The Best Camping Tents in Canada

Want a tent that can do a little bit of everything, and does everything well? The Nemo Aurora branches comfort with lightweight construction, for a 3-season tent that is versatile for whatever outdoor adventure you are on.

The Nemo Aurora features a floor with dimensions is 2.23m x 1.32m (or 7’3” x 4’3”) making it a solidly sized tent for two people. With an inner height of 1.12m (or 3’8” tall) and vertical walls for improved headspace, the Aurora has ample space for two people to sleep or hang out inside, while still being compact. With two doors and a vestibule on each side, the Nemo Aurora has excellent versatility and livability, as well as ample space to store any gear you have brought along. When packed, the Aurora is 18x58cm, and altogether weighs 2.47kg, however, if you pack the Aurora minimally – just the tent, poles, and the minimum number of pegs and guylines – the Aurora only weighs 2.08kg. While not ultralight by any means, this tent is still perfectly usable on a backpacking trip.

Set up of the Aurora will be easy, albeit slightly different due to the Aurora’s tent pole design, which is designed to improve the space inside the tent with more vertical walls. The Aurora features an internal tent composed primarily of mesh, with a rainfly and included tent footprint to improve longevity and waterproofness of the floor of the tent. Unfortunately, we are not sure if you can set up the rainfly first – but judging from the setup, we doubt that this option will be available, due to how the poles contour to the inner mesh tent. Aurora sells Pawprint, a snap-in floor liner that can easily be set up in the Aurora and protects the tent from your pet’s nails.

The Aurora handles poor weather well, with 68D Polyester for the fly and floor of the tent, which can effectively handle rain up until its saturation point. The Aurora’s frame is sturdy and can handle winds, and a properly guy-lined rainfly can cut the wind, stopping gusts of wind from crashing into the vertical sidewalls. One user raved about the quality of the rainfly keeping heat inside the tent, which combined with effective ventilation options make the tent an effective 3 season tent.

Overall, users seem to really enjoy using the Nemo Aurora 2p tent for both car camping and backpacking. Users appreciate the tent’s interior size and headroom while being a versatile tent that they can use for most situations. However, there are some flaws that one should consider before purchasing the Nemo Aurora. One is the door features a single zipper, which makes opening and closing the door more finicky than it needs to be. One user complained about a lack of guy line required to guy out the tent properly in windier conditions. The final knock against this tent is the overall weight: as a tent that is versatile for most uses, the tent is on the heavier side of backpacking tents, and if this is your primary purpose, you may want to look to shed some weight with a different tent. However, for a versatile tent, you can do a little bit of everything with, we highly recommend the Nemo Aurora. Need to go a little bigger? The Aurora is also available at a 3p option.

While a 3-person tent seems like an awkward number of people to accommodate, these tents can be some of the most versatile, with an ideal size for couples who bring their dogs along or want a little bit of extra room. While there are thousands of tents available at this size and price range, the MSR Elixir 3 is a durable, dependable tent from one of the best tent makers around.

When set up, the Elixir 3 is 3.34m by 2.13 m (or 10’ by 7’), with an internal tent size of 1.72m by 2.13m (or 5’6” by 7”). The Elixir 3 is a low-profile tent, with only a little over 1 meter of height (or 3’4”), so you will need to crouch and shimmy to get around. With its floor area that is bigger than many other 3p tents and a decent amount of headroom thanks to its dome-like construction, you can easily squeeze 3-medium size people inside without having to worry about elbowing each other in your sleep. The Elixir 3 does have double doors, each with its own vestibule, so getting in and out is easy, and each vestibule can keep your bag or your gear dry and out of sight. The tent weighs 3.2kg (7.1 lb) and its dimensions are 20” x 8” (51 x 20 cm), so while this tent is okay for backpacking, it is not the best choice either.

Set up of the Elixir 3 is very fast and easy, made easier with colour coding of poles, clipping and webbing. When setting up the tent, you can opt to set up the tent entirely, or for a fast-packing option, you can skip the mesh interior, and set up with just the footprint, poles, and rainfly (although knowing Canada’s mosquitos in the summer, you will not see us doing this anytime soon). One downside is that if you do wish to set up the full tent, you cannot set up the rainfly first, which may put a little bit of pressure on if it is looking like it is starting to rain, but ultimately, setting this tent up in 5-10 minutes is not out of the question.

