If you love to take some time for yourself, an outdoor tent is one of the easiest ways to get away from the city. When you are away from your home and weather runs out of its mood, you need to have an all-time backpacking tent as a companion that can give you comfortable stay just like home.
However, the markets for tents have increased over the years, with a variety of tents to choose from. The Best 2-person Backpacking Tents under $100 should get you something small and easy to set up.
In the following article, we will be looking at some of the top tents on the market today. Through some experimenting and use, we could determine which of the tents are useful for your backpacking trip.
Here, you will find some of the top products, including a thorough buyer’s guide that gives you great value for your money.
Comparison: Best 2-Person Backpacking Tents under $100
We did an intensive research on various backpacking tent brands before coming up this comprehensive list. These tents are selected based on their affordability, durability and of course comfy. Without further adieu, lets have a look on these reviews and decide which tent suits your demands as well as budget!
| PRODUCT NAME | FABRIC | Doors | RATINGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coleman Sundome Tent | Polyester | Single door | 4.7 |
| ALPS Mountaineering Taurus | Polyester | Two door | 4.4 |
| Mountainsmith Morrison Tent | Polyester | Two door | 4.7 |
| Hyke & Byke Yosemite | Polyester | Two door | 4.6 |
| Kelty Salida Camping Tent | 68D Polyester | Single door | 4.7 |
| Luxe Tempo 2 Person Tents | 210T Polyester | Two door | 4.6 |
| Slumberjack Trail Tent | 75D Polyester | Single door | 4.3 |
1. Coleman Sundome Tent – (Editor’s Choice)
There are a couple of brands that stand tall when it comes to the tent market. One of these brands is Coleman. The Coleman Sundome Tent is a dome-shaped tent that is constructed from polyester while giving you a full polyester flysheet. It takes only a couple of minutes to set up, with ample interior space for two people.
Aluminum makes up the pole structure, but the tent also features welded seams at each of the sides. These seams can keep the water out while providing you with comfort. Additionally, it is weather tested. According to the manufacturer, the tent should withstand wind speeds of up to 35 MPH, while being waterproof.
A singular door and large windows are found on the sides of the tent. One of the benefits of the tent is to give you ventilation on those hot summer days. The mesh material integrated will ensure that bugs and mosquitoes are held at bay. We also need to mention that the E-port is great for those addicted to modern technology.
As for the price, all of these tents are affordable and they comfortably house two people. It does not take more than 10 minutes to have the tent fully set up, but the rainfly could take a bit more time for users to add. However, we would also recommend that you add a tent footprint for additional protection from below.
Highlighted features:
- Fast setup
- Durable construction
- Integrated pockets
- Features numerous accessories
2. ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent – (Best Overall)
At the beginning of the article, we mentioned the importance of the top brands. ALPS Mountaineering is also one of these brands that you can look into for a quality product. The ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent features a dome shape, but the difference is the fully enclosed sections. It might take some time for users to remove it for ventilation purposes.
All of the poles have a fiberglass construction that ensures the durability of the tent while keeping the weight to a minimum. If you want to set it up, it should not take you more than a couple of minutes to have the tent ready for use. However, the rainfly takes a bit of figuring out. It is recommended that you set the tent up at home first.
Much like some of the other top options, you also have the luxury of two doors. One benefit of the two-door construction is that no one will bother the other when entering the tent. Additionally, both doors can be left open to ensure that a breeze passes through the tent. It should create optimal ventilation in the summer.
The tent barely makes the cut when it comes to price. However, it is worth noting that the features are worth looking into. It is a durable tent with a variety of features that almost any user should enjoy. The 7-pound weight might be a bit much, but you will find that all the additional accessories make your life more comfortable.
Highlighted features
- Stylish design
- Weatherproof
- Features two doors
- Solid construction
3. Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person Tent
Aside from most of the materials, the Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person Tent has many of the same features as the previous option. However, it is designed to give the user a bit more ventilation, while keeping the inside light. The 2-door setup will allow persons to enter the tent regardless of the side you sleep.
Instead of offering the user a singular flat floor, the floor has a bathtub construction. One of the main benefits of these floors is the additional space that it has inside. The 3-seasons design is ideal for those summer campers. However, it is not the best tent to choose if you want to take on the cold winter months.
