Camping tents come in all shapes in sizes, from little solo tents that will keep just you dry and warm, out of the elements, all the way up to rather large 8 man tents that will keep a whole large group dry and warm, though perhaps not asleep if one person ends up being a snorer. Large camping tents are good if you want to get everyone under one roof, but they can actually be disproportionately heavy, so if your goal is to save weight, you’re better off with several small tents.
Large Camping Tents
What you want to see when reviewing large camping tents.- Weight – As referenced above, large camping tents can get rather heavy, heavier than the combined weight of two smaller tents would be. So if you are going to be carrying your camping tent around very much, it’s a good idea to pay close attention to the weight of the tent, so that you don’t end up sore knees from a camping trip.
- Doors and Separators – With more than 4 or so people in a tent it might become difficult to get a good, full night of sleep, just because sleeping in close proximity to so many other people will keep you awake. So it’s helpful to have a tent with things like partitions, to cut down on noise, and multiple doors, so that no one is getting stepped on in the night.
Best Large Camping Tents
A few of the very best large camping tents, based on the criteria above.- Big Agnes Fly Creek UL4 - The Fly Creek UL4 is a solid backpacking tent for 4 people. It uses a few ultralight design tricks, like the unique pole design, and some great fabrics to bring the weight down as low as possible, to just 4 pounds 1 ounce, or 1.84 kilograms, which is a lot lighter than most other 4 person tents out there. The price reflects the superior construction and materials, of course, but when you're backpacking you want a lightweight tent. It's also free standing, has just 1 door unfortunately, and 49.5 square feet of floor space.
- Marmot Limestone 6 - The Limestone 6 is something a little bigger, with room for 6 inside. It's also a cheaper large tent, in fact it costs significantly less than the smaller Fly Creek above. Of course the Limestone also weighs 11 pounds 12 ounces, or 5.33 kilograms, so there's quite a difference there. The Limestone does have 2 doors, which is essential with 6 people inside, but no separator, so you might have to worry a bit if there's a snorer in the group. But there's also 83 square feet of floor space to work with, so you certainly wont be crammed in either. So a solid tent, and a good choice if you're not looking to do anything beyond a little recreational camping.
- The North Face 2-Meter Dome - The Dome from The North Face is a serious tent, with a serious price tag to reflect it. But it also has a total of 125 square feet of floor space, and room for 8 inside, so if you need something really big it might be worth considering. But what this tent is designed for is 4 season camping, likely as a base camp tent, because at 47 pounds, or 21.3 kilograms you're not going to want to carry it very far. It has 2 big doors and 12 poles, so you wont have to worry about wind. So definitely not a large camping tent for the average recreational user, but something to consider for ugly weather conditions and expeditions.
