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I don’t want to waste your time, you are here because you asked the question… What size tent do I need for camping? I’m not going to waste much time here, I’m going to show you the best size tent for a family of every size below. I have a lot to say, so please keep scrolling if you want to read all about my reasoning. If you are just here to to see what tent size is best for your family, check out below! Please, keep reading underneath for more details!
I’m covering many different groups below. Please use the the table of contents I have included for you below to jump to the place you need!
What Size Tent Do I Need For Camping?
Lets get right to the meat of this article. I’m going to recommend some tents below for the different size groups. Whether you are a single person needing a tent or a family of 5, I have something for you below!
Why Trust Us?
My wife and I have been camping basically our entire lives. We camped together before we had kids, needing a 2 person tent. We camped after having our first child for a couple years, we needed a 2-4 person tent. We had our second child and needed a 3-6 person tent. We then had our 3rd child and now need a larger 5-8 person tent. We also have 2 medium sized dogs that come camping with us. We have ran the tent gauntlet and have learned a lot a long the way!
The wife and I still own a two person tent that we use for backpacking or for when we go by ourselves with our friends. We have a lot of experience with tents over the years. We have bought cheap and expensive tents, I think we are finally figuring this thing out. I hope to share this knowledge with you below.
Best Size Camping Tent For One Single Person
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
If you are just one single person you don’t have to spend much on a tent. You probably don’t need a ton of room and it’s going to be light weight and easy to move around. Often times I see one person camping with a standard Coleman 4 person tent. It’s just overkill and kind of hard to put up.
Grab one of the options I’m suggesting to make your life a lot easier. The quick setup and compact size of these packed tents will make you happy you purchased a 1 person tent instead of a generic 4 person dome tent. Lets take a quick look at each tent below.
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx One Person Tent
This is our top choice for a great one person backpacking tent. It has the most features and is the best combination of being compact and roomy. I’m a tall guy, so I usually spend a little more to get a compact tent that is also big enough for me to lay comfortably in. At 7.6 feet long, I can stretch out in this tent. It’s a little pricier but I’m usually willing to spend a little more on a good quality tent.
If you are only camping once or twice a year maybe the budget option is best for you. You can check it out below. Click below to see the price info on Amazon for the ALPS Mountaineering.
Night Cat One Person Tent
This is our choice for best budget option. If you only camp once or twice a year, don’t throw a ton of money away, grab a budget tent like this one. You honestly don’t need anything more than the Night Cat. It has plenty of room, will keep you dry and best of all won’t break the bank.
Click below to see the price of the Night Cat one person tent on Amazon.
Winterial Single Person Tent
The Winterial is actually a really cool tent. It’s the smallest and most compact. If you are going on a backpacking trip, this would probably be one of your better options. It’s going to break down smaller and lighter than the other tents listed.
I probably wouldn’t pick this tent because of my size and I like a little more room but if you cool with being cozy in your tent, this could be a better option. From a price standpoint it’s right in between the ALPS and Night Cat we talked about above. It’s not going to break the bank but it’s not the cheapest either.
If you are looking for something small and compact that will keep you warm and dry, this might be the right size tent for you.
Click below to check out the price of this tent on Amazon.
Best Size Tent For 2 People
If you are looking at a 2 person size tent I assume you are either a couple or a father/mother and son/daughter couple. Really, all you need to decide is whether you are camping or backpacking. If you are backpacking you want to get something that is as light and as easy to set up as possible. The tents I recommend below are great for backpacking or camping.
If you are camping and size isn’t an issue, scroll down to the 3 or 4 person size tents as they provide a lot more room and comfort for similar or even lower prices. Often times with tents and size, the smaller more compact tents can be more expensive. If you can afford the room aim for something a little bigger.
Keep in mind however, if you get a smaller more compact tent you are now set up for camping and backpacking. They serve a multiple functions and is one of the reasons they are more expensive. If you plan on doing some backpacking at any point, go for one of the tents below!
