that weigh two pounds or less. Even under this somewhat extreme weight limit, we've found a zoo of compelling products, from Dyneema wonder shelters to simpler polyester trekking pole tents, to Spartan sil-nylon tarps. We've distilled what we believe are the five most important metrics to consider when ultralight camping, all of which play a significant role in reliability while mitigating risk in the backcountry. Some shelters don't score high holistically, but they can certainly fulfill a specific niche well, one that an ultralight enthusiast like yourself may be seeking. When perusing, first determine what features are most important to you, then search for those metrics to find answers about what you should buy.
Little features can make all the difference, like the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp's system to hook the doors to the side guyline to the side stake.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The average outdoor recreationist doesn't really need an ultralight tent. However, if you plan to spend weeks on end in the backcountry, your happiness will roughly be proportional to the amount of weight you'll need to carry on your back while hiking. Prices for ultralight gear can certainly be high when compared to more conventional options, but they don't necessarily have to be. Be sure to check out the more affordable options in our lineup that might fully satisfy what you're looking for if you're on a budget.
Worse Value
Better Value
What's the Best Value?
In the world of ultralight gear, we often joke that when you spend ever-increasing amounts on gear, you will actually physically receive products that are constructed of ever-decreasing amounts of material! And there is some truth to this. Newer materials that exhibit amazing strength-to-weight performance – such as Dyneema – can also be some of the most expensive. To go ultralight, it seems simply inevitable that you'll have to pay a high price. We can't deny this entirely, but more affordable options do exist, which masterfully utilize excellent materials to craft a lightweight shelter at a price point that doesn't require you to put a second mortgage on your house.
The Durston X-Mid 1P is a very affordable double-wall pyramid shelter with a removable bug net. If you want, you can convert it into a floorless pyramid for weight savings and less bulk. It eschews more expensive materials and opts for a rainfly made of a much more price-conscious polyester. Look at the SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp for a very simple, shaped tarp that'll get you started at an incredible low weight at a fair price. You have the option to purchase some additional accessories, such as a bug net and an add-on vestibule, which you can choose to bring with you only if and when needed. This shelter is made of very thin, yet highly performant, silicone-impregnated nylon, which is both lightweight and durable.
The Durston X-Mid 1P is an excellent value for such a well-designed tent.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo is slightly more expensive than these other tents, but its features are well thought out, and it has a great on-the-trail track record. Durability is one of the features the manufacturer touts, describing it as a shelter you may want to consider if you're hiking with your adventure trail pup. Like other more value-minded tents, the fly material – in this case, a silicone-coated polyester – helps keep costs down. (Keep in mind that you'll want to seam seal this tent before heading out for full weather resistance.)
The Lunar Solo has enough interior space for our 5'11" tester, and enough headroom to allow them to sit up comfortably.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro is an exceedingly cost-conscious two-person tent. It scores high in many of our metrics, but stumbles due to its overall weight, which is a result of its large and spacious design. (You'll need to seam seal this tent as well to make it truly waterproof for anything more than a foggy night.)
Although not a flyweight, the Lanshan 2 Pro packs a lot of features and value in its two-person profile.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Livability
Your shelter's livability is the main attribute that accounts for your happiness, especially when you've finally stopped hiking for the day. We define livability as how comfortable it is to live in each ultralight tent: sleeping, sorting, and storing gear, as well as waiting out storms. A few other attributes we consider to be important include insect protection, condensation management, privacy, and whether a tent has a floor or not. We consider livability to be one of the most important considerations because if your tent isn't comfortable, it's not a worthwhile purchase. Livability does battle with Weight, as creature comforts do start to add some appreciable ounces to our scales. However, the most clever tents will find ways to maintain a very livable space without resorting to hefty solutions.
