What Are the Different Types of Tents?

On a camping trip, your tent is your shelter!And even on a picnic or BBQ, at a festival, or spending a day at the beach, a tent is a great item to have to provide a home base and protection from the elements. 

Tents come in all different shapes and sizes, from bivy sacks and bivy tents weighing only a couple of ounces to massive cabin tents ideal for larger groups weighing 50lbs or more.   

 

Initially, tents were made out of thick canvas, but these days, they can be created from many types of materials, contributing to their weight and durability and making some tents better than others for bad weather or high winds.   

 

Many modern tents boast tons of features, including large vestibules, electric hook ups, gear lofts and pockets, room dividers, and vertical walls to increase headspace.   With so many different types of tents, there is a perfect tent for any application!
1.   Dome Tent

The dome tent is the most common design today.   It has two flexible tent poles that cross in the center and are anchored to the corners of the tent with stakes, creating a dome shape that makes this tent easily distinguishable from other types.   

 

Dome tents come in a range of different sizes, with capacity ranging from a single person up to about eight people, making it an option for both backpacking and car camping, and for a solo camper or a family camping.

 

In double-wall tent designs, there is a breathable inner tent, usually made of no-see-um mesh to provide ventilation (and protection from mosquitos and other bugs!), and a waterproof floor.   The second wall comes in the form of a rainfly resting on top of the poles.   Sometimes a footprint is included with the tent as well, which is an extra layer of fabric underneath the tent.   Single-wall tents have an interior that is waterproof throughout, which does sacrifice some breathability, and oftentimes, condensation can form.

 

Pro Tip: If it's not raining, use trekking poles and your rain fly or a tarp to create an awning over your tent door—this will provide sun protection and a shaded area to hang out!

 

Dome tents are lighter than other tent options, can have a lot of headroom depending on the floor area you go for, and are easy to pitch.   Vestibules (the area around the tent doors that’s sheltered by the tent’s rain fly) are often included and provide plenty of gear storage space, but not all dome tents include them.   A downside of dome tents is that they tend to catch in the wind and be flattened or blown away.

Formerly very popular with campers due to its simple design, the A-frame tent (also known as the Ridge tent) looks like a capital A, as its name suggests.  

 

Originally made of canvas with metal or wooden poles, modern options of this tent are composed of lightweight fabric such as nylon and polyester and have aluminum poles.   This tent is easy to set up and surprisingly stable, but it is heavy, bulky when packed, and lacks headroom.

The best option for large families with kids, the multi-room tent is closer to a house than a traditional tent.   The primary advantage of this type of tent is privacy, created by room dividers. 

 

The multiple rooms also offer gear storage.   These tents are typically large and have the interior space needed to provide enough room for a large family or group.   The main drawback of this style of tent is its weight and size, and pitching takes more practice and time.   Windy conditions will also be a major issue for large, multi-room tents.   

 

Although they have some drawbacks, multi-room tents are the preferred choice for large family gatherings, as they will provide comfort and plenty of space - you could even fit multiple cots or air mattresses (in some tents even a king-size mattress) inside!

 

Pro Tip: If you are camping with a big group with multiple large tents, look for a campground that offers a few "group spots", and make a reservation!   These spots have multiple tent sites and provide extra space so that even a big party can spread out.

If a multi-day hike or a long-distance trek to your campsite from the car is to be expected, a lightweight tent or an ultralight tent is the best choice.   

Generally, backpacking tents are smaller than other options and may have a significantly lighter packaged weight and an extremely light minimum trail weight, since hikers may be carrying them for many miles into the backcountry in or attached to their backpack.   

 

Their design tends to value small size and their material quality tends to directly impact the price point.   Since backpacking tents typically have fewer poles, a small packed size, a lower peak height, and limited square footage, they are usually one-person or two-person tents, but three-person and four-person backpacking tents do exist.