Tunnel Tents

What a tunnel tent is

A tunnel tent is held up by two or more hoops in a row, with the fabric stretched between them. The walls rise almost straight, so more of the floor is usable than in a dome of the same weight, and the tent can be long enough for a porch or living hall. The catch is that a tunnel tent does not stand on its own: it needs pegging out at both ends before it takes shape.

Ultralight, hall, family or hot tent: which tunnel tent

• Ultralight tunnel tents for one to three people. The Xingyun 2 weighs about 1.6kg and the three-person Opalus about 2.7kg. See backpacking and trekking tents.
• Tunnel tents with a hall, sold as "one room, one hall": a bedroom at one end and covered living space at the other. See tents with a porch.
• Family tunnel tents with two bedrooms and a living area. See two and three room tents.
• Tunnel hot tents, with a stove jack and a snow skirt. See hot tents with a stove jack.
• Automatic tunnel tents such as the Naturehike Village 6.0, which pitches on a ridge frame. See instant and automatic tents.

Pegs, guy lines and pitching to the wind

Everything about a tunnel tent depends on its pegs. Peg the back end first, pull the tent out tight, then peg the front, so the hoops stand straight and the fabric is taut. Pitch with the low back end into the wind, so it slips over the top rather than pushing on the side, and peg out every guy line. On soft or stony ground, take pegs made for it.

What the waterproof rating means on a tunnel 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 tunnel tent left up for days. The groundsheet is often rated higher, because you kneel and lie on it. The three-person Opalus here has a 4,000mm flysheet. Taped seams matter as much as the number. Shop by rating: to 2,000mm, to 3,000mm and 5,000mm and over.

Questions people ask about tunnel tents

Can a tunnel tent stand without pegs?

No. It stands only when it is pegged out at both ends, so on hard or stony ground bring pegs made for it.

Which tunnel 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.

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.

More to look at

• Dome tents
• Two and three room tents
• Tents with a porch
• Backpacking and trekking tents
• Tent pegs
• Guy lines
• Guide: Air tents or pole tents
• Guide: How to pitch a tent, and pitching in wind and rain