The inside of the tent is specifically made to give the user some additional storage space. While the 35-square inch floor is only ideal for two people, it does not have any other storage. The user can create a loft at the top of the tent, which should serve as the perfect storage for all your camping or backpacking gear.
Regardless of your taste, the tent can be found in a variety of colors that will certainly accommodate almost any user. At less than 5-pounds, it is a heavy tent for those that like traveling around the Rockies, but with one person carrying the tent, it opens up the other to carry some of the additional gear.
Highlighted features
- Fast setup
- Optimal ventilation around the tent
- Bug proof design
- Bathtub design
 4. Hyke & Byke Yosemite Backpacking Tent
Since many of the tents you will encounter has similar features, it is often worth noting that one needs to look a bit deeper. The Hyke & Byke Yosemite 1 and 2 Person Backpacking Tent can be seen as a cut above the rest due to the accessories, but it features a variety of standard features we consider the basics.
Durable fiberglass poles will ensure that the tent is lightweight. There is no specialized setup and you simply need to clip each of the poles into one another if you are ready. Aluminum stakes also need to be looked at, as these stakes will keep the tent securely locked into place once you have set it up on the floor.
We mentioned the tent has a few great accessories to make your life easier. One of these accessories relates to the tent footprint that you receive as part of the package. The footprint is made to keep the water from soaking through a tent from below. However, you might need a rainfly to set it up over the tent.
Since you don’t have a fully enclosed exterior, the tent provides the user with a lot of ventilation when they are camping in the summer months. The two-person version of the tent only weighs in at 1.72-pounds, which makes it a very lightweight tent. However, the additional covers can be a bit heavy once you add them.
Highlighted features
- Features numerous accessories
- Aluminum stakes will hold it down
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Quite Affordable
5. Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent
One of the main features we look at for these tents is the materials that the user will look into when they buy. The Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent is not a tent that only features one material. It features all the accessories with fiberglass poles, but nylon is integrated for more durability of the tent against the elements.
The design of the tent has a fully enclosed dome when you add all of the parts. However, users need not add it all in the summer months. The rainfly on the outside is removable and it can also be set up in a different position if you feel the need. With nylon at the bottom of the tent, you might need to consider finding a polyester tent footprint.
Once you have the tent in the bag, you will notice that it has a total weight of only 4.57-pounds. However, the weight features all of the necessary accessories to keep you dry and the tent preserved in the weather. Unfortunately, the dome design is only 43-inches, which means there is not a lot of room to sit up straight.
Kelty is not one of the brands you see flaunted all over the place. However, it is a specialized brand that offers a lot of value for their tents. The look and all the features will certainly give you some great value for your money. We would recommend the tent for shorter backpacking trips if you don’t have a lot of gear.
Highlighted Features
- Integrated nylon
- Lightweight
- Minimalistic design
- Includes all accessories
6. Luxe Tempo 2 Person Tents
A feature that we often need to look for in tents is the protection of the user during all times of the camping season. The Luxe Tempo 2 Person Tents for Camping Backpacking makes it easy for users to do this by adding a small roof section at the front of the tent if you encounter some of the worst weather conditions.
It features a ventilated approach, but once the rainfly is added, it will shed off all the rain and allow you to enjoy the comfort of a tent that does not leak. Additionally, you can use it in all weather conditions and add a footprint if you feel the need to add a layer of protection to the lower part of the tent for even more durability.
It is not a tent that will set you back too far in your budget, but all the features make a lot of sense. The manufacturer has stated that the tent is specifically designed for all 4 of the seasons in a year. However, we would mostly recommend it for the three warmer seasons, unless you have a decent sleeping bag.
Highlighted features
- Features a front roof
- No hard setups needed
- Fully ventilated
- Marketed for all seasons
7. Slumberjack Trail Tent
Last but certainly not least, we have a tent that is made specifically for those taking on trails. The Slumberjack Trail Tent is a lightweight alternative to all the options on the list, but it features a variety of accessories that will make it more durable. One of these includes the tent rainfly to fully enclose the tent from bad weather.
The fiberglass poles are easy to plug into one another and for the outer material, you have 75D polyester with a variety of features that will keep the wind at bay. Once done, the entire tent is less than 7-pounds, which should make it comfortable for one person to carry, but it does not work for winter conditions.