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Kelty Salida 2: Two Person Size Tent
The Kelty Salida 2 is actually our tent of choice. We go back and forth between this and the North Face Stormbreak 2. We have an in depth review of this tent and I want to share this with you. I could talk for days, but it would be easier for you to just check out the review below.
We went on a kayaking camping trip on an Island in the middle of a mountain lake. This is part of our adventure to Kalispell Island on Priest Lake in North Idaho. Check out where we were camping and our in depth Kelty Salida 2 review! You can also see the written review below.
Moon Lence 2 Person Camping Size Tent
The Moon Lence is a great little tent that will keep you warm and dry but also not break the bank. It’s a little larger and heavier but if you’re camping it probably doesn’t matter. If your backpacking, you might want to go with a lighter choice. You can find this tent for sub $80 but you will want to check the link below to see what the current price is. It certainly could have came down since the writing of this.
If you’re a family of two, maybe a couple or father/mother and son/daughter this just might be the right tent for you! Check it out below.
Featherstone UL Peridot 2 Person Size Tent
The Featherstone Peridot is a great tent and is somewhere between the Kelty Salida 2 and Moon Lence in price and size. It just might be the sweet spot for you. You can often times find it for around the $100 mark. Make sure and click below however to see what the current price is.
This 2 person size tent is durable and lightweight but should also keep you warm and dry on a stormy night. It has plenty of room for 2 people and should suit all your needs. If you are backpacking, you might want to consider the Kelty Salida 2 due to it being quite a bit lighter but if your just camping the Featherstone UL Peridot just might be the tent for you. Check it out below!
Best Size Tent For Family Of 3
A family of three can be a little tricky. Depending on what activity your doing you may want to go with a 2 person backpacking tent but if your just camping you may want to go with a 4 person dome style tent. The more you have to worry about weight and pack size the lower people you need to go. Also, is it a Mother and Father with a young child? If so, you can easily get away with 2 person backpacking tent like the ones above.
My wife and I have been using a 2 person tent on all of our backpacking trips with our son who is now 6. It’s a bit tight, but works just fine for backpacking. If you child is larger and older you might need to go with a 3 or 4 person tent. If your backpacking you will likely go with a 3 person smaller tent. If you are camping I suggest going with a larger 3 person dome style tent or even jump to a 4 person size family tent to give you a lot of extra space.
If your camping get a 3-4 person tent. If your backpacking get a 2-3 person tent. Also, if you have an older child maybe you can talk them into getting their own 1 person tent. Might be a good time to start getting them used to sleeping in their own tent. It can be a fun adventure for them, but obviously that depends on the age and child themselves.
Take a look at what I recommend for the best size tent for a family of 3.
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Coleman Sundome 3 Person Size Tent
Let’s face it, everyone knows that Coleman is the king of tents. It’s really hard to go wrong with the classic Coleman Sundome. They have this tent in 3,4 and 5 person size tents. If you want a little more room as a family of 3 then shoot for the 4 person tent. These will keep you wet and are well made. Coleman stands behind their products and maintain their stronghold on the king of camping equipment. Check it out on Amazon below!
Alpha Camp 3 Person Size Tent
Not only is this tent the best budget option but it’s probably the coolest looking. I love the orange and grey colors but if you don’t it comes in other colors! This tent is typically around the $50 mark making it a great 3 person budget option. It’s not quite as well made as the other 2 tents in this list but if you are only going once or camp a couple times a year, it might be the right size tent for a family of 3. Check it out on Amazon below!
KAZOO Tent 4 Person Size Tent
Alright, I decided to include one 4 person tent on this list. If you are just camping and want a lot of room, this is the right tent for you. This tent is actually pretty awesome and was almost my first choice over the Coleman. The only reason the Coleman won was because this tent is a little more expensive. The Coleman was a better overall deal for the price.
But, if you have dogs, this tent will be excellent. It comes with a porch attachment that is perfect for the dogs to hang out without being inside the actual tent. I love the shape of this tent and the porch attachment makes it probably my favorite in this group. If you have a little extra money to spend, go get the Kazoo for cool tent for a family of 3 or 4.
