Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The best one-person tents for your camping home away from home

The best one-person tents for your next backpacking and thru-hiking adventure

One-person tents have historically had a tainted reputation in the outdoor world. For many years, these tents were like crawling into a tube and you would barely have enough space to get changed — and don't even think about drinking a coffee or reading a book. The good news is that one-person tents have come a long way in recent years and you no longer have to haul a two-person tent just to get the space and comfort on a long thru-hike.

When we're picking our one-person tent to add to the top of a packing list, there are three factors to consider: price tag, weight, internal space. In order to get the best one-person tents, we have balanced these three factors against one another so that whichever you prioritize, there is a tent on this list for you.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
Jump to details
MSR Hubba Hubba 1 Tent
MSR Hubba Hubba 1
Jump to details
NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 1P Tent
NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 1P
Jump to details
Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1 Tent
Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1
Jump to details
Sea to Summit Alto TR 1 Tent
Sea to Summit Alto TR 1
Jump to details
Marmot Tungsten Tent 1-Person
Marmot Tungsten Ultralight 1P
Jump to details
Big Agnes Copper Spur backpacking tent with a trekking pole awning
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1

Big Agnes' Copper Spur line of shelters is known for delivering outstanding livability without a weight penalty, and the Copper Spur HV UL1 is one of the most comfortable "ultralight" options out there for solo campers.

It features top-notch material quality, storage is fantastic both inside and out, and the rainfly even converts into a shady awning with the help of your trekking poles when the weather is good. The floor and rainfly are made from thin materials (to help keep the Copper Spur's weight down), so you'll want to be mindful of where and how you pitch it; otherwise, this shelter earns high marks across the board.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1
MSR Hubba Hubba 1 Camping tent
REI

MSR Hubba Hubba 1

The MSR Hubba series has been a mainstay in the tent market for years, and the new iteration is no exception. The MSR Hubba Hubba 1 is a lightweight backpacking tent with enough internal headroom to get comfortable. Gone are the days of crawling into your one-person tent, with companies like MSR instead prioritizing comfort on the trail. Sure, there are lighter tents on this list, but there is a reason that the Hubba Hubba 1 is favored by long-distance hikers and backpackers looking for dependable reliability.

Going beyond the impressive technical details — a 1,200 mm hydrostatic head and a pack weight of a little over 2 lbs. — the Hubba Hubba 1 has abundant hiker-friendly features. A non-tapered floor gives you internal room for your pack and the ability to sleep whichever way around nature dictates. Interior pockets are positioned to be tech-friendly, with ports for headphones and charging cables.

MSR Hubba Hubba 1 Tent
MSR Hubba Hubba 1
best 1 person tents b1fad062 b41a 497d be67 2648fbbc0e24 large
Image used with permission by copyright holder

NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 1P

The Nemo Hornet OSMO Ultralight tent has a minimum trail weight of just 1 lb. 13 oz. Typically to get a one-person tent that light, you have to sacrifice some serious interior space, but through some kind of technological wizardry, Nemo managed to pack over 22 square feet of floor space into the Hornet (making it the second-largest option on our list), and it has an impressive 39 inches of headroom.

The Hornet's 1 pole design makes it quick and easy to pitch, while the 100% recycled OSMO polyester ripstop fabric has been designed to have 4 x more water repellency and 3 x less stretch when wet than previous Hornet models.

NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 1P Tent
NEMO Hornet OSMO Ultralight 1P
best 1 person tents f746befc a1c0 4dbf a73f 3b3dd1b87038 large
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1

Mountain Hardwear is no stranger to ultralight outdoor gear, and the Nimbus series consist of some of the toughest ultralight tents on the market. The 20-denier Nylon fly is impregnated on both sides with silicone to not only give it a 1200mm hydrostatic head but to ensure it can handle the hardships of the trail.

The Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1 is a thru-hiker's dream. The internal canopy is 3/4 mesh, giving you enough ventilation to prevent your wet hiking gear from turning your one-person tent into a steam room. On clear nights you pitch the inner alone and enjoy a clear view of the stars, safe from hungry bugs.

Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1 Tent
Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1
A Sea to Summit Alto 1-person tent without its rainfly
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sea to Summit Alto TR 1

The Alto TR1 is a classic Sea to Summit design: High-quality materials, innovative construction, and a premium price tag to match. In our testing, this shelter performed well in every metric: It's lightweight, packs down small, stays dry in the worst weather, and provides excellent ventilation in all conditions.

