Best Backpacking Tent UK 2024
Want to know what we think is the best backpacking tent for hiking in the UK? Pick the best backpacking tent for you from our list of clearly ranked and analysed tents. All reviewed tents are 2-person tents, ideal for carrying on your back, and assessed with UK conditions (rain, wind…) in mind. View more details of each key product via the ‘Read Full Review’ buttons below, or watch our video review. Want something a bit more stylish? Check out our list of top teepee tents.
Updated 13th February 2024
Backpacking Tent Reviews
MSR Hubba Hubba NX
Price At Time Of Writing | £459.99
Overall Rating | 95
Comfort | 9
Construction | 9
Features | 9
Size/Weight | 8
Versatility | 10
Packed Size - 46x15cm
Weight - 1.8kg
Sleeping Size - 2.5sqm
Pros - Comfortable, light, liveable
Cons - Price
Overall - A great allrounder
Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO
Price At Time Of Writing | £619.99
Overall Rating | 94
Comfort | 9
Construction | 9
Features | 9
Size/Weight | 10
Versatility | 7
Packed Size - 48x10x5cm
Weight - 0.936kg
Sleeping Size - 2.5sqm
Pros - Extremely lightweight, easy setup
Cons - Small, expensive, delicate
Overall - Excellent for when light weight is key
Nemo Dragonfly OSMO
Price At Time Of Writing | £349.99
Overall Rating | 93
Comfort | 7
Construction | 9
Features | 9
Size/Weight | 10
Versatility | 8
Packed Size - 50x12cm
Weight - 1.4kg
Sleeping Size - 2.7sqm
Pros - Ultra lightweight
Cons - Price, tapered design
Overall - Excellent pure hiking tent
MSR Access 2
Price At Time Of Writing | £624.75
Overall Rating | 92
Comfort | 8
Construction | 8
Features | 9
Size/Weight | 7
Versatility | 10
Packed Size - 46x15cm
Weight - 1.72kg
Sleeping Size - 2.7sqm
Pros - Weather resistance, large vestibules
Cons - Packed size not great for price
Overall - An excellent, versatile 4-season tent
Lightwave Sigma S22
Price At Time Of Writing | £699.00
Overall Rating | 90
Comfort | 9
Construction | 9
Features | 7
Size/Weight | 8
Versatility | 7
Packed Size - 45x18cm
Weight - 1.5kg
Sleeping Size - 3sqm
Pros - Roomy, lightweight, waterproof
Cons - Dark, have to thread poles
Overall - A great option for a single-walled tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL-2
Price At Time Of Writing | £425.00
Overall Rating | 85
Comfort | 7
Construction | 8
Features | 8
Size/Weight | 7
Versatility | 5
Packed Size - 50x15cm
Weight - 1.4kg
Sleeping Size - 2.69sqm
Pros - Light, good accessories
Cons - Asymmetrical
Overall - A quality 3-season tent, well priced
Kelty Wireless 2
Price At Time Of Writing | £94.95
Overall Rating | 80
Comfort | 7
Construction | 6
Features | 7
Size/Weight | 5
Versatility | 5
Packed Size - 56x15cm
Weight - 3.31kg
Sleeping Size - 2.7sqm
Pros - Comfortable and durable
Cons - Heavy and gathers condensation
Overall - Great, durable tent for the price
Naturehike Cloud-Up 2
Price At Time Of Writing | £149.00
Overall Rating | 73
Comfort | 5
Construction | 3
Features | 4
Size/Weight | 8
Versatility | 3
Packed Size - 40x13cm
Weight - 1.8kg
Sleeping Size - 2.6sqm
Pros - Price, light
Cons - Space, lack of storage
Overall - Not enough storage space
Vango Nevis 200
Price At Time Of Writing | £140.00
Overall Rating | 72
Comfort | 2
Construction | 5
Features | 5
Size/Weight | 7
Versatility | 3
Packed Size - 46x15cm
Weight - 2.0kg
Sleeping Size - 2.6sqm
Pros - Price
Cons - Liveability, setup, space
Overall - Living space isn't enough
Watch our video review to learn what to look for in a backpacking tent
Watch our video review to learn what to look for in a backpacking tent
Advice We’d Give to A Friend
The Basics
How important is weight? - Weight contributes to the overall backpacking experience, but it is not the defining feature one should look for. Weight can often be reduced by sacrificing sleeping size or material quality, but the best available backpacking tents manage to find a happy medium. We have found that around 2kg is an ideal weight for a combination of quality and comfort.
How many season tents do I need? - It depends on when you want to go camping. A 3-season tent is best for warmer months in the UK, while a 4-season tent will stand up to harsher weather (get outside in Winter!). It is worth noting that 4-season tents trap the heat, so can get quite warm during summer. Essentially, these tent categories will help you identify what you need, depending on your activity.
Are backpacking tents easy to set up? - Yes, backpacking tents are built for ease of use. Most of the models we tested take only a couple of minutes to set up. The best backpacking tents for hiking are cleverly designed with instant pop-up features.
What features are important? - We prefer having double vestibules for extra storage for camping gear. Aside from that, single or double pole setup and at least 2 internal pockets definitely make a for more convenient use. Weight, durability, and a comfortable sleeping space are obviously the other key features for the best backpacking tents in the UK.
Budget
You can definitely get a decent 2 person backpacking tent for hiking without dropping a ton of cash. For a more detailed comparison, we can break the market into three budget categories:
Over £400 - This will give you the best lightweight backpacking tents.
£100 to £400 - Tents sold in this price range are still great and slightly different to high-end models. They are fairly priced given their similar quality to the ones over £400.
