The Best Lightweight Tents

Nemo Morpon AR

At under 5 pounds, Nemo's Morpho AR tent provides two people with 40 square feet of space, and it can withstand torrential rain and wind. Thanks to its innovative use of inflatable airbeams in place of traditional poles, the Morpho is lightweight, sets up in minutes and bends rather than breaks when the wind picks up. In a review on Backpacker.com, a reviewer stated that "after more than a year of off-and-on testing, we still haven't popped a tube" and that the Morpho's "sleek profile easily shrugged off gusting winds that topped 50 mph on an 8,000-foot pass in Idaho's Hells Canyon country."

Marmot Aura 2P

Marmot's Aura 2P weighs about 5 pounds, but it offers users 30 square feet of floorspace and ample headroom. Dual diameter poles add strength when it's windy, and the pole geometry allows for nearly vertical walls, making the Aura seem even roomier. In a review on Outside.com, Frederick Reimers called the Aura "downright spacious with two doors and two big vestibules," adding that "four people can share a meal inside without hunching over." Reimers also noted that the Aura doesn't bow to bad weather, either, saying that it was tough, "easily withstanding 50-mph winds without guylines."

Brooks-Range Rocket Tent

If weight is of utmost importance, Brooks-Range Rocket Tent is an outstanding choice. By utilizing ski poles and an avalanche probe (items that a winter traveler is already carrying), the two-person tent manages to cut its weight down to 1 pound, 6 ounces. For use in the summer time, the Rocket comes with its own poles, which brings it up to 2 pounds, 4 ounces. A write-up on PowderMag.com noted that "the Rocket Tent is made of incredibly strong and lightweight [and waterproof] CT3 fabric" with a metallic finish that "minimizes heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer," and that its "its aerodynamic shape and its guyout system ... make this tent rock solid in the worst conditions."