All single-wall tents are ultralight and supremely packable. What they tend to lack is breathability: one humid night and the interior becomes a swamp of condensation and gear funk. The North Face’s Phoenix 2 turns on the fresh air. The secret ingredient is DryWall, a waterproof fabric that our early tests suggest is far more breathable than what’s wrapping the other domes at base camp. (Two of our testers used a humidifier overnight to send a gallon of steam through the stuff .) How does it work? Most waterproof single-walls use nylon treated with silicone—about as steamy as a plastic bag—or fire-retardant chemicals that can clog the material’s pores. DryWall doesn’t require any clammy coating since its fibers are engineered to resist fire from the start—one more reason to breathe easy. 3.6 lbs; $300;
North Face Phoenix 2 Tent
North Face Phoenix 2 Tent