Best Ground Tents For 2022 (15 Tents In Comparison)

In this article we would like to introduce you to the best ground tents for the camping season 2022. We were able to extensively test all of the tents presented here over the course of the year. This gave us a good overview of the services, the advantages, but also the disadvantages of the individual tents described here.

Why you can rely on our “tent comparison”: We have been enthusiastic camping fans for many years. We often go camping with our roof top tents, but from time to time we also use normal ground tents. That is why we are always on the lookout for the latest products on the camping and outdoor market.

Last year we were able to test many different ground tents, either we bought them new or we could borrow the various tents from friends and test them extensively.

So if you are looking for a new ground tent for your next camping trip, you can rely on our reviews.

In our report, we compared the 15 best-selling ground tests. The test you can find here also gives you a rough guide to the price. Since the prices can sometimes change daily, we can only state the prices here that we found on the day of our research. So it can be that the price has either decreased or increased.

Which shops can we recommend?

We can recommend that you buy directly from the manufacturer. Most tent manufacturers now have their own online shops where you can buy tents and other camping equipment directly. This way you can avoid further middlemen who would make the price more expensive.

We have linked all of our ground tents presented here directly to the manufacturer’s online shops.

This also allows you to better check the current price.

What questions should you ask yourself before buying a tent, and what features should your new tent have?

Suitable for which season

Everyone has a different sensation of cold. For example, women freeze faster than men. This is because a man’s body is statistically 40% muscle (muscles produce heat), while a woman’s body has only 15 to 25% muscle mass. The individual sensitivity to cold also depends on the thickness of the subcutaneous fat, blood pressure and state of health. Plus, you can actually get used to the cold. For example, people from Iceland are significantly less sensitive to cold than people from Egypt. The perception of cold is trained depending on the environment and develops different tolerance limits.

To be sure not to freeze while camping, all you really need to do is go to the nearest outdoor shop you can trust. Ideally, this should be the small shop in the area – with sellers or owners who actually use their items themselves. And that outside on the mountain and not in the city! Otherwise we cannot guarantee that in the end you will not just spend a lot of money only to shiver to sleep afterwards. But what special requirements do I have on the material when I go camping at temperatures around freezing point? And does it always have to be expensive and heavy Himalayan expedition equipment?

100% suitable for camping at temperatures around freezing point and lower is only a 4-season tent. However, this is significantly heavier and more expensive than comparable summer models. However, if you are also out and about outside of summer, then it should be at least a double-walled 3-season tent. Only in this way does it offer protection from constant rain showers and strong winds. Together with suitable sleeping bags and sleeping mats, such a model can also be absolutely sufficient for winter camping down to 23 ° F.

Size of the tent, number of people

The question of which tent size is sufficient for how many people requires a little more attention than you might think at first glance. For tours that you would like to do as a couple, you should not necessarily rely on the term “2-person tent”. Many manufacturers have a different idea of ​​how much space is needed in the tent per person. Of course, this information is a good indication. But it is definitely worth studying the dimensions of the tent in more detail.

With a tent width of about 130 centimeters or 51 inches, which some 2 person tents offer, there is just enough space to put two sleeping mats of normal size inside. There is only about 10 to 20 centimeters or 4 to 8 inches of space on the side walls, which makes it very cozy in the tent. If the tent has no or only very small additional vestibules, i.e. small space in front of the inner tent, you have to accommodate the equipment at the head or foot end. If you don’t want to sleep shoulder to shoulder with your travel companion at night, you should plan a little more space. In this case, a spacious 2-person tent or a light 3-person tent is certainly a better choice.

In general, when choosing the size of the tent, not only the number of people but also the length of stay is an important aspect that should be taken into account. Does the tent only serve as a place to sleep on a trek, or do you want to spend a two-week holiday in it with several people? If the tent is only used as a place to sleep, the dimensions can be a bit more minimalistic. During a tent holiday on a campsite, the tent serves as a living room and lounge in bad weather. A spacious interior and spacious vestibules are then advantageous. Otherwise, especially when it rains for a long time, the ceiling can fall on your head and the tent residents may quarrel.