With a few stakes and less than 10-minutes of your time, the tent should be up and ready to go. However, we would recommend leaving it outside your home after use to fully dry out. While it might be good for two people, it also doubles down to serve as a tent for one person looking to break away in the summer.
Highlighted Features
- Fully enclosed design
- Dome will hold up in heavy winds
- Easy to set up
- Solid fiberglass poles
How to choose a Backpacking Tent?
If the seven options on the list do not appeal to you, there are a couple of set features that you could use for guidance in selecting a different option. While the feature goes into a lot of detail, we have isolated a few of the main features for backpacking. These features are all congruent with the options on the list.
Tent Type
When it comes to different tent types, it is easy to go into a lot of detail. However, we are not going to look at all types. For backpackers, the dome shape is one of the most common. These tents are minimalistic and they don’t take a lot of time to set up. The other alternative you can look at is the pop-up tent.
Weight
The Weight of the tent is one of the important things that you should consider on priority. Packing a tent into the mountains 20 or 30 miles will end up being a very difficult experience if you have to carry a heavy tent that doesn’t allow you to carry other necessities.
Your tent should be light-enough in weight so that you can easily carry it while you are on the go. Although tents that are light-weight are less spacious but they have been designed keeping your safety standards in view. That makes the old quads feel a little better just thinking about it.
In terms of 2 people enjoying a backpacking trip, the best method of action is to have one person carry the tent and the other all the gear. However, the weight you can carry will rely on things like the strength of the backpacker, but most importantly the length of the trail.
Size
I’m sure you are thinking that we already discussed this in weight, but just as we talked about before, larger doesn’t necessarily mean heavier.
When backpacking in a group, it is good to pack a larger 2 to 4 person tent instead of everybody taking separate smaller tents. This allows for more packing room, lighter packing and a more efficient experience. If, however, you are the solo packer type, 1-person is usually enough.
Material
The Material used to construct a tent determines whether the tent would be able to protect you from extreme weather conditions or not.
There are tents made of Nylon, Polyester, Cuben Fiber, Polyurethane, SilNylon, etc. All of these materials decide strength, abrasion-resistance, water-proof, durability, and usage area of a tent. So, you can choose tents made from these materials depending on your needs and requirements.
Pack ability
I had a tent once that felt like carrying a box more than a tent. It stuck so far out the back and out the side of my pack that I felt I should just bring the wood shed along with it. Nowadays, you don’t really have to worry about that because most backpack tents are built to be packed, but once in a while, there are those tents that make you feel like you are lugging around a cardboard box full of marbles.
Accessories
Each tent and brand will have accessories that they recommend to users to ensure the tent performs at an optimal level. However, these additions can cost you far more than $100. It is often best practice to look for a tent that has many features already in the package. However, it could also mean a more expensive price.
Setup
If you buy a pop-up tent, the tent will set up itself once you let it go and everything springs into place. Unfortunately, not every tent is so easy to set up. You might need to spend some time at home with the instruction manual. However, the time stipulated for the setup is a good indication of how hard it is to complete the process.
Design
Lastly, it makes a difference when you get to stretch those feet out at the end of the day in that tent or if you have to curl up in a ball. There are still a few backpacking tents out there that seem to be made for your puppy dog instead of you. Make sure that you are getting a sleek tent made for human, especially if you are tall and are getting a 1-person tent.
A Few Common Questions We Came Across
The backpacking tent is pretty straightforward to buy. However, many people did have a few questions in regards to the features and the overall setup. Fortunately, we have isolated a couple of these questions. Now, you will have all the important information to make the best decision for your next backpacking tent.
- How much should a tent weigh for backpacking?
This is not a question you can answer, as there are a few things that come into play. The length of the trail and the type of tent are only a few of the considerations for the weight. However, we have found that a maximum of 7-pounds should be a good rule to look into before you buy a backpacking tent.
- How much should I spend on a tent?
A few important considerations are also highly recommended for users that choose to buy one of these tents. You might need to spend more on specific brands, but the cut off price of $100 seems to be a good price for many people.
Bottom Line
All of these tents have been built to give extra comfort zone to the travelers while they are away from home. You can select any of the models depending on your requirements.
If you enjoy the great outdoors, you will need to invest some time and money into your gear. The backpacking tent is one of these things to consider. We hope that you have found some of the top options on the market today.
Additionally, let us know in the comment section if we missed any of your favorite backpacker tents for 2 people.