The Best Tunnel Tents

What To Look For

Tunnel tents are an excellent option for campers who want a lightweight tent that has plenty of floor space, fewer poles and is warm in cold temperatures. When you're shopping for a tunnel tent, look for a tent that is well-made to withstand the rigors of any camping site without being too heavy. If you're going to be camping where the weather conditions may be more extreme, you may need extra poles and guy lines, so be sure to choose your gear carefully.

Common Pitfalls

While tunnel tents are known for being quite lightweight, you can easily choose one that is too heavy for your needs if you don't get your options right. A tent with aluminum poles is much lighter than one using fiberglass poles, and a tent with a mesh inner wall or canopy will weigh less than one made from nylon or polyester. The best tunnel tent for you won't weigh down your pack on your way to your ideal campsite.

Where To Buy

Tunnel tents aren't the most common type of tent, so they can sometimes be a bit trickier to find. You can often find smaller tunnel tents at sporting goods stores like Dick's Sporting Goods. A higher-end sporting goods store like REI will offer tunnel tents for more than one person. You may need to go to a specialty camping retailer like CycloCamping.com or Tarptent to find your best tunnel tent.

Cost

The cost of a tunnel tent varies by its size and material. At a sporting goods store like Dick's Sporting Goods, you will usually find single-person tents in 2010 starting at $90 and going up to more than $200. Higher-end sporting goods stores like REI offer tents from $160 to almost $500. With specialty retailers, you're likely to spend more for the best tunnel tents. Single-person tunnel tents will start about $250, while two-person tents range more toward $400 and up.

Accessories

You want to match your tunnel tent accessories with your planned camping trip. If you expect rain, make sure you have a rainfly that will protect your tent. With high winds, pack more line to ensure your tent doesn't blow down or even away. If you know you'll be camping on the ground instead of a pre-prepared camping pad, you may want to include a tarp to go under your tent.