Front Entrance vs. Side Entrance

[Ben H.]

What am I missing?  It seems like front entrance tents are disappearing from the landscape.  There are a couple trekking pole supported designs meant to cut every possible ounce and Big Agnes has one or two Fly Creeks gathering dust in a back corner.  What I like about the front entrance is the entrance height makes it easier to get into and out of.  My back hits the fly of my side entrance tent every time I try to get in.  My 4-person TT Hogback (which has a nearly square floor) we always sleep with our head (and feet) at the doors.  I find it a lot easier to get in and out that way, vs climbing over people if we slept the way TT suggests we should (though it doesn’t leave much nose space while sleeping).  I feel like TT used to have a 1 and 2 person model much like the Rainshadow 3.  Am I making that up?  And almost all new designs seem to focus on side entrances.  What am I missing? I don’t deal with much rain in CA.  Do these designs perform horribly in the rain?

[Matthew / BPL]

My experience is that front entry means more crouching and crawling than side entry.

I’m basing that off a TT Contrail and a flat tarp vs Duplex, Notch, Duomid…

[Paul S.]

TarpTent still has a full line up of front-entry tents from 1 to 3 person: ProTrail, MoTrail, Rainshadow 3 and Cloudburst 3.  For the Hogback with 3-4 people yes it does make sense to use it as a front entry, unless you have kids in the middle and want to have adults on the outside.

A big reason side entry is popular is you have have two doors, which is preferable for ventilation, gives each person a door (for a 2P) and two vestibules.

[James Marco]

Front entrance is far superior for rainy situations. Basically, the door is smaller, given all else being equal. But, most are actually designed backwards. You should simply enter the tent and be able to roll on top of your bed. Instead, you have to flip around. For a minimalist shelter, they are a bit better imho, though.

[Todd T]

End/front entry may work for tiny people, but all the crawling, twisting, and spinning are a non-starter for tall folks.  Plus, end entry leaves you with a tiny vestibule that is useless unless you enjoy crawling over the top of your stuff.  Finally, with dual side entry, partners don’t have to bother each other as much getting in/out, and you get fantastic good-weather ventilation and views.

[Kenneth Keating]

Side entry is easier to get into and out of, gives you more ventilation,  easier to slip into you sleeping bag, and easier access other items in your tent.

On a front entry, if you have items at the other end you have to crawl through the shelter to reach the items at the end and then back out.  Side entry allows you easier access to all areas of a tent.

On a front entry, if there’s two of you in the shelter and you’re trying to enter, you have to get your feet into the bag and inch you way down.  On a side entry, just open the bag/quilt, put your bottom on the pad, and slip your legs over and cover your self, you’re good to go.

On a side entry, if your shoes are muddy, just leave them outside, swing legs around 90 degrees, stick them out of the shelter, and put you shoes on.  On a front entry, you have so swing your body 180 degrees around so it takes more maneuvering.

On a single wall tent, condensation is an issue.  Side entry tents give you a lot more ventilation area to help deal with condensation.

I have a Duplex and have been in a lot of Sierra downpours, not once has any water entered. So a properly designed side entry tent will be very effective at keeping rain out.

Both types work well, I’ve just found that side entry has more advantages.

 

 

 

[Gumbo]

I don’t have any problem getting in and out of either type. The thing I like most about front entry is that the total footprint of the tent is smaller, and with only one doorway, it fits into tighter spots than a side-entry. The thing I like best about side-entry is the views :-)

[bradmacmt]

I got my first front entry backpack tent in 1974… I’ve had a couple dozen 1,2, & 3P front entry tents… I can’t fathom deliberately choosing a front entry tent over a side entry in a 1 or 2P tent… a 3P or larger is the only way I could see going with a front entry.

[Paul S]

I don’t mind a single door  on the end PROVIDED that the other end has enough width and headroom for our heads and shoulder, because sleeping with feet towards the door is preferable. This way, you don’t have to do a 180 degree turn, and, less likely to knee your tent mate in the face. I have always felt very vulnerable when someone was crawling and doing the 180 right where my face was at 2AM to pee!

