Reviews You Can Rely On

How We Tested Ultralight Shelters

Wednesday February 14, 2024

We started this review over a decade ago and, since then, have evaluated 50+ different tent and tarp options. We've set them up on granite ledges in the Sierra Nevada and put the tents and ourselves through the wringer while taking on the buggy backwoods of Virginia. Fast and light bicycle trips, long alpine routes and traverses, trips along the Continental Divide Trail, and overnight running missions on the Colorado trail are different ways we've tested each shelter. Add in international and snowy action in the Nepalese and Alaskan mountains, and we are happy to say we've got a good handle on what makes a bomber ultralight shelter. Each is rated according to five key metrics.

ultralight tent - we took out all the tents in our review and pitched them up in all...
We took out all the tents in our review and pitched them up in all kinds of terrains and conditions to see how if they pass muster or seem fall short. Here we are enjoying a nice afternoon in the Lunar Solo.
Credit: Justin Simoni

Livability


Assessing this metric was mostly a function of using these tents while on backcountry adventures. Sleeping in them with two people revealed which ones were long enough, wide enough, tall enough, and had features that contributed to our comfort level or drastically impaired it. Since we were generally testing these shelters during the buggiest time of the year — spring and early summer — we also usually purchased and tested the modular bug netting components for those that didn't have it included.

ultralight tent - we loved seeing exceptionally refined details like this rain fly...
We loved seeing exceptionally refined details like this rain fly door flap on the Nemo OSMO Hornet 1P that can be easily attached to itself, as well as securely cinched down.
Credit: Justin Simoni

Weight


To assess for weight, we separately weighed each shelter part, such as the stakes, tarp, guy lines, stuff sacks, etc., and detailed them in our notes. We scored the tents based on their overall weight with all components, but keep in mind that some of those things can be left behind (such as extra stuff sacks or bug nets) and that some of the shelters require the additional weight of your trekking poles in order to pitch.

ultralight tent - many of these models require adjustable trekking poles rather than...
Many of these models require adjustable trekking poles rather than dedicated aluminum poles, and most are sold without stakes. We weigh each component to help you get a handle on what each part weighs.
Credit: Brandon Lampley

Weather Resistance


The main weather aspects we were most interested in were how well a tent protects from rain and wind. While we did sleep in a few of these tents during some rather intense snowstorms in the Himalayas, that isn't exactly what they do best.

ultralight tent - properly staking out a tent is vital to survive a storm safely and...
Properly staking out a tent is vital to survive a storm safely and comfortably. Some tents require more stakes than others to achieve that.
Credit: Justin Simoni

During our adventures, we experienced many nights out in bad weather, but when we weren't "lucky" enough to experience a storm while sleeping in a particular tent, we made sure to take advantage in other ways to keep things equitable. When thunderstorms were impending near town, we would run down to the park and set some tents up in the gusty winds and rain to be sure that we knew which protected particularly well from the weather and which didn't.

ultralight tent - when we couldn't go backpacking, we'd set these tents up...
When we couldn't go backpacking, we'd set these tents up side-by-side during various storms and then sleep out in them to see how they fared.
Credit: Amber King

Adaptability


For supremely adaptable shelters, like flat tarps, we made sure to play around out in the field by setting them up in as many ways as possible. We also played around with the pitch height of pyramids and by using dedicated pole tents both with and without their rain flies. We assessed how many different ways a shelter can be set up, how many different ways to use it, and how appropriate each was for different seasons and climates.

ultralight tent - simply playing around with different tarp setups in the dark canyon...
Simply playing around with different tarp setups in the Dark Canyon, we found that set up in lean-to mode, there is then plenty of room for three people to sleep side-by-side under this flat tarp and enjoy a nice view.
Credit: Andy Wellman

Ease of Set-Up


There's no doubt that some of these shelters had a learning curve associated with setting them up quickly and perfectly, so we made sure to withhold judgment until after a few practice rounds had taken place. Then, we timed how fast we could set up each tent alone in a windstorm, with prior knowledge of how to do so.

We timed how long each tent's setup took. We found the Nemo OSMO Hornet 1P one of the easiest to set up.
Credit: Justin Simoni