5. MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2

Best two-person tent for tall people: Our judges found the long inner and high ceiling in this tent made it the best option for tall people that we’ve tested.

Price: £439
Weight: 1.54kg
What we liked: excellent space-to-weight, quality materials
What we didn’t like: quite expensive

This tried and tested design from MSR balances all the key things you want from a tent for backpacking. It’s low weight, has a small packed size but it offers space and liveability and the overall reliability that you want from a three-season backpacking tent is there too.

It has a long and high sleeping compartment, which is comfortable for two people to sleep and move about in, and it has medium-sized porches on either side, each providing plenty more space for storing kit or for cooking in. Pitching it is simple and it’s easy to get a taut flysheet quickly.

The Hubba Hubba NX 2’s solid design involves a long length-ways pole which forks at each end and a short pole across the top which creates some width to the inner. It is inner pitch first and freestanding, so you could sleep in this without pegging in, but then you’d have the porches on either side flapping about.

Inner pitched first tents can be a little troublesome in moist conditions as it’s hard to put them up without getting the inner mesh wet, so you could say that’s the main drawback to the MSR Hubba Hubba NX. The flipside however, is that on clear nights, it means you can keep the flysheet off and leave yourself open to the elements but closed off from any insects. Usefully, there are high nylon panels on the lower half of the inner tent’s walls to give you a bit of privacy when you’re using the tent like this.

Other features worth noting include the mesh storage pockets at each end of the sleeping compartment, reflective guylines, large vents at each end, pouches for stuffing away the inner’s doors, and a front-loading stuff sack with webbing straps that make packing the whole thing away quick and easy.

Full Specifications

Floor dimensions: 213 x 127cm / floor area: 2.7 sq.m / Poles: 1 DAC Featherlite NFL / height: 39 inches / packed size: 18 x 6 inches / doors: 2 / flysheet: 20D ripstop nylon / floor fabric: 30D ripstop nylon 3000mm DuraShield polyurethane. 

Buy the Bach Relay 3R Split: £178 at Alpinetrek.co.uk 

6. Vango Banshee Pro 200

Best budget tent: This came out tops as our top pick for those looking for a low cost option that will still offer decent performance

Price: £145
Weight: 2.4kg
What we liked: Great value, sturdy
What we didn’t like: low on space, heavy

Ah, the Vango Banshee, a classic, extremely popular tent that seems to polarise opinion. Loved, even adored, by many; ridiculed by others, camping snobs who – from the porches of their £700 tents – label the Banshee a heavy, simplistic tent for beginners only. But we’d certainly side with the former camp.

The Vango Banshee Pro 200 is a great tent at an unbelievable price. For just £150 you get a Duke of Edinburgh approved two-person, tunnel-style tent, with decent space, durable and weatherproof materials, and a host of positive features. Yes, it is a starter tent for those on a budget or those just getting into camping, but its design, quality and build are more advanced than critics will lead you to believe.

The Vango Banshee Pro 200 consists of a robust flysheet, with a ripstop weave and a high-performing hydrostatic head waterproof rating of 5,000mm; a breathable polyester inner and a strong, thick and reliable 70-denier groundsheet; and pre-angled alloy poles that are both light and strong. Setting up the tent, either flysheet first or all as one, is very straightforward, by inserting two poles into sleeves and pegging out. There are two doors, one for each camper, as well as two porches, although one is smaller than the other. Inside space is a little limited, as with other tents on test here, so the Banshee should perhaps be considered a roomy one-person tent or a rather cosy one -person tent. Either way, the six inner pockets are handy for storing your essential items such as a headtorch and snacks, while the internal triangular mesh vents and semi-circle mesh window ensure adequate breathability.