Check out the price on Amazon below!
Best Size Tent For Family Of 4
Okay, were growing! Now we have a family of four which could be a group of friends or a couple with two kids. This gets harder to take backpacking. If you are backpacking with 2 older kids, the best thing to do is to talk them into getting their own 2 person backpacking tent.
If you all need the right size tent for a family of four what you can do is split the tent up. Place have the tent in your pack and the other half in another backpack. Maybe split up the main tent, then put the rain fly and stakes in a different pack. We have done this before when the kids were smaller and weren’t old enough to be in their own tent.
Keep in mind, you can get away with a 3 person tent for a family of 4 if your backpacking. If you are camping, I suggest getting a tent that’s made for 4 to 5 people. You can look at 4 person tents below or scroll down to the bigger 5 person tents!
Lets take a look at the right size tents for a family of 4.
Coleman Sundome 4 Person Size Tent
Here it is again, Coleman the king of camping. The 4 person Coleman Sundome is not the most exciting tent but its reliable and works. There is a reason it’s the #1 best selling tent on Amazon. Sometimes instead of getting fancy, you just want to go with what you know works. It’s reliable and will be there for you.
It’s quick to set up and should easily fit a queen sized air mattress. Check out the price below on Amazon!
Moon Lence Instant Pop Up Tent
This is definitely the best budget option for a tent the right size for a family of 4 or 5. Even though it’s the lowest cost it’s actually the biggest tent on the list for this section. If you are aiming for the most room this might not only be the best budget option, but the roomiest as well!
The best part of this tent is it’s an instant pop up and goes up in about 60 seconds. Don’t believe me, click through to Amazon below and watch the video they have showing how easy it goes up. It should do a great job of keeping you dry in a rain storm as well. It should fit 1 queen size air mattress just fine. Check out the current price as well as the set up video below on Amazon.
QT QOMOTOP Tent
This tent is a great option if you want to move away from the Coleman. I don’t quite trust it as much as I do the Coleman in terms of how well it’s made. It’s a really neat tent and should do a fantastic job. I just rust the Coleman brand a little more.
It’s biggest selling point is the 60 second setup. It’s always nice having a fast pitch tent as it can save a headache. Keep in mind, this tent is considerably heavier than the other two. Which may not really matter if you are just camping. Check out the price and more photos below on Amazon!
Best Size Tent For Family Of 5 or 6
Okay, at this point you just go for the size tent you want. This is my sweet spot as we are a family of 5 right now. We don’t ever bring a tent for all 5 of us back packing, we must split the people up and sleep in different tents. If your backpacking with a family of 5, you will need to split up the tents. You will need at least 2 backpacking tents. Unless your kids are still really little you might be able to get away with a 3 or 4 person tent.
For us, we only camp with a tent the right size for a family of 5. We currently use the Coleman Tenaya Lake 8 person tent. I strongly suggest for a family of 5 that you go with something that is 6 person or higher. This will give everyone plenty of room and you will have room for the dogs, if you have any. Our dogs sleep with us right inside the tent.
If you need something for a family that is bigger than 8, you probably need 2 different tents. Or a really large 2 room tent. I’ll definitely show you some of them in the next section. For now, lets take a look at the best size tent for a family of 5.
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Core 9 Instant Cabin Tent For A Family Of 6
This isn’t the largest tent on the list but it’s probably my favorite. We actually own the Tenaya Lake tent by Coleman, and I’ll show you more about that one below. We bought it years ago and it’s holding up great and we love it. However, I think if I were going to buy a new tent right now, I’d get the Core 9 Instant Cabin Tent.
The setup seems just a little faster than our tent, it appears it can be put up in about a minute or so. I really like that. It looks a little bulkier to haul around, but the poles are already on the tent so all you have to do is have one person hold or anchor a corner and the other person goes from pole to pole and clicks them into place. Once all the poles are clicked into place, you just extend them up and the tent is complete.
