Do you have the right tent for camping on your next national park vacation? From lightweight backpacking tents for one or two to a 10 person multi-room tent that can hold a few families, there are options for a variety of camping situations.
A tent is a relatively inexpensive piece of camping gear, when you think about it. They can be purchased for under a few hundred dollars, often for less than the cost of one night in a hotel room in some areas. It is substantially cheaper to stay in one of the national park campgrounds than it is for a night in one of the park lodges.
I had a tent for years as a child growing up, and we frequently used it in the backyard during the summer. It would be up for so long that the grass underneath it would yellow from lack of sunlight and water. I used to sneak back into the house early in the morning after the sun rose but my parents were still asleep for a few more hours on the couch.
Jayne and I received our first tent as a gift, and have pictures of it in several national parks. It has since been put to good use as we have taken it across the country and back a few times now. We love it, but are also on the lookout for a larger tent that will provide more comfort while car camping. Our tent is designed as a lightweight tent for backpacking, and it works perfectly for it, but we would love to be able to stand up in the tent while changing.
There are tents designed for backpacking, car camping, winter camping and even mountaineering. There are also privacy shelters for the shower, toilet and changing while camping, as well as screen houses to protect from mosquitoes and other bugs.
Tents have a long history, dating back tens of thousands of years to times when mammoth hides were used to protect early people from the elements, and have been used throughout recorded history. They are now commonly used in a variety of situations, including for recreational camping, military usage and emergency shelters.
Camping Tent Manufacturers and Brands
Here are a few of the manufacturers and brands that we frequently see with tents for sale:
ALPS – ALPS Mountaineering makes backpacking, car camping and outfitter tents. ALPS is a camping gear manufacturer for tents, backpacks, and sleeping bags which was founded in 1993.
Big Agnes – Big Agnes is an outdoor gear company based in a ski town in northwestern Colorado. They make a variety of tents for backpacking, car camping, mountaineering and bikepacking.
Coleman – A manufacturer of tents, sleeping bags, lighting, and more that started when they created the first portable, gas-powered lantern in 1900. After 120 years, Coleman continues to offer products for the trail, lake, festival, tailgate and more.
Marmot – Marmot is an outdoor clothing and sporting goods company founded in 1974. They make tents for ultralight backpacking, mountaineering and camping.
North Face – North Face is an American outdoor recreation product company based in Alameda, California which produces clothing, footwear, and outdoor equipment.
Ozark Trail – This is a private label outdoor gear brand offered by Walmart which makes tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, coolers and more.
REI – This popular American retail and outdoor recreation services company makes a number of tents for its customers, including the Half Dome 2 Plus tent which we received as a gift and have taken to more than a dozen national parks now.
Tentsile – Tentsile is a manufacturer of a popular brand of tree tents, offering hammocks for overnight camping suspended from the trees.
Types of Tents
Here are some of the different types of tents that you will find for sale and may prove of value during one or more of your national park vacations:
Backpacking Tents / Lightweight Tents / Ultralight Tents / Thru Hiking Tents
If you have been on a multi-day backpacking trip, you know that every pound matters on the hiking trail. You want your gear to weigh as little as possible when you are carrying it on your back. Lightweight and ultralight tents offer good value as they are an easy way to shed a pound or more from your gear.
If you are on a long distance thru hike, you will want it to weigh even less than if you are just out on a long weekend hike. You are going to be carrying it for hundreds (maybe even thousands of miles), so it makes sense to spend the extra money to buy one as light as possible. The goal with ultralight backpacking tents for thru hiking is to find one that weighs between one and two pounds. If you hiking with a friend or significant other, a two person tent will weigh slightly more.
Four Season Tents / Cold Weather Tent / Winter Tent
Four season tents are used in the winter or cold weather to maintain more heat than a regular tent. They are typically made from nylon fabric to retain the warmth. Some 4 season tents will even have a vent to use a stove inside it. The primary purpose of a 4 season (or winter) tent is to allow you to survive while camping outdoors despite the possibility of intense winds, frigid temperatures, and heavy snow.
Tree Tents / Camping Hammocks
Hammocks have been a popular place for sleeping for many years throughout history, but modern times have created a rise in camping hammocks and tree tents. They are now composed of hammock systems which consist of a bug net and rain tarp, or elevated tree tents that allow you to sleep in what is essentially a small tree house.
Camping Screen House / Outdoor Mesh Tents
If you have ever had a picnic at a park in the summer, you know that even a few hours can produce an annoying amount of bug bites. If you are going to relax for a day in the woods at a national park campground, sometimes insect repellant just isn’t enough. These outdoor screen houses can allow you to enjoy the sight and the sounds of the wilderness without having to endure days of scratching mosquito bites while on vacation.
Privacy Tents / Camping Shower, Toilet and Changing Privacy Shelter
Most frontcountry national park campgrounds have modern bathrooms nearby, but there may be times in your camping that you wish you had more privacy. Enter the shower and changing shelter, which offers privacy while camping in the wilderness.
Bivy Tents / Bivouac Sacks
A bivy sack is a one person waterproof shelter that is a lightweight alternative to a full tent. It was made popular by mountaineering and is also used as sleeping shelters by minimalist campers and hikers. Its full name is the bivouac sack. Usage has also inspired single person bivy tents with a similar shape / look that are a cross between a bivy sack and a tent.
Teepee Tents
This conical tent originally made of animal skins or birch bark is now usually made from canvas or other modern materials. The pyramid of the tipi, as it has also been known, is well known in the United States due to its usage through history by some native americans.
Tent Cots
If you have ever woken up in a tent on the ground during the middle of the night from a deflated sleeping pad, you know that sleeping on the ground is not much fun. It was not a big deal as a child while sleeping on the soft grass below the tent floor and sleeping bag, but age has brought back pains and other aches from such simplicity. Enter the tent cot. It is a combination of the two items which provides the comfort of a cot and the protection against the weather of a tent.
Group Tents / Large Family Tents / Multi-Room Tents
Most people own 2-4 person tents which accommodate their immediate family. But Car camping with a large group / party or larger family brings with it the possibility of sharing accommodations with others while striving for more comfortable conditions than are possible with smaller tents. Whether you are looking to share a multi-room tent with others in your group or use the group tent for serving food and gatherings, a large 10+ tent can accommodate groups of more people.
Canvas Tents / Outfitter Tents / Wall Tents
Wall tents are a type of tent with four straight vertical walls that usually provide more headroom than pyramid-shaped tents. They are also known as safari tents or outfitter tents. When durability is important due to a harsh climate or the possibility of bad conditions, they are often made from a heavy, thick canvas.