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Okay, quarantine, where can the two of us have fun? The answer: where there are few (down to none) strangers. That’s why hiking is still an option, even more than before. So even if you have never considered it, it’s time to search for the equipment – the best ultralight backpacking tent you can find, in particular.
It would be enough to recommend you a win-win Featherstone UL Granite 2P and stop at it. Still, it takes a more detailed ultralight tents review, in case you need it another way. All of those below are worth a look – and a try.
7 Best Lightest 2-Person Tents
- Featherstone Backpacking Tent Lightweight for 3-Season — TOP PICK
- Hyke & Byke Yosemite Hiking & Backpacking Tent - 3 Season Ultralight — RUNNER UP
- Big Agnes Blacktail & Blacktail Hotel Backpacking & Camping Tents — Premium Pick
- Clostnature Lightweight Backpacking Tent
- Bessport Tents for Camping
- Hyke & Byke Zion Hiking & Backpacking Tent
Here are the reviews of the tents I consider the best. Not that there aren’t any others, but these include the right option for almost anyone. You want it lighter? Larger? Easier to erect? There are all of these and more.
1. Featherstone UL Granite 2P: Top Pick
Coming from Southern Cali, you say? This brand shares little info beyond that. Even the official website redirects you to Amazon to view details on any item. The tents by Featherstone, though, are quite popular due to the almost perfect price-quality ratio and easy setup. A 2-person (like any lightweight backpacking tent I review here), it also has a single version.
The two-person tent provides enough personal space for each individual, having two doors and two vestibules, plus enough space inside. The height is 43”, and the floor is 84” x 51”, being large enough for the two. Both the floor and the rainfly are polyurethane-coated, the floor being thinner than the rainfly (63D vs 75D). It comes with a footprint to protect the floor.
When it comes to weight, a full set is about 6 pounds. If you exclude the guylines, the stakes, and the footprint, you reduce it to 5 pounds.
And if you only leave the rainfly, the aluminum poles, and the footprint, the tent will weigh 3.8 pounds. This flexibility is great for hot seasons, and, being a 3-season tent, it’s not meant for winter at all. The price is about $110, quite adequate.
- LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN: Weighing in at just 4 lbs Trailweight, this tent is perfect for backpackers looking to minimize their load without sacrificing quality.
- Easy installation
- Flexible setup
- Two doors and vestibules
- Reasonable price
- It’s quite small and tight
- Hard to pack back into the bag
Key Features
- Brand: Featherstone
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season (Summer, Fall, Spring)
- Item Weight: 4.2 Pounds
2. Hyke & Byke Yosemite: Runner Up
Founded by enthusiasts in Colorado, this brand is purely a child of the Internet sales era. It offers attractive prices due to direct-to-marketplace policy, and the reputation is rather high on these marketplaces. The Yosemite model was named after yet another 14er hiked by the founders. It costs maybe around ten bucks more than the one by Featherstone.
It’s a 2-person ultra lightweight tent that comes with everything it takes to pack, carry, set, and use. Not only does it include the tent itself and the accessories: it even comes with a stake presser to make the installation the easiest, let alone the footprint, the gear loft, and the guylines.
As for the dimensions, its floor area is 54″ x 88″, so if the one by Featherstone is too small for you, look at this option. It’s also higher: 45”. Given that, it’s also lighter at just 5lb 6.7oz pack. The stakes, though, are not necessary; without them, it’s an ultralight freestanding tent for short hikes. It’s lighter partly due to using a 63D polyester instead of 75D. But if you don’t take it with you into the cold and snowy weather, it doesn’t affect your stay.
- 2 Person Tent for Kids and Adults: This cold weather tent comes with a waterproof PU 2000 rain fly, PU 5000 bathtub floor and tent footprint; Keeps you safe and dry from harsh weather conditions
- Full setup with even a stake presser
- Full or light sets
- Two-door construction
- Large in size
- Affordable
- The material is thinner than the previous item has
- The quality is uneven
Key Features
- Brand: Hyke & Byke
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season
- Item Weight: 5.48 Pounds
3. Big Agnes Blacktail & Blacktail Hotel Backpacking & Camping Tents
Big Agnes is known as a manufacturer of premium ultralight tents, and Fly Creek HV is no exception. This two-person tent seems to weigh nothing; compared to others, 1lb 15oz (2lb 10 oz when packed) really is nothing. How does the manufacturer work these wonders? The ultrathin fabric is the key: it’s about three times thinner than what others use.