The tents that scored the highest are those with large storage vestibules, good ventilation, and additional storage. We also took to models that allow you to sit up while inside with enough lateral room that you're not pressed up against the fabric wall. Having enough breathing room is important not only for comfort but for keeping your sleeping bag and the rest of your gear as dry as possible, too. A certain amount of wetness and discomfort is expected on the trail, but the more you can mitigate it, the better.
What's incredible about the UltaMid 2 is the sheer amount of interior space. There was plenty of space for this solo adventure and his ski touring gear.
Credit: Andy Wellman
Generous interior space makes a huge difference in livability. One of the most enjoyable and comfortable tents to take on the trail is the Tarptent StratoSpire Ultra. A single occupant will feel absolutely spoiled within the completely meshed-in, almost 33-square-foot interior. Two people can occupy it snugly and still be at a loss for what to do with all the external vestibule space other than bring along a golden retriever or two. Excellent ventilation keeps condensation at arm's length — doubly important when the inside space is shared. The Gossamer Gear The Two and Zpacks Duplex Classic are other solid 2-person shelters for those who are looking for protected interior space in a very lightweight package. Just remember when choosing a larger volume tent, that you will have to find a place to pitch it, whereas a smaller tent will have an equally smaller footprint, and will fit tighter in camp spots.
The StratoSpire Ultra's interior easily fits two sleeping bags side by side.
Credit: Justin Simoni
For 1-person tents, the Durston X-Mid 1P easily ticks most of the boxes we look for in livability. The dual doors and accompanying dual vestibules mean there's no shortage of storage space once you've set up camp. The completely enclosed inner mesh keeps the bugs out, and the generously high bathtub floor makes sure rain doesn't splash inside. Maybe its best attribute for livability is its dual trekking pole setup, allowing you the ability to sit upright in the tent throughout the length of the interior, rather than at just a single high point of the tent. The design itself is exceptionally storm-worthy, which we've had the pleasure to confirm ourselves out in the field on our high treks in Colorado. If absolute ceiling height is what you're looking for, check out the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2, which uses two trekking poles lashed to each other to provide the highest tent peak in our lineup at 64".
A generous vestibule on both sides of the X-Mid 1 means gear can be stored without getting wet from a passing storm, while also being out of the way of both the inner and outer doors.
Credit: Justin Simoni
While tarps offer great adaptability, living in one for an extended period can be cumbersome. Some tarps offer an optional “bathtub” that connects to the main tarp body, keeping things a little more livable by providing a bottom out of the dirt, protecting you from rain, and helping manage bug pressure. The Zpacks Hexamid can be purchased with an optional footprint to make it more livable for the long haul. The Hexamid is one of the most popular tarp tents for long trails, such as the PCT, as it delicately balances a very low weight with just enough livability.
Using the Hexamid with the optional ground sheet helps make this tarp tent a realistic option for long distance backpacking trips.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Pure tarps can be luxurious if you have nice weather and no insects, since you can really let loose and set them up with an absolutely massive footprint to cook, sleep, play cards, write, read, or even play music. A tarp like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp offers up an unfathomable 52 square feet at its maximum. Just note that if you need to weather a storm, setting it up in “dart” mode will cut that space aggressively. We're fans of using the Flat Tarp in wooded areas, where trees can be used in creative pitches or trekking poles can never touch.
There are many creative ways to use the Hyperlite Flat Tarp. Here, we've folded it over on itself to let less light through, and pitched it as a simple lean-to on a section of trail with no natural shade.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Weight
When selecting products for this review, our criteria had one very important detail: most of the ultralight tents in our lineup weigh 2 pounds or less. For each, we took the time to weigh all components. We also consider the packed size and how each item fits inside a backpack. (Please note that for any tent that requires trekking poles for setup, the weight of your own trekking poles is not factored into our scores.) Dual use of gear – such as using trekking poles for both hiking and sheltering – is an excellent example of how to maximize the use of the gear you bring on the trail, while minimizing the amount of gear you actually bring. Also, look to see how many stakes are needed to set up the shelter, as well as whether stakes are included with the shelter. Some manufacturers don't supply stakes with their tents, so their weights are not included in their specifications. An easy upgrade for most of these shelters is investing in ever-lighter stakes.
