One Tent or two for a family of four

[Franco Darioli]

I don't like sharing a tent myself so I understand others not wanting to but I think all too often folk think about their own requirements not the ones of the OP.
In this case Ben has a 3 and a 6 year old kid and he wants to take his family out now not wait till the kids are 9 or 10…
So his requirements (in my mind…) are totally different from those of a family with grown up kids.
Given that he can get a tent that takes up about the same space as his 2 person shelter and is lighter and pack smaller , why not ?
Mind you I would not take the Hogback to a mountain top but really is Ben going to take his 3 year old in an exposed area ?

[Jeff M.]

I recommend two tents as well. Works much better for my family. By the time we hit the tents its pretty much time to sleep and everyone in our family sleeps better with only two people in the tent rather than four. It's also easier to get the kids to settle down being able to separate them if needed.

[Jacob D]

Did the 2-tent thing for a while, now we're all under one roof. The GoLite Shangri-la 5 is what we've been using with our kids (who are now 6 and 8). Plenty of room for us all AND our gear. I also like that we can pitch just the fly and a groundsheet when the inner isn't needed. We got ours on sale so it was dirt cheap.

http://hikeitlikeit.com/2013/golite-sl5/

Edit: just saw they are out of stock again…

Edit 2: The Oware Supermid would be a good choice too, or if you're well funded the HMG Ultamid 4!

[Ian Rae]

As a family of four (one year old, three year old, mom, dad, and sometimes the dog) we've have great success with the hogback. I looked at a mid as well, but the only advantage I saw was if you use it without the bug net (and we have tarps for that.) The hogback is really compact when it's packed, and I haven't had much trouble finding room to pitch it.

For us, all being in one tent is great, but I can imagine that when the kids are older, they might like their own tent. Pretty sure that an additional tent would come with a weight penalty, though.

One additional thing to note about the hogback – there's almost no vestibule space, but lots of room at your head/feet to store gear.

If you're thinking you'll be out in windy/snowy weather, the second pole isn't a bad idea for the hogback (it's something like a $20 option.)

[Richard Lyon]

I agree that it's a great tent; worked well with my girlfriend, her eight-year old son, and me. I think adding a three-year old would be OK but as he grows you'll start to get crowded. Like most four-man tents it's best used for three. I echo Ian's comment about limited vestibule space though the kids' packs would probably fit.

[David Kallin]

For young kids, consider using the Tarptent Stratospire 2 as a four person tent for the whole family. We did this on our AT hike and it worked great- three 20" pads across and the fourth pad going perpendicular. Plenty of vestibule space for gear and the dog, and when it was raining we could take down and pack up the inner mesh while leaving the tarp set up. Can't beat 2 and half pounds for a tent for four plus the dog.

http://kallinfamily.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/dsc08175.jpg?w=800

In case the picture doesn't come through, you can see it here: http://kallinfamily.com/2014/04/18/answering-questions-from-cartwheels-class/

[Michael Gillenwater]

Whether you go with 2 two-man tents or a four-man tent really is a question about family dynamics/personalities that will be specific to your family. For our family we would without question want to be all together. But for some other families I can easily see how 2 and 2 would work great, or even better. I don't think it is an question of equipment specs.

[Melissa P]

Am really impressed that was comfortable for all of you for that long! Just got a SS2 for trips with my 2 kids and our backyard-test had me worried it would be too tight. This renews my faith.

[John G]

I used 2 tents when my kids were small.
1 would have been much better.
Each kid wanted to sleep in "moms tent".
Small children don't talk and giggle all night.

When the kids get to be 10-12 years old, then 2 is much better.
The girl child doesn't want to change clothes with the boy child or dad in the tent.

If one child brings a friend, they don't want an adult in the tent.
Medium aged children talk and giggle all night, so the adult will want a seperate tent too.

Family members don't seem to have the talk & giggle all night problem though ;)

Ps: I often had problems finding enough space to pitch 2 seperate 2 man tents. This is because the places we took the kids backpacking usually required camping only in the designated campsite. A four man tent takes up a lot less room.

[Franco Darioli]

David,
You are the first I know that has come up with this 4 into 2 arrangement (4 persons into a 2 man tent)
very clever.

[Gordon Gray]

If you already have a 2 person tent, what about the possibility of adding a single?

You or your wife could share the double with your boys (for the next 5 or so years?) and the other could be solo. No issues about footprints and probably the most cost efficient option. This way, you would have options depending on who is coming along for each trip. The weight could be distributed proportionally between you and your wife.

My 9&12 year old daughters and I fit perfectly in a two person (Mounatinsmith Morrison).

[Larry De La Briandais]

How well does the mat at the top work? I am considering the same thing for my daughter so I can use a smaller tent. Haven't taken her backpacking at all yet so I'm unsure what is really going to work.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

I agree with rOg, 2 tents makes more sense. My spacious Scarp 2 is very easy to set up. Has two entrances & two vestibules.

[Karen Kennedy]

Definitely the Hogback at this stage with little kids – turning the light out is the only thing that works to send our youngest granddaughter to sleep promptly!

It's great to have everyone under one roof – the kids feel secure with both adults, and there's no disputes about who sleeps with who. But the best thing is the 100% shared experience – they don't stay little for long!

We found the Hogback to be great – plenty of room for 4 and their gear. Easy to pitch, compact footprint, unbeatable weight. Definitely a fan!

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