Top 3 | Best Backpacking Tent Under 100 Dollars with Buying Guide
The introduction of backpacking tent has made the life of the campers easy and fun. They are easy to set up and lightweight to carry anywhere on your back. With many companies offering lots of backpacking tent, you will be lost in options. Also, if you don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars, don’t worry, we have listed the best backpacking tent under 100 dollars that you should consider when buying an affordable backpacking tent.
Best Backpacking Tent Under 100 Dollars
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Luxe Tempo 1 Person Backpacking Tent
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Featherstone Outdoor UL Granite 2 Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent
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Wenzel Ridgeline Tent
1. Luxe Tempo 1 Person Backpacking Tent:
Luxe Tempo offers tents that are affordable. Their tents have decent features yet not priced too high or too low. We have included this Luxe Tempo 1 Backpacking tent because it is lightweight for solo campers yet provides the protection needed for camping. This is a 3-season backpacking tent, so this will work fine for summer, fall and spring season.
Build Quality:
The canopy is constructed of 210T ripstop polyester. The inner tent features no-see-um mesh which provides excellent ventilation and enables you to gaze at the night sky without bug getting in. The rainfly is also constructed of 210T ripstop taffeta polyester. To provide extra protection from heavy rain the rain fly is coated with 3000mm polyurethane with all seams taped features.
The floor and the footprint which is included with the tent is also made of ripstop polyester. The vertical wall with slightly slope surface helps to slide off rain and even snow. The pole of this tent is made of 7.99mm aluminum. This provides good stability during high wind.
The packed weight (including everything) is 3.8lbs and the trail weight (inner body, rainfly,, and pole) is 3.3lb. This is not the lightest one person backpacking tent, however, it is light enough to walk miles with it on your back. If you want, you can go even lighter by only using the rainfly, footprint (included) and the poles.
Interior:
This tent with more or less 20 sq.ft is very spacious for solo camping. The peak height of 41.3 inches (around 3’5″) is good for you to sit up and to change your cloth. It comes with a small vestibule in which you can keep your boots and a small bag. So don’t expect to store large items in this vestibule.
To store small items like phones, books, and tools, this tent features mesh pocket. Are you a night camper? This tent features two ceiling loops for the lamp to light up the tent at night.
Conclusion:
This tent is spacious for a single person. You have got enough headroom. Although the vestibule is small, you can easily store your boots and small bags. This tent really stands out in the summer with lots of ventilation and no-see-um mesh inner tent. Moreover, it is a freestanding tent which allows you to move the tent in one piece without the need to take down the tent. Overall, I personally think this is the best backpacking tent under 100 dollars for solo campers.
If you are into solo camping then check out our article on Best one-man tent for backpacking
What we like: Ultralight-weight and spacious and easy to set up. Great for summer or warm season and can withstand light to heavy rain. It is a freestanding tent that comes with a free footprint.
What we don’t like: I felt that the zippers are not high quality. The small vestibule and the poles are not strong enough to hold the extreme fast wind. Not a good choice for 4-season (winter) camping.
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2. Featherstone Outdoor UL Granite 2 Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent:
If you want to take a friend with you on your backpacking camping adventure, then buying the Luxe Tempo 1 person backpacking tent is not a good idea. You need to have a 2-person backpacking tent to enjoy your time camping. That’s why we have included this affordable ultralight tent from Featherstone in our list of best backpacking tent under 100 dollars. So without further ado, let’s jump into the main review of this backpacking tent.
Build Quality:
The inner body of the tent is constructed of the micro-mesh fabric which makes it breathable and reduces condensation. The rainfly is constructed of polyester fabric and a decent coating of 3000 mm hydrostatic resistance to keep you dry inside. The bathtub style floor is made of oxford nylon and coated with 3000 mm hydrostatic resistance. The coating makes this waterproof.
The tent also includes a free footprint. This tent comes with a single aluminum pole structure that includes the freestanding feature. So this tent is easy to set up and pack-up. The trail of this 3 season tent weighs approximately 3.8lb. So this is very lightweight for a 2-person backpacking tent.
Interior:
The interior dimension is around 210 x 140 cm (approximately 31 sq.ft). With a headroom of around 110 cm (3′ 7″), you can easily sit up, hang out and gossip with your camping partner.
This tent features two doors and two vestibules. 2 doors ensure that easy and comfortable entrance and exit without disturbing your partner. Although this tent does not have large vestibules and interior space, I think this has a balanced weight to livability ratio.
Conclusion:
This is a great lightweight 3 season backpacking tent for 2-person. The rainfly of this tent is durable and robust that can handle heavy rain. This tent is great for camping in the summer or rainy season with your camping buddy. Although this tent is not spacious, you are getting a really lightweight backpacking tent that won’t break your back yet protect you from wind and rain. If you want, you can go ultralight with the rainfly, footprint and pole setup.
What we like: Very lightweight 2-person backpacking tent. A great fabric to hold against heavy rain. It is a freestanding tent with a footprint included with the tent. Very easy to set up and disassemble.
What we don’t like: Not very spacious. Not good for winter camping.
