Best Tents For Year-round And Long-term Living
Well-thought out camping accommodations come in many shapes and sizes. Many areas throughout the world offer the type of camping accommodations that you might find in the U.S. However, finding similar offerings in your area can be challenging and costly. When you don’t live in the best area for mountain biking or hiking, having to choose between the two activities can be especially frustrating.
As an example, if you live in Pennsylvania but want to camp near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you might have a few options such as finding a cabin in a town near the park or renting a cabin or camping area in the park itself. These alternatives might be adequate for a weekend, but they’re not ideal for those looking for year-round camping accommodations. If you’re looking to live in one place for a long time, a nice, comfortable camper might be exactly what you’re looking for.
Let’s review best camping tents that offer the luxury of permanent living with the freedom to come and go as you please. These tents are great for those that want to use them for the occasional camping trip but also want to make this a permanent location. If you’ve always wanted a way to stay in one place, but simply don’t have the space or money to rent a house, this might be the perfect solution.
As well, these units are ideal for those who are interested in low-maintenance living, traveling extensively or living off-the-grid. Some of these camping tents are also attractive for those that just want to stay out of the weather, although there is a fair amount of work that goes into keeping these units from turning into a sea of red mud and rust. Fortunately, if you want to spend a few nights in the great outdoors, it might be time to upgrade to a more permanent type of camping accommodation.
King’s Treehut Tranquility
Overview
The king of all self-contained units is the Kings Treehut Tranquility. This unit may look like a regular tent, but the innovative waterproof construction is what gives this unit a high level of durability. It’s comprised of four insulated interior units and two outer flys. All of the internal panels are made from 600 denier ballistic nylon. All of the flys, including the flys for the outfittings, are made from 350 denier polyester. The tent has a 6’6” x 8’6” floor, and the flys can support up to 750 pounds.
The company has made some alterations to the original Kings Treehut design. Most notably, the iconic inner mesh ventilation is now made from 600 denier ballistic nylon and the entire floor is manufactured from waterproof 1000 denier polyester. The flys, flys, and poles are all aluminum, making for one of the most lightweight units on this list, but it still has a sizable dimensions.
The Kings Treehut Tranquility includes an anodized aluminum door, lightweight mesh door flap, and flap holder. It includes 6 down-draft windows, 17 feet of 5/8” Maxdia nylon tent lining, and an integrated LED light system. There are also three detachable fly panels for additional weather protection.
Key Features
- Two roof sections, each equipped with in-wall zippered windows
- Maxdia tent lining with six windows
- Mesh door with zipper and flap holder
- Outdoor LED light system with central light, three LED flood lights, and a USB battery
- Electrical outlets for solar power, RV adapters, and another USB port
- Convenient door with Velcro tie-downs
- Premium cloth sleeping pads and mats
- Zip-out queen-sized bed with an inner fly
- Optional mesh tent pad included
- Durable 6’6” x 8’6” floor pad with seams waterproofed with Maxdia 1000 denier Nylon
- Maxdia three-season wind tunnel windows with aluminum frames
- Airflow blockers on flys
- Liner for the anodized aluminum door and on the interior bottom
Teton Mountaineer 29 Backpack Tent
Overview
The Mountaineer 29 Backpack Tent is one of the most simple-to-construct tents in the industry. It’s a one-man unit, which means that the bag is big enough to carry your sleeping bag, or that’s what you want, and there’s no space in there for your non-essentials, such as a tent. When you’re ready to pack up and go, all you have to do is grab your sleeping bag, cinch the bag up, and throw the thing in the air. This bag is waterproof and has a vestibule designed to keep the worst of the weather out.
The Mountaineer 29 Backpack Tent has a gusseted frame, which keeps it from dragging on the ground. The doors open up by hand and then hook into the tent structure. The doors can also be opened manually. There’s no skylight or floor vents in this unit, but the backpack tent design should prevent wind from completely blowing your tent around. The Mountaineer 29 has a head-to-toe exterior material on the tent, meaning that there’s no fabric on the poles, which also means there’s no ugly canvas flys flapping about. The Mountaineer 29 has all of the components to make a comfortable, dry, rainproof tent, and it can be assembled and packed by one person in only a few minutes.
The Mountaineer 29 has a solid internal frame and suspension system to keep the weight evenly distributed inside the bag. The ground-level door is a breeze to open and close, and the two-person tent is very comfortable to sleep in, particularly for two people who love the outdoors but don’t particularly like camping. The doors close completely, rather than hanging open, which makes the tent feel even larger than it is.
The Mountaineer 29 Backpack Tent is waterproof to 1m (3.3’), has a 6’6” x 12’3” floor, and weighs 3.3kg (7.7lbs). The cost is reasonable when you consider what you get, and you get everything you need in this one item.
