We recently added a backpacking pack to our ever growing collection of backpacking gear, and we are very happy with it. The backpack is large, 65 liters, and quite comfortable with lots of features.
The River Country Products backpack has an easily adjustable torso height so it fits a large variety of body shapes and sizes. We also really like the comfortable split waist strap and removable rain fly, which is super convenient if you ever get trapped in an unexpected rainstorm.
After designing and testing this tent out ourselves we are excited to introduce you to our new favorite 4 man backpacking tent, the Trekker Tent 3.
Despite being a 4 person tent, the Trekker Tent 3 has one of the easiest set ups of all of our other backpacking tents, simply stake down the four corners, attach our trekking poles together (an extension is included if the tent is bought with poles) and then extend the single resulting trekking pole in the center of the tent.
We are also excited about this tent because of its weight. At 4lb 10oz, with stakes, it is one of the lightest per person 4 man tents out there. Only 1lb 2.5oz per person.
Lastly we love the vestibule, large mesh door and 6′ 8” peak height. We think you’ll love this 4 person trekking pole tent too.
A couple of weeks ago, backpacking expert and outdoor adventurer Jessica “Dixie” Mills spotlighted the Trekker Tent 2 and compared it to the ZPacks Duplex, a similar ultralight trekking pole tent at more than 10 times the price. She started her YouTube video saying that she was curious how well an inexpensive, light-weight tent (under 3 lbs) would compare with a top-of-the-line model. After a brief introduction of the ZPacks, she followed with a more thorough review of the Trekker Tent 2. Although the Trekker Tent 2 doesn’t have the vestibule that Dixie liked on the Duplex, it passed her test for ease of setup, overall weight, interior roominess and compact size. After sleeping through a night of light rain, she was happy with how the Trekker Tent performed but didn’t stop there: she just had to give it the hose test! Of course, it passed that test, too, and we’re happy with how well our tent compares with the Duplex. But, don’t take our word for it, check out her video and subscribe to her Homemade Wanderlust page for more high-quality videos about backpacking, thru-hiking, and just plain enjoying life!
We are excited to announce our lightest tent yet. 2 lbs and 7.5 feet long so you can fit with your gear, includes an awning. On sale for the next 3 days, just $19.95. For this reduced price we would really like your feedback on this new tent.
While most tents are waterproof, all tents can have condensation. In the worst conditions condensation can be so bad that you may think your tent is leaking even when it is not raining outside. Here are some important tips to reduce or eliminate condensation on your backpacking trip.
#1: DON’T Quit Breathing. The average person breathes out an entire pint of water each night while sleeping, while quitting breathing would do more than all the remaining tips combined to reduce tent condensation we don’t recommend it. Keep breathing!
The following tips are in no particular order, and you may find one works better than the others. If you have your own tips please share them in the comments below.
Location, Location, Location
Yes picking the right tent location can greatly reduce condensation! Here are some locations that are better and some that are worse.
Pick a location that is at least 50 feet from standing water, lake or river.
Don’t set up your tent on living matter (Green grass is green because it is wet).
Set up under trees, not in an open field (condensation is considerably less in the trees and the ground is often dryer, also branches overhead can act as a protective layer and an alternate surface for moisture in the air to condense onto).
Ventilation
Set your tent up so that any breeze is blowing at the door or the vents, this will increase ventilation.
Leave the outer door open; only close it if it starts raining.
Make sure vents are open.
Don’t Add Water
Many people will keep their wet gear inside their tent with them at night, Don’t do this!
Get all wet gear, socks, shoes, and packs out of the tent. You should consider bringing a small tarp or another place to leave wet gear and items, drying them in you tent at night will add to condensation, and will not likely dry any of your gear.
Try a Waterproofing Spray
Many Waterproofing sprays will repel water. Lightly spray both the outside and inside of the tent with a waterproofing spray and you may notice a difference in how the water collects on the inside tent wall. You can get a can of waterproofing spray at Walmart for around $5.
Share your own tips below for reducing tent condensation below.
“How do you roll your backpacking tent so small it is smaller than a kids football in under 2 minutes”?
Well, after being asked many times, we finally decided it was time to write a blog on how we fold our trekking pole backpacking tents. After folding thousands of tents we finally came up with what we consider the right way to fold a tent (don’t laugh – many things are obvious in hindsight – but it really did take us weeks of packing tents before we found just the right method that works with almost all backpacking tents). We roll and bag every tent just before we ship it, so we consider ourselves experts in the field. So here it is the backpacking tent packing secrets that your scoutmaster forgot to tell you:
Step 1: Lay your backpacking tent flat with the tent floor on the ground and all cords and fabric laying within the four corners of the tent floor.
Step 2: Fold the edges inward so that all cords and fabric are contained within the tent floor.
Step 3: Fold in one more time.
Step 3 B: This leaves you with a long flat tent with all loose fabric tucked inside the tent.
Step 4: Now fold edges inward again. This further contains all loose parts of the tent so nothing can come out when rolling the tent.
Step 5: Now fold the edges together again creating a square.
Step 6: Finally fold the edges together one more time.
Step 6 B: Forming a small rectangle.
Step 7: Roll or fold the rectangle up and tie with a piece of cloth.
Step 7 B: Tie with a piece of cloth.
Bag the tent.
and compare to a kids football.
There it is, how we roll almost every tent before we bag it and ship it to you.
Laugh all you want, but it took us years to become experts in the tent rolling field. In our experience, if you skip any of the above steps, instead of a neatly rolled backpacking tent that is a pleasure to unroll and use next time you go camping, you will end up with a wadded up ball with strings and fabric sticking out all over the place, that won’t fit back in its bag and is a tangled mess next time you go to use your tent.
Brandyn from Denver Used our trekking pole backpacking tent this last weekend camping in the Rockies and sent us some photos and posted this review:
“I just wanted to let you know I received the tent and it is awesome. I attached some pics of my camping trip this weekend in the Denver foothills. It kept me comfortable in 25 mph wind and an 11 degree, snow stormy night. I also can’t believe how much weight it cut from my pack. Thank you.”
Thank You Brandyn, we love the pictures and the positive feedback!
Backpacking Tent works for winter camping in the Rockies.
Some pictures taken by a family who loves our Hammock rain fly and ultra backpacking tent. They set it up last weekend at two rivers park where the Columbia River and the Snake River meet. The water and park look great. These pictures are awesome because they show three of the 100 possible uses of the Trekker Shelter Tent 2. they show it as an emergency shelter, a tent over a hammock, and a hammock rain fly. I love the way they set up the tent over the hammock, it looks like it would provide quite a bit of protection from the wind and rain and keep you warmer even in a Hammock.
One of our customers sent us some pictures of our tents in the Eagle Caps in Oregon. Thank you much for the photos! These images of our 2 person backpacking tent and backpacking rain fly with ground cover were taken on the edge of Mirror lake which is in the shadow of the Eagle Cap peak. This is a beautiful wilderness area and about a 7 mile hike in from two pan trail head. What a great part of the world to explore and hike, but don’t forget to bring along one of our quality backpacking tents.
Backpacking Tent
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