If you're researching shelters using our review, there's also a good chance you're looking for the lightest possible shelter. Tarps are hands-down the most lightweight and packable option available. Heralded by veteran thru-hikers, tarps are adaptable and fit flawlessly inside your pack. On top is the SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp, which comes in at a paltry 7.76 ounces for the tarp itself and 11.28 ounces for the entire kit, which includes six included stakes. Being made of 10D sil-sil nylon, it also squeezes down to about the size of our tester's fist. For fast-and-light missions and just-in-case scenarios, we bring along this tarp even for day trips that may go overtime.
The extremely lightweight SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp provided just enough protection to allow us to weather out a surprise late spring snow storm on Black Powder Pass in Summit County at over 12,000'.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Zpacks Hexamid also floats up to the very top, weighing in at just 9.91 ounces when stripped down to its core fly and mesh doors. This is a shaped tarp that's designed more like a tent without a floor, but one can be added as an option for less than 3 ounces. It reaches this impressive low weight using .55 oz/yd DCF for the main tent fly, with an integrated mesh inner door. This shelter is one of the lightest that's ready to tackle a long trail like the CDT.
The thin, .55 oz/sqyd dyneema fly material used on the Zpacks Hexamid is extremely light and see-through up close.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Hyperlite Flat Tarp comes in strong, weighing only 9.2 ounces on its own and 11.3 ounces with its own stuff sack and guylines. It's also made out of DCF to keep its weight as low as possible. Its main strength is the innumerable ways it can be set up. We've used it for bikepacking, and in lieu of trekking poles (which we didn't bring), we used the bike itself to create the peak of our shelter setup.
The HMG Flat Tarp weighs astoundingly little, while still packing features that make it indispensable.
When traveling with a tarp, be sure to account for the weight of extra paracord and a few extra stakes — most tarps in our lineup need at a minimum of 6 if you're not lashing them to other objects. A few additional accessories allow your shelter to be more adaptable to any type of terrain.
While tarps certainly skimp on creature comforts like having a full enclosure and don't provide the best protection from the rain or bugs, there are also amazingly light single-wall, fully enclosed tents. Of them, it's unsurprising that solo options with less material are the lightest. Those built with Dyneema offer the best lightweight protection. Of all of these, the Tarptent Aeon Li runs away with the top spot at just 19.4 ounces, including stakes and stuff sacks. The Aeon Li requires you to carry at least one trekking pole for setup, which may add a little weight if you're not hiking with a pole already. Its integrated floor makes it more livable than shaped tarp options without.
The Aeon Li is one of our favorite solo tents; one of the reasons being that you've got plenty of headroom with built-in bug protection.
Credit: Matt Bento
Of the two-person tents, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 without floor or mesh accessories is the clear winner. This shelter weighs only 23.8 ounces for 63 square feet of internal space and a peak height of 64 inches. There is a catch: no vestibules means you'll have to store your gear or cook in the same internal area as you sleep. Adding the pricey mesh accessory for bugs will cut into the interior space, and adding the floor accessory will also compound the already high price.
Modular add-ons are quite common to make a tent adaptable for different seasons. Many shelters allow you to add bug netting, floors, or other components. Keep in mind that when shopping, you need to consider the weight of any of these extras you might require and add it to your packed trail weight. You can also take these parts off to strip the weight away.
Each tent packed down in its stuff sack.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Zpacks Duplex Classic and Durston X-Mid 1P both have a double-wall construction yet retain respectable weights. These can easily be modularized to carry only the tent body if you want to eliminate even more weight. Of these two, the X-Mid is more versatile and most able to withstand heavy use. The new revision has a lighter yet stronger fly material, which sheds a few ounces when compared to the previous one, without compromises.
20% lighter yet just as strong fly material and stronger magnets are just some of the improvements we've noticed in the latest generation of the Durston X-Mid 1.
