Three things decide whether a tent is right: how many it really sleeps, what weather it is built for, and what you are willing to carry.
A two-person tent sleeps one person comfortably
Capacity ratings assume bodies lying side by side with no kit and no gap. Two adults plus two packs in a two-person tent works, but nothing is spare. If you want room to sit up, get changed and keep your bags out of the rain, size up one.
Season ratings
- 2-season — summer, low ground, light rain.
- 3-season — spring to autumn. This covers most UK camping and is what most people should buy.
- 4-season — winter, snow loading, sustained wind. Heavier and usually less ventilated, which makes it a poor summer tent.
Weight only matters if you carry it
If the tent goes from a car boot to a pitch fifty metres away, weight is close to irrelevant and you should spend the money on space instead. If it is going on your back for three days, every 500g is real.
What we can and cannot tell you
Packed weight and season rating are published inconsistently across the trade. Where a manufacturer states them, we show them. Where they do not, the row is absent rather than estimated — so some of our tent pages are shorter than you might expect. Ask us and we will chase the figure before you buy.