While you might remember camping trips in the old days of Scouts or family outings, some of those massive eight, ten, or even twelve person tents might have been great back then but they’re not practical for a modern backpacker or hiker going solo or with one other person. While there is no “one size fits all” type of tent, there are several main factors to look for when trying to track down your ideal tent for when it’s time to hit the trails again.
When you’re going individually, space and weight are two major issues. Generally speaking the smaller the tent, the lighter it’s going to be. This isn’t just about fabric, but it also goes into the building materials for the tent poles: light plastic works better with small tents and is much lighter than the large metal bars that make up many larger tents. The space topic is simple to point out: the materials that make a two man tent are going to be far less than the ones that make up a ten or twelve man tent, or even the more reasonable five man tent.
There is not a huge amount of difference between two and three man tents, although many backpackers prefer the small amount of extra space that comes with a three person tent. Many tents designated for two people by the seller, are talking about two small people, and it can get pretty cramped in there with gear, even for a solo camper. For a larger person a two man tent might actually be just a one man tent. Also consider the size of your backpack and what room you will need if the weather gets ugly and you need to spend a few days inside.
It can be tempting to settle for the cheapest tent you can find, but this is an extremely poor strategy. Materials are often lower quality and might be okay for the backyard or an occasional outing at a nearby campsite, but they’re probably not going to hold up to the long term use and weather that comes with backpacking or long term camping or traveling. The best way to go, in my experience, is to look for a high quality three man tent specifically designed the rigors of backpacking. They may cost closer to several hundred dollars, rather than the $50-60 that cheaper models go for, but they will last through tough long term conditions.