During our tests the Banshee held up well to strong winds, helped by the presence of five guylines, and the durable flysheet safely kept out the rain. We found the side-loading, fast-pack tent bag really easy for packing, unlike others that are annoyingly small, and we also loved the flexibility of being able to separate the outer and inner after a rainy night, thus ensuring the inner stays dry.  Our only gripes were a feeling of being a little cramped inside, as well as the overall weight of the tent. But, that aside, the Banshee is a bona fide bargain, providing a robust, quality shelter for a fraction of the price of others on the market. It’s a classic, popular tent – and rightfully so.

Full Specifications

Inner dimensions: 115cm x 220cm x 100cm / Packed size 46cm x 16cm / Protex ripstop flysheet (5000mm); 70D groundsheet (6000mm); polyester mesh inner / Yunan Eco Alloy poles /  internal Tension Band System / twin flysheet doors / inner pockets / reflective guys.

Buy the Bach Relay 3R Split: £178 at Alpinetrek.co.uk

Best of the Rest

7. Decathlon Forclaz Trekking Tarp MT900

Price: £180
Weight: 1.3kg
What we liked: lightweight, spacious, two doors, compact packed size
What we didn’t like: not very stealthy

All credit to Decathlon as they’ve come up with an excellent tent here and one that comes at a very decent price. It’s the space-to-weight ratio that’s impressed us most about this during our tests. At 1.3kg, that’s light for a two-person design and there’s plenty of space for two people to relax and sleep comfortably alongside each other – thanks, especially, to the fact it has a door on either side.

Pitching this for the first time wasn’t as intuitive a process as it can be with sleeved tents but it still didn’t take us any longer than eight minutes. This was helped by the fact that it comes with the inner and outer attached together. The inner is detachable though, so you can use this as a tarp when you want to take a super lightweight approach. 

We found the construction to be reliably sturdy for use in spring and summer conditions – ideal for the thru-hiking season – but, like most ultralight tents, it’s not the kind of tent you’d want to use when you’re expecting ferocious conditions.

Wondering why it’s white? It’s deliberately undyed to keep the overall Co2 emissions down. Not ideal for those who like to camp stealthily then, but it’s better for the planet. It also creates a bright internal environment.

Read our full Decathlon Forclaz MT900 review.

Buy the Decathlon Forclaz MT900: £179 at Decathlon.co.uk 

8. Terra Nova Laser Compact 2

Weight: 1230g
Price: £620
What we liked: Stealthy profile, high spec materials, lightweight
What we didn’t like: low ceiling, difficult to keep inner from touching the flysheet, very expensive

Terra Nova’s new Laser Compact 2 is a tweaked version of its iconic, much-loved Laser Competition 2 tent. The changes? It has a smaller overall packed size, just 30cm in length (15cm shorter than the Competition 2), making it easier to stow away in your backpack. But that’s about it in terms of changes. ‘If ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ has been Terra Nova’s approach, you could say, and therefore it sticks to the tried and tested design of the Competition. This means the Compact has an excellent space-to-weight ratio, is super-lightweight at just 1,230g, and has a three-season rating that is sturdy enough for wind and rain except in the harshest of storms. And these attributes helped it claim the best tent gong at the Outdoor Industry Association Awards.

The Laser Compact 2’s simple but effective single-pole, hoop design, complemented by two tiny poles at each end, provides just enough space for two, especially when sleeping top-to-tail as recommended, while two doors provide access to porches for kit storage.

Sadly, it isn’t the roomiest of tents, and it can feel a little cramped inside for two, while the porches are pretty small too – one is just about big enough for packs, while the other can only really accommodate a pair of boots. But you can’t have it all at this weight bracket. And, despite being ultra-lightweight, the Laser Compact 2 is very sturdy and weatherproof. The flysheet is made from a 5000mm silicone-coated ripstop nylon while inside there’s a half mesh inner with an impressive 6000mm waterproof rating on the base – they both held up to a battering in the Highlands during our in-field tests.

