Best Tent Brands (And Shelters) Of 2022

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What Tent Brand to Choose for the Best Camping trip

It goes without saying that the emotions that are experienced during camping cannot be compared with anything. What can replace gazing at the stars before falling asleep or listening to bird songs when waking up?

However, although camping attracts a lot of people with the unique opportunities it offers, it is necessary to remember all the difficulties any camper faces. It is especially important for inexperienced campers to be prepared for them.

To provide yourself with an opportunity to enjoy the views and fresh air without any worries, it is necessary to do great preparations. To feel comfortable during the hike, you need to be confident in the high quality of your gear, especially the tent.

Experienced campers can attest that when camping, the tent becomes your home, responsible not only for your comfort, but also for your safety. That is why it is important to provide a careful approach to the choice of the tent.

Of course, it is reasonable to select from the best tent brands to avoid purchasing low-quality gear. The list of the most popular tent brands includes the following titles:  

• RBM
• MSR
• Big Agnes
• Coleman
• Kodiak Canvas
• Kelty
• R.E.I.
• The North Face

What to Consider When Choosing the Tent Brand

Due to the multiplicity of camping gear providers and a variety of tent types, it is often quite complicated to make the right choice. So, it is useful to use the list of features that are necessary to consider when looking for the most reliable hike shelter:   

• Tent pole
• Gear fabric
• Shelter rainfly
• Additional accessories (loops, straps, pockets, etc.)

Tent Pole

Poles of the camping shelter are the first thing you need to pay attention to. Shelter poles are responsible for the structure of the tent, its reliability and strength. To choose shelter poles appropriate for your camping, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions, which are expected during your hike. It’s important to consider the weather conditions, because it allows you to protect yourself from a storm by choosing the wind-resistant pole type. 

Shelter poles are made of different materials. The most popular materials are aluminum, carbon composite, and fiberglass. The aluminum pole is considered the strongest and the most durable when it comes to weather with high wind conditions.   

Though, of course, aluminum shelter poles are the most expensive as well. Moreover, this material is quite heavy; so, be ready that backpacking with such gear will be difficult, especially if you are going to travel far.

Therefore, if you are not planning to travel long distances and select seasons with great weather conditions for your camping, you can choose shelter poles made of other materials for a lower price.

Gear Fabric

The fabric used for the production of the shelter is another important feature you need to take into account when selecting great gear for your hike. There are a lot of materials used for shelter making. Some of them like nylon are very cheap, and it is very easy to rip them. Moreover, such low-quality materials are very thin and cannot guarantee rain and wind resistance.

Fortunately, there are great alternatives to cheap shelter fabrics, which still have an affordable price. One of such options is rip-stop nylon fabric. This material keeps you dry, warm and safe while camping because it is resistant to wind and rain.

Shelter Rainfly

Even if you prefer to travel only in good weather conditions, you need to be prepared for abrupt weather changes. So, a solid rainfly is an irreplaceable gear for your shelter. It is convenient that most of such additions can be easily removed; so, they will not become an obstacle to gazing at the stars when you want to.

What is more, when you choose a removable rainfly, you get the possibility to ventilate the tent since a mesh vent is located under the rainfly and allows to bring some fresh air inside.  

Additional Accessories (Loops, Straps, Pockets, etc.)

The more additional accessories can be found on the shelter, the more reliable this shelter is. Thus, a big number of straps located over the entire surface of the shelter can provide a simple assemblage.

When it comes to shelters designed for a large group people, they have holding straps for doors and windows and loop straps for shelter poles and guy lines. Remember that if there is a part of your shelter that could be opened or tied, it has to include some hold-back or loop strap for reinforcement. This can prevent different accidents. For example, the loose fabric can separate from the pole and fall or fly away.

Features of the Best Tent Brands  

Let’s take a closer look at each shelter brand listed among the most demanded on the market.

RBM

RBM  is known all around the world as a provider of durable and safe camping equipment for a reasonable price.

The company offers a variety of summer and winter shelters. It is even possible to purchase a shelter with a stove for cold weather conditions.

RBM produces tents for a different number of persons. Thus, the RBM catalog includes shelters for one person as well as for eight persons. 

MSR

MSR (Mountain Safety Research) states that its main purpose is to assure a great adventure for its clients by providing the safest and the most reliable gear.

The company has been producing shelters for all weather conditions since the 1960s. Shelters by MSR are famous for their ability to withstand very low temperatures. Though, they are also appropriate for a summer hike.

The leader of sales among MSR products is a lightweight shelter for two persons, which does not make backpacking difficult.

Big Agnes

Big Agnes has been on the market for over 15 years. Its products are famous for fitting the individual needs of customers.

The key feature of Big Agnes shelters is the space, which makes them very comfortable. Moreover, Big Agnes offers you a simple tent structure and a quick assemblage.

The company’s collection offers a wide choice of options for different climate conditions, easy backpacking, and individual preferences.

Coleman

Coleman is a family business, which has been providing diverse backpacking products of great quality for more than 100 years.

The uniqueness of the Coleman gear is the original style of provided shelters. So, with Coleman shelters, it is possible to make an exclusive photoshoot during camping or just cheer yourself up in the rain. Additionally, shelters with unique designs could be a great gift for any backpacking fan.  

Of course, the company provides a lot of family shelters, which are appropriate for camping with a great number of persons.

Kodiak Canvas

The Kodiak Canvas company has 10 years of experience and is already famous for the great quality of the provided backpacking equipment for reasonable prices.

Besides the fact that Kodiak Canvas produces durable and comfortable camping shelters, it also assures such a rare shelter feature as ventilation due to special mesh vents.

The safety of Kodiak Canvas shelters is assured by a lifetime guarantee. 

Kelty

Kelty is a producer of backpacking equipment and additional accessories like sleeping bags, which was founded in 1919.

Kelty was the first company that decided to use aluminum as a material for shelter assembly. So, the price of the majority of Kelty products is above average. However, remember that you pay for the safety and durability. As it is known, aluminum is the best material for reliable backpacking.  

R.E.I.

R.E.I. (Recreational Equipment Incorporated) was launched in 1938. The company not only provides backpacking equipment that helps people enjoy the environment, but also donates money to ecological projects on a regular basis.

R.E.I. manufacturers shelters of different styles, which are appropriate for diverse climate conditions and numbers of persons. The company is known as the one offering affordable prices. However, the price of specialized shelters like Tepui could be quite high (exceeding $1,000).  

The North Face

The North Face has been on the market since the 1960s. The company is famous for its great backpacking equipment for cold climate conditions. The North Face backpacking shelters are wind-, rain-, and snow-resistant and can be purchased for a reasonable price.

However, The North Face provides backpacking shelters only for 1-4 persons; so, they are not appropriate for big companies.