It says you can fit 2 queen size air mattresses but I know with our tent which is close to the same size, you can fit 2 queens and a full pretty easily. It’s also 6 foot 5 tall which means I can walk around pretty well, no hunching. That’s a big plus for me. This tent also comes with a room divider. This is great to give the kids a little privacy or maybe you make a room for your dogs. I can even see a 3 person family getting this tent and just using the other side for storage.
It has an electrical cord access port, which is great for running an extension cord or even a propane hose for a heater. I also really like that the door is T shaped and not a large half circle. The T shape allows for straight zipper pulls. This can be really convenient and help keep you from snagging when pulling the zipper.
All things considered, this seems like a great tent. The price is right in the lower end wheel house for a tent this sized so it’s hard to go wrong. Check out the price, more photos and user reviews below on Amazon!
Coleman Dome Tent 6-8 Person Tent
The bottom of this tent is huge, it’s actually the biggest area on the bottom of the tent than any of the others in this category. This tent will serve you really well if you don’t have much money to spend, you can find this tent for around $120 which is super affordable for this tent size.
The thing I don’t like about this tent compare to the others is that it’s a dome. So, even though the floor size is bigger, the walls cave in a bit making it seem smaller on the inside. When you walk inside this tent, even though the floor is bigger, the others look considerably bigger because of the cabin style.
It also only stands 6 feet in the middle then starts to go down. Which means if your anywhere over 5 foot 5 you will probably be slouching most of the time. If I’m going to get a tent this big, I want one I can stand up and walk around in. I’m 6 foot 5 so this is an important feature for me.
If you don’t have a ton of money, this is actually a great tent. If you have the money, I recommend a cabin style. Check it out below on Amazon!
Coleman Tenaya Lake 8 Person Tent
I have spent a lot of time in this tent. This tent is definitely user approved and has kept us dry and warm in some pretty bad storms. Honestly, we LOVE this tent. I have done a full review and even a 2 year update on this tent. I won’t spend too much time talking about it, you can watch the videos below or check out my written review right here on We Live A Lot.
Browning Big Horn 5 Person Size Tent
I really like the Browning Big Horn tent and I think the only thing holding me back from making it my top overall choice is the set up. It’s not nearly as fast to set up as the Core 9. It’s probably the best made and is the overall largest tent on the list. If you are a family of 6, this might be the right tent for you.
It has a room divider and has a ton of space. There will be enough room for all your air mattresses and then some. If you need some floor space for the dogs, I think you will have plenty.
The poles are fiberglass and the uprights are made of steel. This makes the tent heavier than the others but also the most well made. If a bad wind storm moves in, this tent will like perform much better than the others.
Its 7.25 feet at the center height making it tall enough for even Shaquille O’ Neal to walk around in without hunching over.
If you are going to a place where weather is frequently a problem, I’d strong suggest going with the Browning Big Horn. It’s a great well made tent. A little on the heavy side, but if you have the space it will be a great size tent for a family of 5 or 6. Check it out on Amazon below!
Best Size Tent For Family Of 7, 8 or 9.
If your family size is larger than 6 and your wondering what is the best size tent for me, then we have you covered below. It’s a lot of space and you need a huge tent but they do make them. Keep in mind, you can go with a huge tent like the ones I’ll show you below or you can go with two 5 or 6 person tents.
If you all really need to be in the same tent, you are going to want to take a look at the options below. Personally, I think if you can divide the people up it works better but I also understand if everyone wants to be in the same size tent.
Last update on 2024-04-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Camping Tent Family Size Charts & Help
To help you answer the question, what size tent do I need? I have put together a bunch of information below that has some campting tent size charts that will make your search for a good family size tent really easy.
I will also explain why companies put the numbers they put and how you can recognize the tents that are the right size for your family and not just go off the number they display. The camping tent size charts and info below will really help you make a good educated decision on your next family tent purchase. Don’t trust the number the tent company shows, use the dimensions to help you find the right size tent for your family.