Credit: Justin Simoni
One of the heaviest tents in this category is the two-person Tarptent StratoSpire Ultra. It's a good example of how a plethora of thoughtful features, great interior space, and strong construction can add up when it comes to weight. You'll need to decide if these extra niceties are worth it on the trail. The Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P is also a heavier tent in this category, conceding slightly more ounces to make an all-in-one solution, including its own tent pole, when other tents require you to use trekking poles to set up.
The Tarptent StratoSpire Li provides spacious living with the best weather protection that we've witnessed across the ultralight tent market.
Credit: Matt Bento
Another heavyweight is the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro, coming in at 39.2 oz. Neither its single-wall design nor Spartan features waste material, but the internal volume of the tent means more material has to be used. However, if used as a shelter for two people, consider the total weight as a shared weight, where each hiker is only responsible for half of that weight.
The 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro is one of the heaviest yet most expansive tents in our lineup and makes a perfect, affordable tent that can sleep two people comfortably.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Weather Resistance
In the name of the lightest packout possible, why not just cowboy camp without even bringing a shelter at all? Weather (and bugs), of course! As a standard, your shelter needs to protect you from rain, wind, and the occasional light snowfall. Most of the shelters in our lineup are designed for three-season use and typically lack the structure necessary to withstand the weight of a severe snowstorm. With a few additional accessories (and some hard-won trail experience), many of these shelters can be used in more extreme conditions.
After years of testing, our experience has confirmed to us that tents made of composite fabrics like DCF and Ultra TNT, or tents made of polyester fabric, hold their pitch well without needing readjustment because they resist sagging when wet and thus don't require re-tensioning during a storm. In contrast, tents made of nylon have a greater tendency to sag, which may require you to leave your interior cocoon of warmth to get out and tweak your pitch.
Several non-freestanding tarp and tent designs have proven themselves trustworthy in sour conditions: true symmetrical center pole pyramids, two pole A-frames and “mids”, and their maybe cooler cousins: the “offset mid”.
Examples of three weather-resistant tarp/tent designs: true pyramids, A-frame, and offset mid.
All these tarp and tent designs have a few details in common: trekking poles are used to prop up the ceiling of the tent and provide an extremely sturdy connection between the ground and the ceiling; guylines attach to the ground via stakes to provide tension to the fabric, keeping the tent aloft. Any force applied to one face of the tent will be countered by force from the lines running to the ground. You'll see the fundamental principle in action on antenna towers, bridges, or just when you're trying to keep a sapling you recently planted upright to allow it to grow.
A look at the very weather-resistant Tarptent StratoSpire Li that is ultra liveable and does well in poor weather.
The Tarptent StratoSpire Ultra absolutely crushes in this category, as it integrates all these novel strategies together. The large vestibules create an area out of the rain for your wet shoes and jackets, keeping the waterproof Ultra tub-style tent interior totally dry. The vestibules feature storm flaps secured in place with tiny magnets.
DCF fabric, formerly known as Cuben Fiber, is entirely waterproof, tough, and durable. It also will not absorb water, meaning it won't stretch or sag when it gets wet and is lighter than sil-nylon. What's not to love?
Credit: Andy Wellman
The Zpacks Duplex Classic is another protective design but has smaller vestibules, a hook and loop closure instead of zippers, and a single-wall design, which doesn't protect as well from the wind as a full zipper enclosure. The structure, though, is ultra-stable in high winds, and one you can easily ride a storm out in. The total weight of the tent is competitive compared to even some one-person designs.
The Zpacks Duplex is composed of DCF fabric, offering great weather protection and durability.
Credit: Zpacks
The steep slopes of mid-style ultralight tents are also very effective at repelling the wind and rain, and the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2, with its DCF fabric, ranks up with the best. For a more modest price, the 3F UL Gear Lanshan 2 Pro has better than average storm-worthiness due to its inherent mid-style and extra tie-down points. Its sil-nylon fabric may need to be re-tensioned, but the silicone-treated fabric will hopefully keep this at a minimum.
