Tents Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Tents. See our ratings criteria

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Tents Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tents Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Backpacker Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	2008 Gear Guide Michael Lanza and Editors Mar. 2008		Backpacker Magazine conducts year-round field tests of tents in rugged conditions. Most recently, in the Feb. 2008 issue, Michael Lanza rates and ranks five three-season backpacking tents based on reports from several field testers. The 2008 Gear Guide doesn't rate tents, but provides brief reviews of 35 of the best new tents tested, recommending a few budget tents as well as top-rated tents in each size and type. Also, a useful specifications chart covers all the current tents from major manufacturers. The April 2008 issue gives two tents the 2008 Editors' Choice award. This is a good publication to check for new single-product tent reviews throughout the year.

Tents Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tents Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. BackpackingLight.com >> Details/Subscribe	Double Wall Tents Review Summary and Gear Guide Overview Doug Johnson Apr. 2006		This review compares 18 double-wall backpacking tents -- warmer than single-wall tents, and less apt to have condensation problems. Based on thorough testing, the tents get ratings for ventilation, wind stability, insect protection, durability and several other relevant factors. These specific ratings make it easy to pick out the best tent for a specific purpose, while the tents can also be ranked based on their overall average ratings. Though this article is older, many of the reviewed tents are still available. Still earlier articles include a 2004 review that compares and rates eleven single-wall tents, and a 2003 review that tests tarp shelters and bivy sacks. This site also provides detailed single-product tent reviews, and its newsletter often previews new tents.
3. REI.com	Tents, Shelters and Bivys Contributors to REI.com As of Apr. 2008		REI.com makes it easy to identify the tents owners like most, since the list of tents shows both each tent's average user rating and the number of owner-written reviews on which that average is based. You can also filter the list to show just the type that interests you -- family camping tents, backpacking tents, etc. Some of the newest tents haven't accumulated more than a few user ratings, but ample reviews are available for many tents sold here. The site also includes a good buyer's guide.
4. Outside Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Outside Magazine's Summer Buyer's Guide Editors of Outside Magazine May 2007		Outside Magazine reviews ten backpacking tents in this annual gear guide, giving one tent the Outside Gear of the Year award. Comments are brief but do allude to field tests. The article also summarizes noteworthy advances in tent technology, and only new tents are reviewed each year. Several tents that earned the magazine's Gear of the Year award in recent years are still available. Also, a more recent article in the March 2008 issue reports on the "green" activities of several tent manufacturers.

Tents Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tents Ratings Comments on Reviews

5. Amazon.com	Tents and Accessories Contributors to Amazon.com As of Apr. 2008		This retailer site lets you sort the list of tents by their average rating based on owner-written reviews. It’s especially convenient to browse tents here, because the list also shows the number of reviews on which the rating is based. We found only two tents with perfect five-star ratings from more than one or two owners, but many tents with slightly lower ratings have accumulated dozens of reviews. Therefore, once you’ve narrowed your choice to two or three tents, this is a good site for checking to see what owners have said about them.
6. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Family Tents Editors of Consumer Reports July 2005		We rank this review lower only because of its age. Some of the tents tested here are still available, but more current reviews emphasize that tent technology has moved on since 2005. Although this older tent review is titled "Family Tents," it includes one- and two-person tents as well. All told, the review compares 24 tents, nearly all domes, in three sizes, determined by square footage and number of people accommodated. Each tent is tested and rated for ease of setup, rain resistance, construction quality and convenience of use. The ratings chart also notes the number of doors, whether or not poles are aluminum, and whether or not the tent has a vestibule for extra storage and doorway protection.
7. Camping Life Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	Gear Head: Stuff We Use and Then Write About: Kelty Lounge 4 Tent Sylvia Alarid Jan. 2008		Camping Life magazine reviews tents big enough for family camping, but so far, tests only a few. However, two fairly recent tent reviews here do report on field testing. A Jan. 2008 review recommends the Kelty Lounge 4 family dome tent based on actual usage. Two other family camping tents come in for criticism in a July 2007 review. Based on tests, editors say both the Eureka N!ergy 9 tent and the Wenzel Fern Ridge tent lack sufficient weather protection to stay dry during heavy rainstorms. An April 2007 Gear Review covers nine family camping tents, several of which provide electricity inside the tent. However, no testing or even usage is mentioned, and the tents aren't rated or ranked.
8. BackpackGearTest.org	Tents Contributors to BackpackGearTest.org As of Apr. 2008		Experienced hikers publish very detailed single-product tent reviews here, often including reports of long-term use. Though the site is aimed at backpackers, a few reports cover tents used by families. Reviews of the same tent by different people are not consolidated in any way, and the site provides no way to compare tents except by reading each review. Hence it's a good site to check once you've narrowed your choice to two or three tents, rather than as a starting point.
9. Long-Distance Hiking: Lessons from the Appalachian Trail >> Details/Subscribe	Packs, Tents, Stoves, and Guides (Chapter 8) Roland Mueser 1998		Most of the specific tent recommendations in this book are too old to be of much value, though the top-ranked Sierra Clip Flashlight tent is still available. However, this book -- based on a survey of 136 hikers on the Appalachian Trail -- still provides useful buyer's guide information on selecting a backpacking tent. The author concludes that as long as a tent feels large enough, is easy to pitch and enter and weighs no more than four pounds, it's apt to be satisfactory. Therefore, it's better to spend more on a pack where price differences matter more.