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3. Wenzel Ridgeline Tent:
If you want to tag along more than one buddy or family member with you, then you should check out this Wenzel Ridgeline 3 person tent. This is a good tent for a small family of 3 who wants don’t want to spend a lot on camping tents yet want to have a good camping vacation.
Build Quality:
This Wenzel Ridgeline 3-person tent uses polyester fabric as their main material. The fly and the canopy is constructed of polyester. The removable seamed sealed fly provides protection during the rainy season. The floor of this tent is not sewn rather it is welded. So the floor is basically constructed of welded polyethylene. This will prevent water from coming inside and makes this tent great for the rainy season.
This tent has 2 main poles that are easy to pitch and setup. The shock-corded multi-diameter poles are constructed of fiberglass. Fiberglass pole is more corrosion resistant and cheaper than the aluminum poles. So this tent is great for the rainy season. However, fiberglass poles are not durable and can break easier than the aluminum poles.
This tent weighs 7lbs. 4oz. This might sound heavy for backpacking campers. However, this is one of the lightest 3-person tents I have ever seen at this price point. Although with this weight, it might be hard to hike or walk miles with this tent.
Another thing you should consider is the packed size. The package dimension of this tent is 21″ x 6.25″. So you need a large backpack to carry this tent on a backpacking journey.
Interior:
This tent with an interior floor area of 49 sq. ft. is very spacious for 2 adults and 1 kid. This tent also has more headroom than the Featherstone and the Luxe Tempo tent. With a peak height of 50″, you can easily sit up, move around in this tent.
This tent has got one large D-shape door with inside flap zippered window. This tent features convenient pockets and large gear loft. The mesh roof vent makes this usable during the summer season. You have got 2 windows. One window is on the D-door and the other on the rear of this tent. Both of the windows have a strong and durable zipper with inside flap for privacy.
Lite Reflect System:
This Lite Reflection system is one of the key features of this affordable backpacking tent. Watch the video below to know more.
Conclusion:
Overall, this is a greatly affordable tent for 3-person to hang around. This tent is pretty durable against wind and rain. However, the fiberglass pole makes this tent less durable and strong against wind, so don’t expect much. It is quite spacious and has lots of headroom for 3-person. The Lite Reflection system makes this tent really attractive. However, is this the best backpacking tent under 100 dollars? I would not say that this is the ultimate backpacking tent, however, under 100 dollars you are getting a decent tent.
What we like: Although this tent might seem heavy for backpacking, you have to keep in mind that this tent is for 3-person and has a great balance between weight to livability ratio. This tent is easy to set up and can also be set up by one person. The Lite Reflection system makes night camping more easy and fun.
What we don’t like: This tent is not recommended during the winter season. This tent comes with fiberglass poles. Aluminum poles would make this tent more durable and sturdy against the wind.
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Guide to Buy the Best Backpacking Tent Under 100 Dollars:
Backpacking tents have made camping and hiking much more exciting and entertaining. You can have all of your gears and tent on your back and go on an exciting adventure. Choosing a good quality tent is essential for every camper because you will spend most of your time inside it and it must protect you from bad weather. It becomes much harder to find a good quality backpacking tent at an affordable price. However, below is the things you should consider when purchasing a good backpacking tent under 100 dollars.
Weight:
The most important thing to consider is the weight of the tent as you will carry it on your back on the trail. Saving a few ounces on the weight can be vital as it will make your hiking and walking easier and prevent back pain.
Always look at the weight when purchasing a budget backpacking tent. Although budget backpacking tents do not tend to be ultra lightweight. However, we have included the lightest backpacking tent that is available on the market.
Season:
Secondly, you should check the season of the tent when buying one. Tents are categorized according to 3-season, 3 to 4 season and 4-season.
3-season tents are good for spring, summer, and fall and do not give much protection against cold or extremely bad weather like heavy wind or heavy rain.
3 to 4 season tents are better than 3-season tents as they can be used year around. However, they are not suitable for extreme cold weather or heavy snow.
4-season tents are best for extreme conditions like heavy rain, heavy snow, high winds and also for freezing temperature.
Under 100 dollars, you will not get a decent 4-season backpacking tent. It is recommended to purchase a backpacking tent that is rated 3-season as they tend to be lightweight which is great for hiking and traveling. And you will get a handful of 3-season tent at this price point.
Capacity and interior space:
Before purchasing a backpacking tent, check the capacity of the tent. If you are solo camping, then choosing a 1-person tent is enough, however, if you are big and want little extra space, then purchasing a 2-person tent is advisable. It is not recommended to purchase a backpacking tent more than 4-person capacity as higher capacity tents are heavier and is a huge pain to carry around.
Also, check for the dimension of the interior. Most backpacking tents have a small interior space to save weight. Make sure you have enough interior space to comfortably move and sleep in the tent.
Materials and construction:
You will not get a tent that is made of Nylon taffeta or Silnylon fabric at this price point. The tent fabric that is most lightweight, protective and affordable under 100 dollars is polyester. So when purchasing the best backpacking tent under 100 dollars, check if it is made of good material like polyester or not.
Also, do not expect that backpacking tent at such price will come with high-quality aluminum or carbon poles. However, you should check if the pole is durable and can withstand windy condition.
