Can You Backpack with a Pop Up Tent? (I Weighed All 7)

I’ve bought, owned and tested 7 different pop up tents, so I’ve weighed and measured every one of them against my actual backpacking gear. Here’s what that comparison looks like.

Part 1 of 6

The short answer

You can, but most people don’t, and the reason is packed size rather than weight. A pop up tent packs significantly bigger than even a regular camping tent, never mind an ultralight backpacking one.

Tent	Type	Weight	Packed size
MSR Hubba Hubba NX 1-Person	Backpacking	2.9 lbs	18 x 6 x 6 in
Alps Mountaineering Lynx 1-Person	Camping	4.7 lbs	18 x 7 x 6 in
Teton 1-Person Vista Quick Tent	Pop up	5.0 lbs	28 x 9 x 5 in

My Teton 1-Person is about 67% larger than the Lynx and roughly twice the size of the MSR. The weight is close to a regular camping tent, but it’s nearly double a lightweight backpacking tent.

And that is the best caseThe Teton 1-Person is the smallest pop up tent I own. Every other one is significantly bigger.

Part 2 of 6

The ones that simply will not go

Any pop up tent with a circular packed shape is out. To backpack with a tent you have to strap it to the pack, and the circular ones are simply too big to attach.

And that Coleman is one of my smaller circular tents. Here’s the whole set, smallest first:

Circular pop up tent	Weight	Packed size
Quechua 2 Seconds 2-Person	6.1 lbs	26 x 26 x 6 in
Coleman 2-Person Pop Up Tent	6.6 lbs	29 x 29 x 3 in
Fresh & Black 2-Person Tent	7.9 lbs	27 x 27 x 6 in
Coleman 4-Person Pop Up Tent	8.2 lbs	36 x 36 x 5 in
Fresh & Black 3-Person Tent	9.5 lbs	31 x 31 x 8 in

My adviceIf you were planning to buy one of these for backpacking, do measure the dimensions against your own pack first. Chances are they won’t strap on.

Part 3 of 6

The only two worth considering

If you genuinely need a pop up tent on your back, it has to be one of the Teton Vista Quick Tents. They pack rectangular, so you can actually strap one to the side, top or bottom of a pack.

Rectangular pop up tent	Weight	Packed size
Teton 1-Person Vista Quick Tent	5.0 lbs	28 x 9 x 5 in
Teton 2-Person Vista Quick Tent	7.0 lbs	33 x 8 x 8 in

• Teton 1-PersonCheck price on Amazon. Lighter at 5.0 lbs, and the smallest packed size of anything I own with a pop up mechanism.
• Teton 2-PersonCheck price on Amazon. My preference of the two: 3 in more length, 7 in more headroom, a second door, a second vestibule, and enough width for a queen mattress.

The rectangular shape helps after the trip too. Circular tents are bulky and odd-shaped, which makes them awkward to store at home. Folding one back down is a knack of its own, and my guide to folding up a pop up tent is the exact routine I use.

Part 4 of 6

Will one fit inside a pack?

Almost certainly not. Pop up and instant tents run 40% to 50% longer than a regular camping tent with a traditional set up, sometimes more.

At a push you might get the Teton 1-Person inside a 70-liter pack, which is about as big as packs get. Even then it takes up the pack’s entire length, so the rest of your gear becomes a puzzle and the weight sits badly on your back. I wouldn’t.

Part 5 of 6

How to strap one on

Since it won’t go inside, the only option is strapping it to the outside. Most packs have compression straps at the sides or the bottom for exactly this.

I’d attach it horizontally across the pack for better weight distribution. If your pack doesn’t have horizontal straps, the side is the fallback.

My adviceHonestly, I won’t ever take this backpacking. Carrying the pack with 5 lbs of tent hanging off my extreme left made it uncomfortable straight away.

Part 6 of 6

When it is actually worth it

I don’t recommend it, but if an easy set up genuinely is your priority, there are three conditions I’d want met first.

• You can spare the spaceThe tent will dominate whatever it is strapped to.
• You don’t mind the weightRoughly double a lightweight backpacking tent.
• The trip is shortA night or two, not a week.

For anything longer I’d spend the money on a lightweight backpacking tent instead. Your back will thank you for it over time.

Common questions

Backpacking FAQs

Can a pop up tent fit inside a backpack?

Very unlikely. My smallest packs to 28 x 9 x 5 in, and only a 70-liter pack would swallow it, using the full length of the pack.

How heavy are pop up tents?

Mine run 5.0 to 9.5 lbs. The lightest, the Teton 1-Person at 5.0 lbs, is still nearly double my 2.9 lb MSR Hubba Hubba NX.

Which pop up tent is best for backpacking?

The Teton Vista Quick Tents, because they’re the only ones of my seven that pack rectangular and will actually strap to a pack.

Keep reading

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Every weight and measurement here is my own, taken on tents I bought with my own money. Nothing on this page is sponsored.