Key Features
- One-man tent, ready for wet and windy weather
- Maxdia 1500 denier polyester ground sheet
- Gusseted floor, providing solid floor support
- Mesh door with a grommet-style flap
- Two-person internal ventilation system
- Zero-G quick-open door, easy access from the bottom
- Lightweight, 3-man tent with full mesh roof, two double walls
- Zero-G fly with three, low profile stakes
- High-quality portable kitchen
- Durable nylon floor mat
- Spent puncture barrier for rain-proof waterproofing
Chariot 21 LED Lighted Backpacking Tent
Overview
The Chariot 21 LED Lighted Backpacking Tent offers multiple advantages in a compact package. The tent is essentially a sleeping bag with poles and a floor pad, but it does have two internal doors that fold open, so you can use it as an outdoor tent as well as a sleeping bag and a ground pad. The two internal doors offer ventilation and are “waterproof and rustproof.” The tent is completely self-supporting and weighs 1.8kg (3.6 lbs). There are no flys, and a blower is built into the design to increase air circulation. You get the option to sleep with or without a cover over the tent. There’s a mesh door in the entrance that’s “sparkling with mirror-like reflective tape.”
The Chariot 21 LED Lighted Backpacking Tent comes with a “Zip-Up” sleeping bag liner, which is essentially a sleeping bag with poles and floor pad. The bag has removable covers, so you can use it without the tent, and there are side pockets on both the inner and outer sides of the bag.
The tent has a mesh door for a small and comfortable entrance, and the tent is 12.9 x 7.1 x 7.9 inches (30 x 20 x 20 cm), so there’s plenty of room to move around inside. There are two zippers at the front of the tent, and the door closes tightly behind you. The door opens smoothly with an audible click. The interior of the tent is well ventilated, and it’s big enough to fit three people comfortably. You get a 10 x 10-inch (25 x 25-cm) bed mat with the tent, as well as a washcloth. The Chariot 21 LED Lighted Backpacking Tent can accommodate up to 10.5 pounds (4.6 kg) of weight.
The two doors on the back of the tent open to a sleeping area with an interior floor and a 1.2-liter (1.3-pint) sink. A small composting toilet can also be stored inside the tent. There’s room to place a 1.3-liter (1.6-pint) water tank on top of the tent, and it can be attached to the fly with a bungee cord. There are three stakes, two 3-meter (9.8 ft) poles, and one 6-meter (20.3 ft) power cord included with the tent. If you want to bring a gas-powered stove, a portable gas tank, stove stand, and chiming kitchen bowl, then the Chariot 21 LED Lighted Backpacking Tent is probably not the tent for you. It’s made to be used with a small gasoline or propane stove.
Key Features
- Two doors that fold open, making this tent convenient to use
- Inside floor with mesh top and bottom, enabling you to lay down inside the tent
- Two mesh windows with reflective tape
- Two doors for easy access to the inside of the tent
- Removable cover for the entrance
- Half-size body for storage space and the ability to use as a sleeping bag
- One-liter (0.33-pint) waste bin
BloOME NIMRO Backpacking Tent
Overview
The BloOME NIMRO Backpacking Tent was designed to be easy to put up, allowing for fast trips to the hills. The tent is all-inclusive and offers protection for up to 1.7 kilograms (3.2 lbs), and it has two main doors and a side door. The side door has a mesh door for a small and comfortable entrance, as well as a step up platform for a sleeping pad. The vestibule is 9.6 x 7.2 x 8.6 inches (27.4 x 21.5 x 25.5 cm) inside the tent, and it provides a mesh front entrance that provides ventilation. You can lay down on the mattress without getting wet and the tent can accommodate up to 1.2 kilograms (3.2 lbs) of weight.
The BloOME NIMRO Backpacking Tent has an insulated underside and its vestibule can accommodate a 30-liter (8.6-pint) bladder for carrying water. The fabric of the tent has a very sturdy quality, and it is not likely to tear easily. You have a 25 x 20-inch (63 x 52-cm) foam mattress in the vestibule with the tent, and it’s designed to be used as a sleeping pad. It can be stored underneath the tent and it can be set up on the step, without spilling out water.
The inside of the tent is roomy and it can fit three people comfortably. There are two doors, one on the side and the other on the back of the tent. The door on the back of the tent folds out to create a window and the interior floor has mesh mesh so you can walk around. There is a small composting toilet that fits underneath the tent, and there is a 3-liter (9.8-pint) water tank on top of the tent.
Key Features
- Two doors that open for easy entry to the tent
- Two insulated side entrances for allowing ventilation
- One-liter (0.33-pint) waste bin
- 3-liter (9.8-pint) water tank for water storage
- Removable cover for the entrance
- Large vestibule with mesh floor for ventilation
- One-liter (0.33-pint) waste container
- Full-size mattress to sleep comfortably
Conclusion
These are the best tents we’ve reviewed, and they are all well-built and are efficient for efficient living in the outdoors. You should consider them all if you plan on sleeping outside, as all of them are great tents for a small to the medium-sized group. All of the tents should be capable of sleeping up to three people. However, the BloOME NIMRO Backpacking Tent has great ventilation and is one of the most portable tents on this list, and it also has the highest insulation rating. However, its price tag is higher than the others, and it isn’t as versatile as the other tents.