There are other differences, as well. It’s a single-door tent with a vertical door to maximize space, and its height is lower than the others – just 40”. The floor area is just 86” x 52” – still more, though, than that of Featherstone UL Granite. The geometry is less usual for the same reason.
The price might be the stopper. It’s well over $300, and it doesn’t include a footprint (sold separately). However, if you’re ready to pay that price to get read of three or four extra pounds, it’s worth it.
- DO IT ALL TENT – The Blacktail tents are light enough for the backcountry and strong enough for the front country. If you like to spend time at the campground but want to be able to backpack with one tent, the Blacktail tent is for you! Features two doors and two vestibules.
- Ultrathin
- Maximized floor area
- Simple to install
- Surprisingly durable
- Premium styled
- Expensive enough
- Low in height
- Footprint is not included
Key Features
- Brand: Big Agnes
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season
- Item Weight: 4,6 Pounds
4. Clostnature Lightweight Backpacking Tent
Hardly is there anything public on this vendor. Its Facebook page has under 50 subscribers, and the official site has hardly ever existed. On the other hand, it has made its way onto the major marketplaces, so let’s assume they grant the quality.
The tent is available in versions from 1-person to 4-person, in orange or green. A single version is as light as 3.7lbs, the four-person version is 7.4lbs, and others (including even a 1.5-person one!) are in between. The floor area changes accordingly in this tent family. What does not is a rather dense and heavy polyester fabric, up to 150D for the floor.
Regardless of capacity, it needs two aluminum poles to erect, and comes with stakes and ropes, and even with a pole repair kit.
As for capacity, only a one-person tent has just one door, and one vestibule; 2- and more-person tents come with both. The vestibules are large and provide more storage for things. The erecting process is similar for all of them – intuitive, but if you suddenly need instruction, you’ll be disappointed. It reveals that its author speaks English as a second language – and little else.
No matter which version you choose, the price remains under $100. Not only is it an ultralight free standing tent, but almost a free priced one.
- WATERPROOF & LONG-LASTING: Polyester rain fly & groundsheet&bathtub with PU 5000 coating is firmer than you expected. Weatherproof material with factory-sealed seams keeps you dry and comfortable in all season&all weather condition! Better material but more affordable! You really need an appropriate lightweight 2 person tent for backpacking!
- Lots of capacity options
- Dense polyester fabric yet lightweight
- Easy to assemble
- More than affordable
- No footprint included
- Instructions are not clearly written and printed
Key Features
- Brand: Clostnature
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season
- Item Weight: 5 Pounds
5. Bessport Paraiso-2P: The Simplest One for Two
You might have seen Bessport tents on major marketplaces – and little is known about the manufacturer. So, like it is with Clostnature, we just let the seller take the responsibility – and look at the tent itself. It’s available in 2- and 3-person versions; so, given this limited variety, let’s focus on a double version (for the triple one, just scale it up a bit).
The two-person tent weighs just 5.5lbs in the full setup: not the best lightweight tent in terms of weight, but a decent one given its dense polyester fabric – 68D for the rainfly and 210D for the floor. The floor dimensions are 93” x 53”, the height is 43.3” – great for two adults taller than the average that would not feel comfortable in smaller tents like Featherstone UL Granite 2P.
Any version has two doors and two vestibules, and a single-pole construction makes it easier to set up. For the price well under $100, it’s a great deal, though risky, because of the mysterious vendor.
- Large Space-Camping Tent 2 Person: This backpacking tent is spacious enough with two D-Shaped doors and two vestibules to accommodate up to 2-3Adult. Weight: 5.5lb(2.5kg). Interior floor dimensions: 93 x 53 inches (228x135cm), interior height: 43.3 inch(110cm).
