lighweight 3 man tent hiking

9 Best Ultralight Backpacking Tents 3 Persons

9 Best Ultralight Backpacking Tents For 3 Persons

Weight combined with functionality ought to be your main considerations when looking for the best ultralight backpacking tent for 3 persons. It can be a bit of a challenge, especially when you’re opting for a shelter where you can hit all that you need for a price that’s easy on the pocket.

Everything, from your gear to your backpacking necessities will be strapped on your back, so a 100- square feet Costco tent is basically out of the picture. You wouldn’t have the luxury of bringing with you huge inflatable mattresses, or a blow-up jacuzzi, either. By all means, be kind to your back and knees- so that you can enjoy the best of your backcountry experience.

Every pound counts when you’re carrying your backpacking tent with you, so you should choose one which is ultralight. Other factors that you can take into account is the floor space that you prefer, the weight that you can handle in your gear, and the type of tent fabric and construction that would suit your backpacking style. Below is a list of the best ultralight backpacking tent 3 person to guide you when shopping.

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Marmot Limelight 3P

This product is a consistent bestseller among the long list of lightweight backpacking tents. You’ll find that this item is the most popular in the market. What’s so fantastic about it is that it is easy to setup, and it has a spacious interior. You don’t have to worry about its load weighing you down, and it is a real value purchase.

A zone pre-blend construction is utilized by this lightweight backpacking tent so that its walls could be arranged vertically. Thus, its floor space is roomier, allowing you additional head space. Its two doors at the front are super-sized, plus a D-door at the back as well, with each of these doorways providing a vestibule for storing your gear whenever the zipper is up.

You’ll be surprised at how breathable the Marmot Limelight 3P is, with its upper walls along with the ceiling constructed with No-See-Um Mesh. Airflow vents are also attached to the fly, and plenty of pockets are installed to your small gear. Ambient lighting can be had at the same time because a lampshade pocket is featured for holding the head lamp.

The seams of the tent are fully-taped, with seals that would ward off the seeping in of rain or moisture. Among the other key features of the 3 person Marmot Limelight is its 6 lbs and 11 oz weight, 42.5 square feet floor space, and its easy-to-set-up characteristic guided by color-coded clips and poles.

MSR Mutha Hubba NX 3

This backpacking tent is high performance, but it wouldn’t weigh your pack down. At the maximum, its weight is 5 lbs. It is foldable in half with compression straps attached, making it very easy to store. If you need minimal coverage and are concerned about weight, you can opt for the “Fast and Light” setup of the shelter, comprised merely by the supports, the fly and the foot print.

The hub and pole features of the MSR Mutha Hubba NX 3 are integrated, and it is designed with color-coded clips for a quick and hassle-free setup and takedown. Entering and exiting the tent is convenient with its 2 big D-shaped Stay Dry doors installed with rain gutters. Accessing your gear is a breeze, too.

When in the shelter, you’ll be provided with fresh air because of its sport ventilation together with a stabilizer rainfly vent that reduces condensation. Nylon materials that are durable and high-tenacity comprise the bathtub floor and fly, rendering you ample protection when it rains. You’ll be as close to having the most superb outdoor experience that can be with the ultralight MSR Mutha Hubba NX 3 that has a maximum weight of only 5 lbs.

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 Classic

As one of the leaders in the industry when it comes to versatility and convenience, this item has gained a massive following in the arena of mountains, trails and backcountry adventures all across the globe. Other than being tested and proven, it is a do-it-all 3 person backpacking tent, what with its thousands of loyal customers and award-winning status.

You can’t have enough praise for this tent pertaining to its solid construction, ultralightness, and excellent waterproofing. With its amazing weight of just 4 lbs and 5 ounces, you won’t have trouble carrying it with your gear, and its a piece of cake to assemble. Its guy lines are pre-cut and ready to pitch, and its tensioners can easily be attached to the fly. The DAC pressfit poles of the shelter comes with lightweight hubs, and its plastic clips are ultralight. It is installed with 8 DAC J stakes that are made of ultralight aluminum.

Eight storage pockets are attached to the interior of the tent, along with several loops for your gear. Two media pockets are likewise located atop the sleeping area. Two large drop doors enclosed with easy-grip zippers, and two vestibules featured with storm flaps at the vestibule zippers are part of the construct of this tent. Maximum air flow is provided via its integral dual fly vents.

Nemo Dagger Ultralight Backpacking Tent

This product is one of the best choices for a 2 person or 3 person ultralight backpacking tents. Its interior is absolutely roomy, measuring to 44 square feet for the floor area. The vestibules space of this shelter is 23 square feet, which is double than the average, thus your gear can easily be stashed outside, and you can clear up the interior space in a jiffy.

There are several unique features of the Nemo Dagger that you will not be able to find in other 3 person tents, and one of them is the Divvy Stuff Sack that would allow you to split up your tent gear so that weight can be evenly distributed among backpackers. Then there is the Light Pocket that is an overhead pocket that is designed to hold a head lamp in order to provide sufficient lighting inside the tent come night time or bad weather. The weight of this shelter is 4 lbs and 4 ounces maximum, and has a height of 42 inches to its peak.

