What are the easiest tents to put up?

We take a deep dive into what are the easiest tents to put up and score some of the common tent types based on ease.

Pop up tents are the easiest to put up, but they tend to lack the quality and durability of other types of tent. So whilst they may be easy to put up, they may not be the best tent for you.

Whether you’re new to the world of canvas houses or a seasoned veteran, there’s no denying it; camping has made some tremendous advances over the last decade. 

Where once you would struggle to hold on to your temporary home as that sudden gust nearly lifted you into the sky, nowadays, all it takes is a couple of poles, a handful of pegs, and a little patience!

But what is the easiest tent to put up? And can you put a tent up single-handed?

Abco 2-Person Pop Up Tent - Portable Cabana with 2 Doors, Water-Resistant and UV Protection, Carrying Bag - Sky Blue
Offroading Gear 5.5ft Truck Bed Camping Tent w/Canopy | Waterproof | Compatible with F150| Ram| Sierra| GMC| Nissan| Etc.
Stansport Scout Backpack Tent - Forest (713-84-B) 54" W x 36" H x 78" D
Eureka! K-2 XT Three-Person, Four-Season Backpacking Tent, Yellow
Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | Montana Tent with Easy Setup, Green
Type
Pop Up
Top Box
A-Frame
Geodesic
Multi-Room
Ease
10 / 10
10 /10
8 / 10
8 / 10
7 / 10
$65.99
$259.99
$31.20
Price not available
$88.00
-
Abco 2-Person Pop Up Tent - Portable Cabana with 2 Doors, Water-Resistant and UV Protection, Carrying Bag - Sky Blue
Type
Pop Up
Ease
10 / 10
$65.99
Offroading Gear 5.5ft Truck Bed Camping Tent w/Canopy | Waterproof | Compatible with F150| Ram| Sierra| GMC| Nissan| Etc.
Type
Top Box
Ease
10 /10
$259.99
Stansport Scout Backpack Tent - Forest (713-84-B) 54" W x 36" H x 78" D
Type
A-Frame
Ease
8 / 10
$31.20
Eureka! K-2 XT Three-Person, Four-Season Backpacking Tent, Yellow
Type
Geodesic
Ease
8 / 10
Price not available
-
Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | Montana Tent with Easy Setup, Green
Type
Multi-Room
Ease
7 / 10
$88.00

What kinds of tents exist?

If you’re looking for your first tent or simply want to upgrade, it can sometimes be quite overwhelming when you’re presented with the array of tents on offer in today’s shops.

Well, just take a deep breath and put the kettle on while we have a look at the most common (and easiest) tents to erect! 

Pop Up/Instant Tent

Verdict – 10/10 For Ease

Not to be completely cliché but the easiest tent to put up has to be the one that takes minimal effort, right? 

Well, yes….kind of!

While the pop-up tent (dome tent) is usually suited to 2 people; it is excellent for festival-goers and out in the countryside on a hot summer night. However, it’s 100% NOT great if the weather turns “British”! 

The inexpensive, lightweight tent offers excellent ventilation and reasonable headroom, but these tents are usually cheaply made and thus, don’t hold up very well in adverse weather. It’s also worth mentioning that the bigger these tents are, the more drooping you’ll see when they’re up! 

Sale
Abco 2-Person Pop Up Tent - Portable Cabana with 2 Doors, Water-Resistant and UV Protection, Carrying Bag - Sky Blue
  • EFFORTLESS SET UP - This small tent pops open in the blink of an eye into a ready-to-use lounge tent and is easy to fold back into a compact form. Our Abco small pop up tent is ideal for casual outdoor use and suitable for 2 people. See our video content for detailed instructions on how to open and close the tent!
  • DOUBLE DOORS - With double doors on both the left and right sides, it’s easy to step out from either side. Moreover, a combination of an inner zippered screen plus an outer zippered nylon layer gives an ability to easily switch between high breathability and complete privacy.
  • HIGH BREATHABILITY - Our 2 person pop up tent features a mesh window on both the front and back that allows air circulation while the solid nylon flaps over the windows allow for privacy. Opening the mesh windows allows you to enjoy your surroundings from inside the tent.
  • CARRY BAG & ACCESSORIES - This easy pop up tent comes with a carry bag that's ideal for storage, easy portability and as your emergency tent. It also comes with a small bag for accessories to keep them organized.
  • PROPER USE - This outdoor pop up shade tent is not meant to be subject to storm conditions or long periods of rain. Use this on a casual outdoor trip or set it up on the beach for shelter from the sun.