The Elixir 3 features a waterproof fly of 68D Polyester, with a bathtub floor constructed of 70-denier nylon to fight the weather. While earlier versions of the Elixir 3 had some issues with their waterproofing (around 2018-2019), MSR has since amended this issue, and the result is a very capable 3-season tent that can handle downpour and strong winds. Due to its dome-like construction, winds will pass above the tent, instead of slamming into the side of the tent. The vestibules are designed with rain gutters to prevent the buildup of water rushing in when you open the tent. One of the stronger aspects of this tent is the ventilation, which will allow for a breeze to help cool you off in hot weather and can reduce condensation, keeping your tent cozy.

Users seem to like a range of factors: how easy the tent is to set up, the weather resistance, and the comfort due to the increased headroom & impressive ventilation. However, there are a few issues – the poles are not the most durable, and some people have had issues with leaks, while others have stayed bone dry (we wonder if this is entirely to do with the change in the waterproofing MSR made recently). The Elixir 3 is a very livable tent that can last years if treated right. If you need more room for your gear, MSR sells a compatible Gear Shed, a modular storage tent that can effectively double your storage space. If you are looking for something lighter, MSR’s Mutha Hubba NX3 tent has a comparable size with reduced weight. Finally, there are also 2 and 4 person versions of the Elixir.

One of my worst camping experiences in terms of weather was not rainy, windy, or snowy conditions – but camping at a music festival where the early morning temperatures pushed well above 30 C each morning, making the tent feel like a sauna at the crack of dawn. For a budget tent that can handle most weather – including stifling hot days – we recommend the Coleman Sundome, a unique 4-person tent that keeps the sun out – great for people who like to sleep in.

The 4-person Sundome features a size of 2.7m by 2.1m (9’ by 7’), which is 1.5m tall (4’11”) tall, making it a solid size for smaller groups of people, however, you will have little room for gear or elbows with 4 people. With one door and no vestibule (only a slight awning over the door), ultimately this tent will fair better as a roomy 2-person than trying to sleep 4, as people may need to crawl over each other if they need to use the bathroom at night. The Sundown comes in at 4.64kg (or 10.22 lbs), making it way too heavy to backpack comfortably with, however as a car camping tent, the Sundome is a great choice.

Setup of the Sundome is incredibly easy, due to its pretty standard dome design. The poles of the Sundome are fibreglass, with aluminum tent pegs, the latter of which users complained about being flimsy. The Sundome features a large, bathtub-style floor that keeps rain out, but no footprint, which could be necessary if you are camping outside of designed campgrounds or in the rain for longer periods. The Sundome’s Weathertec system overall does a good job of keeping the tent dry and leakproof, and the frame has been tested to withstand winds up to 35 mph, meaning this is a powerhouse tent at its price point. However, the minimalistic rainfly does not instill confidence for trips in longer bouts of bad weather.

With its set of features and limitations, the Coleman Sundome is an optimal backyard or car camping tent, however, it would not fare extremely well outside of these uses. It seems that these uses will make the best use of the Sundome’s main selling point, its Dark Room technology. Blocking up to 90% of sunlight, this tent keeps cool and dark into the day, letting users sleep to their heart’s content. During the daytime in sunlight, the Dark room keeps most of the heat out while letting enough light in to find your charger or change clothes without additional light. If you have access to power at your campsite of choice, the Sundome has an e-port so you can camp without sacrificing the luxuries of electricity.

Users overall really like the Sundome as a well-made tent for a cheap price. While there are some sacrifices one makes when opting for the 4-person SunDome (like a second door or vestibules), users have found that the tent is very inexpensive for the quality they get. The Sundome is also available in a 6-person model if you need to fit more people inside, and Coleman is adding their Dark Room technology onto other tents, like their 6-person Carlsbad tent, which features a mesh vestibule.