Other positive features include: the simple set-up, which can be undertaken flysheet first or the whole thing as one; meshes and vents for air flow and to combat condensation; extremely durable Dyneema guylines; and an optional pole sleeve cover with extra guylines for additional stability in the worst of conditions. Our tests did, however, reveal some flaws in an otherwise excellent tent: we found the featherlight, technical fabrics to be quite ‘flappy’ in the wind; the zips were annoyingly prone to snagging on the zip shield; and, overall, we would have been more comfortable with some additional interior space and bigger porches. But that didn’t spoil our overall impression. The Terra Nova Compact 2 is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a lightweight, reliable tent for your backpacking adventures.

Full Specifications

Watershed Si2 5,000mm flysheet / single porch / single door  / 30x15cm packed size / 8.7mm DAC poles 10 x 11g alloy pegs / 5 minute pitch time.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2019/20 – check out our full Terra Nova Laser Compact 2 review.

Buy the Bach Relay 3R Split: £620 at Blacks.co.uk

9. MSR FreeLite 2

Weight: 1.06kg
Price: £540
What we liked: Ultralight, good quality materials
What we didn’t like: expensive, can get breezy

If you’re looking for a two-person tent that’s even lighter than the MSR Hubba Hubba, MSR also offers the FreeLite 2. Designed for ultralight adventures of all descriptions, this tent is all about maximum space-to-weight, without compromising too much in terms of overall protection or durability.

The flysheet is 15D ripstop nylon, coated on both sides with MSR’s proprietary Durashield PU, and finished with taped seams. The inner is almost entirely made from 10D polyester micro mesh, with a bathtub groundsheet made of the same material as the rainfly (again 1,200mm HH). The mesh inner keeps the tent weight down while ensuring excellent condensation control. In terms of waterproofing, the Hydrostatic Head rating is 1,200mm.

The poles are high-quality aluminium alloy DAC NFL, measuring 8.7mm in diameter. The tent is supplied with lightweight pegs and guylines, plus a stuff sack.

Full Specifications

15D ripstop nylon flysheet with MSR Durashield PU coating and taped seams / Hydrostatic Head rating: 1,200mm / 10D polyester micro mesh inner with bathtub groundsheet / aluminium alloy DAC NFL poles (8.7mm diameter) / twin porches / hanging tabs throughout / pitches inner first / includes pegs, guylines and stuff sack.

Selected for the Outdoor 100 2022/23 – check out our full MSR FreeLite 2 review.

Buy the MSR Freelite 2: £459 at Ellis-brigham.co.uk 

10. Bach Moa 2 Lite

Price: £605
Weight: 1.8kg
What we liked: quality materials, lots of pegging points
What we didn’t like: price, could do with ventilation across the top of the tent

If this tent looks familiar to you, that might be because it used to be branded under a different company name. It used to be made by Nigor, you see. That was until the company went out of business and Bach stepped in to purchase its designs. 

It’s a two pole tunnel tent that has a very roomy porch and this, we found, gives enough space for two backpacks and two pairs of boots while still leaving space for cooking too. It’s not freestanding and needs to be pitched outer first. It also ideally needs to be pitched with its tail end into the wind to ensure maximum stability. We used this in some blustery conditions and did find it reassuringly stable. Pitching it is very straightforward (the colour-coding helps there) though we did find that it takes a bit of tweaking here and then to ensure the base of the flysheet ends up nice and taut. 

The Bach Moa 2 Lite is also designed so that you can roll back the flysheet at the porch and at the rear so that on clear nights you can get maximum ventilation and the option for a bit of stargazing while still being protected by the inner tent from insects. That’s a touch we really liked during our tests.

At £605, it’s another expensive tent, but you can count on the overall design and materials all being of very high quality.

Full Specifications

Three-season / two poles / 1 porch / outer pitched first / outer: 20D  ripstop nylon with silicone /inner: 15D ripstop nylon / floor: 40D ripstop nylon with TPU / x12 Y pegs.

Selected for our Outdoor 100 gear of the year guide. Read our full Bach Moa 2 Lite review.

