GoLite Den 2, $275

GoLite's Den 2 is a teensy rig that compacts smaller than your foam pad. This most packable, hoop-style shelter is surprisingly commodious, with decent ventilation and a unique reverse-angle awning over the door. Single-wall construction with silicone-treated nylon makes it gossamer-light, just three pounds and change. Like most hoop-style tents, it's not freestanding, and you might think twice about a really wet undertaking unless you supplement it with a tarp. Ideal for bike travel or trekking trips; soloists should check it out!
Den 2 product specs

Den for two with a view

Eureka! Mountain Pass 4XT, $230

At just under nine pounds, the Eureka! Mountain Pass 4XT is impressively light for a four-person shelter and packs in the features: a roomy vestibule for gear, a rear window, and zippered roof vent. It's airy—thanks to lots of headroom—and nicely detailed. This is a great value tent that requires little imagination to assemble. Definitely want to guy it out well, since there are only two poles to support a whole lot of sail area.
Mountain Pass 4XT product specs

Mountain Hardware Skyview 2, $415

If you want a bombproof tent for the long haul, take a look at Mountain Hardware's lineup. Their two-person Skyview 2 was my stargazing in-laws' hands-down choice when they invested in a new refuge from the famed Northwoods mosquitoes. They were happy to shell out a few more bucks for this nine-plus-pound "convertible" module with multiple screen windows, and happier still when they reported its fine performance in the teeth of a Florida deluge. The setup ain't simple, but it's stout, and they figure it's the last tent they'll probably ever buy.
Skyview 2 product specs

L.L. Bean King Pine Dome Tent, $239

Leave it to old L.L. Bean to deliver penultimate value with their family-size King Pine Dome Tent—a tent fit for four tall Bedouins and their camel (who could rest in the integral screen porch). My husband and I marveled at the superior construction and detailing of this portable cabin. Color-coded clips and sleeves left little room for error and plenty of room for everything else—we half expected some clowns to emerge from its spiffy duffel to set the thing up, attach the precut guylines, and use the cute hammer (included) to pound in the stakes.

This eight-by-eight-foot lodge (not to mention its four-by-eight-foot porch) is a heavy hitter, at 26 pounds. But if you're a car camper, it's something to see. The downside is you might be tempted to leave it pitched in your yard all summer for a guesthouse, and UV would kill it. Though you could probably afford the folly—the thing costs but $239.

Back to Choosing a Three-Season Tent

Return to Top

RELATED GORP LINKS
GORP Gear
Tent Gear Guide
Tent Finder