Best Survival Tent: 7 Best Tents for EVERY Situation

Whether it’s for maximum comfort or bare minimum to survive, every hiker should have the best survival tent for their specific needs.

While casual campers undoubtedly enjoy finding the roomiest, most comfortable tents outfitted with some of modern society’s creature comforts like a camping fan, what’s often forgotten is that the tent itself is a piece of survival gear.

Benefits of a great survival tent:

• Keeps you dry
• Keeps you warm(er)
• Keeps the bugs out
• Provides protection against the wind
• Gives you privacy

The type of tent you need varies depending on the type of usage it will get, so in this case we’re reviewing tents designed for survival in extreme situations.

The 4 Factors That Make A Great Survival Tent

Please note that here I’m truly talking about survival. If you want to buy a huge 8-person tent with a guest bedroom and solarium, be my guest! But for the purposes of this article I want to address the minimum requirements for survival.

The best survival tent for fall in the Pacific Northwest will be different than the best survival tent for summer in the American Southwest. But while you’ll want to consider your specific needs, there are a few universal survival tent truths.

1: As lightweight as possible

My two-person grab-and-go tent for beach camping comes in a 6″ x 24″ bag with a handle on it, and it weighs about 5 pounds. It’s cheap and does the job, but I wouldn’t want to lug it around on the trail for use in survival situations. It takes up way too much space for the limited warmth and weather protection.

The best survival tent is minimalist, packs away easily, and is relatively light. However…

2: Able to withstand the worst weather conditions

More rain resistant tents tend to be bulkier. While you don’t need a heavy-duty, all seasons tent that can withstand 132 mph hurricane force winds if you’ll be hiking in New Mexico, you’ll probably need something a little heftier for a few days in Oregon.

Unless you plan on thru-hiking for a whole season, in which case you’ll need to pay a premium for a great survival tent, you probably have an idea of the general weather conditions for the specific time and place you’ll be hiking. Match your tent’s weather resistance to those conditions, and remember to plan conservatively and expect the worst.

3: Easy to set up

Survival situations often are marked by needing to do a lot of things in a short period of time or by the sudden onset of adverse weather conditions. The last thing you need is to spend a ton of time setting up your tent.

The best survival tents will prop up quickly and easily. Geodesic tents provide great protection from the elements but can be more challenging to set up. Dome tents can be incredibly easy to set up but often provide less protection in poor conditions. There are pros and cons to each type of tent.

4: Durable and easy to repair

If your survival tent rips or breaks, it could be game over. Quality vs cost is a buyer’s decision we each must make on our own, but I’m of the opinion that you don’t skimp on something as important as survival shelter.

Like I said above, my beach camping tent is a cheap piece of crap that keeps the bugs out. That’s all I need it to do. You need a good survival tent to do a lot more than that, and you need to be positive that it’ll be up to the task.

8 Factors When Choosing the Best Survival Tent

The above characteristics of survival tents are pretty broad and designed to get you thinking about the best survival tent for your needs. In this section I want to give you a few additional specifics to consider.

1. Bottom shape

When you’re looking at survival tents that can withstand storms, you’ll want to give extra consideration to the base of the tent. For example, you may also want to look at tents with a bathtub floor.

A bathtub floor extends the waterproof material from the base of the tent up a few inches around the side walls. This prevents water from leaking in through seams around the base.

2. Seam construction

I’m always amazed at how little time people spend thinking about the seams of their tent. I get it — seams are small and boring — but they’re the backbone of a great tent. There are a few things to be on the lookout for when evaluating survival tent seams:

• Single vs double stitched (double obviously is more durable)
• Taped seams with an extra layer of material sewn in
• Seam sealants, which you can apply after purchase (some come with sealed seams)

3. Single- or double-walled tents

Not a ton of mystery here — do you want a tent with one or two walls sealing the elements off?

Single-walled tents traditionally were made with thicker weatherproof material that did their best to keep wind and water out, but modern materials are allowing manufacturers to think lighter while still achieving a lot of the simplicity that single-walled tents allow.

• Pros: Simpler
• Cons: Not breathable, less versatile
• Best Use: Dry, cool environments

Double-walled tents tend to be made up of an inner tent that isn’t very weatherproof surrounded by a rainfly or other protective layer.

• Pros: Breathable inner layer means very little condensation
• Cons: Takes longer to set up; requires (sometimes complex) guylines
• Best Use: Moist, rainy, or humid environments

4. Pole material

Generally you’ll be choosing between aluminum or fiberglass (unless the tent doesn’t come with poles).

• Aluminum: Stronger and thus lighter; ideal for when every ounce counts
• Fiberglass: More corrosion-resistant and less expensive

5. Stake shape and material

Stakes can make or break your survival tent — they’re what will keep everything where it should be, which is often the difference between dry/comfortable and wet/miserable. With stakes we’ll want to consider two features: material and shape.

Stake material

• Titanium: Lightest due to their strength per unit weight
• Aluminum: Tend to be thicker, sturdier, heavier than titanium
• Steel: Denser than aluminum and usually the heaviest overall

Stake shape

• Shepherd’s Hook: Single thin stake with a hook at the top; best for thick, compact soil
• V-Beam: Two-sided “V” shape (looks more like an “L” to me); best for looser soil
• Y-Beam: Three-sided “Y” shape; holds even better than V-beam stakes in loose soil

6. Guyline material and thickness

Just like stakes above, guylines are an oft-overlooked but crucial part of a good survival tent, especially if you’re going with a double-walled tent in a wet environment. They come in a variety of materials from natural fibers to Paracord to Zing-it line.

My preference? Paracord offers a great combination of light weight and strength, which is perfect for survival situations.

7. Storage

For our purposes, storage includes both inside and outside the tent.

Let’s start with outside, because I can almost hear you saying, “Storage outside my tent? What does that mean?” Glad you asked! Many survival tents with a rainfly and guyline system are designed to provide a protected area that extends just beyond the entrance to the tent. This can be great for keeping items dry that you don’t want to bring inside the tent.

Inside the tent is much simpler: we’re talking about pockets and compartments. If you’re on a multi-day backpacking trip, this may be valuable to you.

8. Capacity

Sometimes it’s just you. Sometimes it’s you and your significant other. Sometimes it’s you and the whole gang. Is everyone going to be in one tent? Will there be multiple tents?

Best Survival Tent: 7 Great Options

As mentioned umpteen times already, there isn’t any one “best survival tent” — it totally depends on where you’ll be and what your needs are. With that understanding, let’s take a look at some of the best survival tents according to me, The Outdoor Authority.

Do you have another candidate for the title of best survival tent? Have you used any of the tents listed above. Follow us on social media and let us know!