Under £100 - These tents are typically cramped or made from cheap materials that can fall apart over time. We suggest investing a bit more for the better options.
Purpose of Use
Think about how you will use your tent. Are you using it for backpacking/hiking or camping as well? Consider these questions when choosing a tent, whether it is solely for one activity or something more versatile. For instance, if you’re planning on using it often for car camping rather than backpacking, you may be willing to get a heavier tent that offers a larger sleeping space.
Ratings By Category
Method
We selected the top backpacking tents in each category after evaluating the tents currently on the market and each tent instantly earned 50 points just for being chosen. In order to rank them out of 10 in the following categories — Comfort, Construction, Features, Size/Weight and Versatility — we conducted field tests and in-person evaluations.
Rankings are modified or weighted according to their significance and degree of variation, for example, certain categories will be rated from 1 to 10, while others will be rated from 4 to 9, etc. However, there are occasionally outliers. We have done our best to accurately depict how each tent ranks overall and why.
Here, we strive to give you all the information you need to find the best backpacking tent in the UK. At The Equipment Guide, we believe that thorough reviews of backpacking tents should provide you all the information you need to choose one.
Comfort
Comfort considers the size of the sleeping area, which includes these three key components: floorspace, headroom and design layout.
There can be quite a bit of difference in this area. The Vango Nevis 200, for instance, has so little room that two people must lie head to toe. The Naturehike Cloud-Up 2 tent has a design that has sloped walls, which reduces the already cramped space. For that reason, we wouldn’t buy either of those. In the mid-range and best backpacking tents in the UK, there isn’t a great deal of variation, though. For instance, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL-2 has less room at the feet as it tapers in, but this is a fairly minor comfort negative. In our view, a spacious, symmetrical space is better, but it is not the be all and end all.
The interior of the Vango Nevis 200 is a bit cramped
MSR Hubba Hubba NX has a comfortable space
Construction
Construction primarily considers the quality of the workmanship and the materials. The fabrics and pole materials have a significant impact on the durability. Here, weight, quality and price are typically trade-offs.
Strong aluminium poles are important, as fibreglass tends to snap, which is the last thing you want when you are in the middle of the bush. Ripstop waterproof materials with a decent PU (1200+) are also going to keep you dry and will be strong. These are probably the main things we suggest looking out for when looking for the best hiking tents. Some of the best hiking tents have thicker gauge poles, a higher denier (density) fabric with great waterproofing, like the MSR Hubba Hubba NX or better cinch straps, which can help with durability. On the flip side, budget models such as the Naturehike Cloud-Up 2 or Vango Nevis 200 have some of these features, but the design and layout of their poles make the overall structure weak.
The Vango Nevis 200 is made from cheaper materials
Look for strong aluminium poles rather than fibreglass
Features
The more aesthetically pleasing aspects of liveability, such as the number of vestibules, privacy screens, pockets and ease of setup, are taken into consideration in ‘Features’.
Given that these are a 2-person tents, double vestibules are crucial features to look for as they provide extra room for each person to stow their hiking pack or other goods. Having a single-pole arrangement and a few pockets to store a headlamp or other items you want nearby are also helpful. Also useful are privacy screens. The majority of these features are included in all of the mid- to high-range hiking tents we tested. The Vango Nevis 200 was a bit challenging to set up, and the Naturehike Cloud-Up 2 has one very narrow vestibule and is light on features.
The MSR Hubba Hubba NX has plenty of ventiliation
The Vango Nevis 200 has no windows and only has a single vestibule
Size/Weight
Size/weight consider both the kilogramme weight and the packed size, or how much space it will occupy in your bag.
The Nemo Dragonfly is the clear standout here. At only 1.4kg, it’s the best in terms of being a lightweight hiking tent if you are looking for something to use purely for hiking. Of the mid- to high-range tents, the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL-2 is also great at 1.4kg, but packs slightly larger than the Nemo Dragonfly. The Naturehike Cloud-Up 2 is lightweight, but it’s important to note that it does this to the detriment of quality in other areas. The Kelty Wireless 2 is the heaviest tent we reviewed at 3.31kg. The best lightweight hiking tents don’t sacrifice weight for quality.
Marmot Tungsten vs Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO pack size
Versatility
Whether we would use the tent for day hikes, multi-day hikes or merely camping is considered in this category. A capable all-arounder can perform all three.
With a spacious interior and lightweight package, the MSR Hubba Hubba NX is a great all-rounder that can be used for anything. While expensive, the MSR Access 2 is another good, versatile option with plenty of headroom. The Lightwave Sigma S22 is also expensive, but has a large sleeping size and is waterproof and light for multi-day hiking trips, while the Nemo Dragonfly is an excellent pure hiking tent. There are small differences between the top brands, as you can see from the below images.
The MSR Hubba Hubba NX has mesh on the top for you to gaze at the stars in warm weather
The Nemo Hornet Elite has room for rainy days and windows for ventilation
Overall Ratings
About Our Testing Process
Here at The Equipment Guide we write reviews for the UK with the goal of providing genuine personal assessments of the best products on the market. We do detailed research including field tests to make an informed judgment and help you get a better understanding of what is out there.
All products are reviewed and ranked in a methodical and careful manner and we assess them on relevant key features. We do not accept free products from manufacturers.
Our mission is simple: To create the UK’s best outdoor gear reviews.
Afterword
We hope our reviews have helped you pick from the best lightweight backpacking tents in the UK!
The main takeaway is that there is a tent fit for every purpose and budget. You’ll certainly find one among our reviews. If you have any feedback or product suggestions, feel free to drop us a note.
If you happen to buy one of the tents we’ve recommended, do share some pics with us - we’d love to see you in action!