Camping can be a great way to get out and spend time with friends and family. However, sometimes you will not want to share tight quarters with your friends or family.  If you are looking for a large tent that you can share with many, Wenzel’s Klondike is a giant tent that features a screen room and can be the hub of your next camping adventure.

The Klondike 8 is huge – measuring approximately 4.9m x 3.4m (or 16’ x 11’) altogether. Even your taller friends and family members will likely have headroom, with an interior height of almost 2m (or 6’6”). The Klondike is comprised of 2 areas: a large main tent, and a screen room that features zip-up walls that adds either extra camping space or a covered area to hang out in during the day. A tent of this size is going to weigh quite a lot, and at 13.5kg (or 29.7 pounds), you will not want to carry this tent very far, however for car camping setups, the Klondike can house or entertain lots of people at once.

Set up of the Klondike tent seems to be more of a process than smaller tents, with large amounts of material and many tent poles that are required for set up. While single-person setup will not be impossible – setting up this tent seems more like a 2+ person job, so it is a good thing the Wenzel Klondike is made for several people. Users have complained about the setup of this tent, and like any tent, we recommend setting up the Klondike near your home first, which will let you get a feel for the tent. Another thing users have complained about is the stability of the tent: some users having poles breaking, while others question the stability in high winds.

The tent features a rainfly that covers the full mesh roof, as well as window and door covers for the mesh, so you do not need to worry about items (or people) in the screen room getting wet in the weather. Users have had success keeping the weather out of this tent after weatherproofing the tent and seems, however not everyone will be happy doing extra work on a brand-new tent they had just bought.

Users seem to generally like a lot of factors about the Wenzel Klondike, primarily for its size and set up with a full-screen room. For families or glampers, the Wenzel Klondike is a fantastic choice for the sheer versatility and floor space of the Klondike. But with many large tents, there are drawbacks. Users overall find setup time consuming and occasionally frustrating, and the poles do not seem to be sturdy enough overall.

Tent setup is a fact of camp life. Many companies have tried to reduce set up time by creating so-called “instant tents,” which set up quickly due to an all-in-one construction. However, few instant tents really stand up to their counterparts, due to intricate setups with more room for failure, combined with quite a lot of bulk and weight. On one campout, I recall a friend struggling with putting their instant tent away – long after everyone else had taken down their campsites and left. However, Gazelle’s T4 Hub tent is an impressive instant tent that combines ease of use with a size and construction that makes it perfect for camping in all kinds of conditions.

The Gazelle T4 Hub tent is a piece of quality construction. Users remarked about the high quality of the parts and materials, as well as the easy-to-use system that allows users to set up and take down this tent in minutes. In only minutes, the Gazelle T4 expands to its true size – a large 2.43m by 2.43m (or 8’ by 8’) tent that can accommodate up to 4 campers that you will not need to crouch inside. Takedown is easy too.

The Gazelle T4 features double doors as well as several windows, all of which feature heavy-duty Y2K zippers that you do not need to worry about getting caught. The roof to the tent is a mesh material, that allows campers to look above into the stars on clear nights. If the weather is less certain, the additional rain fly takes very little time setting up on top of the tent.

Some instant tents do not handle adverse weather conditions well, but the Gazelle takes anything you throw at it in stride, with users reporting effective resistance to rain, wind and even snow. The bottom of the tent is a bathtub-style floor that attaches via Velcro and provides protection from up to 2 to 3 inches off of the ground. One important note is that this tent does not include a footprint, which is something you should consider adding if rain is in the forecast.

Users overall were ecstatic using this tent, as it really makes camping that much easier. Users generally recognized the packed size and overall weight as a drawback, since while packed the tent is still close to 6 feet long and 30 pounds, making it less than ideal to transport for users with a smaller vehicle.

One downside is that where the inner tent poles touch the ground, there is a 2-inch opening that the Velcro does not do much to cover, meaning that this tent is not totally insect-proof. Users with mobility issues were not fans of the doors, which are triangular-shaped and do not go all the way to the ground.

While it is on the pricier side of things, there was no other instant tent that impressed us as much as the Gazelle T4.  For those who want to kick it up a notch, Gazelle offers the T4 Plus, which doubles the space and features an additional area that you can use for extra campers to sleep, storage, or even to sit in if the weather turns bad.

