SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
The number of ultralight double-wall backpacking tents with a trail weight of 3 lbs or less that are available today has grown significantly, driven by consumer demand and advances in fabric and material technologies. If you prefer a double-wall tent over a single-wall tent because it’s more spacious, warmer, less drafty, and has a separate inner tent and rainfly to prevent internal condensation transfer, you can have it with just a slight weight penalty compared to a single-wall tent.
While ultralight single-wall tents will always have their advocates, the vast majority of backpackers prefer freestanding (See: What is a Freestanding Tent) and semi-freestanding tents (See: What is a Semi-Freestanding Tent) that don’t require much practice or advanced site selection skills to set up. Ease of use often trumps a few ounces of added gear weight when it comes right down to it. See for yourself, below in this sortable table.
| Make / Model | Type | Weight (oz/g) |
|---|---|---|
| NEMO Dragonfly OSMO 1 | Freestanding | 33oz/933.9g |
| NEMO Dragonfly OSMO 2 | Freestanding | 42oz/1188.6g |
| NEMO Hornet OSMO UL 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 29oz/735.8g |
| NEMO Hornet OSMO UL 2 | Semi-Freestanding | 31oz/877.3g |
| NEMO Hornet OSMO UL 3 | Semi-Freestanding | 45oz/1273g |
| NEMO Hornet Elite 1 OSMO | Semi-Freestanding | 23oz/650.9g |
| NEMO Hornet Elite 2 OSMO | Semi-Freestanding | 27oz/764.1g |
| DurstonGear X-Mid 1 | Trekking Pole | 28oz/795g |
| DurstonGear X-Mid 2 | Trekking Pole | 35.4oz/1005g |
| DurstonGear X-Mid 1 Solid | Trekking Pole | 29.1oz/825g |
| DurstonGear X-Mid 2 Solid | Trekking Pole | 36.5oz/1035g |
| Hilleberg Enan 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 34oz/962.2g |
| Hilleberg Akto 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 46oz/1301.8g |
| 3F UL Lanshan 2 | Trekking Pole | 39oz/1103.7g |
| 3F UL Lanshan 1 | Trekking Pole | 29.8oz/843.34g |
| Mamot SuperAlloy | Semi-Freestanding | 43oz/1216.9g |
| Marmot Tungsten UL 1 | Freestanding | 34oz/962.2g |
| Marmot Tungsten UL 2 | Freestanding | 47.5oz/1344.25g |
| MSR Freelite 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 26oz/735.8g |
| MSR Freelite 2 | Semi-Freestanding | 32oz/905.6g |
| MSR Hubba Hubba 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 34oz/962.2g |
| MSR Hubba Hubba 2 | Semi-Freestanding | 46oz/1304g |
| Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 27.8oz/788g |
| Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2 | Semi-Freestanding | 32oz/907g |
| Mountain Hardwear Strato UL 2 | Semi-Freestanding | 37.1oz/1052g |
| Sierra Designs High Side 1 | Semi-Freestanding | 31oz/877.3g |
| Sierra Designs High Route 1 | Trekking Pole | 28oz/792.4g |
| Six Moon Designs Haven | Trekking Pole | 34oz/962.2g |
| Slingfin 2Lite | Semi-Freestanding | 42oz/1188.6g |
| Slingfin Portal 1 | Freestanding | 40oz/1134g |
| Slingfin Portal 2 | Freestanding | 46oz/1301.8g |
| Sea-to-Summit Alto 1 TR1 | Semi-Freestanding | 33oz/933.9g |
| Tarptent Dipole DW 1 | Trekking Pole | 29.35oz/832g |
| Tarptent Notch | Trekking Pole | 28.4oz/803.72g |
| Tarptent Notch Li | Trekking Pole | 21.5oz/608.45g |
| Tarptent Stratospire 1 | Trekking Pole | 36.5oz/1032.95g |
| Tarptent Stratospire Li | Trekking Pole | 28.6oz/809.38g |
| Tarptent Stratospire 2 | Trekking Pole | 43.8oz/1239.54g |
| Tarptent Moment DW 1 | Freestanding | 37.7oz/1066.91g |
| Tarptent Double Rainbow DW | Trekking Pole | 44oz/1245.2g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall 3 Carbon | Semi-Freestanding | 29oz/820.7g |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV 1 Carbon | Semi-Freestanding | 16oz/452.8g |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV 2 Carbon | Semi-Freestanding | 18oz/509.4g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum | Semi-Freestanding | 31oz/877.3g |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL1 | Semi-Freestanding | 27oz/764.1g |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 | Semi-Freestanding | 31oz/877.3g |
| Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL3 | Semi-Freestanding | 47oz/1330.1g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 | Semi-Freestanding | 35oz/990.5g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 | Semi-Freestanding | 42oz/1188.6g |
| Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL1 | Freestanding | 34oz/962.2g |
| Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 | Freestanding | 43oz/1216.9g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL1 | Semi-Freestanding | 30oz/849g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 mtnGLO | Semi-Freestanding | 38oz/1075.4g |
| Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 mtnGLO | Semi-Freestanding | 45oz/1273.5g |
| Big Sky Soul X1 UL | Freestanding | 35.7oz/1012g |
| Big Sky Soul X2 UL | Freestanding | 40.8oz/1156.7g |
Tent Fabrics and Materials
The lightest-weight ultralight double-wall tents are made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabrics) which is more of a synthetic laminate than a fabric. In addition to being very lightweight, it’s much more waterproof than conventional tent fabrics and doesn’t sag when it gets wet. The downsides are that it’s very expensive and is bulkier than conventional tents to pack, even though you’d expect the opposite.
Most ultralight double-wall tents are still made with more conventional fabrics including ripstop nylon. These are usually coated with PU (polyurethane) or its variants including PeU (polyethyl urethane), which is becoming increasingly popular. These waterproof coatings allow tents to be factory seam-taped so you don’t have to seam seal them yourself, something that a number of single-wall tent manufacturers, including Six Moon Designs, Lightheart Gear, and Tarptent require to this day with their silnylon and siliconized polyester tents.
Silpoly, which is siliconized polyester, is a relative newcomer to the ultralight tent scene but is being adopted by more and more lightweight backpack makers including Durston Gear and Tarptent. Like DCF, it doesn’t sag or stretch when it gets wet, which has always been a problem with silnylon.
Some of the tents listed above, including those from Big Agnes and MSR, also include carbon fiber tent poles to save weight. These became available about 5 years ago and have proven reliable, so more and more tent manufacturers are adopting them.
Summary
To summarize, there are more ultralight and lightweight double-wall tents available today than ever before. If you’re in the market to reduce the weight of your backpacking tent but are hesitant to get a single-wall tent instead of a double-wall one because you’re concerned about tent condensation or ease of use, rest easy. The weight difference between ultralight double-wall and single-wall backpacking tents has narrowed considerably and you can stick with a double-wall tent with only a slight weight penalty.
Double-wall Tent Advantages
- Easy to set up
- The inner tent prevents internal condensation from making your gear wet
- Can be used in all three-season weather conditions and mild winter weather
- Vestibules provide covered gear storage in poor weather
- Deep bathtub floors prevent flooding if water pools underneath
- Less drafty because less airflow is required to mitigate condensation
- Easier to set up on rock ledges, sandy soil, or wooden tent platforms
Double-wall Tent Disadvantages
- Tent poles can be bulky and awkward to pack
- Warmer in hot weather
- Take longer to dry because they have more surface area
- The inner tent may become wet when pitched in rain, although some double wall tents can be pitched fly first to keep the inner tent dry
See also:
- Slingfin Portal 2 Tent Review
- Slingfin 2Lite Tent Review
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 2 Tent Review
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 Tent Review
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 Tent Review
- Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2 Tent Review
- Six Moon Designs Haven Bundle Tent Review
- Lanshan 2 Tent Review
- NEMO DragonFly 2 Tent Review
- NEMO Hornet 2 Tent Review
- Tartptent Notch 1 Tent Review
- Tarptent Double Rainbow Review
- Sea-to-Summit Alto TR1 Tent Review
- Durston Gear X-Mid 1 Tent Review
- MSR Hubba Hubba 2 Tent Review
- MSR Freelite 2 Tent Review
- Hilleberg Akto Tent Review
- NEMO Hornet Elite 1 Tent Review
- Sierra Designs High Route 1 Tent Review
- Sierra Designs High Side 1 Tent Review
Any idea why REI stopped making the quarter-dome? Great tent that features wise competes with most of the tents listed above but was (in many cases) a lot less $$. It’s a shame.