Extra Stakes and Cord Often Not Included
For maximum weather protection, you may optionally utilize 10+ stakes to fully use all the guy point options. Most of these tents come without stakes, and some others only come with 6-8. You can buy more six-gram carbon stakes or simply use rocks. Ten or so feet of P-cord can also come in handy when securing your tent to natural anchors like trees or boulders, or to make additional guylines.
One-person tents also show a phenomenal amount of weather resistance. The single-pole Tarptent Aeon Li is engineered with an incredible eye for every small detail to stay solid during the worst weather. Its high-angle sides encourage any surprise snow to slide right off. The Durston X-Mid 1P Gen 3 also shares the attribute of steep sides but uses two trekking poles rather than one to give you two vestibules for cooking, changing, and storing wet gear.
Extra guy lines are built into the peaks of the X-Mid 1 for additional storm-worthiness.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo also has plenty of additional stake-out points when things start to get real. It has a generous bathtub bottom to keep water splashes from getting in, as well as mesh ventilation on the top and bottom to help with condensation when your tent's rain fly is bundled up tight. The polyester material may also fare just a tad better than the silnylon found on other, cheaper ultralight tents. Just make sure to seam-seal the interior before testing it out.
The bathtub-style 40D sil-poly floor of the Lunar Solo keeps wetness from the rain out, while the mesh paneling aids in ventilation to keep condensation at bay. The reinforced panel on the tent face accepts an additional guy line to stake out, if wanted.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 allows you to ride out foul weather, including wind. The tent poles and overall design are meant to respond to gusts of wind by being flexible rather than rigid, allowing the wind to spill off the tent sides. It's also much narrower than they are wide, so with careful setup, you can point the foot-end into the wind for a better experience when things get nautical.
In exposed campsites like this one well above treeline, the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 illustrates excellent protection from the wind, so long as you direct the foot end into the direction of the wind. The teardrop shape of the tent will take care of the rest. Any wind that hits the side of the tent will cause the tent itself to deflect and the wind will spill off.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Adaptability
Adaptability may be more or less important to you based on where you often camp. If you tend to find yourself off-trail, sleeping on uneven surfaces, or in rapidly changing weather conditions, adaptability will be paramount. Generally, the tarp-style shelters do well in this metric. Snowing? Make a steep-sided shelter or a lean-to with your tarp. Or, you could string up your tarp to be as wide as possible to hide from the desert sun. The ability to add or remove floors or bug nets also added points.
Thus, flat tarps earn high points in this category. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp seems pretty simple, but it offers a ton of options to set up for changing weather conditions. Being flat, it can deploy easily in a low-to-the-ground storm mode and do a significantly better job of protecting against both rain and wind than in A-frame mode. The Hyperlite Flat Tarp also has 16 perimeter tie-outs, with four more found on the face of the tarp, giving you many, many options for tailoring this tarp to your specific environment. Finding the best pitch for every scenario may take some trial and error, but getting a good-enough solution for the night can usually be done improvisationally.
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Flat Tarp pitched in super-low storm mode without stakes (extra long guylines are wrapped around rocks) in the North Cascades, Washington.
Credit: Max Neale
The SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp is already shaped specifically to work well in exposed areas like mountain ridges to brush off both wind and weather. The SplitWing's magic is in its ability to have its ceiling be raised and lowered to work with variable conditions, without having to re-stake it out. If you need to squeeze in two people underneath, you can lower the ceiling to accommodate. Or, if you're going solo, raise the ceiling to give a little more headroom.
