When it comes to camping gear, your tent is arguably one of the most important products. The best three-person tents provide shelter and warmth for sleeping with enough room for extra people. If you’re a frequent camper, you may know how hard it can be to get a good night’s rest out in the outdoors. A good tent can keep you protected from cold, wind, and rain, but a bad tent can leave you shivering as water pools around your feet. So, if you have wiggle room in your budget, we recommend shopping from your favorite outdoor retailer and prioritizing a high-quality tent over less essential pieces of camping gear.
When you’re looking for a tent, you’ll encounter different sizes, from small one-person shelters to spacious pop-ups that can sleep 10. Three-person tents are great for a variety of campers. If you’re backpacking as a group of three and you want to save weight, a three-person tent will help you move light and fast because you can disperse weight across your group. Or, if you and your partner are traveling with your kids or the pup, three-person tents provide more space than a standard 2-person tent. (If you’re camping or backpacking with your furry friend, please follow proper pet leave no trace principles!) Three-person tents can also be great for a couple or pair of friends that just like the extra room to spread out.
What to Look for in a 3-Person Tent
Three-person tents come in different styles, but the two major options are backpacking tents and camping tents. If you’re using your tent for backpacking, you’ll want to look for products that are more lightweight and packable than conventional car camping tents. Depending on how far you’re hiking, you may want to sacrifice square footage for a lighter-packed weight. If you’re car camping, you can forego weight and focus on tents with added durability and floor space.
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Additionally, if you camp on hard or sharp surfaces (like in the desert), you’ll want to purchase a tent with a durable floor. Most backpacking tents recommend using a separate “footprint”, which is a protective fabric that you lay under your tent. While some tents include a footprint as part of a package, sometimes you’ll need to purchase it separately. Although you don’t need a footprint (and I often leave it behind if I’m focused on ultralight backpacking), you’ll increase the life of your tent when you use one. Either way, a comfortable sleeping bag or inflatable camping pad will help you sleep more comfortably outdoors.
Another factor to consider is tent usage. Do you primarily camp during warmer seasons? A three-season tent should be perfectly fine for general use. But, if you love the winter and frequently camp in harsh, cold environments, you should opt for a four-season tent. For most campers, this will be overkill, as most four-season tents come with a much higher price tag and heavier weight.
We know this is a lot to consider, so we’ve rounded up some of the best 3-person tents for all campers, whether you’re camping in your backyard with your kids or setting out on a week-long backpacking trip.
Source: SELF