[Ben H.]

Ken, I don’t get your comment about the multiple flips needed with muddy boots. Either tent you need your butt in the tent with your feet out. All of that happens at the door. With a front entry you usually get a bigger door.

I think comments about ventilation have a lot of merit.

Brad, your opinion seems to follow the basic tend I am commenting on, but why would you not choose a front entry?

[Kenneth Keating]

@bzhayes:

Typically, on a front only tent, like a Tarptent, the foot end is tapered down for the feet thus your head needs to at the door end.  If I’m entering my Tarpent  and  have dirty shoes, I’ll crawl through the front door head first until my knees are in, then I’ll flip over, sit my bottom inside, near the front, with my legs sticking out the front and then proceed to take my shoes off.   After me shoes are off, my feet are still outside, but they need to be at the opposite end of the shelter, 180 degrees, say six feet away.  If someone is in the tent, I have so swing my legs around, over the person and get my feet back to the other end of the shelter.

In a side entry tent, the same first steps occur, that is, I’ll crawl through the side door head first until my knees are in, then I’ll flip over, sit my bottom inside, near the side, with my legs sticking out the front and then proceed to take my shoes off.   But the next step is where is it’s much easier, as my feet are only 90 degrees away from the end of the shelter, say 3 feet away from where they need to be.  And I don’t have to worry if someone is inside the tent, as I don’t have to swing my legs over them.

To me it’s like a bed.  Almost everyone enters a bed from the side.  I’m not aware of anyone who crawls into bed from the pillow end. I’m 6’-2”, with long legs, so the side entry is easier for me. However, this may not be an issue for shorter people.

[Franco Darioli]

An advantage of front entry tents is that they can have a smaller footprint, therefore fitting in places where other tents can’t fit.
Apart from mountaineering, it worked for me on a walk where we had to book camping spots and in some of them we could have not pitched two side entry tents but worked with one side entry and one front entry (my Contrail at the time).
Not common but can happen.

[Jenny A]

Having had a number of both front entry (“dog door”) and side entry tents over the years, I much prefer the side entry.  You just unzip the door and…get in.

Quite a bit more maneuvering to get into a front entry, and that seems to get more difficult with age.  I have found a method that makes getting in a little easier, though, and that is to actually back into the tent.  I usually have some kind of mat or pad in front of the door to step onto, so I just step into the tent backwards and then slide feet-first into my bag.  No awkward twisting and turning needed.  Usually.

[JCH]

I usually have some kind of mat or pad in front of the door to step onto, so I just step into the tent backwards and then slide feet-first into my bag.  No awkward twisting and turning needed.

Unless it’s raining :)

My 2 cents: I find that pretty much ANY shelter works well in good weather…heck, many here will argue against any shelter at all in those conditions.  The true test of a shelter is in steady rain. The setup-unpack-sleep-pack-teardown sequence in steady rain can be a real bugger.  I have found very few shelter designs that facilitate any sort of successful approach to this sequence, and they all have been side entry. YMMV.

[Erica R]

My current ZPacks Hexamid Twin is a side-entry tent tent. The advantages of access are overweighed by the tight headroom. This is especially bad when it is raining on a fabric 9″ over your head.

It is possible to have a side-entry tent like the Copper Spur with good headroom, but the poles, etc make the tent 2.5 lbs instead of the 1.5 lb Z Packs. So, of the 2 tents, the ZPacks is used much more often.

[bradmacmt]

Brad, your opinion seems to follow the basic tend I am commenting on, but why would you not choose a front entry?

Ben, you’re entirely correct, I really didn’t give a complete answer!

I find getting in and out of a front entry tent is just “harder”… the older I get (57), the less I like it.

Getting into a front entry is akin to getting into bed by crawling in from the pillow end, which requires genuine ninja moves.

A side entry is more like how one normally gets into bed, ie., from the side which doesn’t require the same physical gyrations required from a front entry. It’s a more relaxed, easier approach.

Also, and perhaps equally importantly, I can lay on my side in a side entry and cook, etc., in the vestibule which I find more comfortable than trying to do the same in a front entry’s vestibule.

