20 Best 3 Person Tent Under 200 (2022 Updated)

I bought this tent years ago from Canadian tire as a back up tent Incase my anything happened to my main tent while I was in the middle of nowhere. This weekend was finally the Coleman Sundomes time to shine.

Set up was very easy with clear instructions, tent quality actually wasn’t the most shocking thing considering its price. I’m not sure if it’s a manufacturing defect on my tent in particular, but you have to stretch the door when zipping up.

Due to the poor quality plastic zipper teeth BOTH of my zippers became derailed in the first and second time opening and the door. If I didn’t have such a negative experience with this tent, leaving me with an open door I would have given it a higher rating for doing the trick on a budget.

We wanted to love this tent, but both the 2 person and 3 person versions of this tents have left us in precarious positions. On a 2 week trip to the Bridger Tetons in WY last August, there was a snowstorm one night.

The tent couldn’t handle it. It collapsed on us during the night, leaving us to have to get out of the tent every 45 mins to clear snow after we more-or-less were able to right the tent. After backpacking for decades, we’ve never felt worried in a tent before this event.

The poles bent. We returned the 2 person and decided to try the 3 person. This weekend in Colorado (Labor Day) while backpacking, we encountered a hail storm – not uncommon in the Colorado Rockies. The 3 person tent collapsed bending the poles.

Others who were with us did not encounter the same issue with their non-Big Agnes tent. This tent performance in hail and some snow is not okay, especially when both weather vents occurred during the summer.

We loved the ease of the tent and the weight, but a 3 season tent needs to stand up to some inclement weather. This tent failed us.

I’m a first time camper preparing to take my daughter camping with her Girl Scout troop next weekend. Thank goodness I tried putting this tent up at home before arriving at the campground because it contained no stakes! We went to Walmart to get 4 stakes and had a gracious neighbor give four some more, which you do need for the rain fly and welcome mat thing.

Once we had the stakes, it was easy enough to put together and we like it very much. Not sure if the stakes were left out of the package or if they simply aren’t included. If the latter, it would have been nice to know how many are required.

I purchased the tent from the Coleman website.

I spent $80 on one of these tents 24 years ago & still use it. When my kids were old enough to camp, I let them use this tent because it was so easy to set up. I just bought each of them their own. This humble tent has survived regular use in all 4 seasons of the Michigan & Wisconsin North woods.

It has not let water in yet despite some impressive rain storms, though I do waterproof it every few years. I think I used seam sealer on it once or twice. Its all stained up from years of leaves, sap, pine needles, occasionally being wet in the bag for a week, but I think of it as patina.

The floor has never torn, nor has the canvas. It even still smells ok inside. For $80.

I acquired this tent in 4/2021 but did didn’t use it until the next month. I had it on two camping trips total in 2021 and just brought it on the third trip for Memorial Day weekend this year. Two parts broke on that trip: one of the metal connectors at the end of the pole, and one of the plastic clips on the tent that hooks onto the poles.

Just my luck, I was just one month out of the 12 month warranty period when it broke. All Coleman offered was a 20% off coupon which I personally would not spend more on a Coleman tent if I’m only going to get 3 uses out of it.

I wanted a medium sized tent, with a removeable rainfly for a camping trip. This tent says it is a “backpacking tent” but I would NEVER take it on the trail. However, it can be a great choice for a medium sized car camping trip.

I did make a few modifications that made it work better for me. I imagine most people would want to do the same. You should consider the following: 1. The guy lines/tie outs were HORRIBLE! I replaced them and they are much better.

2. The included tent stakes are weak and will bend if not in soft soil. I just used the MSR groundhogs I had for my backpacking set up. 3. It needs a foot print, and I had to patch the bathtub floor by the second night.

I bought a cheap tarp and it worked well.

I was skeptical of the floor fabric when i set it up in the yard but was leaving for a 4 day trip thx next day, so tried it out. Put three small holes in it the first night. This tent is not for campers with dogs.

I love Big Agnes and my two old copper spur 1 and 2 have had hundreds of nights each with many many dogs in them over the 14 yrs of use, and with only maybe 40-50% of the trips using a footprint. That fabric was far superior to this tents floor.

We are well versed in the gentle use of ultralight tents and dogs don’t come in until everything is set up for the night and they lay in their spots. These holes occurred from one stretching in the morning.

Was afraid tent wouldn’t make it through the first trip. Otherwise it weathered one of the heaviest rain storms I’ve endured over 30+ yrs of backpacking in Montana, this last weekend and stayed nice and dry.

The set up is a little more fickle to get taught being a stake out foot end and actually requires two extra stakes than provided to keep the fly tight off the net at those corners, but when done right, it is quite dry and cozy and super roomy for two folks and two dogs or probably another person squeezed in middle.

It’s pretty long inside with lots of space above head and feet and I’m 6’1. The mesh pockets are plentiful and huge with one essentially working as a great gear loft. Many great things but the wimpy floor fabric won’t do for us and will be going back.

I don’t buy a super light tent and have to put a floor protector and footprint in the pack to not destroy it. That’s not only annoying from a design standpoint but turns a sub 3 lb tent into over 4 right away.

If you have dogs, get the copper spur and you won’t even need a footprint and it’s one lb heavier, like you’ll end up being anyway with the tiger wall and all the things you’ll need to protect it.

At less than 2# this is definitely a UL tent. However, in achieving that objective it also has the typical issues of durability found with UL tents in general. Consequently, care needs to be taken in site selection and handling to reduce wear and tear.

