Best 1-Person Backpacking Tents 2025

Best for comfort: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1

MSRP: $449.00    Packed Weight: 2lbs 6oz

Current price comparison Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1:

The Big Agnes Copper Spur series has been a leader in the full-featured ultralight category for a number of seasons. Few other tents offer the interior and vestibule space for the weight that you get with the Copper Spur. While it tapers to the foot, the 38" width at the head is really enjoyable when laying down. New for 2025 is the Big Agnes proprietary Hyperbead™ fabric technology, which claims to be 6% lighter and 25% more waterproof than traditional Nylon. It also improves the stretch resistance of Nylon, which is a common complaint when the fabric becomes wet. The packed weight of 2lbs 6oz is solid at this price. If you need shorter poles, check out the Copper Spur UL1 Bikepack version.

Best ultralight (trekking poles): Zpacks Pivot Solo

MSRP: $649.00    Est. Packed Weight (with stakes): 1lb 2.5oz

Current price comparison Zpacks Pivot Solo:

Trekking pole tents are for the ultralight minimalist, but the improvements in this niche over the last few seasons is really exciting. There are a number of through-hiker founded brands and Zpacks is one of them. Joe Valesko wanted lighter gear for his 2004 AT through-hike and Zpacks was born. All tents are sewn in their West Melbourne, Florida facility. Most Zpacks tents rely on your trekking poles for structure, which for the Pivot Solo need to be 52" (132 cm) in length. Zpacks tents do not come with stakes, but they recommend 8 stakes to pitch the Pivot Solo in windy conditions. What makes this tent so cool is that Zpacks is using an offset (i.e. pivot) on the trekking pole at the foot of the tent to maximize interior space.Many trekking pole tents are tall at the peak, but slop heavily both at the head and foot. The Pivot Solo improves on this. Common with this category, the Zpacks Pivot Solo uses a Dyneema® Composite Fabric (DCF).  We're spec'ing out the Standard version of this tent here. If you want to push the envelope and are very careful with your gear then there is a Lite version that shaves another 2oz. You'll find 25 g/m²DCF on the canopy and 34 g/m²DCF on the floor, both of which have a waterproof rating of 20,000mm without the use of DWR. We'd definitely suggest getting a lightweight footprint to protect the floor of this tent.

When displaying and comparing weights of trekking pole tents we add 2.7oz for stakes, to give you an idea of the weight with everyone you realistically need to pitch it in the backcountry. We assume that you will in fact be using trekking poles, so no pole weight is included.

Best on a budget: REI Trailmade 1 w/ footprint

MSRP: $179    Packed Weight: 4 lbs. 12 oz

See it on REI.com

You don't need to spend upwards of $500 to get a quality 1-person backpacking tent. If you are new to backpacking or generally aren't hiking far to find a camp spot, then there are some really good options below $250. The REI Trailmade 1 tent tops our list with 22 sqft of floor space. We also like the 75 denier polyester fabrics on this tent. Sure you pay for it with a packaged weight that tips the scales at 4lb  12oz (with the included footprint), but durability is important for an entry-level tent. The REI Trailmade 1 comes with a footprint for even more protection. Side entry and a peak height of 40 inches make this a very user-friendly tent. 

Honorable mentions for budget 1-person backpacking tents:

The North Face Stormbreak 1

Marmot Tungsten 1

Best 4-season: MSR Access Ultralight 1

MSRP: $679.95    Packed Weight: 3 lbs. 8 oz

Current price comparison MSR Access 1:

If you need a tent for winter camping or even just severe alpine weather, a 4-season is a great option. The challenge is that there aren't many 4-season solo tents. Having spent some frigid nights winter camping in a bivy sack, I've learned that I much prefer the room of a tent. Bivys are great because they are essentially impervious to wind, so it's important to find a well-designed 4-season as a replacement. It is very common for a 4-season tent to be a single wall design like the Black Diamond Firstlight 2, but you'll be hard pressed to find a solo tent in this category. A single wall design is great for 4-season as it prioritizes heat retention over ventilation. It's also easier to set up in a high wind and snow load is less of an issue without vestibules. Double wall 4-season tents on the other hand, are more versatile and can be used in the shoulder seasons or any trip where you think the weather is going to be super gnarly. The upper of the tent body is usually a somewhat breathable fabric, but most mesh is eliminated, or can be zipped closed. 

With versatility in mind, we choose the MSR Access 1 Ultralight as our top pick for a 4-season backpacking tent. It is very light for a 4-season, with a packed weight of 3lbs 8oz. The fly and floor use MSR's Xtreme Shield™ polyurethane (30d/3000mm floor and 20d/1200mm fly) to give extra protection compared with their 3-season models. The poles are Easton® Syclone™ composite specifically chosen for strength and cold weather performance. Our one callout with this tent is that it is not expedition level protection. Notably, the vestibule is going to collapse under any real snow load as there isn't a pole supporting it.

Hilleberg has a reputation for bomber tents, so if you want something with stability as the first priority (and are willing to carry a heavier load) then check out the Hilleberg Akto 1 and Soulo 1 tents.

