What a 1-man tent really fits
The number on a tent's label is the number of sleeping mats that fit side by side on the floor, with nothing else inside. So a 1-man tent holds you, your mat and your sleeping bag. Your rucksack and boots go in the porch, the covered space under the flysheet. If you are tall or like room to sit up and change, look at the 2-man tents: the lightest weigh only a little more.
Trekking, bivvy, pyramid or pop-up
- Trekking and backpacking tents are the biggest group here. They pitch on short poles or your walking poles and pack small enough to strap to a rucksack. See backpacking and trekking tents.
- Bivvy tents are the smallest of all: a low shelter just big enough to lie in.
- Pyramid tents stand on one centre pole, which gives height for little weight and keeps them steady in wind. See pyramid tents.
- Pop-up tents spring open from their bag. They fold to a flat disc, so they suit festivals and the beach better than a long walk. See pop-up tents.
Weight and pack size
Carrying it, weight matters most. The lightest 1-man tents in this range weigh about 0.8kg, and several more come in under 1.5kg. A maker's "minimum weight" leaves out the pegs, guy lines and bag, so what you carry will be a little more.
What the waterproof rating means on a 1-man tent
The rating in millimetres, the hydrostatic head, is the height of a column of water the fabric holds back before it leaks, tested to BS EN ISO 811. About 1,000mm is the lowest rating usually called waterproof, most lightweight flysheets are 1,500mm to 3,000mm, and more is worth having for long wet trips or a 1-man tent left up for days. The groundsheet is often rated higher, because you kneel and lie on it. Taped seams matter as much as the number. Shop by rating: to 2,000mm, to 3,000mm and 5,000mm and over.
Single or double layer
A double-layer tent has a breathable inner tent under a waterproof flysheet. The gap lets the moisture you breathe out escape, so less condensation drips on your sleeping bag, and the flysheet makes the porch. A single-layer tent is one waterproof skin: lighter and quicker to pitch, but damp inside on a cold, still night. Over half of the 1-man tents here are double layer. See double layer and single layer tents.
Questions people ask about 1-man tents
Which 1-man tents are for winter?
A 4-season tent: stronger poles, and a snow skirt round the bottom of the flysheet to stop wind and snow blowing underneath. See 4-season tents, and hot tents with a stove jack for tents that take a stove. Never take a barbecue or a stove without a flue into a tent: carbon monoxide kills. With a hot tent, use its own kind of stove and a carbon monoxide alarm.
Can I pitch a 1-man tent on my own?
Yes. Put a new tent up in the garden before your first trip, so you know how it goes together and that every peg is there.
How long does delivery take?
Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when that tent usually arrives, so check it before ordering for a set date.
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