The Naturehike Star River is essentially a clone of the Big Agnes Copper Spur, one of the Ultralight community’s favourite free-standing tents. This tent is a worthy addition to any backpacker’s gear, due to its surprisingly strong performance and budget price – which comes important for first-time backpackers since backpacking gear can be quite expensive overall.

The Star River is a compact tent, with inner dimensions that are 2.15m x 1.35m (7’ x 4’5”), and 1.1m (3’7”) tall, making it a cozy 2p tent that might be a little small for taller people. The Star River is a two-door tent, with vestibules on each side that stretch an additional 60cm / 23.6”, which should be enough for your pack to fit under. This compact size translates excellently to backpacking, as the Star River squeezes into a very packable 15cm x 45cm (5.9” x 17.7”) package in the stuff sack and weighs 2.1kg (4.6 lb). This weight is ultimately too much for ultralight standards, but for an average weekend backpacking trip means you can shave pounds off your pack weight.

Set up of the Star River is not difficult, albeit maybe a little awkward at first in part due to its all-in-one pole construction and uneven height. The Star River comes with a footprint, rain cover and inner mesh tent, and we appreciate that for such an inexpensive tent you get all the components.  When setting up the Star River, you can choose to set up the inner tent first, the rainfly first, or even fast camp without the inner tent.

This Naturehike tent is constructed from 20D Nylon, which is a very lightweight and durable material. This tent seems to have solid waterproofing, with many users reporting the tent held up against rain they encountered. The dome-shaped construction of this tent makes it slightly better in the wind than other Naturehike tents, however, some of the loose fabric may blow around in the wind and be quite loud. If there is one disadvantage to this tent is the tent’s ventilation; many users have reported a fair amount of condensation built up after a night in this tent. For this reason, I do not think this tent is an effective 4-season tent for Canadians, despite being listed as a 4-season.

Users seem generally impressed by the quality of this tent for its price. While this tent is a clone, which typically has a connotation of poor quality, this tent surpasses all expectations and is well constructed with durable materials. While certain big-name tents are becoming harder and harder to find, the fact that Naturehike makes affordable and decently durable versions of some such tents are really handy for plenty of Canadian backpackers. However, users questioned the ventilation and durability of this tent, making it a great beginner tent, but not the end-all, be-all backpacking tents. For even less weight at a slightly cheaper price, Naturehike offers the Cloud Up 2p tent, however, some comfort will be sacrificed by opting for this tent.

If long days on the trail are in the forecast for your summer, you may want to consider going ultralight. If you have been backpacking before, chances are you have had that time you overpacked, and your scenic trek through Canada’s mountains and forests were weighed down by a heavy backpack. If you are planning to be light for your next trip, a good place to start is your tent, which in most instances will be one of the heaviest things in your pack. Our favourite Ultralight tent for Canadians is Drop + Dan Durston X-Mid tent.

How light are we talking? The 1p X-Mid comes in at 791 grams, or approximately 1.75 pounds. This ultralightweight is in part thanks to the tent’s non-freestanding design, using common trekking poles (not included) in lieu of relatively heavy tent poles. The 1p X-Mid features an outer tent and an inner tent that lays diagonally that is 71 cm (or 28” across) with a floor area of just 16.8 square feet. meaning it is just big enough for an inflatable sleeping mat and a sleeping bag. However, there is a sizable amount of vestibule room, excellent for your backpack and any other amount of gear you packed along.

In terms of setup, the Drop X-Mid is different, but not hard to set up compared to more traditional tents. You can set either the inner tent or the exterior tent up independently if you wish, but combining them is recommended. After steaking out the tent, you prop the two components with your trekking poles, which stand in as a lightweight alternative to additional tent poles. While not difficult to set up, the tent might need some practice to set up this tent optimally – one user claiming “…there is a learning curve to reach enlightenment” with the Drop X-Mid.

Users love the ultralight 1p X-Mid for its weight, large vestibule space and cozy interior with a decent amount of space. Overall, users do not have a lot they did not like about this tent – if anything, the lightweight material requires some babying, and users may not like a trekking pole tent and prefer something free-standing. Drop also sells an ultralight 2-person shelter.