The SlingFin SplitWing's “Split” back beak allows you to adjust its height by changing the length of your trekking pole without having to re-stake out the tarp itself. We decided to run it higher for a clear, windless night.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Another very adaptable design is the various pyramids — the Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2, Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo, and Durston X-Mid 1P. All three can be set up high for added airflow or low to the ground for more bomber protection from the wind. They are incredibly weather-resistant, and even though this review is about three-season shelters, pyramids are almost ideally suited as either cook or sleeping tents in the snow or on expeditions, making them genuine four-season options for all but the most alpine of applications. The only time when trekking pole-style tents flounder is when you're trying to set them up in deep powdery snow: your poles may just sink right through the snowy ground!
We pitched all the tents we tested in different conditions and terrain to see how they handled different situations.
Credit: Justin Simoni
We also appreciate the adaptability of the double-wall designs that allow you to sleep under only mesh netting on perfect nights. And since they are primarily freestanding models, they often don't need soft ground to be successfully set up. If the weather looks clear, the Nemo OSMO Hornet 2P, as well as the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1, can all be set up like this for bug-free stargazing. With an additional inexpensive add-on, the Durston X-Mid 1P can also pull off this trick.
If the weather is cooperating, go fly-less with the Hornet Osmo 2P!
Credit: Justin Simoni
Ease of Set-Up
No savvy backpacker will ever head out into the wilderness without first practicing setting up their shelter near home. With practice, almost all of these ultralight tents and shelters can be set up in just about five minutes. This isn't just for show: being able to set up a shelter quickly while alone, in gusting wind that often precedes inclement weather, may ultimately make a difference in your comfort level for the night, especially if this weather then lingers for a while. To decide these scores, we busted out a stopwatch and timed ourselves after a couple of practice rounds. We also took advantage of windy weather and practiced setup to see which ones were the easiest and which felt almost impossible.
Semi-freestanding tents score high for how easy they are to both set up, as well as making adjustments to exactly where you have placed them — the latter being a trick that trekking pole tents and tarps just can't pull off. The Nemo OSMO Hornet 2P is one of the easiest and fastest tents to set up, as the included pole gives enough rigidity to set up semi-freestanding, making staking only the necessary four corners a breeze. It also means that if a stake pops out in the middle of the night, you won't find your shelter fallen down, attempting to smother you.
We can set up the Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P without breaking a sweat.
Credit: Justin Simoni
The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 is also semi-freestanding, but needs, at the very least, six stakes to properly set up its protective fly. Once up, this tent offered us excellent protection from the elements. We've taken it on Spring trips up over 12,000' on unplanned overnights, and woke up far more restful than when we stopped for the night.
There's really nothing to setting up the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1!
Credit: Justin Simoni
Tents with a floorless pyramid construction are also quick to set up when stormy weather is upon you. The Gossamer Gear The Two is super simple. Just peg out the edges and insert one or two poles inside. This makes it very easy to set up during high winds or storms.
Find a tent with adjustable guy lines like the Gossamer Gear the Two. It'll make adjustments and adaptability far easier to deal with in odd camping sites.
Credit: Amber King
The Durston X-Mid 1P also requires two poles, but its rectangular design and clever ventilation access points for the poles make it quick and easy. And once the rain fly is up, you can put up the inner tent body from within, away from any weather. We could set up both in under four minutes, with conditions degrading, and alone. If you're looking for extra space, Durston also sells a two-person version of this shelter.
The X-Mid 1 can be pitched without its mesh interior, giving you the option of even more interior space to spread out or to share with a hiking buddy.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Tarp tents such as the Aeon Liand the Zpacks Duplex Classic include adjustable guylines with time-saving cord locks, but they do take a little time to initially figure out. Once mastered, this feature makes it much easier to then make micro-adjustments in the middle of the night. If you wake up to snow or heavy rain and didn't correctly tension your tent before you went to sleep, easily tightening guylines is much faster than repositioning stakes.
So which ultralight tent are you leaning towards? Before making any big (or expensive) decisions, be sure to consider all the best options out there. Hopefully we've made that step a little easier.