Best for Bikepacking: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 Bikepack

MSRP: $399.95    Packed Weight: 2lb 6oz

Current price comparison Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 Bikepack:

Bikepacking became its own category in the last 5 years or so and we're glad it did, because it's super fun! You can now find a host of gear dedicated to overnights on your bike, including specifically designed frame packs from brands like Revelate Designs to of course, tents. The main feature of bikepacking tents is a shortened poleset. You get some other bells and whistles for biking, but they are usually of secondary importance. The poles need to be short in order for the tent to fit between the brake levers on your handlebar, in a seat bag, or panniers. Big Agnes was one of the first brands to take one of their best sellers and give it the bike treatment. The result is a thoughtful improvement on the iconic ultralight Fly Creek Series. The 12" Shortstik Poleset and durable bike-specific compression sack give you multiple options for carrying the tent on your bike. The other feature that led us to choosing this tent is the bikepack specific footprint which extends into the vestibule, giving you a dry spot to kit up in the morning without your cleats destroying the 15d bathtub floor. Other bike-specific features include webbing on the tent body to stash your helmet and daisy-chain webbing loops on fly to dry your chamois.

1-Person Backpacking Tent Features

Before we dive into our recommendations, let’s break down the most important features of the best 1-person backpacking tents. These are the things you should consider when shopping for your next adventure.

We cover other important features in our overview article for Best Backpacking Tents of 2025.

Free-standing

We find this term to be misleading. Outside of some single-wall 4-season tents, almost every tent needs stakes to achieve a proper pitch with the rainfly on. Very few tents provide vestibule space without using stakes, though many Hilleberg tents are legitimately free-standing. Not to mention that you should never pitch your tent in the backcountry without anchoring it to the ground, unless you like playing hide-and-seek with your shelter. There are however varying degrees of dependence on anchors for achieving the proper pitch.

• Free-standing - A free-standing tent has a fully self-supporting frame, meaning it doesn't need to be staked into the ground to maintain its body shape. This makes free-standing tents easier to pitch and gives you greater flexibility in where you set up for the night. 
• Semi-free-standing - A semi-free-standing tent has some structural support but still requires stakes to secure the tent to the ground for maximum floor space. While they may be lighter and more compact, they often need more effort during setup, especially in windy or uneven conditions, because they rely on stakes for full structural integrity. An example semi-free-standing tent is the Big Agnes Tiger Wall. The poleset goes to a single point on the foot, requiring stakes to spread the floor.
• Non-free-standing - A non-free-standing tent won’t stay up at all without anchors. An easy example here are ultralight trekking pole tents like the Zpacks Pivot Solo tent. Non-free-standing tents save you a lot of weight and space in your pack, but require numerous stakes to keep a roof over your head. 

Waterproof ratings

Hydrostatic head testing and waterproof ratings are big topics in outdoor gear. It’s important to balance the specs you read on paper with actual testing and user feedback. That said, when it comes to tents you will notice they generally have lower waterproof rating than your rain jacket. A typical tent has a rating somewhere between 1500mm - 3000mm. An Arc’teryx Beta AR jacket with Gore-tex Pro has a rating of 28,000mm. There are two main reasons for this. First, jackets have to withstand the pressure of things like backpack straps and leaning on your elbow. Both of these activities will try to push water through the fabric. Tents have to contend with your body laying on the floor, but the rain fly doesn’t have this challenge (which is why we recommend most people use a footprint with their tent). Second, the rainfly fabric on a double-wall tent does not need to be breathable, which allows for a construction focused on protection. Jackets are working to vent moisture from the interior, while blocking rain. Even driving rain will rarely exceed 1500mm in pressure, but pay extra attention to this rating if your use includes exposed high-alpine environments. For more on this topic, check out this great blog post from MSR.

3-season vs. 4-season

Three-season and four-season backpacking tents are designed for different types of conditions and weather durability. A three-season tent is built for use in spring, summer, and fall, offering a balance of ventilation and protection against rain, wind, and moderate snow. These tents are typically lighter and feature mesh panels for breathability, making them ideal for milder climates where severe weather isn't a concern. Four-season tents are designed for harsher conditions, including heavy snow, strong winds, and freezing temperatures, making them suitable for winter or alpine environments. These tents have larger diameter poles for higher winds and snow load, less mesh for better insulation, and higher denier fabrics. While four-season tents are heavier and bulkier, they provide greater security and warmth in severe weather.

Should you use a tent footprint?

A footprint is a protective groundsheet that goes under your tent to guard against abrasions and sharp objects. If you’re camping in rocky or rough terrain, a footprint can save your tent floor. But for minimalist setups, it’s optional—and most ultralight tents don’t come with one to save on weight. If you’re going on a 3-day trip and counting grams then leave the footprint behind, but for the longevity of your tent we recommend always using a footprint. Not only will it add a layer of protection against cuts and abrasions, but it also keeps dirt and sap off your tent, and is easier to toss in the washing machine. tents like the REI Trailmade 1 come with an included footprint.