The best backpacking tents for UK wild camping and trekking
A backpacking tent is a balance between weight, space and weather protection, and you can’t maximise all three for a sensible price. These picks cover the most common trade-offs, from a light solo tent to a three-person tent for sharing the load.
All of these are three-season tents. That’s our category assumption from the listings, not an independent weather certification, and none of them is suitable for winter mountaineering.
How we choose: each pick starts from our finder’s ranking for the brief shown, and we check it makes sense for the job. We haven’t tested these products ourselves. Some links are affiliate links, and commission never affects the picks. About affiliate links
Quick picks
| Best for | Model | Reference price | Sold by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best two-person backpacking tent | NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P Tent | £374.96 | AlpineTrek |
| Best lightweight tent for two | Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 2-Person Tent | £467.46 | AlpineTrek |
| Best for room and comfort for two | Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL 2-Person Tent | £510 | Facewest |
| Best for three people | Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 3-Person Tent | £584.99 | Basecamp Gear |
| Best lightweight solo tent | Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 1-Person Tent | £427.45 | AlpineTrek |
| Best two-person tent for under £250 | Highlander Respite 2-Person Extended Tunnel Tent | £229.99 | Highlander Outdoor |
| Best budget backpacking tent | Vango Banshee 200 2-Person Tent | £153 | Millets |
Best two-person backpacking tent
NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P Tent
The brief: Two people sharing on multi-day trips, comfort and an easy pitch.
A roomy, freestanding tent for two with a door and porch on each side, so nobody climbs over anybody at night. At about 1.8 kg packed it isn’t the lightest, but it’s a comfortable home for several nights and our finder’s pick for two people with £400–£500 to spend.
Designed for: Roomy, freestanding two-person backpacking tent with two doors and generous porches
Heavier than the ultralight Copper Spur tents, in exchange for more room and tougher fabric. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best lightweight tent for two
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 2-Person Tent
The brief: Two people covering big distances, weight matters most.
An ultralight freestanding tent for two at about 1.4 kg packed, with two doors and two porches. It’s our finder’s pick when weight matters most and the budget allows. The thin fabrics need a little care, so use a footprint on rough ground.
Designed for: Ultralight freestanding two-person tent with two doors and two porches, for multi-day backpacking
Ultralight fabrics need careful handling: use a footprint on rough ground. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best for room and comfort for two
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 XL 2-Person Tent
The brief: Two people, or one tall walker, who want space to sit up and sort kit.
The longer, wider version of the Copper Spur UL2, still under 1.5 kg packed. It suits taller walkers and pairs who spend long evenings in the tent, and it’s our finder’s pick for two people with a budget of around £700.
Designed for: Longer, wider version of the Copper Spur UL2, for taller walkers or two people who want more room
Ultralight fabrics need careful handling: use a footprint on rough ground. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best for three people
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 3-Person Tent
The brief: Three sharing a tent, or two plus a lot of kit.
A three-person tent that weighs about 1.6 kg packed, light enough to split between three packs or to carry as a palace for two. If you’d rather spend less, the NEMO Dagger OSMO 3P is roomier and tougher for about £150 less, at around 2 kg.
Designed for: Ultralight freestanding three-person tent, or a roomy tent for two with kit inside
Ultralight fabrics need careful handling: use a footprint on rough ground. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best lightweight solo tent
Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 1-Person Tent
The brief: Solo trekker carrying everything, wants a proper freestanding tent.
A freestanding one-person tent at about 1.1 kg packed, with a big side door and a porch for boots and pack. It pitches anywhere a tent will stand, without trekking poles, and it’s our finder’s pick for solo trips when the budget allows.
Designed for: Ultralight freestanding one-person tent with a large side door and porch, for long-distance backpacking
Ultralight fabrics need careful handling: use a footprint on rough ground. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best two-person tent for under £250
Highlander Respite 2-Person Extended Tunnel Tent
The brief: Two people sharing, a roomy, weatherproof tent without a premium price.
Outdoors Magic’s best budget two-person tent of 2026: a roomy, weather-resistant tunnel tent with plenty of space for two and their kit. It’s heavier than the ultralight picks above, and tunnel tents need good pegging in strong wind. A one-person Respite is also available for solo trips.
Designed for: Roomy, weather-resistant two-person tunnel tent, rated the best budget two-person tent
A tunnel tent needs good pegging in strong wind. A three-season tent, not for winter mountains.
Best budget backpacking tent
Vango Banshee 200 2-Person Tent
The brief: Trying backpacking or Duke of Edinburgh expeditions without a big outlay.
Vango’s Banshee 200 has been a favourite for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and UK backpacking for years: a durable two-person tunnel tent at about 2.4 kg for around £150. Peg it out well, as tunnel tents need good pegging in strong wind.
Designed for: Durable two-person tunnel tent, a long-standing choice for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and UK backpacking
At about 2.4 kg it is heavier than premium lightweight tents, and a tunnel tent needs good pegging in strong wind.
Not quite your brief?
Answer a few questions and the finder will pick the best model for your exact sport, experience, priorities and budget, plus two alternatives.
How to choose
Weight versus space
As a rough guide, under 1.5 kg is light for a solo tent and under 2.5 kg is light for two. ‘Two-person’ usually means two standard sleeping mats side by side with little else, so size up if you want room for kit.
Freestanding or not?
Freestanding tents stand on their own poles and are easier to pitch on hard ground. Non-freestanding and tarp tents are lighter, but rely on good pegging and sometimes trekking poles.
Condensation
Every tent gets condensation on cold, still nights. Double-wall tents (a separate inner and fly) keep it off your sleeping bag better than single-wall shelters, and good ventilation helps.
Where you can camp
In Scotland, responsible wild camping is allowed on most unenclosed land under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. In England and Wales you generally need the landowner’s permission, with limited exceptions such as parts of Dartmoor.
Questions people ask
Is a three-season tent OK in winter?
Not for winter mountain conditions. Three-season tents are designed for spring to autumn. In snow or high winds you need a four-season or mountain tent.
Should I buy a one-person or two-person tent if I camp alone?
A one-person tent is lighter. A two-person tent gives space for your pack and wet kit inside, at a weight penalty of roughly half a kilo to a kilo.
How do I make a tent last?
Dry it fully before storing it, keep it out of the sun when not in use, and use a footprint or groundsheet on rough ground.
How we pick
Every pick starts from the EVENT/READY finder’s ranking for the brief shown. Products only qualify if we’ve opened and checked a UK retailer page for that exact model. We only include products that independent testers rated highly, and the best-rated rank highest, but we don’t reproduce anyone’s reviews here. We then check each result makes sense for the job. Prices are dated reference prices, not live prices. Read our full approach.