Tunnel backpacking tents have a unique and new design that comes with a lot of features that will definitely provide more comfort and a better backpacking experience.
As you might know, tents101.com is a website dedicated completely to reviewing tents, whether they are ground tents or roof top tents.
So we decided to test the most popular tunnel tents for backpacking right now and see if they are really a good choice for backpackers.
After spending hundreds of hours in this research, here is the list of the best tunnel tents for backpacking.
Naturehike Cloud 2 Person Backpacking Tunnel Tent For Light Trekking
Last update on 2022-02-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This forest green backpacking tunnel tent is one of the newest additions to this list. It can fit 2 grown adults inside it without any issues.
The inside of this tent is spacious and capable of storing many items.
It is divided into two parts with a high durability vestibule that can be used as a sleeping part and a cooking part.
The separation of the internal space of the Naturehike backpacking tunnel tent is great for people who like to have a private space to sleep in.
Functionalities are also a strong point of this tent, it is easy to set even by beginners, easy to pitch, and doesn’t need any special tools to work with.
Is it waterproof? Well, the answer is yes, this tent was completely waterproof during our stress test, it is rated with a resistance of 2000mm. and it was also resistant to the wind (most tunnel backpacking tents have good resistance to the wind to be fair).
Aluminum is used in the structure of this tent to make it light enough for backpacking and to prevent any oxidation due to bad storage conditions.
The vestibule allows for additional storage of equipment and muddy boots or sneakers, it is also useful when cooking to prevent heat and humidity from concentrating inside the tent, and obviously, for safety reasons.
General statistics:
- Size tunnel tent pitched: 139.76 x 59.05 x 45.27 inch.
- Packing size: 7.48 *20.47 inch.
- Weight: 5.73lb.
Coleman Steel 6-Person Tunnel Tent
Last update on 2023-12-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is a far larger tent than the previous one, it can accommodate up to 6 people in total.
And as usual, a large tent like this is separated into different screens for privacy, but these screens can be removed at any time to make one large room.
The manual says that the tent can be set in 7 minutes, but it took us around 10 minutes on average, this does not mean that it is super complicated, but, this is a big tent so the more people you have to help you the faster the setup process is.
its special lounging offers extra privacy and protection against insects, this area is also well ventilated and can be very useful for camping in hot areas.
For winter camping, this Coleman tunnel tent is equipped with window awnings that extend to let air get inside the tent while preventing the rain of the snow from getting inside it.
Ease of transport
Weight is the number one factor when choosing a good backpacking tent, you can’t go hiking with a super heavy tent, but things are a bit different in this case.
It is recommended to have two people to carry this tent, one will carry the poles and the other will carry the rest.
One person can carry everything, but, there will be no extra space for food or any other camping necessities.
The tent itself comes with a carry bag for transport purposes, this bag is also equipped with a rip-strip for better comfort.
AC port included
An AC port is not a must for every tent you get, but it can be very useful if you have access to electricity in your camping ground.
Whether you have a laptop, smartphone, heater, or anything in need of electricity. The AC port makes it easier ( and safer ) to put an energy cable through without needing to keep any windows or doors of your tent open.
Storage is easier now with the included storage pockets
Many high-end tunnel tents has multiple storage pockets included in their design, which means a better way of storing electronics and various items without the need of bringing additional storage bags or just leaving everything scattered around the tent, which might be very annoying and sometimes dangerous (especially with a large tent like this with multiple people inside it). You don’t want anyone to step on your smartphone while searching for his own lost things.
Waterproof seams
The seams of this tent (the area where two parts of the tent are sewed together) are bent and hidden inside the tent, and they are inverted in a way to prevent water and snow from getting inside the tent.
A tent that was made with strong wind in mind
Coleman steel hiking tunnel tent’s structure was designed after gaining the experience learned from all the previous Coleman models, it was engineered to be capable of withstanding strong wind.
It doesn’t just stay fixed and face the wind, but it is more of a new design, its responsive poles let it bend to a level that allows the tent to let the strong wind go around it without damaging the tent itself.
And finally, waterproof floor
The tent’s floor is welded and doesn’t leak any water or mud inside the tent, this welding is a new way to get rid of the need of using needles while sewing the floor, the needle holes are the number 1 reason for water leakage inside camping tunnel tents.
Conclusion
This guide about choosing the best tunnel tent for backpacking took around 5 weeks to be made, we hope that it was helpful and useful to you.
Please consider sharing this article and in case you didn’t like any tent of the ones presented here, you can check the other guides on tents101.com to find what you are looking for.