There is a lot of weather you may experience when camping, from whipping winds, storm showers, or snow – sometimes all on the same trip. While for many, camping is a summer activity, some people enjoy camping year long. If you are looking for a tent you can take out year-round, we recommend the Nemo Kunai– a versatile tent that is well suited for both mountaineering and backpacking.

The Kunai is a 2-person tent with dimensions of 2.16m by 1.30 m (or 7’1” by 4’3”) and a height of 1.07m (or 3’6”), making it a roomy tent for one with the capability to house two people. With only one door and a single vestibule, this tent lacks some extra features or storage space. While the Kunai does not seem to be that impressive in comparison to other 3-season tents, the added strength and improved heat retention do add a considerable amount of weight. With a max weight of 2.2 kg, (or 4.85 pounds), this tent is comparatively lightweight for a free-standing tent that is designed for 4-season use.

While most modern tents feature an inner tent that features a decent proportion of mesh and an outer tent made up of water- and wind-proof material, the Nemo features a fully sealed inner tent, which will improve heat retention, making it a great choice in cold weather. Ventilation is an issue with many  4-season tents, due to not enough ventilation during hot summer nights and too much on a cold winter night. To alleviate this issue, the inner tent of the Kunai features large ventilation windows that you can adjust to your liking. It is suggested you ensure some degree of ventilation, as you may wake up to condensation inside the tent without it.

Set up of the Nemo Kunai is easy and similar to most dome-style tents. One drawback to set up is that you cannot set the Nemo Kunai with the rainfly first, which while you may be able to get the rainfly on quickly after, in storm conditions, this amount of time might be enough to drench the tent. Additionally, the Kunai does not come with a footprint, which for a 4-season tent, is a needed component.

Users seem overall happy using the Kunai as a lightweight tent for outdoor adventures for all seasons. One flaw is the size: two larger people may find the tent cramped, and that is before you account for gear that two hikers or mountaineers might bring along. The tent is also on the short side, so expect to crawl in and out. The tent did lose points in terms of size but can be an effective 1 person tent. However, for effective all-weather performance, we think the Kunai performs admirably.

You can go car camping, where you pack your gear into the back of your car and go, or go truck camping and camp on top of your truck! Camping out the back of your truck has a lot of benefits: no searching for a flat area with no rocks or roots, getting off the ground to avoid water seeping in, and smart use of your available space. Some tents designed to go on your vehicle can cost lots of money, upwards of thousands of dollars, but our choice – the Napier Backroadz Truck Tent – is a more budget-friendly version that can help you get an amazing night’s sleep from the comfort of the box of your truck.

The Backroadz Truck Tent comes in 5 different sizes for different tent sizes and truck boxes, so you can get a tent perfect for your use and what truck you have (check a size breakdown on the Napier Outdoors website). The Backroadz tent fully takes up your trucks’ box, making a roomy tent with a tall ceiling between 58 – 62” tall. Inside, a gear loft, gear pocket and a lantern holder round out the pockets inside the tent.

Set up of the Backroadz tent is a process, and best suited for two people, but once you get the gist of setting up, every subsequent setup will be easier. Laying down the base tent and attaching the bottom to the truck box via straps seem to be one part that first-time users may struggle with. However, colour-coded poles and sleeves help make set up a breeze. Due to the design of the Backroadz tent, things like vestibules and tent footprints become unnecessary – you can store any gear in your truck and keep it locked. The tent features a rainfly, as well as several mesh windows that feature storm flaps so you can be comfortable on both hot and rainy days.

Users who have used the Napier Backroadz truck tent typically really enjoyed the level of comfort and protection this tent provides. As a camping tent that requires little forethought into setup, this tent succeeds for spontaneous campers with a pickup truck. Set up is a little cumbersome, but not difficult if you have two people, but there does seem to be more fiddly with a setup than other tents. One negative a user brought up was the door system, which requires both opening the door and screen every time – making entrance and exits a little finicky. Overall, trunk enthusiasts should look into Napier’s line of truck tents, which make camping with a pickup a simple task.