Top-Box Tents

Verdict – 9/10 For Ease

Yes, you read that right! 

If your car has roof bars, then you can have this easy-to-use tent on the top of your own vehicle. 

Often based on the cabin-style tent, these little pods are incredibly convenient as your car carries them! Easy to use, fantastic in wet weather (as you’re on top of the car!), and some even come with a built-in mattress! 

All you need is the ladder, and it’s up up and away! 

Now, being realistic, these do come with quite a large price tag. They aren’t cheap, plus you need to consider, like pulling a caravan, the extra weight that may pull your MPG down a little bit. 

They look cool, though!!

Offroading Gear 5.5ft Truck Bed Camping Tent w/Canopy | Waterproof | Compatible with F150| Ram| Sierra| GMC| Nissan| Etc.
  • FITS NEARLY ANY 5.5’ BED TRUCK – This Granville II truck tent fits nearly any short-bed pickup truck with a 5.5’ box and comfortably sleeps 2 adults.
  • INTEGRATED FLOOR – Features an integrated waterproof floor to keep you dry and clean when resting soundly in your truck
  • THREE PRIVACY WINDOWS WITH MESH WINDOWS– Every window can be zipped up for ultimate privacy even without the rainfly on. Each window also features mesh windows.
  • REAR ACCESS WINDOW – Rear access window unzips completely to allow access to your truck cabin. Great for grabbing items from your truck cabin or running cords into your tent!
  • SETS UP IN MINUTES – The Granville II is the easiest to setup truck tent in the world with color coded poles, elasticized straps, scratch-free clips, and more.

 A-Frame/Ridge Style Tent

Verdict – 8/10 For Ease

Who remembers drawing this tent as a child? My guess is you are nodding! 

This is a tent with two vertical poles and a horizontal pole, simple! 

This easy-to-pitch classic is very good at dealing with the rain and is surprisingly sturdy in windy weather. Of course, that is when it’s pitched correctly. 

A little knowledge is needed with this one as it relies on the guy ropes and tie-outs being correct. But, again, aimed at two people, this would be a great choice for your backpack. 

Common issues found with this style are the lack of headroom due to its shape, the walls drop sharply from the top, and with the two vertical poles being on the inside, it’s pretty easy to knock one of them with your feet when you’re sleeping. 

No one wants to wake up in a canvas cocoon!

Sale
Stansport Scout Backpack Tent - Forest (713-84-B) 54" W x 36" H x 78" D
  • Three-season, two-person A-frame tent sets up quickly with two sturdy yet lightweight aluminum poles
  • No-see-um mesh door screens and 8,000-millimeter-rated, polyurethane-coated nylon upper, and rugged polyethylene floor
  • Proven A-frame design sheds rain and wind while still being lightweight, compact and easy to assemble
  • Measures 6’6” x 4’6” x 3’ (L x W x H), with 29 square feet of floor space
  • Weight: 3.8-pounds - Includes: 2 steel poles, ropes, stakes and carry bag - Meets CPAI-84 flame retardant specifications

Geodesic Tents

Verdict – 8/10 For Ease

Next time you’re out camping have a look around at the different types of tent around you, and I guess the majority of 2-4 man tents you’ll see will have this Geodesic design. 

Usually, two diagonal poles criss-cross each other at the top centre point, and these tents offer great stability in inclement weather and can also be quite roomy! 

These tents are often well made, which is reflected by the price tag, which are usually more expensive but at the end of the day, you get what you pay for! 

If you’re a camping novice, it’s defiantly worth checking out how to put these bad boys up because sometimes they can prove a bit fiddly finding the right holes for!