Credit: Matt Bento
Other Notable Ultralight Tents
Ultralight tents have come a long way. Tarps used to be the only game in town, and only then, the only thing you could buy were the plans to sew your own! Now, we're spoiled with incredible choices, from Dyneema wonder tents to inexpensive silnylon tarps, and everything in between. Below are a few ultralight tents we tested, which just didn't make the cut in light of the stiff competition:
Six Moon Designs Owyhee Backpacking Tarp — There are some really compelling features baked into the Owyhee. If you're traveling as a pair, this is one of the more competitively priced and lighter tarp tent options that's realistically designed for two people. And for taller hikers, the Owyhee has more room to lie down, without having to be on a diagonal. But the bathtub floor integration with the tarp's mesh doors is frustrating because the zipper door's slider can become lost underneath the footprint itself. Having to seam seal the tent — or pay extra for the warehouse to do this for you — also counts against this tent. The Gossamer Gear The Two hits a similar price point to the Owyhee and features mesh doors that are easier to crawl through. If you're flying solo, Six Moon's own Lunar Solo has a well-designed bathtub floor and a one-pole design.
The very generous length of the Six Moon Designs Owyhee could be just what campers taller than 6' have been looking for.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Nemo OSMO Hornet 1P — This is a semi-freestanding workhorse for folks who shun trekking pole-style tents. Familiarity counts for a lot, and we think the Osmo Hornet 1P is a good choice for hikers who want to haul less weight, but are happy with a classically styled tent. However, when we compare this one-person version of the tent to the two-person version – the Nemo OSMO Hornet 2P – the latter appears to be the more practical option. For just a little more cost and slightly more weight, the two-person version boasts significantly more interior space, whether you decide to camp alone or with a hiking partner.
Just enough headroom, but plenty of space outside to stash a dirty pack in the Nemo OSMO Hornet 1P.
Credit: Justin Simoni
NEMO Hornet Elite OSMO UL 2P — Like many more conventional, non-trekking pole tents, this tent is very intuitive to set up. It's also surprisingly light, being one of the lightest semi-freestanding tents available – it even stands on its own when compared to some of our favorite trekking pole tents. However, the weight-saving design compromises livability, which has less interior space in all directions than some other one-person tents we tested. For a better bang for your buck, consider NEMO's own Hornet Osmo 2P, which has a higher ceiling height, is slightly wider, and features larger vestibules.
The Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO UL 2P seems light enough to float up to join the rest of the clouds above.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1 — Front entry tents can make a lot of sense for some people, especially if you feel claustrophobic in often smaller, ultralight options. Having the tent door right by your head can relieve some of that anxiety. The design is also extremely storm-worthy overall, with additional guy-out points where side doors would normally be located. However, the front entry creates more problems than it solves, including providing less weatherproof storage space for your pack while you're sleeping, a smaller entryway to get in and out, and some extra challenges in getting air to circulate throughout the tent to keep you at just the right comfortable temperature. The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 is a slightly more affordable tent of a very similar design with a slightly higher ceiling.
The front entry door is the signature feature of the Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1.
Credit: Justin Simoni
Conclusion
Humans have been walking the earth for thousands of years without silnylon, Dyneema, Ultra TNT, or bug netting. But now, we might argue that we need to go further (and faster), and modern designs and materials help us to get there. Bonafide engineers are putting their time, effort, and intellect into designing the strongest and lightest shelters ever known. What a time to be a human-powered adventurer. Even with all the ounce-counting, hair-splitting, and nitpicking, we've had a fantastic time testing out ultralight tents. We hope our effort to compile these evaluations leads you to a shelter that satisfies your needs and helps facilitate many fast and light mountain adventures.
If you're looking to shave some weight and go ultralight, we can help. We've also put ultralight sleeping bags and ultralight backpacks to the test. If you don't need to go mega ultralight but are just hoping to drop a few pounds from your pack, we've also tested backpacking tents, which are lighter than their car camping counterparts. If you are building your gear collection from scratch, see our comprehensive backpacking checklist for some great advice to get started.
