Best tents: From the 'Rolls Royce' of outdoor kit, to a high-end hammock

The Independent spoke to three Instagram adventurers across the globe to find the best tents possible

New York

Thursday 09 January 2020 18:27 EST

(Warbonnet Outdoors)

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Camping in the great outdoors can be one of life's great adventures - cooking over a fire underneath the stars before cosying up under canvas.

But the quality and suitability of your tent can make or break the experience.

The Independent spoke to some global Instagram adventurers about their all-time favorite tents, that'll stand up to harsh conditions, as well as the test of time.

Kayaker Thomas Mogenson recommends Hilleberg's Allak, which he calls the 'Rolls Royce of tents' ($1070)

Thomas Mogenson said: “Hilleberg is a Swedish tentmaker that only focuses in tents and tarps. The tents are not cheap, but in this world, you often get what you pay for. They make tents for any occasion, from lightweight and family tents to hard core expedition tents, that can take on any weather condition.

"As a kayak paddler, I personally recommend the freestanding tents. These tents allow you to camp on almost every type of ground. You can not always count on a grass mat or a sandy beach when you are paddling in a rocky archipelago. With a freestanding tent, it is possible to even tent directly on the rocks. I use primary two models of Hilleberg. The Hilleberg Soulo 1p for single use and the Hilleberg Allak 2p for two people. Those are light 4-seasons tents, but not in the heavy expedition class. These two tents are also light enough to fit in a backpack.”

Allak 2’s features:

A pole pitching system with an inner and outer tent and two exits
Room for 2 people
Weather versatile: good for camping in all seasons
Lightweight, good for backpackers

Soulo features:

Freestanding, can be pitched with ease nearly anywhere.
Room for one person.
Weather versatile: good for camping in all seasons

Low weight, high strength and durability.

Jacob of Local Adventurer recommends the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2 Backpacking Tent, which they’ve had for over 6 years ($404)

“It's been really reliable and amazing for backpacking. We selected it because of its weight, coming in at 3 lb 2 oz, and size, packing down to 5.5 x 17.5 inches. If we're car camping, we usually bring a large heavier tent, but if there is any hiking involved to get to our site, then the Big Agnes always comes with us. The newer one is a tad lighter and they even have one with lights built into the tent.” Buy here

Features:

Made from nylon fabric
Can fit up to 3 people
Lightweight, only 2 lbs 12 oz
3 seasons, not recommended for winter use.

Finn Stillerud of Scandinature recommends the Ridgerunner Hammock from Warbonnet Outdoors ($105)

OK, so it's not a traditional tent but it comes highly recommended for sleeping outdoors. The hammock comes with additional insulation, netting, and storage space, essentially functioning as a smaller, suspended tent. “The Ridgerunner hammock from Warbonnet Outdoors is a very comfortable hammock for year round camping - high quality, smart storage pockets, easy to set up and two choices for bottom insulation (sleeping pad or underquilt) that both work 100% without pesky fiddling.” Buy here