- Large enough for taller persons
- Dense material yet quite lightweight
- Easy to set
- May smell badly right after unpacking
- Unknown vendor, support not granted
Key Features
- Brand: Bessport
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season
- Item Weight: 5.5 Pounds
6. Hyke & Byke Zion: Large Lightweight Tent for Tall People
And here comes another ultralight hiking tent by Hyke & Byke, available in 1- and 2-person versions. If we review the two-person tent, its floor area is 90” x 55”, the height being 42”. The overall weight is 5.49lbs, while the ultralight setup is just 3.81lbs. Given that its fabric is mostly solid 63D, it looks like a surprise.
Due to one-pole clip-on design, this is one of the easiest tents to erect (given that none is really hard to set now). Stakes are present but optional to use. Its inside is larger than any other, so if you feel other tents too tight for your height, maybe this one will fit you.
The rest is similar to others: a two-door and two-vestibule system, rainfly and tent… Well, the footprint and the stake presser. They are included, and that’s heartily welcomed.
It is just slightly more expensive than the ones by Clostnature and Bessport, being about $130. On the other hand, its quality is said to be much higher.
- 2 Person Tent for Kids and Adults: This cold weather tent comes with a waterproof PU5000 poly ripstop rainfly, bathtub floor and tent footprint; Keeps you safe and dry from harsh weather conditions
- Lightweight yet dense
- Large enough for taller persons
- One-pole construction
- Footprint and stake presser included
- Adequate price
- The full set is heavier than expected
- The original bag is too small
Key Features
- Brand: Hyke & Byke
- Occupancy: 2 Person
- Design Camping: Tent
- Seasons: 3 Season
- Item Weight: 6.13 Pounds
Table comparing the weight of tents by brand
| Model | Count of people | Count of season | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featherstone Backpacking Tent | 2 Person | 3 Season | 4.2 Pounds |
| Hyke & Byke Yosemite Hiking & Backpacking Tent | 2 Person | 3 Season | 5.8 Pounds |
| Big Agnes Blacktail & Camping Tents | 2 Person | 3 Season | 4.6 Pounds |
| Clostnature Lightweight Backpacking Tent | 2 Person | 3 Season | 5 Pounds |
| Hyke & Byke Zion Hiking & Backpacking Tent | 2 Person | 3 Season | 6.1 Pounds |
Ultralight Backpacking Tent FAQ
Here are the questions I have heard most frequently when it comes to lightweight tents. Excuse me for skipping the how-can-it-be-true wonderings about 10D fabric. These are purely emotional. And we are getting informative.
What is the lightest tent?
There are tents even lighter than these mentioned above. For example, an ultralight trekking pole tent requires no pole of its own, as you use your trekking pole or two to set it. These can get as light as 1lb 2 oz. I didn’t review these tents here, though, because it’s quite a separate class.
What is the lightest 2 person backpacking tent?
The lightest ones reviewed here are the tents by Big Agnes and Nemo. They are extremely lightweight due to their ultrathin fabric, tubular poles, and construction that requires a minimum of both. Even the heavier of them is just 2lbs 10 oz when packed.
How heavy should a tent be for backpacking?
The answer is quite common: the lighter, the better. What you should not sacrifice, though, is seasonality: a 3-season tent will be lighter than a 4-season one, but in the cold, it will show. In general, 6 pounds will do for an ultralight category. In fact, it depends on how much stuff you are carrying along with it.
Are there 4-season ultralight tents?
True 4-season tents are way heavier, as the fabric used for them is denser, and the pole construction must be more reliable. Some 3-season ones can be used in the mild winter like that of Florida or California (but in, say, Utah, I wouldn’t risk, let alone Montana or Alaska).
Let There Be Ultralight!
As you see, you don’t have to sweat under the weight of your tent when hiking. Ultralight tents are available nowadays, and you can choose yours among this variety. Being charmed by Featherstone UL Granite 2P, I see great things about others. If you can afford it, there are Nemo and Big Agnes; if you are taller than the average, opt for Hyke & Byke, and so on.
What do you think of these above? Would you like to pay more for a lighter one? Do you trust ultralight fabrics? Have you had any experience with the reviewed tents? And do you have a hiker’s story to tell? It’s all welcome in the comments! And don’t forget to share this article like a message in a bottle, from traveler to traveler.