How many are in your group? Backpacking tent models usually hold 1 to 5 people.
There’s no industry standard for what each size means, so check product specs.
Assume a close fit for the number of people your tent is designed to accommodate, especially with ultralight models. If you need more elbow room, consider the next size up.
Decide whether you need all-year protection
Many backpackers, especially beginners, choose a 3-season tent for great all-around protection.
3+- season tents are a little sturdier and warmer than their 3-season cousin, and with less mesh.
4-season tents are engineered to handle high winds and other severe weather. This can make them stuffy in warm weather.
Consider alternative shelters like hammock tents, bug shelters or bivy sacks depending on your preferences and the conditions you may typically encounter on backpacking trips.
Tent weight
Backpacking tents are a tradeoff between weight and comfort. Pay attention to the difference between packaged weight (every part included) and minimum trail weight (the weight of just the tent, rain fly and poles).
19 out of 20 (95%) reviewers recommend this product
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Frank K
St Paul, MN, United States
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Great All Around Tent
11 years ago
I first got this tent for winter camping but find myself using it year round. The inside is huge and most of the time I am sleeping with 6 of us in it (1 adult 5 kids). One issue is some condensation even with the vents open, but with 6 of us that's expected. Its easy to pitch and handles wind really well. The front vestibule is perfect for storing gear and cooking, the rear vesibule could be bigger. I have been using it for a few years now and have had absolutely no issues. Love this tent.
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Digity
Eugene, OR
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Notch
13 years ago
This is a true three person tent. We used this tent on The South Sister summit (10'358') last season for two nights, with three big guys packed in. It wasn't the Hilton but we were able to rest fairly comfortably.
I have experienced little condensation on my snow trips and the tent gets pretty warm with a couple people in it. It is a little heavy, but if you split your gear with your partners up or pull it in a sled then it's worth it.
Yes , I recommend this product
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Wrinkledpants
Denver, CO
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Super Burly
12 years ago
My review is based on the 2P version, but as it's the same construction (just smaller), I thought my review would still be applicable.
Our previous tent (Marmot Aura 2P) was awesome by every metric. Lightweight, roomy, sturdy, and a good vestibule design. But, we now live in Denver and most of our backpacking is in the mountains and often above treeline. So - we needed a tent that was a bit more burly, and also more warm (Aura was all mesh and pretty chilly).
The design of the tent is fantastic. The main vestibule is plenty big to house both packs, boots, and still have enough room to cook in. I frequently set my sleeping pad chair sideways at the tent body entrance and cook in the vestibule. For one - the stove heat gets the inside of the tent nice and warm, and it's also a good way to cook if it's windy.
For a 2P tent - it's huge inside. I'd almost say it's *too* wide since you can almost fit 3 people in a pinch. The ceiling is nice and tall, and the walls are nearly vertical thanks to the knee-pole design. So, we have more than enough room to move about in there. The ceiling panels allow great control over the ventilation, and there are plenty of hooks, loops, and such to setup a clothes line. There is a single hook that hangs from the ceiling and it's strong enough that we hang our 3 liter Sawyer from it for filtering water. The mesh pockets on the ceiling hold a lot of stuff, but don't sag, and same goes for the pockets on the sides. With the Aura tent, you'd fill the side pockets and the walls would start to cave in. Ventilation wise - we've head the tent high in the alpine and also at the bottom of the Grand Canyon - and we've never had an issue with condensation. That's not to say you wouldn't, but with proper ventilation techniques, we haven't had any. It's a warm tent, but even at the bottom of the Grand Canyon where temps never got colder than 70 degrees, we'd leave the fly off, zip the doors only half way up (keep the creepy crawlies out), and had the ceiling vents open. We slept on top of our down bags and were very comfortable.
Structurally - this tent could withstand a hurricane. There are *PLENTY* of guy line attachments on the outside and even with just staking out the tent poles - the tent is quite sturdy. I've had a lot of tents int he past, and have always loved Marmot tents for their quality construction and the colors (keeps things nice and upbeat when it's bad weather). The fly pitches taught so you don't get flapping fabric - even when it's raining. The footprint is quite large for a 2P tent, and that is one drawback for it. Weight was - well there is no getting around the fact that it's a heavy tent. Nearly twice as heavy as our old tent, but there is nothing worse than laying your tent wondering if it's going to shred our not during a particularly nasty storm. Or, you're crossing your fingers hoping it doesn't cave in from a freak snow storm. Since we spend a lot of time in our tents - having a shelter we enjoy being in, can cook in, and feel safe in when the weather turns bad (and it can turn real bad in the mountains), the weight was a fair tradeoff. The rest of out gear is still pretty light, so our total pack weights are still in the low 30s.
