Choosing the best tent for hunting is like choosing the best donuts to bring home from a store containing hundreds. You know they are all delicious and you know they will all be good. You can't go wrong. Yet, you can't help but spend 20 minutes looking and contemplating, because you want the best of the best. You can feel there is that one perfect Long John lingering among the rest, with cream filling spread out internally through the entire pastry and an extra thick frosting top. Who can blame you for wanting the best available?
Just like donuts, tents seem to be a dime a dozen. There are hundreds of makes and models to choose from.
So, instead of spending hours looking for hunting tents, just look here. Our top 5 list will help you choose the best hunting tent to best fit your needs.
Your first question may be, what makes a tent a "hunting" tent? Well, there isn't anything really that defines any tent from being either camping or hunting. What it really comes down to is what your exact needs as a hunter are, and then choosing the best tent that fulfills all your needs.
Some things that are important to consider are:
- What are the season or seasons you typically hunt in? When you hunt will determine whether or not you buy a 4 season tent to protect you in the cold, or a thinner tent for consistently warmer climates.
- Think about the duration of your hunting trip. If you plan on making your hunting trip more of a vacation, you might want to choose a larger more stable tent. Likewise, depending on the number of hunters in your party you will either buy the 12 by 12 or the large 18 by 15.
- How far do you have to hike to get to your camping location? This will determine the weight of the tent you can get. Obviously, a large canvas cabin style tent is not one you can travel far on foot with.
- All in all just try to consider all that you want to get out of your tent. Combine that with your budget and the best hunting tent will arrive at your doorstep in no time.
Browning Camping Big Horn Family/Hunting Tent
The Big Horn family and hunting tent by Browning is one of the best available options when it comes to hunting tents. It is big enough for a family or large hunting party, yet lightweight enough for easy travel. Due to it being light and breaking down into a nice carrying bag, you can take this tent farther into the woods or away from your vehicle when compared to larger canvas tents. This tent is the perfect medium between backpacking tents and bigger lodge tents.
The Big Horn family and hunting tent has been designed for easier assembly and tear-down, being made with three light and sturdy fiberglass "free-standing" poles as the main support structure. This tent also has added features which specifically benefit hunters such as the vertical walls so more cots can fit inside the tent, more head room to maneuver within the tent, a divider wall to separate into two rooms, and mesh storage pockets on the interior.
The Big Horn has been designed to withstand any weather condition, which is also ideal for hunters who embark on hunting trips throughout the colder and rainier seasons. It has factory reinforced seams, a thicker and stronger floor (about twice as heavy as typical nylon tent floors, but much more durable), and coated walls, to make a superbly waterproof and weatherproof tent that Browning has tested thoroughly.
This also has great airflow, so you can enjoy the tent in warmer or more humid conditions with its six windows, a mesh ceiling, and two doors that also have screens. The rainfly has been designed to be just as durable and weatherproof as the walls, but has also been engineered to be UV resistant. This gives the tent a longer overall life because it takes longer for the material to even begin a degradation process.
Other notable features include its price. Priced under $300 you are getting more for your money when compared to others like it. It also features a buckle system for attaching the weatherproof fly, which creates a much stronger and durable attachment versus traditional hooking or clipping.
For how big this tent is (10 foot by 15 foot), and all that it has to offer, this is a great choice. It is one of the best overall, camping, family, and hunting tents. After purchasing Browning’s Big Horn you, and all others around you will not be disappointed.
The Ultimate Alaknak
This is a beautifully made tent that really gives a great definition to the term "glamping", or glamour-camping. Let me assure you, although that term may get a bad rep, glamping is the way to do it when hunting with a party. This style of large tent is sure to turn any plot of nature into the perfect home base for hunting camp. It will be a place of comfort, commodore, and most importantly good times.
There is good reasoning behind the name of this tent. The Ultimate Alaknak by Cabela's is the ultimate in tent camping. This 12 foot by 12 foot tent features enough head space to walk all around inside, and enough room for multiple cots or sleeping arrangements for multiple hunters. It is built with X-Treme Tent Cloth and features a wood stove spot (zip-away cutout in floor, and protected cut out in ceiling). This not only gives you a very durable tent with a high tear strength, but a tent that will keep you warm and is completely weather proof.
The Ultimate Alkanak has amazing features to aid in temperature control such as windows, condensation vents, and storm covers which makes this tent even more comfortable to stay in for a longer duration. This has also been designed for easy set up and deconstruction so anyone can do it faster than before.
