UL Tent Recommendations – Under $400

$400 will get you a wide variety of shelters. So here are some questions people are undoubtedly going to ask you:

How big a shelter are you looking for?
Front entry or side entry?
Single wall or double wall?
weight limits?
Cuben or Silnylon?

Everyone will have an opinion they are willing to share with you, but if you can narrow it down at all I think you will get better answers. Hope we can help you!

Single or double wall? Floor or floorless?

Most tents that can be set up with trekking poles can also be purchased with dedicated tent poles (for people who don't use trekking poles). If you already use trekking poles, you save weight by making them a multi-use item. But dedicated tent poles are typically lighter than trekking poles. If the trekking poles will spend most of the time in your pack, dedicated poles are likely a lighter option.

Hi Jeff,

Welcome to UL Backpacking! Just to be clear, you are new to "backpacking", "UL", or both?

I ask that because I believe your budget will offer you a very wide selection of some good tents. But some are more "specified" and some are more "general purpose". Some require a certain amount of experience properly setting up & adjusting as well. I also believe that you can either get a "Tent" or a "Tarp", or something in between. These are all choices which only time and personal use will inform you.

Being form Maryland, I am familiar with VA's hot & humid summers. I have found myself often hiking with a simple fly and mosquito netting underneath. But sometimes, I know I am traveling into a public area, so having a little more privacy might be in order. Furthermore, a traditional double walled tent might offer you more versatility in the shoulder seasons.

Either way, I am personally fond of the Tarptent line. They seem to offer a great blend of value & versatility. You can also look into other "cottage" manufacturers as well. (Infact, Mountain Laurel Designs resides in Roanoke, VA) I also always hike with poles and would recommend that be included in your budget (esp. if you are over 35).

Hope this helps,

Matt

Any tent is going to have condensation in these conditions. Some of them won't drip on you most of the time. Even a tarp will have condensation often, but you can minimize the effects and pitch it to not drip on you. Maximum ventilation is the most important factor, and a flat tarp is the best way to achieve that while allowing a more storm-resistant pitch.

I recommend an 8×10 silnylon tarp and a bug bivy with a waterproof floor, such as:

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=55

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/LunarSolo.html

The lunar solo looks like a great value at $215. I haven't owned one so you'd have to do a search to get some end user feedback on this shelter.

I'm all for tarp camping and have done so on the east coast but I think you'd be wise to stick with tents per your OP to help reduce your exposure to ticks.

I belong to a meetup group out of SE Virginia. We go on trips to the Virginia and WV mountains, and almost all the single guys use Tarptent brand tents. 2 of them have the Notch, and another guy has a Rainbow. I haven't seen anyone with the other light weight brands, but there is plenty of info on here about them.

We have had just as much condensation in our Big Agnes tent as they do in their Tarptents, so I think it doesn't much matter if you go ahead and get a single wall tent in this climate. Hell, on one trip, we had so much that the inside of the fly and the outside of our tent were both soaked, so we had twice as much wetness to deal with than they did. It's so humid you are almost always going to get condensation. We just pulled the trigger on a Tarptent Stratospire 2 so we can lighten up as well!

Put LightHeart on your list as well.

"…I think you'd be wise to stick with tents per your OP to help reduce your exposure to ticks."

I think bug bivys used with a tarp can be just as effective as tents, especially if they're sprayed with permethrin. Comparing the functionality to a double wall tent, a bug bivy is really just a small inner tent, with the tarp being the fly. This assumes that the bug bivy has a floor and well-sealed entrance of course, as some of them don't.

You've got good advice from people more knowledgeable than I am on tents for your area but I highly recommend once you decide on a tent you keep an eye on Gearswap. I have seen the tent I bought new from REI for sale on Gearswap a dozen times since in like-new condition and for $200 less than I paid. Particularly if you are patient and have a bit of time, Gearswap can be a real help. And then if you don't like the tent, you re-sell it on Gearswap for what you've got in it and no harm done.

I agree with Dena: Gearswap is a very useful tool for trying gear out. I've bought several things on Gearswap that I probably wouldn't have paid full price for, so Gearswap helps you be more adventurous when purchasing. And it's a good way to put excess gear back into circulation. I personally think that you should re-sell at a lower price than you bought it for–after all, you've had the advantage of trying gear out with little risk, and I think that's worth something. But it's also alright to try to get back the money you put into it.
Everything I've bought on Gearswap has been in good to excellent condition–these are real gear heads who think nothing of letting go a perfectly good item because there's a replacement item that weighs 10 grams less; also, there's a general policy of honesty in this forum.

Franco shows the battle of 3 tarptent solo shelters.

I also love TarpTents, but why limit yerself to solo tents?
My "solo" tent is a TT Squall 2.

Two pounds, easy to set up, very roomy for one, and under 300 bucks.
You can use a trekking pole or an optional 4 ounce pole.

And there is a Squall 2 in Gear Swap right now for a fantastic price!

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=89821&skip_to_post=765045#765045

Another Tarptent fan here.

If I was in a fair amount of rain, I'd use my Squall 1 (a palace for one person).

If not, my Contrail is perfect for one person.

Agreed that Gearswap is the way to go, though Tarptents might only be 25-35% off list. They often come with extras too (e.g. seamsealed already, tyvek groundsheet, extra guylines or stakes, etc.). Might be able to get a Contrail or older Squall for $150 or a bit more on Gearswap. A 1.5 pound fully-enclosed shelter is awesome.

One thing to remember about condensation/rain is that a single wall shelter (e.g. Tarptent) is easy to dry out inside (bring a shammy), and doesn't hold all that water weight like a wet tent body/fly. I used my Squall in day after day rain on the PCT, and it was easy to dry out to sleep inside, and if the sun came out for a few minutes, or a nice breeze, you could hold it up like a sail and it would dry out in moments. Way different that a double-wall tent, where you might just have a sopping mess the whole time.

As a huge proponent of cottage companies I strongly suggest you look at Zpacks. The customer service there is second to none. They truly go out of the way to make customers happy by customizing your order, working with you on a schedule, or their generous repair and return policy.

The current price on the hexamid solo with the screen, and a ground sheet is $430. Slightly out of your price range but the quality is top notch and its going to be one of, if not the lightest fully enclosed shelter you can buy. If you opt to use a different kind of ground sheet like tyvek, or a polycro from gossamer gear its $360. (I like the cuben bathtub one from Zpacks)

You may also be able to score a used one here if you're fast enough. =)

I really cant say enough about them.

(I'm not affiliated with them just an extremely happy customer)

Just got back from a 4 day hike trying out my new notch. I love it! I am 6'4" and pretty much take up the entire floor space, but never felt too confined. The design has supports at the ends pulling the tent up and away from the bottom of the floor, so the fell of the tent is larger than the actual floor space. I also like that after putting in an exhausting day of hiking, it sets up with four stakes in a couple of hassle free minutes. The double door/double vestibule allowed for plenty of storage for all of my gear.

I would suggest that you strongly consider a hammock + tarp combination for the Virginia AT. There is plenty to learn about this and I won't go into it here… But it is worth considering if you haven't already. I have found that it is by far the best system in the Appalachian summertime.