Eureka! K-2 XT Three-Person, Four-Season Backpacking Tent, Yellow
  • Loaded with extreme weather performance features, the four-season Eureka! K2 XT freestanding standing tent offers a roomy interior for two to three sleepers (52 square feet).
  • Waterproof StormShield rain fly coating effectively keeps rain and snow out and creates large 18 square foot storage vestibule with cold-weather polyurethane window to brighten up the tent.
  • Zippered High/Low tent vents (two each in the roof and side walls) and two scoop vents in the fly (accessible via zippers in the tent roof) provide year-round comfort.
  • Packed full of gear storing features including a 14-pocket organizer wall, four gear loft loops, and one flashlight loop.
  • Tent has an interior height of 4 feet, weighs 11 pounds, 12 ounces, packs down to 7.5 by 25 inches; includes tent body and fly, poles, stakes, and guylines.

Multi-Room Tents

Verdict – 7/10 For Ease

Multi-Room Tents are more suited towards family camping.

These types of tents (or bungalows!) can often accommodate between 4-10 people. 

Perfect if you and your partner want to sit down with a nice glass of wine when the kids are asleep! 

As you can imagine, with a larger scale comes larger materials. These can be trickier to set up and you really don’t want to be far from the car as the poles can weigh a fair bit! Once it’s up, though, you can enjoy a tremendous amount of space and privacy with even the taller family members able to stand up inside. 

As with other tents, the guy ropes do help with stability, so make sure everything is tickety-boo!

Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | Montana Tent with Easy Setup, Green
  • Spacious 8-person tent has enough room for 3 queen size air beds.Roomy interior: 16 x 7 ft. With 6 ft. 2 in. Center height; fits 3 queen-size air beds Quick setup in 15 minutes with carry bag included for easy transportation.Tent Rainfly : No, Vestibule Area : No, Built in Lights : No.Special feature: ‎Portable, Waterproof, Lightweight
  • WeatherTec system with patented corner welds and inverted seams helps keep water out
  • Extended door awning keeps shoes and gear dry; hinged door offers easy access
  • Measures 16 x 7 feet with 6-foot 2-inch center height
  • Quick setup in 15 minutes with carry bag included for easy transportation

Can one person put up a tent?

Yes, it is completely possible to put up a tent solo, even the biggest of tents! I takes some practice, and you need the weather to be on your side, but is totally possible to put up a tent solo!

5 Tips and tricks for putting a tent up on your own:

Here are some tried and tested tips & tricks for putting up a tent on your own!

  1. Pack it Away Properly! 

    If you want to save time and make your tent last longer, make sure it is folded nicely, is dry and fits in the bag!
  1. Preparation! 

    Set the poles out to where they should roughly be on the ground first, and the same with the pegs! 

    No one wants to ask a passer-by to pass that pole over there while trying to keep the frame from falling down!
  1. Pegging! 

    Especially when it’s a bit gusty, don’t be afraid to put the pegs in temporarily just to help you out with stability while you get the structure right!
  1. Tent Repair Kit!

    Simply because you never know when you’ll need one! Broken Guy ropes and bent pegs can really hamper your construction!
  1. Patience!

    A key attribute to any camper’s arsenal. Don’t get frustrated as that’s when things go wrong! Take your time, be methodical, and if it’s raining….put your big coat on!

BONUS TIP – Don’t forget a decent hammer!

What are the easiest tents to put up?

Summary

So there you have it, an essential guide to finding the easiest tents to put up and tips and tricks to putting them up solo.

If you want a good, all-rounder tent that won’t let you down but simple to put up, then the geodesic tents are built for that purpose—standing strong and keeping you dry! Mind your head, though!

If you’re still not sure what tent’s right and easy enough for you to put up alone, there are also tents we haven’t mentioned, such as shower tents, pyramid tents, inflatable tents, bivvy tents, beach tents, tipi tents; the list just goes on! 

Whatever you choose, here’s hoping you have many exciting family adventures in your next tent.

Stay Safe

Happy Camping!!

Last update on 2024-03-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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