One Tent or two for a family of four

[Ben H.]

I have two boys ages 6 and 3. I have taken the oldest backpacking a couple times and we fit into my two man tent just fine (Kelty Ridge 2… a Hubba Hubba knock-off). Now my youngest is getting old enough to start bringing him along. If he goes, my wife would probably go along as well.

Now I am looking at getting another tent to meet my families requirements. I keep bouncing back and forth between buying another 2 man tent or getting a four man tent. The way I see it, a four man tent would be pretty nice right now, to keep everyone in one place. I've been eying up the Tarptent Hogback.

Going forward, 2x two-man tents would be easier to pack, easier to find a place to set up, and might allow me a bit of flexibility for choosing a particular tent for 1 or 2 man excursions. I've been eying up the TT Double Rainbow, Stratospire 2, or Rain Shadow 2. The increasing size would probably give me the option to squeeze my two sons and I into one tent for a boys weekend. However, right now, two tents for the family of four might not be ideal. The two boys would want to sleep together, but for the sake of the tent and Mom's peace of mind we would probably break it up into one adult and one child per tent. Also, the Hogback would be pretty nice for three of us too.

I am wondering what other families have found that has worked out well. How did your preferred system evolve over time? I am also looking for tent suggestions, though I seem to prefer the combination of light-weight and full enclosure that TarpTents hit. I will consider other suggestions though nothing too exotic (I want to keep it under $4-500). I appreciate any advice offered. Thanks!

[Aaron Sorensen]

Why not get something like an MLD Supermid or Ti=Goat Vortex 6.5?
1 tent that they can stand up in and a cost of less than 2 tents seems to make much more sense.

I know when I was that age, if the weather was nice, all I wanted to do was cowboy camp (still do).
Then a single tent (even if not a teepee style) would make more sense as you and the probably 1 other inside the tent with you would have much more room.

There's also the option of setting up a tarp from the single tent that would give you a huge vestibule and still have room for covering the ones sleeping under it.

You want to take them out camping for an experience, then let them have that experience.

[Ben H.]

"Why not get something like an MLD Supermid or Ti=Goat Vortex 6.5?"

Thanks, I had looked at the Supermid but not the Vortex. Both blow my budget and I have never been able to understand what advantages they have over a tarptent. I guess the ability to stand up, but at the expense of less vertical walls. My wife wouldn't be able to sleep in something that doesn't completely seal off from the creepy crawlies.

[dirtbag]

I used to use a sierra designs lightning XT 4. It packed down and was light enough that I didn't mind carrying it when I took my 3 kids out. It was a fantastic tent..

[Roger Caffin]

4-man tent: very spacious, but harder to find the ground space and not at wind resistant. Tradeoff.

Cheers

[Paul McLaughlin]

Having been in your shoes and gotten the 4-man, I'd do it again and here's why: With kids that age it's nice to have everyone in the same tent. If you have to deal with a wet sleeping bag in the middle of the night (and I ain't talking rain here) it's nice to have a team working on it. If you get tentbound in the rain a 4-way game is more fun than 2, 2-way games. Plus, if you decide to take both kids yourself without spouse, it still works, or if in a few years it's you, an 8-year old and a friend, it still works. Once the kids are old enough that you'd put them in a tent by themselves the 2, 2-man tents will be great but for now I'd go 4-man if I were you.

About the only two tents I'd look at would be a Hogback or a pyramid with inner net. hogback is roomier for four and cheaper; the pyramid combo would be more versatile due to its modularity. I doubt very much you'd have trouble selling the hogback if you later decide it's time for the kids to have their own space.

[Franco Darioli]

Ben,
The Hogback does not take much more room to pitch than your 2 person Kelty :

the yellow line is the footprint of the Kelty, the orange one is the Hogback.

Hogback: 4 lbs, packed 5"x18"
Ridge 2 5 lbs 8 oz , 7"x23"
SD XT4 : 7 lbs 8 oz, 6"x21"

[Katherine .]

With the Strat2 you could fit three if it were just you and the boys at some point. And it's cool looking tent.

(I'd like to get one for use w/my son next summer)

[Ryan Smith]

Family of four here. Highly recommend going the route of a four man tent over 2x tents. Having everyone in the tent laughing and talking about the days hike is a treat. We use a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL4. Lots of room, 5lbs(I think), 2 doors and vestibules, and got it for $300.00.

Ryan

[DGoggins]

Technically we are 5….but the 3 year old doesn't do a hiking trip with us yet.

So, me, wife, 5 and 7 year old all stay in a supermid. Wife stays at home? Still take the supermid. I've had a stratospire 2 but sold it when I finally acquired a supermid on the swap. I also acquired a cheap Bear paw wilderness designs pyranet 4 for the inner…but we only take that with the wife. If its just me and the kids I usually don't bring the inner if its late in the season, or I'll bring sea to summit nano nets if there might be bugs. (1 double and 1 single).