Black Diamond Vista Tent

Floor space designs of 3 person shelters have been redefined by this product, in that it offers the largest interior space among all the camping tents on this list. You’ll have a blast with your camping experience, with its astounding 51 square-foot of floor space. It’s because of this larger size that makes the Black Diamond Vista Tent one pound heavier than the average ones. It’s worth it, nonetheless, especially if you’re the type of backpacker who values extra arm space and room to breathe.

If you’re going on a minimalist trip, you can opt to setup a freestanding rain cover and altogether ditch its tent and instead use the fly. If you’re considering this among your other options, you would have to buy a ground cloth individually. As a double-wall tent, you’ll be kept safe from bad weather and the elements.

At the maximum, the weight of this backpacking shelter is 6 lbs and 8 oz, and when packed, its size measures 8 inches by 19 inches.

REI Co-op Passage 3 Tent

This three-person backpacking tent is one of your best options if you’re shopping on a budget. Apparently, this product offers the most value for your purchase. For half the price of its competitors, you can obtain the basic necessities for your backpacking trip with this tent, such as waterproofing, flexible ceiling vents, solid aluminum poles, dual stake-out vestibules design, and several loops and pockets inside for storage. Setup is easy with the even length poles, color codes, pole clips, stakes and tightened guy lines.

The downside of the REI Co-op Passage 3 Tent, however, is that it is two pounds heavier than the regular lightweight tents, and the polyester material it uses for the tent and zipper is not as thick or durable than those utilized by premium products, making it unable to give optimum protection when the weather is extreme.

But you’ll save good cash and have your basic camping needs covered if you use this product, and suffice it to say that it is only ideal for short-distance and fair-weather backpacking.

ZPacks Triplex Tent

backpacking lightweight 3 man tent

This product is ultralight in the real sense of the word. Why? Because it ranks as the no. 1 shelter for ultralight backpackers and enthusiasts who are otherwise finicky about the weight of their packs. Indisputably, the ZPacks Triplex Tent is the most ultralight backpacking tent on the market, weighing a small, convenient 1 pound and 6.5 ounces.

These measures make this item three times lighter than the standard lightweight shelters. Despite it being small in weight, though, it offers superior performance in terms of longevity and waterproofing. You’ll save weight, definitely, but you won’t be sacrificing durability and functionality.

The magic trick behind the Triplex Tent is the use of the fabric known as DCF or Dyneema Composite Fabric, a naturally waterproof material that is sturdy in the same way- able to withstand high winds and doesn’t tear. Unable to stretch or absorb water, DCF doesn’t need to be coated by chemicals and tears can easily be repaired with a DCF tape.

The floor area of the Triplex Tent covers 37.5 square feet and it has a couple of vestibules. It gives plenty of head room with a 48-inch peak height.

The North Face VE 25

lighweight 3 man tent hiking

Come severe weather and high winds- virtually everything that nature will throw your way, you’ve got the VE 25 by the North Face to give you solid protection. Pros have actually trusted this product for extreme weather climbing, backpacking or mountaineering. Wherever you are- even on a base camp on Mt. Everest at 60-below-zero, you’ll be kept warm and dry.

The basis of the design of the VE 25 is the traditional yurts. You can say that this tent is a more modern version of the circular tents made by nomads from the skins and pelts of animals that are then spread over a collapsible frame, and they are common habitats in the frigid lands of Mongolia and Siberia.

A 40D 240T Nylon Ripstop consists the canopy of this shelter, while the flooring is made of 70D 210T Nylon Taffeta. The fly of the tent is comprised of 75D 185T Nylon Ripstop material. The interior of this structure is a 48 square-foot space of cabin, and its head room measures 48 inches.

Considering these features, you would expect the VE 25 to be heavier at 11 lbs and 12 oz, which is the heaviest on this list.

Hilleberg Nallo 3

ultralight 3 man tent

Regardless of the season, you can make sure of extra protection from this 3 person tent, but without the added weight. If you find the North Face VE 25 to be too heavy for extreme weather backpacking or mountaineering, you can consider using the Hillerberg Nallo 3 which is an all-season lightweight backpacking tent.

This product is a great option for long-distance hiking, professional climbing, wilderness photography , and hunting, among other adventures. This shelter is particularly valuable for use if you need to lug a large amount of gear over a long distance. For half the weight of the North Face VE 25, you can get year-round protection from wind, cold, rain and snow with the Hilleberg Nallo 3. In fact, it has an amazing trailweight of 4 lbs and 14 oz, and is deemed to be as light as the average ultralight backpacking tents that can be utilized only for 3 seasons.

The floor space of this camping tent is 36 square feet, with the space of its vestibules measuring 15 square feet, and 41 inches of peak height. If you’re looking for a bona fide all season and all weather lightweight backpacking tent, then this item is a great choice.