How Find The Best Size Tent For Your Family
Tent companies have all adapted the backpacking method for determining the person size for a tent. You will notice that backpacking tents do a good job of showing a fairly accurate number of person. A two person backpacking tent does actually fit 2 people usually.
The way they determine the number of people that can fit in a backpacking tent is based on a sleeping pad size. Usually, the sleeping pad they use is 20-22 inches wide. Which makes sense since most backpackers will be using a sleeping pad of that width. The problem is, family size tents use the same method.
They will measure how many 20-22 inch sleeping pads can lay in a family size tent to determine the number of people who can fit. The problem with this is most people don’t use sleeping pads in family size tents they use air mattresses. So this number is obviously skewed a bit to what people expect. Check you the charts below to help you understand how to determine the best size tent that you need.
The easy rule of thumb would be to just remove 2 from the total. If it’s a 10 person tent, subtract two and it will likely sleep 8 comfortably.
| Rated Sleeping Capacity | Sleeps Comfortably |
|---|---|
| 4-Person Tent | An Adult Couple with small Child. |
| 6-Person Tent | A Family Of 4 |
| 8-Person Tent | A Family Of 6 |
Use Floor Space To Find Right Size Tent
The standard again for determining floor space is determined by backpacking tents. They assume each person only needs about 15 square feet of floor space. This makes sense for backpackers who don’t stand or move around in their tent, it’s more just a place to sleep or escape weather.
Obviously if you’re looking for a good family tent you need more space to move around and make more comfortable sleeping arrangements.
For a family size tent you want to look more at 25 – 30 square feet of floor space per person. Which is almost double the space that is recommended for a backpacking tent. Just to give you an idea of what this space looks like, see below.
Thirty square feet is about 7 feet long and 50 inches wide. This is enough room for an air mattress and to have some space for family to walk in between bedding set ups. Keep in mind that smaller school age children can often be tucked in areas of the tent that are too small for adults.
Toddlers often either sleep on the pad with their parents or need a very small space to sleep. Check out the charts below to help you determine how much floor space you need per person.
Tent Floor Space Vs. Sleeping Capacity
| Rated Capacity | Tent Floor Area | Comfortable Capacity | Floor Area Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Person | 60 / 70 Square Feet | An Adult Couple And Child | 30 Square Feet Per Adult |
| 6-Person | 90 / 100 Square Feet | A Family Of 4 | 25 Square Feet Per Adult & 20 Square Feet Per Adult |
| 8-Person | 120 / 130 Square Feet | A Family Of 6 | 25 Square Feet Per Adult & 17.5 Square Feet Per Adult |
You can make a couple adjustments to the table to help you determine max comfort. If extra space and comfort is what you are looking for, the table below will be what you want to follow.
Tent Floor Space Vs. Sleeping Capacity For Max Comfort
Rated Capacity | Comfortable Capacity | Floor Area Per Person |
|---|---|---|
| 6-Person Tent | An Adult Couple And Child | 45 Square Feet Per Adult |
| 8-Person Tent | A Family Of 4 | 30 Square Feet Per Adult & Child |
| 10-Person Tent | A Family Of 6 | 25 Square Feet Per Adult & Child |
Final Thoughts
I really hope the tent recommendations and information was able to help you answer your question “What size tent do I need for camping?” The way the tent companies list tent capacity and sizes can be very misleading based on using backpacking tents as their guide. I wanted to create something that can help people determine the right size tent for their family based on dimensions rather than depending on the number the tent company puts out.
It’s a little trickier but getting the right size tent for a family can be a big decision and it’s not one you want to get wrong. Finding out you don’t have enough room in your tent can be a huge buzz kill when you are camping. Even being cramped or low on space can be a huge bummer.
If you thought this information was helpful make sure to post this on your favorite social media platform and share with your camping friends! It really helps us out! Check out our YouTube channel below, if you can, please give us a subscription by clicking the subscribe button. You can also check out some of our other great adventures and gear reviews below!
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