Buy the Bach Moa 2 Lite: £605 at Alpinetrek.co.uk 

11. Nemo Hornet OSMO 2P

Price: £430
Weight: 1kg
What we liked: quality materials, well ventilated, clever design features, lightweight
What we didn’t like: not ideal for windy and wet conditions

This is a great option for lightweight backpacking or bikepacking, offering a decent amount of room for two people plus their kit. Two-person tents that are pushing the sub-1kg barrier are usually short of headroom and lack two entrances and vestibules, but that’s certainly not the case here. 

The single forked pole design makes for an easy pitch, while Nemo’s own ‘Flybar’ extends headroom space by giving two additional attachment points for the inner thus widening the width of the roof. This simple freestanding design can either be pitched inner only, or with a lightweight flysheet.

The flysheet is 10D and PU and silicone coated nylon, with a large cutout at the head of the tent which keeps the overall weight down while increasing ventilation as well. The bathtub groundsheet reaches up high enough to protect the exposed section that this section creates.

To help to increase space inside the tent and to keep your feet away from any potential condensation, two carbon fibre struts are added into the corners of the inner at the bottom end. When pegged down these make a big difference. Further space inside the inner can be achieved by using two ‘volumising guyouts’ that sit on either side of the tent. These thin cords attach the inner to the fly, pulling the inner out, creating a little more width.

Full Specifications

Packed size 50 x 14 cm / peak height: 98cm / floor dimensions 215 x 130/108cm / vestibule area: 0.7 sq m + 0.7 sq m / three-season / DAC Featherlite Aluminium poles / 10D Sil/PeU Nylon ripstop fly 1200mm / 15D Sil/PeU Nylon Ripstop floor 1200mm / two doors / large vent / internal pockets.

Selected for our Outdoor 100 2020/21. Read our full Nemo Hornet 2P review.

Buy the Nemo Hornet 2P: £430 at Ellis-brigham.co.uk 

12. Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2

Weight: 1.67kg
Price: £220
What we liked: good value, easy to pitch, great porch/awning design
What we didn’t like: narrow porch makes 2P access tricky

The Clip Flashlight is a proven design that has been around for a long time – about 25 years in fact, though it’s far better known in the States than it is here in the UK. It’s favoured for its good peak height, which means you get plenty of headroom at the entrance. It’s also a very liveable tent, with lots of usable interior space and decent gear storage too. It’s a non-freestanding design with just the one door and single porch area, but thanks to a dual zipper, the fly can be propped up with trekking poles to create a useful awning.

Just like other tents in the Sierra Designs 3,000 series, the Clip Flashlight is all made from recycled polyester taffeta fabrics. What’s more, they’re also finished with an eco-friendly Durable Water Repellent treatment that is free from PFCs, the harmful chemical compounds that have been shown to be environmentally damaging.

Inside, the interior dimensions aren’t exactly cavernous yet still roomy enough for two, and the inner tent is fitted with two gear pockets and hanging tabs for a gear line or tent lantern. It’s reliable in wet or windy weather too, with a low-profile design that sheds wind well. The full coverage fly sheet has upgraded waterproofing of 3,000 mm Hydrostatic Head, while the inner has also been redesigned with a 70:30 fabric to mesh ratio for added warmth in cooler conditions without sacrificing airflow and moisture management.

Full Specifications

3,000mm Hydrostatic Head / non-freestanding / one door and single porch / dual zipper entrance / awning compatible / recycled polyester taffeta fabrics / PFC-free DWR / recyclable DAC Pressfit Aluminium poles / large vestibule / two inner gear pockets / hanging tabs.

Selected for the Green Gear Guide. Check out our full Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2 review.

Buy the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight: £215 at Amazon.co.uk 

How to Wash and Reproof a Tent

Written by: James Forrest, Nicola Hardy, Jordan Tiernan and Will Renwick

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