No idea. It was a shame.
It is a shame, I have a REI Quarter Dome SL1 and love everything about it.!
I also have the REI Quarter Dome SL1 and really like it. Good weather protection and ventilation, lightweight, goes up easy, small footprint for when that’s important. Inside it’s big enough for me, though it’s a 1P. REI, bring it back!
I have one. Agree with all of your points. Great ventilation. A bit breezy in spring and fall. Mine had a zipper issue and the tent was replaced. On second tent, the quality of the pole was not as high as the first tent. I’ve only used polycro as a footprint. But it’s held up and performs well.
An optimist might hope they’ll roll out a superior alternative. I wonder if they won’t because it crowded out other manufacturers and they squawked or REI thought it could improve its margins just selling and not manufacturing.
They still make & sell other tents – just seem to have discontinued this model and are more focused on the heavier (better geared for car camping) models.
Please can you explain what the quoted weight includes and if a tent can be used at the quoted weights properly with fly, inner, pegs(min. number to erect) and poles, where needed. The weight that I will put in my pack is the most important as I use it, not a marketers cartel that removes items, like the inner(eg this article is about double wall tents)
My Nemo Hornet 2 is nearer 1100g not 877g
It includes the poles, fly and inner – not the pegs (stakes), bags, repair kit, documentation, or plastic wrap the product came in. This is called the trail weight. The reason it does not include those other items is because most people discard or replace them. For example, I never use the stakes that come with a mfg tent (well, hardly ever) or the sacks, or anything else except the items that make up the trail weight. The reason is that the stakes are often heavier than necessary or perform poorly in MY soil conditions and the other items can be replaced with lighter weight alternatives or not used at all. You have to understand that the main reason manufacturers include all that extra stuff is to make it possible for someone to use the product out of the box (like for car camping) and what they include is purely driven by cost and not quality.
Phil, why is the Msrmot Tungsten UL1 described as semi free-standing? Ok you have to stake out the vestibule (as per other free-standing tents) but otherwise it is fully freestanding. I know because I have one and I love it!
Thanks for catching that – clerical error. I’ve been thinking about you recently. I’m spending a lot of time in VT lately and thinking about that trip we took to Pharoh Lake years ago. I plan on backpacking a bunch on the Long Trail and in VT this year after mud season but I expect I’ll head into the Adirondack Park as well.
Hi Phil:
I have been looking for a fully free-standing LW tent for some time. I rejected the Copper Spur because I like to be able to lie in my tent and look out at the view – so any tent with too high sides was out. Also any tent with garish colors – Sierra Designs anyone!
I have used the Marmot tent a few times in Harriman Park this cold season. I got tired of having to deal with condensation (and frost!) inside my sleeping area when camping at a lake. It’s a really nice 1-person tent with a good-sized vestibule.
I don’t get the rational for semi-free-standing tents. I was disappointed in Sea to Summit because they made there 1 person tent that way, whereas the 2 person model is fully free standing.
I go to the Pharaoah Lake area at least once per year (usually in the fall) so please let me know if you would be interested in joining me. I just had my 81st birthday so am only doing about 6-7 miles per day at a slow pace.
Keep up the good work
Christine
I hope you’re still doing those Brittanic Tea Breaks!
Elevenses on the trail are so important!!
MSR Hubba Hubba rain fly has pinholes with very minimal use. Returned it to MSR and they did not replace it. They indicated rain fly is only functional for 3-5 years but they offer no replacement options. My North Face and REI tents are much older without failure. Stay away from MSR.