Setup is pretty complicated the first time. The directions are clear in how to do it, and once you do it once or twice - then it's pretty straight forward. To properly set it up, stake it out, and guy it out at the corners - it takes about 20 minutes. But - it's not like we often have huge time crunches in the mountains, so it doesn't really matter to us that it takes twice as long as our old tent.
If you can stomach the weight - this is one of the most versatile, comfortable, bomb-proof shelters we've ever owned. It's expensive and heavy, but we feel complete confidence in setting this up at the top of a mountain in the winter, or the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the summer.
Yes , I recommend this product
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Tech Guy
Cupertino, CA
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Northern California nights
11 years ago
We live in Northern California and camp in fall, winter and spring. The nights can get cold (typically 20s - low 40s) so a typical mesh tent isn't great. This tent is a huge upgrade over what we have used in the past. My only suggestions to Marmot are: 1) make it clearer in the instructions which door is the "front" door, since it matters when putting up the fly (the front is the side with the double-grommets) and 2) put mesh pockets along the entire long side of the tent -- not just near the front. Those are the least useful since I want them near my head as I sleep (to put glasses or a headlamp, etc.)
Yes , I recommend this product
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Hawaii Nature Girl
Pine Grove Mills, PA
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Warm and dry in Glacier Bay
11 years ago
I upgraded my camping equipment for a kayak camping trip in the backcountry of Glacier Bay, Alaska. My wife had never set up a tent before, and after one day was able to set it up and take it down by herself it was so easy. It was down to 40 degrees at night with lots of wind and rain, and we never had any trouble with any of it. We were very happy with our new tent. We got a three person since we were on a kayak and weight wasn't an issue for us. Our only complaint is the rain fly only has one window in front. Being in brown bear country, we wanted to be able to see from more than one side. We did manage to use the vents in the rainfly, which kept some air flowing when we needed it. We love our new tent and can't wait to use it again.
Yes , I recommend this product
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Nuttyrugger
Chicago, IL, United States
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic tent that performs in extreme conditions
11 years ago
I originally bought this tent 7 months ago because I needed a winter-appropriate tent. The tent held up well in 10 degree F weather and heavy snow. What compels me to write this review, however, is its performance this past weekend. My sons and I took the tent on a canoeing/camping weekend in Wisconsin with a group of friends where we set up camp on one of the many islands in the middle of the river. The tent is lightweight and was perfect for the space constraints with which we were working. The tent's performance was confirmed when it withstood very heavy winds and a large thunderstorm on Saturday night that ended up sacking several of our companions' tents, forcing them to seek shelter in our tent. I was proud of the tent's performance, but as we found out the remainder of the night, the tent definitely does not sleep 5 comfortably!
Yes , I recommend this product
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jpoage
Colorado Springs
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Tent!
12 years ago
This is a great tent! The problem with most 4 season tents is that I can't use them during the summer because they get too hot. The Thor does not have this problem. The Thor has great ventilation. Works great in the wind and snow. Great upgrade from my Mountain Hardwear Annapurna 2P tent.
Yes , I recommend this product
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Climber girl
Washington
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Mine has lasted over ten years
11 years ago
It doesn't look like they changed this tent design much since I bought mine years ago... No need to change it! Thor is rock solid tough and very comfortable. Great investment! Pops right back up when the winds really pickup without damaging the poles. Still just as great as day one even over ten years later. Tip... Invest in the footprint and always use it! A bomber 4 season tent!
Yes , I recommend this product
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westwind
Seattle, WA
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
Top quality and very spacious
14 years ago
I got the Thor 3 person tent as a replacement for my 14 year old Marmot Bastille tent. Since I have excellent service from Marmot with tent repairs in the past I naturally looked at Marmot to replace this tent. The Thor 3 person was my choice.
My first impression when I received the tent was the weight and size of the tent container. This was, however, soon explained when I pitched the tent. It is HUGE and very spacious. It is truly a 3 person tent with a very spacious vestibule.
The over-vertical tent sides enhances the feeling of spaciousness inside the tent. The addition of the widow on the brilliantly spacious vestibule is a welcome addition.
the quality of the poles and tent materials is excellent and very much on par with previous Marmot tents I've owned. All the seams are tape sealed so, although not tested yet, should not be a problem.
Yes , I recommend this product
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Alaska Hunter
Talkeetna, AK, United States
Rated 1.0 out of 5 stars
Not good in high winds
10 years ago
The tent isn't good in high winds the fly design is a bad one and it start to loosen up in high winds and the fly starts flapping. The flapping puts a big bind on the tent poles I had poles that came apart because of this. I had to go outside every couple of hours and tighten up the fly. We had 45 to 50 mph winds for 3 days if you aren't going to be in these types of conditions it would be alright.
