The year’s top shelters are quick to assemble and roomier than ever.
MSR Hubba Tour 3 ($750)
When it comes to a Gear of the Year–worthy tent, we want something we can trust to keep us covered, comfy, and dry. And if there’s a big storm brewing, we want the Hubba Tour 3. The exterior pole setup lifts the tent and the fly simultaneously, so everything can be up in less than five minutes. The 43-square-foot interior is tight for three adults, but the large vestibule (MSR calls it a gear shed, and that’s no exaggeration) more than makes up for it: at 25 square feet, that space alone is on par with some two-person tents. On a trip in the Guatemalan highlands, three of us had ample room to strip off soaked gear, organize clothes and food in one corner, keep packs stowed in another, and prepare dinner. The Hubba Tour won’t withstand a snow load, but it’s burly enough to weather just about anything else. Rarely does a tent’s vestibule stand out as its most important feature, but this is no ordinary tent. 5.8 lbs
NEMO Chogori 3 ($850)
Best for four-season campers
Any tent that shines year-round needs to be sturdy and spacious, withstand snow and high winds, and accommodate lots of gear. As a result, if you’re determined to get out in all types of weather, that usually means bringing along something heavy. Not so with the Chogori, which is a relatively svelte eight pounds and still boasts a whopping 44.3 square feet. NEMO shaved ounces by integrating the fly into the tent body (that makes it 25 percent lighter than other four-season shelters); it also used an exterior five-pole design that saves time during setup. Testers said the waterproof fly had no problem in 40-mile-per-hour winds and heavy snow—and offered plenty of room to sit up straight and wait out the storm. 7.7 lbs
Eureka Midori 2 ($160)
Best for backpackers
The Midori 2 earned its spot for efficient use of space. Two cross-poles combine with a third above the doors to pull the walls almost vertical. That makes the interior feel roomier than its average 30 square feet would suggest. And the two vestibules clock in at ten square feet each—impressive gear storage for a two-person tent. Add in standard features like interior pockets and a pair of doors, and the Midori has everything you need in a backpacking tent, at a category-killing price. Color-coded poles, clips, and attachment points for easy setup—plus a bathtub-style floor, to keep water that pools under the tent from soaking through—are icing on the cake. The only downside: at just under five pounds, it’s on the heavy side for its class. 4.8 lbs