As 2025 comes to a close, I thought you may be interested in my top backpacking tent choices.  All tents below are either considered "ultralight," or are very close.

There is no perfect tent, as all experienced backpackers can attest to, but there are some that come close! Which tent is right for you depends on many factors: how many people will be sleeping in it, expected weather and terrain you wish to camp in, your budget, and much more, but this list is a great starting point if you are in the market.

Please note that all of these tents mentioned have multiple sizes: 1-person, 2-person, etc.  The best way to decide which size you need is look at the width of your sleeping pad and compare it to the internal dimensions of the tent.

Some of the product links below are affiliate links and I do receive a small commission if you place an order. I am not sponsored or affiliated with any brands and these are simply what I consider the best backpacking tents on the market in 2025.

If you would like any one-on-one, personalized advice, feel free to visit my website and reach out: The Backpacking Coach

Freestanding Tents

 

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2

• Weight - 2lbs 10oz
• Price - $549.95
• Link - REI
• Pros
  • Lightweight for what you get
  • The inner tent walls are nearly vertical so you get tons of livable space.
  • Easy to setup
  • Can set up "fly first" in the rain if you have the additional footprint.
  • Great Interior Pockets
• Cons
  • Expensive but often on sale at REI
  • One of the heavier tents on this list
  • Tight squeeze for 2 if you both have 25'' wide pads, you might want the 3-person version for more room.
• My Thoughts
  • The Big Agnes Copper Spur is an incredible freestanding tent.  I have personally owned one for 5 years and have never had a single issue.  It is extremely well built, stable, and has awesome features.  I only take this tent when my wife is along for the trip and weight isn't a huge concern because of shorter miles.  That being said, the 1-person version of this tent is a very popular tent for people completing the entire PCT, which really says something.  This is usually my recommendation for a new backpacker.

Durston Gear X-Dome 1+

• Weight - 2lbs 3oz (Regular Interior / Carbon Pole Version)
• Price - $399.00
• Link - Durston Gear
• Pros
  • One of the lightest-weight freestanding tents you will find.
  • Tons of living space in the 1+ version.
  • Not as intuitive to set up as the Copper Spur but still quite easy.
  • Can set up "fly first" in the rain without needing additional footprint.
    
  • Generous Interior Pockets.
  • The best customer service in the business.
  • Magnetic door latches.
  • High-quality materials.
• Cons
  • Often sold out.
    
  • In the 2-person version it's a tight squeeze with two 25'' pads.
  • Takes up a lot of real estate and may be tough to squeeze into small campsites.
• My Thoughts
  • This isn't the only Durston Gear tent you will see on this list.  Durston is known for innovate designs and the best customer service in the business.  While it can often be sold out, they do restock this tent generally once a month and will likely soon have them in stock permanently. I absolutely love this brand and if you are looking for the lightest freestanding tent around, this is your choice. Keep in mind, this tent never goes on sale, so although it is cheaper than the Copper Spur, they end up being about equal when purchasing during an REI sale (and with REI you don't pay shipping if you're a member).

Trekking Pole Tents

Durston Gear X-Mid 2

• Weight - 1lbs 15oz
• Price - $319.00
• Link - Durston Gear
• Pros
  • Ultralight at under 2lb!
  • After practicing set-up, extremely easy to pitch.
  • Uses two trekking poles 4 stakes to set up, so you don't need to carry bulky and heavy tent poles. I recommend using 6 stakes though.
  • More affordable than the freestanding tents listed above.
  • Storm worthy.
  • Uses Sil-Poly material for rainfly.
  • Can pitch fly-first in inclement weather to keep inner tent dry.
  • Huge vestibule space.
  • Trekking poles do not block entrance to the tent.
• Cons
  
  • Not a ton of pocket options inside.
  • Takes up a lot of real estate and may be tough to squeeze into small campsites.
  • Can be less user-friendly when trying to set up in some situations, like uneven ground.
  • Cannot pick up the tent and move it like you could with a freestanding tent.
  • Less livable space than freestanding tents.
• My Thoughts
  • I have been an X-MID 2 user for about 4 years.  The X-Mid 2 came with me on my 23 day, 280 mile trek through the Sierras, including the entire John Muir Trail.  It never failed me.  It's lightweight, the price is right, and I love how easy it is to setup.  I use trekking poles when backpacking, so needing to pack freestanding tent poles is amazing.  If you do not use trekking poles, you can buy optional poles that Durston sells separately instead, but at that point, it may be better just to bring a Freestanding Tent.
  • They also produce an ultra lightweight, single-wall version of this tent, called the X-Mid Pro, that uses Dyneema fabric.  The tent only weighs a little over one pound, but comes in at a whopping $679.

Zpacks Duplex Lite Tent

• Weight - 15oz
• Price - $669.00
• Link - Zpacks
• Pros
  • As ultralight as it gets for tents.
  • After practicing set-up, extremely easy to pitch.
    
  • Uses Dyneema material which is 100% waterproof and doesn't sag or absorb water.
    
  • Tons of room for 1 person, VERY tight for 2 people.
  • Sturdy in bad weather.
• Cons
  
  • No pockets inside but can easily add your own.
  • Proper pitch takes 8 stakes as opposed to the X-Mid's 6.
  • Can be less user-friendly when trying to set up in some situations, like uneven ground.
  • Cannot pick up the tent and move it like you could with a freestanding tent.
    
  • Condensation inside the tent can be an issue due to it's single-wall construction.
  • Moon-shaped inner doors can fall on ground when open.
  • No zipper on rainfly doors, uses a toggle system.
• My Thoughts
  • I typically do not recommend single-wall, trekking pole shelters to beginners, but if you are in the market and want the lightest tent around, this is your choice.  Zpacks has many different Dyneema tents of different sizes, but I recommend the Duplex for one person.  Keep in mind you will need to learn about condensation management when using single-wall tents such as this.
  • Dyneema tents are incredibly expensive but are the easiest way to cut a ton of weight from your pack.

Semi-Freestanding / Hybrid Tents

Tarptent Double Rainbow

• Weight - 2lbs 8oz
• Price - $314.10
• Link - Tarptent
• Pros
  • While this tent typically requires stakes to set up, you can actually use your trekking poles to convert it to Freestanding. Awesome flexibility.
  • Only needs stakes and the provided single arched tent pole and small cross bar to set up. No big bulky tent poles to deal with.
  • More livable space than non-freestanding tents, but a bit less than freestanding tents.
    
  • Very easy to set up.
  • Good length for tall backpackers.
  • Uses Sil-Poly material for the rain fly.
    
  • Available in both single-wall and double-wall versions.
  • Tons of room for 1 person, tight for 2 people.
  • Very storm worthy.
  • Durable and very well-made. 
• Cons
  
  • A bit on the heavy side, but they do offer a very lightweight Dyneema option.
    
  • Condensation inside the tent can be an issue if you choose single-wall.
  • Rain fly does not come seam sealed so may leak, you can pay Tarptent to do it or easily do yourself.
  • Limited pockets.
  • Arched pole can be a bit tricky to remove from tent sleeve.
  • Have to carry the provided structural tent poles.
• My Thoughts
  • This tent is sort of the best of both worlds.  It has the living space of a freestanding tent and can even be converted to one with trekking poles.  Don't use trekking poles or they break on trail? Then you can set this up with just stakes and the tent poles.  Having flexibility like this with a tent is really amazing when you aren't quite sure what terrain or conditions you will experience.