Tents are often the most costly item in any camping kit, yet are equally essential. That’s why upgrading to one with sturdy aluminum poles, more weather-resistant fabrics and full coverage rainflies makes sense.

If you’re an occasional camper who prefers front country sites, Coleman’s Sundome 4 may do the trick, while for backpacking enthusiasts Kelty’s Wireless tent would make an ideal selection.

1. Coleman Sundome 4

The Coleman Sundome 4 tent is an affordable, lightweight tent designed with excellent ventilation and plenty of room for two campers. Additionally, its gear loft and mesh pockets help keep personal items off the ground and easy to access.

Setup of this tent is simple with continuous pole sleeves and no-tangle zippers for an efficient experience, even for solo campers. In about 10 minutes you can have this tent up. Plus, with its partial rainfly, welded corners and taped seams it provides superior weather protection!

Coleman’s Dark Room technology helps create a cooler night by blocking sunlight and heat inside the tent, and also offers an optional screen room for lounging or sleeping without bugs.

2. Marmot Tungsten

The Tungsten UL tent provides roomy and comfortable camping while remaining lightweight. Crafted with high quality polyester/ripstop fabrics and aluminum poles, its spaciousness makes this an excellent option for lightweight backpackers.

This tent employs zone pre-bent construction to produce almost vertical walls, creating an airy atmosphere inside. Boasting generous headroom and large vestibules, this two person tent comes complete with its own diffused lantern-style lighting as well as plenty of storage space.

The Tungsten tent features a 30-denier nylon floor and 20-denier rainfly, making it relatively durable; however, we found its clips and stakes bend easily, which may account for its lesser durability than some of our other models.

Marmot is a Bluesign partner and claims that over half of their tents feature DWR coatings free from PFCs; however, their page on people and labour is somewhat sparse; no employee wages or conditions were addressed there. Overall this tent provides reliable shelter during warmer summer hikes.

3. REI Base Camp

REI Co-op Base Camp tent features mountaineering-inspired architecture and sturdy materials to provide a comfortable four-person basecamp shelter that will outlive even an idyllic weekend trip. Its innovative floorplan focuses on flexibility and utility with convertible spaces that transform from dining area and lounge into sleeping area and bed for your comfort and convenience.

With a 74-inch peak height and dual vestibules, this tent provides plenty of living space for families, friends or solo hikers alike. Built to withstand most weather conditions with relative ease and equipped with breathable mesh venting to reduce heat build-up, its sturdy build ensures this shelter meets most demands while its durable fabrics withstand most climatic extremes with relative ease.

Two people can assemble this tent in seven minutes with its color-coded poles, grommets and sleeves that make setup simple. Also included are plenty of stakes, guylines, tighteners and storage bag for neat storage when not in use; 14 pockets allow family-friendly organization while solid doors offer privacy when needed.

4. Mineral King

Mineral King, located deep within the Sierra Nevada’s mountain valleys and featuring flower-laden meadows, sparkling lakes, and jagged cirques of jagged peaks – is an exquisite wilderness gem that demands two-and-a-half hour drive from Fresno on roads that only open when snow-free. But getting there requires effort: one way of getting there takes an additional half hour from Fresno!

In the 1960s, this area was at the heart of an environmental law case pitting a proposed ski resort against unspoiled wilderness; but nature lovers led by Sierra Club prevailed in winning this battle.

This project would have created a mountain recreation destination similar to Lake Tahoe or Mammoth Mountain, yet differing significantly by restricting automobile traffic at the entrance of the valley and offering high-capacity public transport as an alternative form of travel to reach resort itself. Rocky Mountain troubadour Shulman Smith recorded and released an inspiring song and video entitled “Mineral King”, as part of this campaign; you can donate here to support scientific research, fire mitigation measures, giant sequoia protection efforts.