Tents
Shelters vary drastically in type, function and weight. The lighest shelters are bivouac ("bivy") sacks and tarps, while free standing tents typically represent the heaviest type of shelter (See Graph Below). Bivy sacks and tarps provide minimum shelter while a tent typically provides better shelter and insect protection.
* Floor area estimated at 12.5 square feet for Bivy Sacks
** Tarp floor area estmated at 50% of the tarp, weight does not include ground tarp, line or poles
Tent Comparision Chart
(download pdf, 404 kB)
| Manufacturer/ model | Price | sleeping capacity | weight (oz.) | floor area (sq.ft.) | vestibule area (sq.ft.) | free standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 | $300 | 1 | 35 | 22 | 5 | Yes |
| MSR Carbon Flex | $450 | 1 | 42 | 17 | 9.5 | No |
| Mountain Hardware Sprite 1 | $170 | 1 | 45 | 17.5 | 5 | No |
| MSR Hubba HP Tent | $350 | 1 | 48 | 17 | 9.5 | Yes |
| The North Face Mica | $229 | 1 | 50 | 18 | 6 | Yes |
| Marmot EOS 1P Tent | $225 | 1 | 51 | 22.8 | 6 | Yes |
| REI Quarter Dome T1 | $199 | 1 | 52 | 14.6 | 6.2 | Yes |
| MSR Huba Tent | $250 | 1 | 54 | 17 | 9.5 | Yes |
| MSR Skinny One | $200 | 1 | 57 | 15 | 5 | No |
| GoLite Utopia Shelter | $275 | 2 | 42 | 43 | 0 | Yes |
| Integral Design Siltarp (8'x5') | $75 | 2 | 7 | 40 | 0 | No |
| MSR E-Wing Shelter | $79 | 2 | 7 | 44 | 0 | No |
| Integral Design Siltarp (8'x10') | $145 | 2 | 14 | 80 | 0 | No |
| Integral Design Siltarp (9'x5') | $170 | 2 | 16.5 | 45 | 0 | No |
| GoLite Shangri-La Shelter | $175 | 2 | 29 | 49 | 6+6 | No |
| MSR E-Bivy | $80 | 1 | 10 | N/A | 0 | No |
| REI Minimalist Bivy | $90 | 1 | 15 | N/A | 0 | No |
| Integral Design Micro Bivy E-vent | $210 | 1 | 18.5 | N/A | 0 | No |
| Outdoor Research Micro Night Bivy | $129 | 1 | 19 | N/A | 0 | No |
| Black Diamond Lightsabre Bivy | $200 | 1 | 26 | N/A | 0 | No |
| Integral Design Unishelter Ex Bivy | $320 | 1 | 31 | N/A | 0 | No |
The shelters above represent a small sample of the available shelters.
