If you have the budget and storage space, you can amass quite a collection of tents best suited for each trip you plan.  You can customize for weight, durability, sleeping capacity, and weather.  But if instead you are normal, let’s talk about the best way to optimize your tent collection for the number of people on your trip.

Tent Weight

1-person backpacking tents start around 1.25 lbs, with most of them between 2.0 and 3.0 lbs.

2-person backpacking tents start at 1.5 lbs, with most spanning the range between 3.0 to 8.0 lbs.  That is 0.75 to 4 lbs per person.

3-person backpacking tents start at 2.1 lbs, with most between 4.0 to 7.0 lbs. That is 0.7 to 2.3 lbs per person.

4-person backpacking tents start at 7.1 lbs, with most between 8 and 10 lbs. That’s 1.8 to 2.5 lbs per person.

Any tent with a capacity above 4 people tends to be excluded from the “backpacking tents” category. I also think it’s a bad idea because multiple smaller tents gives much greater flexibility.

I’m using typical commercially available tents for these numbers, and assuming you’re bringing the whole tent along (that’s “packaged weight” from the technical specs).  The high end of weights is kind of unlimited because someone somewhere is using a canvas tent with giant fiberglass poles and self-closing hinges on their tent. Similarly, someone doing fly only camping can definitely get below these weights. And if you can’t split your tent parts up equally, you can always barter with other shared gear like a stove, water filter, or food.

And those “starts at” values? I usually stay away from them, because that tent is likely too fragile for my taste. I like to be on the low end of the normal range without sacrificing something to get to the lightest tent.

Hmm…

Those weights per person are interesting, right? If we assume full capacity in the tents, here is how the weight per person shakes out by tent capacity:

As you can see, there’s a benefit to using a tent size that matches your backpacking party, but not above 3 people. If there’s 4 or more, you are better off using a combination of two tents to reduce your weight on all trips.

Just the 2 of us

So you and a child or spouse want to go backpacking?  This one is easy.  Get a 2 person tent.

If you end up going solo, the weight and volume penalty of a 2-person tent is pretty low compared to bringing along a 1-person tent.  So bring your 2-person tent whether you’re going solo or paired up.

You will probably end up around 1.5 lbs per person, 3.0 lbs when going solo.

3 people

Option 1: One tent

Just a 3-person tent works.  I used a North Face Rock 32 for at least a decade.  It’s relatively heavy and bulky, but spacious and durable.

If all 3 people are attending, the tent is perfectly suited to this trip.

If only 2 people come along, enjoy your spacious comfort.

If you’re going solo, this is admittedly a lot of tent and likely unnecessarily heavy and bulky.  If it’s a short trip, you can make it work.  If it’s a long enough trip, you might consider Option 2: two tents.

With this option, you will be carrying 1.3 lbs/person. If you end up taking this out yourself, you’ll be carrying 4 lbs.

Option 2: Two tents

If you can justify it, two tents gives a better suite of solutions: 3+1, 2+1, or 3+2.  I recommend that last scenario, especially if you think your family might grow or you’ll bring a friend sometimes.

If all 3 people are attending, bring the 3-person tent. That’s 1.3 lbs per person.

If 2 people come along, bring the 2-person tent. That’s 1.5 lbs per person

If you’re going solo, use the 2-person tent. That’s 3.0 lbs in your pack, better than 4.0 lbs in the 3-person tent.

4 people

If your trips sometimes have 4 people, you will definitely want more than one tent.  4-person tents are typically around 8 lbs (2.0 lbs per person).  That really isn’t bad.  But unless you ALWAYS backpack with 4 people, that flexibility to reduce weight and bulk is valuable.

In this scenario, I like the 3+2 option again.

If all 4 are going, you bring both tents.  You end up with a total weight of 7 lbs, or 1.75 lbs per person (which is about the same as using the lightest 4 person tent!)

If only 3 are going, you take the 3-person tent and have 1.3 lbs/person.

If 2 people are on this trip, the 2-person tent works great and gets your specific weight to 1.5 lbs per person.

And again, if you’re going solo, you bring that 2-person tent and deal with 3.0 lbs in your pack.

5 people

At this point, one tent is clearly out of the question.  This is also a pretty easy decision.  The recommended solution is again a 3+2.

If all 5 are going, you have a nice mix with both tents and 7.0 lbs. That’s 1.4 lbs per person.

If only 4 are going, you bring both tents, and the 3-person tent gets a bit more room. You end up with a total weight of 7 lbs, or 2.7 lbs per person

If only 3 are going, you take the 3-person tent and have 1.3 lbs/person.

If 2 people are on this trip, the 2-person tent works great and gets your specific weight to 1.5 lbs per person.

And again, if you’re going solo, you bring that 2-person tent and deal with 3.0 lbs in your pack.

6 people

Stop having kids already!  If your family of 6 can backpack together, you are awesome!  But this tent selection is hard!  Recommended here is a 4+2 solution, although that is clearly not ideal if all 6 go together often.

If the whole crew is going, bring both tents. That’s 11 lbs of tent, but 1.8 lbs per person.

If 5 people are going, bring both tents. That’s 11 lbs, for 2.2 lbs per person.

If 4 people are going, bring the 4-person tent. That’s 8 lbs, for 2.0 lbs per person.

If 3 people are going, bring the 4-person tent. That’s 8 lbs, for 2.7 lbs per person. This is the most painful combination, because a 3-person tent would be half this weight.

If 2 people are going, you have a 2-person tent to fit perfectly. That’s 3.0 lbs, or 1.5 lbs each.

If you’re going solo, you have a 2-person tent at 3.0 lbs.

Should you consider 3 tents?  Maybe.  A 4+3+2 scenario is better. That also gives you capacity perfection without anyone ever sleeping alone. This doesn’t change the 6, 4, or 2-person scenarios from above, but does reduce the load in the 5 and 3 person situations. It’s extra money and extra storage space in your gear closet, but optimizes the weight per person.

Wrap it Up

That was a long post! Let’s wrap it up in one table:

Backpackers	Tent Solution	Weight Per Person
2	2	1.5 lbs
3	3	1.3 lbs
4	3+2	1.75 lbs
5	3+2	1.4 lbs
6	4+2 (or 4+3+2)	1.8 lbs