As was pointed out, a small front entry tent can often have a smaller footprint, which in some situations can be a very positive thing. And, a front entry tent “can” be lighter, though not necessarily.

 

[Tom K]

If you’re expecting any kind of bad weather, side entry hands down.  Otherwise, it’s still side entry hands down for me, but the consequences are more a matter of personal choice.  Gymnasts may well prefer front entry as a means of staying sharp.  Those of us lesser able to execute body contortions in 3 dimensions will still tend to prefer side side entry, IMO. ;0)

[Edward John M]

I’m old, I’m stiff but I camp in snow and bad weather. I’ve never had and still don’t have a problem with front entry and I’ve never seen a tunnel tent [ or hybrid] with a side entry. I do own a couple of side entry tents of the old heavy weight school but I use them seldom and in good weather only. Personally I think it is simply a matter of adapting to the gear you are using.

Proviso being that the gear is suitable for the conditions.

[Todd T]

Gymnasts may well prefer front entry as a means of staying sharp.

^Perfect description.  :-)

[Ben H.]

Here are my take-aways:

Weather-proofness: More dependent on the particular model than the style.  I say that because there seems to be a solid mix of people claiming one style or the other is better in the rain.  I think setting up in the rain is something that I have noticed cottage manufacturers handle much better than the big guys.

Contortions needed for use: A slight majority seem to have concluded front entry requires more contortions.  For me I find I need to do the most difficult contorting while getting through the door, so that is why I am drawn to a front entry tent (bigger doors).  Once inside I feel like I am always in a gymnastic dance-off.

Side entry tent means you don’t have to share a door. I used to be more persuaded by this argument, but I’ve noticed when I share a tent we always use only 1-door.  The second door (and vestibule) usually get well used for gear storage but not as an ingress/regress.  This could be due to me only sharing a tent with immediate family (wife and children).  It would probably be more important if I shared with a friend.

Anyway, it is very interesting to see the diverse set of opinions among highly experienced backpackers.  Debates like boots vs trailrunners and freestanding vs. non-freestanding tents seems to have a correlation to amount of experience.  I am not seeing that with this thread.

[Jo P.]

Both of my current backpacking tents are front entry, and my only issue with it is that I like to place the head of the tent uphill, which means I’m lunging uphill to get out in the morning, which is awkward and threatens to hurt my back. Well, and I miss just being able to turn my head to the side to get a view when the fly’s unzipped… now the view is behind me. But overall I don’t find that gymnastics are required and would buy another. However, I think issues of door height and rain-worthiness aren’t endemic to side-entry tents but can be mitigated by good design, which we are seeing more and more.

[Dena Kelley]

I’m quite the opposite of the OP- I find front-entry tents cumbersome to get in and out of. I have to basically crawl in face first, then sort of kick my shoes off before my feet go inside the tent, then awkwardly crawl around in a half-circle to get facing back out. A side entry tent I just sit down with my butt in the tent, take my shoes off and swing my body around to lay down, no contorting required. To each their own, but if you want to trade me a Copper Spur UL2 for my Fly Creek UL2 I’ll gladly take you up on it.

[Bruce Tolley]

Leave the tent at home, sleep under a tarp or under the stars cowboy style.

Cheers.

[Ken Thompson]

All my hammocks are side entry.

[Eric Peterson]

As a 6’3″ man I prefer front-entry.  My experience is with long-distance, wet-weather use of a TT Protrail and a Nemo Dagger 2P.  Sure, the side-entry is a nice feature, but the front-entry is (in my view) an inherently lighter, simpler design.  The A-frame or tunnel shape is a classic shelter design for a reason — it maximizes coverage for the least footprint/material for the shape of a sleeping human body.  I use a tarp now, because I can do side-entry if the weather looks like misting, A-frame if it looks like rain, and none at all if it looks clear.

I agree with Bruce, “Leave the tent at home, sleep under a tarp or under the stars cowboy style.”  But — just do what makes you happy, have fun and enjoy the outdoors.

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