How To Choose A Tent

From the alpine ledge to summer campsites, the right tent can make or break your trip. Whether you're chasing backcountry views or camping by the lake, each tent is designed with a different kind of adventure in mind. This guide helps you choose the shelter that best suits your environment and travel style. 

How to Choose the Right Tent 

When choosing a tent, think about: 

Activity type and season: Are you heading into the alpine, hiking from hut to hut, or driving to a DOC campsite? Alpine tents are built for extreme weather and exposure with more robust materials and pole sets. Hike tents balance weight and protection, while camp tents prioritise comfort and space. Consider your location and the weather – some locations may require an alpine or four-season tent, even in summer, while warmer or drier climates may be okay with a two or three-season tent even during winter. 

Capacity and layout: How many people are you sleeping? Do you need space for gear, pets, or extra headroom? Check internal floor space, vestibule size, peak height, and the number of people the tent sleeps before you choose. 

Shape: Do you need a tent which will hold up in strong winds, or is something lightweight or easy to set up your priority? For a good balance of weight, simplicity, and wind protection, tunnel shapes are a great option – they perform well in strong winds due to their aerodynamic shape. Pyramid shaped tents that pitch using trekking poles are the most lightweight and compact, and the steep walls are effective at shedding wind and rain. The easiest tent shape to pitch is the dome, and they’re also free-standing so are the most manoeuvrable and a good option when camping on hard or rocky ground. Geodesic domes are similar to domes, but they have more poles that cross over each other to provide additional strength. 

Packed weight and size: If you’re carrying your tent on your back, every gram counts. Look for lightweight options with a small packed volume, or tents which are pitched with your own trekking poles. You can also split the weight of your tent with a hiking partner by dividing the fly, inner and tent poles. For car camping, packed size matters less—comfort and space take priority. 

What does it all mean? 

Activity and weather conditions 

Think about the sort of activity and climate you’ll most use your tent for. If it’s likely to be warmer multi-day hiking trips, any of the three-season tents are good options. For car camping, the Solstice or Equinox are both good choices. 

Alternatively, for colder winter conditions where snow is on the forecast, choose a four-season tent – their geodesic design provides protection against both heavy snow and high winds. 

Size 

Choose a tent that will sleep the minimum number of people you need it to. Also consider the size of your sleeping mat and whether you require additional space for gear inside the tent. If you need extra room, opt for one with a larger floor plan size, like the Equinox, Solstice, Hemisphere, or Aspiring. If saving space and weight is important, the Astral – pitched with trekking poles – is your best bet.  

Ease of use 

If you’re just starting out with overnight hikes and camping trips, the Polaris or Apollo are simple to pitch thanks to the colour-coded webbing and dome shape, plus they strike a good balance of value and performance.

Most of our tents are factory seam-sealed, meaning they’re already water resistant and are ready to pitch without any additional work. However, the Microlight, Olympus, and Minaret tents aren’t factory seam-sealed so you’ll need to ensure you do this yourself before your trip. You can follow the instructions in How to seam seal your Macpac tent.