A couple unique features that bring this tent to the next level include the T style doors with an optional screen door, and the inner sidewalls have beverage holders and pocket storage. The Ultimate Alaknak by Cabela's is sure to please, and regardless of weather it will put a smile on anyone lucky enough to have this tent for their hunting camp. This is built to last and comes with Cabela's legendary product guarantee.
Hillman 4 Season 2 Person Tent
The Hillman 4 season 2 person tent is an incredible choice for lightweight camping, or shorter hunting trips. Designed to handle extreme weather conditions and high altitude, this tent is perfect for the hunter who takes advantage of cold hunting seasons. This is a rugged and durable two person tent that is built with waterproofed nylon grid cloth at 10,000mm. It will keep you well insulated and safe from extreme weather conditions. It's upgraded fabric technology gives an increase in waterproofing as well as increased tear resistance. This will only make the Hillman 4 season tent have a longer life-span.
Other important features include an innovative light-weight design, including anti-rust aluminum pegs. Its weight also makes it perfect for long backpacking hikes when traveling to your favorite hunting location. It has many included weather upgrades such as a durable skirt to keep out any unwanted weather. Surprisingly through its double layer weatherproofing, this Hillman is surprisingly breathable. Although I would not use it in extreme heat, there is good reason this tent is rated for four seasons.
Overall this tent has a good amount of space, and has convenience amenities such as internal wall pockets for storage, and ventilation windows. If you hunt in a party of two or less and want something durable, long-lasting, and very weather resistant, this is the tent for you.
Cabela's Montana Lodge Tent
Cabela's Montana Lodge Tent is the mother of all tents. This tent has a massive 18 by 15 foot floor plan, and a design that will make any hunter either jealous or grateful to stay in such a well built home away from home. This takes the gold medal in almost every category regarding tents, except for lightweight and size. But, if your looking for something that is more of a tent backpack, your simply looking at the wrong tent. Of course that is all relative anyway, because aside from the wood stove this is designed to tear down and pack into a neat convenient bag for easier storage and transportation.
Built with a canvas roof and walls made from Relite, this tent is one of the most durable, tear resistant, weather proof, UV resistant, insulated, and relatively lightweight when compared to others like it. These aspects make this the best elk hunting tent due to the back country hunting demands and the seasonal weather extremes. The Montana Lodge has a large and spacious interior with the wood stove in the middle for maximum even heat distribution. That, and the central wood stove allows for bonfire-like interactions and experiences. This is because your entire hunting party can fit around it and enjoy each others company in the comfort and safety of the lodge.
This canvas hunting tent has also been designed in the shape of a hexagon, utilizing top of the line structural support, in order to maximize space efficiency. When your walking around in a tent that has almost 10 foot ceilings it's easy to feel like royalty in the woods. A few other features that are noteworthy include the floor with the cutout for a stove, upgraded ventilation systems, and increased waterproofing.
Invest is the Cabela's Montana Lodge Tent, and you will become a hunting camp legend among all your friends.
Geertop 4 Season 2 Person Dome Tent
The Geertop 4 season 2 person dome style tent is another incredible backpacking tent that is ideal for hunters. This is a very lightweight tent coming in at just under 6 pounds, and is has been designed to withstand all weather conditions including high altitude. It has double stitched and tape sealed seams, optional snow skirt, strong aluminum poles, and is made with UV protected material.
Other key features of this great tent include its price; this is the best budget hunting tent. Neither you or your wallet will be disappointing with this decision. The Geertop dome tent also includes storage pockets on the internal walls, two entrances for convenience, and upgraded ventilation for maximum airflow in warmer weather.
Kodiak Canvas Truck Tent
The Kodiak Canvas Truck tent is just too cool not to have in our top 5 list. This unique tent is ideal for hunters who go deep down the two tracks and have hunting spots in dense forests. This allows you to turn almost any pickup into a camping dream. Up high off the ground, this tent keeps you protected in an array of situations and circumstances. It is designed to have great airflow with its 5 windows, and it is made with sturdy canvas for durability, weatherproofing, and insulation. The Kodiak Truck tent is adaptable to fit any full sized truck bed, and secures tightly while maximizing its internal space with a round dome/tunnel shape.
Other awesome features include a window that matches up with the rear cab window so you can pull power from the front of the vehicle into the bed. It has gear pouches on the interior walls, and is designed with 2 large doors for convenience. The door is coupled with strong YKK zippers for durability.
For what this unique tent has to offer, it is an incredible buy for any hunter with a pickup. Its only "downside" is the no floor, so your left to camp in and on your actual truck bed. Depending on how much use and abuse your bed gets from hunting, work, or whatever, you may want to consider a thorough clean before your camping venture.
Thanks for reading and hopefully this guide has helped you find the best hunting tent for you!