Sea To Summit's tension ridge system makes the most of the Alto's available interior space (it's the tallest tent on our list), and the exterior vestibule provides ample storage for your pack and boots. You'll pay extra for Alto's tech, but it's worth every penny if you've got the budget.

Sea to Summit Alto TR 1 Tent
Sea to Summit Alto TR 1
best 1 person tents solredsun large
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Marmot Tungsten Ultralight 1P

The Marmot Tungsten is the heaviest tent on this list, coming in at 3lb 8.8oz. At first glance, this might seem weighty, but considering that your tent will still weigh less than the two liters of water you're carrying, it's a respectable weight for a backpacking tent.

One of the most interesting features of the Tungsten is the shorter pole sections. Backpackers or backpackers with limited space will find packing their tent much more straightforward. A 60-denier outer fly and two-pole design make this tent the hardiest on this list, and the low price tag doesn't exactly hurt its case, either.

Marmot Tungsten Tent 1-Person
Marmot Tungsten Ultralight 1P

Well, there you have it. Six of the best one-person tents currently on the market that represent every possible combination of the 'weight, space, price' continuum. Regardless of your budget, any one-person tent you choose strikes some degree of compromise between the three. If you don't mind carrying a larger and heavier pack, by all means, buy as much tent as you want. Otherwise, it's time to figure out how much (or how little) sleeping/storage area you're willing to live with and narrow your search.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kurt Spurlock
Kurt Spurlock is a writer for the outdoors and motorcycle industries. When he's not busy writing you can find him hoarding…
Get the best camping axes for cutting, chopping, and prepping your way around the campsite
Camping axes are the OG multi-tool to help you build, tear down, and everything in between in the backcountry.
A midsection of a man wielding a hatchet in the outdoors.

No man should head into the backcountry empty-handed, and one of the first and most trusted tools that every outdoorsman adds to their pack is a quality camping axe (or hatchet). Along with high-quality survival knives and reliable multi-tools, a compact hatchet is a gamechanger when you reach camp. These OG multi-purpose tools come in handy for any number of jobs, like felling small trees, clearing branches, butchering game, and splitting wood.

Unlike their counterpart, the full-sized axe, the best hatchet can be carried easily into the backcountry, or stowed in a bug out bag, ready to be relied on in a survival situation (or in a The Last of Us-style zombie apocalypse). One hatchet isn't necessarily like all the others though. Different handle lengths, hefts, and heads all combine to give you a raft of unique tools, so we put together this list of our favorite camping axes to help you pack for your next adventure.

Read more
Keep clean anytime, anywhere with the best portable showers for camping
After a weekend or a week in the backcountry, nothing makes you feel human again like a decent shower.
Man using a portable outdoor shower near the beach.

In spite of what soap companies want to implant in our minds, going outside and getting dirty isn’t going to be the end of us. Even eating dirt every once in a while can be good for us (seriously). If you’re trying to stay well-groomed and hygienic, however, you’re still going to have to clean off eventually — even in the great outdoors.

Whether you’re on the go, at a remote dispersed campsite in the middle of nowhere, or chilling in the beach parking lot after a morning surf sesh, a portable camping shower can be your best friend and get you clean with little effort. So, we rounded up some of the best portable showers of 2023. (Keep in mind that these aren’t just for showering yourself off either. Spraying down dirty kids, a muddy dog, or dirty dishes while in the front country are all easy enough with a portable hot water camp shower, too.)

Read more
These are the best skinning knives to up your hunting game this year
Whether you're after a single blade or a skinning set, we've got the right blade for you
Skinning knife

There are no shortcuts when it comes to hunting, and preparation is key to every success. You'll have your best hunting knives sharpened and ready to go, scent blocker on, and you'll stalk your game constantly. In a sport that takes so much patience, these are the elements that can make or break a hunting trip.

But once you take your shot and have your game, you need to skin it. While most hunters prepare themselves with the best hunting gear, they often overlook the importance of having the best skinning knife tucked away. To properly skin and dress in the field, you need the right knife. With a poor-quality knife, you'll struggle to clean the animal properly and risk repeatedly missing the skin, so get it right this season with the best skinning knives you can get your hands on.

Read more