The supermid really needs just about the same camp spot dimensions that a stratospire needs…stratospire just has two large vestibules (hex shape) whereas supermid is square (so you can easily fit 4, or 3 with still a bunch of equipment space).

[Franco Darioli]

I have never seen a Supermid Inner Net with 4 mats inside.
How does it look ?

[Ben H.]

Thanks everyone!!!

Consensus seems to be building around the 4-person tent.

I respect the popularity of the pyramids around here, but the advantages just aren't that apparent to me. … and, as I said, they blow my budget.

The Copper Spur 4 looks nice but it blows my budget as well.

Hey Franco, do you know if I can fit 25" pads into the Hogback? I would prefer 2 x 20" + 2 x 25" pads (its what we use car camping). Straight math says I would be 4" over on the Hogback. Of course pad widths tend to be a bit smaller when inflated and I seem to recall TT's having a bit of flexibility.

[kevin sickles]

We slept 4 comfortably in a rainshadow 2 by putting the pads "side to side" vs "front to back" The shortest person gets the far end of the tent. It weighs the same and costs the same as the double rainbow. It is then a great option for a boys only trip.

[rOg w]

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[W I S N E R !]

As a hopeless romantic, I've always loved one tent.

One big, messy, crazy tent with pads and sleeping bags and clothes and children strewn about.

They're only little once; you've got the rest of your life to sleep in separate beds and tents.

[Five Star]

My family numbers 6, so when we all go we get into a pair of 3-man tents, but even then we end up wishing we could all be together….there's always arguments over who gets to sleep with who as well.

If I had a family of 4 and was on a budget I would be all over a Hogback.

[Franco Darioli]

Ben
I don't have 25" mats but I am pretty confident that you can put two of the tapered ones and given that the floor is 86" long (and wide) and the wide mats are 77" at most, you would be pushing out 2" either side and not stressing the corners even with the rectangular type.
Henry would be able to check this.

The black and the blue mat are 6'.
Un-hooking the two outside clips should do the trick.
BTW, the end walls are 17" high, the nearer one in my photo is not standing up straight (it does when connected to the fly).
If you move the blue and black mat against the end walls you end up with a 40"x40" free area in the middle, nice for board games or of course put those mats on top of the outside one and sit two on one side and two on the other (both by the door..)
Try that with a pyramid…
This is what I had in mind :

the mats on the opposite side are out at 25" , the "Monopoly" board is in the center of the tent. (I am 5'8". Take 2" from the pole for the distance between pole and inner)
Yes, I do have plenty of time….

[Doug Green]

Let me give you another perspective, one gained from not only my own kids but working with kids my whole life. It is hard to get kids to shut up and go to sleep when they are excited. Heck, its hard for me to get to sleep the first night out on a trip. One kid…you can just not talk to them and sooner or later they wear down. Two kids…they talk to each other…forever. You tell them to be quiet. It doesn't work. One giggles, the other responds. MUCH easier to get everybody to sleep if they are separated.

There are other factors to consider that for you may be more important, but this is one that some overlook.

[DGoggins]

Hmm….unfortunately I do not have a better picture of the mats only….but the pyranet is 89" wide and long…with two small kids there was no issues with space width and especially length wise (length wise there is quite a bit extra of course)

Next time I'm out I'll take a better picture of 4 sleeping pads only…

And a few more notes….that second picture was late in the season…so it was dark at 8, so our whole family was able to play cards together in the tent before bed.

If you take your kids hiking for a few miles…they'll be tired (if they are young…if they are older…go more miles!). A 300mg melatonin also helps.

[Franco Darioli]

Excellent Jon.
I had a look in Google Images but could not find one with mats inside.

[Terry G]

Have you considered the shangri la 5? We love ours for a family of four. We don't always take the heavy inner net tent. If your budget goes up to 350, could be a fine option.

[Manfred]

Hi Ben,

we used for a while the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 4 with our younger kids. It weighs around 4.5 lbs and is right now on sale for $350 at Campsaver (and you might get another 10% off if you sign up for their email).

Having said that – by the age of 9 we gave our kids their own 2 person tarp tents. They loved being able to carry all their own gear and being alone in their tent where they could talk and giggle and talk some more and giggle some more and …

Manfred

[Ben H.]

Wow… Thanks for the great replies everyone!

Love the pic's Franco and Jon.

Franco, you are amazing! I've seen so many of your roped off footprint pictures on here, you should consider laying out a grid of pegs in your backyard :)

[Franco Darioli]

Thanks Ben
I have been on a long term mission to encourage folk to do the same.
I still see most people talking about square feet or other linear measurements forgetting that once they are inside a shelter on top of a mat and inside a sleeping bag you need vertical space.

[Michael Gillenwater]

Another vote for the BA fly creek 4. It's tight for 4 adults but good for 2 adults and 2 kids. Used it for a couple of years with just your situation.

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