Difficulty setting up the tent

Especially newbies often have their problems with this at the beginning. For example, setting up a one-man tent or a tent for 2 people can be a very tricky business. A seemingly small task can quickly take up a lot of time, especially if you’ve never set one up and wind and weather don’t play into your cards. It’s actually not that difficult at all.

We will show you how you can save valuable time when setting up a tent and how you can set up your tent so that you can sleep safely even in wind and weather.

Here you can find a video of how the ” REI Co-op Kingdom 4 Tent ” tent is set up, which we also describe in our tent test.

Used material

The materials in a tent are particularly important. The materials used determine the properties of the tent, as well as its suitability for certain temperature ranges. Here we would like to give you an overview of the most commonly used tent materials.

FABRIC COATED ON BOTH SIDES
ALSO CALLED PVC FABRIC

The carrier fabric is a highly tear-resistant polyester fabric. The carrier fabric, the thickness of the interwoven yarns and the density of the weave give the material its strength. The subsequent PVC coating on both sides protects and refines the carrier fabric. The material does not absorb moisture, is absolutely waterproof, rot-proof and can be washed and cleaned on both sides. We use it in different qualities as a roof and wall material and use it to make our all-season tents. But it is just as suitable for seasonal use. The impermeability of the material can lead to increased condensation. However, you can counteract this by preventing moisture from rising from the ground into the inside of the tent, by using permanent cross ventilation to adjust the inside temperature to the outside temperature, by equipping the tent with an inner canopy or by using a wind screen with ventilation inserts.

EXTERIOR COATED FABRIC
ALSO CALLED TRAILTEX-TOP OR TRAILTEX

These fabrics are lighter than a fabric coated with PVC on both sides. The material achieves its strength through the polyester fabric (carrier fabric). This tent fabric is permeable to water vapor (breathable), which is why the outside coating has a rougher, open-pored surface that requires more time-consuming maintenance. The formation of condensation cannot be avoided, but it is less than with materials coated on both sides with PVC. The moisture settles evenly on the underside of the fabric like a film. Since the underside is not finished with a coating, bacteria can develop into mold stains through cooking or smoking. Regular cleaning is therefore recommended. We mainly use this fabric in travel and seasonal tents, often in combination with fabrics coated on both sides with PVC in the tent roof.

ACRYLIC FABRIC
ALSO CALLED LEACRYLIC FABRIC

A very high quality and highly technical synthetic fabric. Most manufactures only use spinneret-dyed acrylic fabrics, which impress with their feel and their fine, very textile appearance. Spinneret-dyed acrylic fabrics show a very high level of color brilliance in transmitted light, as the yarns / fibers are provided with color pigments throughout. Acrylic fabrics are excellent outdoor textiles. They have a long service life and the necessary resistance to rain, light and temperature fluctuations. The fabrics are impregnated to make them water and oil repellent. That is why we prefer to install them in the walls of seasonal tents. Acrylic fabrics are permeable to water vapor and reduce the formation of condensation. The yarn, which is spun and woven from fibers, looks like cotton fabric, but its properties are in no way comparable. Spinneret-dyed fabrics are not to be confused with yarn-dyed fabrics, in which we do not see an alternative suitable for the camping sector.

POLYESTER FABRIC
ALSO CALLED TEXOLAN

In the production of lightweight tents and the Air-In models, manufactures use different qualities of polyester fabrics: Texolan 30 and Texolan 150 HQ, both of which are dyed fabrics. Their weight per unit area is characteristic, these fabrics are real lightweights. The tightness of these materials is defined by the technical value of the water column; DIN 8936 applies to the construction of awnings in caravanning. Both material qualities by far meet the minimum value defined there for the water column of 2,500 mm. The high density of this fabric is achieved by a silicone layer on the underside of the fabric. We use Texolan 150 HQ in the models of the HQ class (high quality). Texolan 30 has a plain weave, whereas Texolan 150 HQ is made with a particularly resistant ripstop structure. This can be recognized by the reinforced threads woven in at regular intervals in the warp and weft directions. They optically result in a calculation box structure and increase the technical values ​​of the tear strength. These materials are ideal for travel tents. It is not suitable for winter camping because of its moisture absorption, among other things.

Price