Tents Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tents Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. National Geographic Adventure	Best of Adventure 2007 Gear: The Tent Editors of National Geographic Adventure Nov. 2006		This annual adventure gear guide issue picks just one tent, recommending the Sierra Designs Asp backpacking tent for its light weight, comfort and near-vertical walls. This is a respected publication in the adventure field, but it's not clear how many other tents were considered, and whether or not any testing was done.
11. Cabelas.com	Tents Contributors to Cabelas.com As of Apr. 2008		This retail site has accumulated dozens of owner-written reviews and ratings for quite a few of the camping tents sold here. Not surprisingly, some of the least expensive tents get lower ratings, but the reviews show some bargains too.
12. Trailspace.com	Guide to Tents Alicia MacLeay and Contributors to Trailspace.com As of Apr. 2008		The owner-written tent reviews and ratings at Trailspace.com are nicely organized into sections, and you can sort the list to show the top-rated tents. Quite a few tents listed here have accumulated only one or two reviews, while others have been discontinued -- though this makes the site a good place to check reviews of secondhand tents. The guide itself, written by Alicia MacLeay, is a little dated, but still contains useful information.
13. Moosejaw.com	Tents Contributors to Moosejaw.com As of Apr. 2008		This retailer site publishes owner-written reviews and ratings of tents, but only a few have accumulated more than a handful of comments. The list of tents shows each tent’s average rating, but you have to click on the model to find out the number of reviews on which it’s based.
14. GearReview.com	MSR Mutha Hubba Steve Mann Not Dated		There are some well-done roundup reviews of tents here, rating tents based on thorough field tests, but these reviews are quite outdated now. However, one fairly recent single-product review praises the MSR Mutha Hubba based on the author's personal experience -- saying it performs well both for backpacking and car camping, with an excellent balance between space and weight.
15. BassPro.com	Eureka Timberline Original A-Frame Tent JT Uptegrove Not Dated		This detailed single-product review recommends an inexpensive A-frame tent based on actual use. While this is an interesting read, the article is completely positive and doesn't compare the tent to competing options.
16. About.com Camping	Top 8 Family Tents David Sweet Not Dated		About.com's Camping Guide reviews eight family tents here, with occasional references to personal use or testing. We rank this review lower than most primarily because it's apparently several years old and the tents are neither rated or ranked, though some brand comparisons might still be useful. The author finds no drawbacks for the family tents made by Springbar and Paha Que. (Note that ConsumerSearch is a service of About.com, part of The New York Times Company.)
17. Buzzillions	Canopies and Tents - Reviews Contributors to Buzzillions.com As of Apr. 2008		This site aggregates owner-written reviews and ratings from several retail sites, including REI, Moosejaw, Eastern Mountain Sports and others. The list of tents shows each model’s average rating plus the number of reviews on which it’s based. If you click on a tent, you can see the number of reviews from each retailer and read the detailed reviews if you like. The site also shows where each tent is in stock, and makes clear that certain tents have been discontinued but may be available second-hand.
18. OutdoorReview.com	Tents Contributors to OutdoorReview.com As of Apr. 2008		This site makes it easy to see owner-written ratings of dozens of tents, but so many have received perfect or near-perfect ratings that the reviews don't make it easy to narrow the selection. Nor can you filter the list to show, for example, only family tents or only three-person tents. It's still a useful site to check once you've narrowed your choices.
19. Suite 101	Best Family Camping Tents: Buying a Tent for Camping with the Family Kelby Carr June 2007		This review doesn't document any testing, but gains some credibility due to the author's experience as an expert in family travel. She's the Family Adventures writer for Suite 101, as well as the About.com Guide to Travel in France. However, the four tents she recommends here don't fare well in owner-written reviews we found at other sites.