Finding a tent can be difficult. With hundreds of options, finding what is right for your needs can be difficult. This post aims to make the choice a little simpler by highlighting some great tents that won’t break the bank.
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What Makes A Great Tent? | Best Tents Under $300
What Makes a Great Tent?
There are a lot of great tents out their, but they all aren’t perfect for everyone’s needs. If you’re looking for a tent on long backpacking trips, you are likely going to want something light, small and durable, while other’s may be looking for something that can handle the winter season, or hold 8 people.
In my opinion, there are three main factors that make tents great, or not so great.
Warranty
If you plan on using your tent a lot, and challenging it with the elements, it is important to have a good warranty. Fabric rips, zippers break, poles bend. Having the backup of a warranty is great, especially when you are spending upwards of $200 on a tent.
Materials
For backpacking you want materials that are waterproof, durable, and light. That means you are likely going to go with man-made materials like nylon or polyester. These materials are light, waterproof and durable.
Design
Design plays a factor in a few ways; ease of setup, size, and functional use. Tents with great design are easy for one person to set up, make efficient use of space, pack up nice and easy, and also have properly placed doors, windows, and areas to keep gear dry in the rain.
The Best Tents Under $300
These are what I feel are the best tents you can find on Amazon for under $300. This list is meant for those looking to Backpacking, meaning you want a small pack size, lightweight and durable. If your needs are different, these tents might not be the best for you, BUT you can understand what to look for…a good warranty, durable materials, and sleek design.
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent
What’s Great About This Tent?
- Incredible Use of Space, tons of space for this small of a tent
- Easy Setup (I’ve even set this one up in the pouring rain and heavy wind)
- Small Pack Size Perfect for Backpacking (18×6 inches)
- A light 3.8 pounds (down to 3.1 pounds with a minimalist setup
What’s Great About This Tent?
- 2 doors, but still sleek and capable of fitting in smaller camping sites
- Large vestibule area for storing equipment outside without getting it wet
- Bunch of zippers and pockets for
- Lifetime Manufacturer Warranty (limited)- Great Customer Service
What’s Great About This Tent?
- Comes with Tent Footprint
- Easy Setup
- Large Vestibule Area
- Great Repair Service – Solid Manufacturer Limited Warranty
What’s Great About This Tent?
- Comes with Tent Footprint
- Great Vestibule Area
- Easy Setup
- Good customer service – Manufacturer warranty.
Disclaimer
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Max DesMarais is the founder of hikingandfishing.com. He has a passion for the outdoors and making outdoor education and adventure more accessible. Max is a published author for various outdoor adventure, travel, and marketing websites. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, fly fisherman, backcountry skier, trail runner, and spends his free time in the outdoors. These adventures allow him to test gear, learn new skills, and experience new places so that he can educate others. Max grew up hiking all around New Hampshire and New England. He became obsessed with the New Hampshire mountains, and the NH 48, where he guided hikes and trail runs in the White Mountains. Since moving out west, Max has continued climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, is always testing gear, learning skills, gaining experience, and building his endurance for outdoor sports. You can read more about his experience here: hikingandfishing/about