A ground cloth is a must to protect the bottom material. That said, the $60 price for the BA Footprint is ridiculous. There are several much less expensive options that fill the need. The setup is easy and intuitive.

Overall the tent is sound in most weather. Extended high wind and downpours can cause problems if not securely staked out. The 8 stakes supplied are insufficient for extreme conditions, I recommend 4 additional stakes to fully stretch and support the tent during windy and wet conditions.

With a $370 price I find it annoying that you need to pay for additional stakes that are necessary for a sound setup! At 6′-1″ the tent is roomy enough to accommodate my length when laying flat or seated to change clothes.

The full double wall design really aids in minimizing condensation issues. Overall this is a good UL 1 person tent. I use it in the mountains of Colorado and it supplies the required protection I need.

That said it is a 1 person UL tent and has the design restrictions of that objective.

I ordered this tent and set it up in my living room, and immediately returned it and ordered the copper spur. You have to stake out the footbox of this tent in two places, however, the chords that run from the footbox are NOT adjustable at all and are a fixed length, meaning if you don’t get an absolutely perfect stake, you have to re-stake it instead of just adjust.

For me, an extra 4 ounces for the copper spur fully free standing tent was immediately worth it. Also, the material of the tiger wall is incredibly thin. The tiger wall is made of 15D fabric, while the copper spur is a blend of 15d and 20D fabric.

From setting up both tents in my living room, I noticed a difference in durability for sure. I can understand the choices they made with the tiger wall, thinner fabric and non-adjustable cords, in order to save 4oz from the copper spur 1p.

Because who in their right mind would by the semi freestanding tent if the freestanding one was practically the same weight? But I don’t like the sacrifice in terms of durability and adjustments while staking out the footbox.

It’s a well designed tent and if you are super into weight savings and good at staking, I would still recommend this tent. But to me it is not worth the hassle for 4oz.

I bought this tent to replace a Marmot Earlylight 2, which I was very happy with but unfortunately, after 8 years both windows failed on the fly and that meant replacing the entire tent. I wish Marmot sold a replacement fly as the rest of the tent remains in perfect condition.

Pros-I got it for a very good price and it comes with the footprint. While it could fit 2 people, it was the perfect size for me and my gear. There are two doors, each with it’s own vestibule. Easy setup with color matched tabs and poles.

It held up well in heavy wind. Cons-the footprint does not match the tent exactly, as it did on my Earlylight. During heavy rain the first night some rain seeped between the footprint and tent body and came through into the tent.

I made some adjustments, mainly looping the body attachment under the footprint and first inserting the poles into the footprint then body and tightening everything up. However, as the rain stopped for good I am not certain it was solved.

It is a bit heavy for a long backpacking trip but still lighter than most tents at the same price point. I set it up when first received and didn’t notice the footprint fit as an issue at the time. If I had, I would have returned it.

This is my winter tent, and I love it. I do more than half my camping in the winter, from the Sierras to Moab and the Rockies. I’ve camped in this tent in temps down to 0° comfortably. With me and 2 dogs, we stay quite warm.

Setup is simple once you’ve done it a couple times. The color coded clips and poles help a lot. The clips are secure but easy to manipulate even when your hands are ice cold on snowy mornings. In weather above freezing, it has ok ventilation with the fly attached.

I’ve actually never used this without the fly, just bad luck I haven’t had warm temps ever for this tent. The large vestibule really helps when it’s muddy or damp. Condensation has never even been an issue for me in this tent, which is surprising given the cold temps I’ve used it in.

The only cons I can think of? It can be a little hard to line up the fly correctly with the plastic window over the tent window when setting up in low light. I also wish the fly window was more transparent.

It’s not a useful window except to let in light. Overall, a tent that allows me to camp fearlessly in winter.

I wanted to love this. I got it for snow/bad weather backpacking. I used it on one trip and I’m returning it, for the following reasons: – with the sleeved pole design it takes too long to set up and take down; not suitable during inclement weather – it was raining when I set it up, and the rain just falls into the tent when entering/exiting.

Needs the vestibule to prevent that – also needs the vestibule for stowing pack and boots overnight; I had to take them inside with me, which exacerbated condensation; the walls and my sleeping bag were damp in the morning – finally, needs the vestibule for cooking/eating protected from the elements.

I agree with some of the other negative reviews. I have a Mountain Hardwear Tent where the floor pulled right off the walls when I last set it up as the glue had dried up and crumbled apart. Surprisingly there was no backup stitching to hold it together.

A brief but of research on the internet revealed that many of them fail in this way around the 10 year mark. We tried to have this addressed under warrantee but we’re surprised to learn this wasn’t a real lifetime warranty, but a « LIMITED LIFETIME » warranty.

The tent was returned to us and we were informed it was beyond it’s expected lifetime. I have two cheap Coleman tents that have outlived and outperformed this so-called expedition grade « bombproof » tent.

I know it’s old but if even a cheap Coleman (which has been used way harder) can outlast it, that’s a pretty limited lifetime. When making expensive or mission critical purchases, you may want to think twice about Mountain Hardwear and whether you are assuming or relying on a great warranty.

There is none.

I purchased my Tungsten UL 3P direct from Marmot two years ago. It lasted for only two summers of intermittent use in temperate forested environments in northern US/Southern Canada. Although I left a positive review for this tent on Marmot.

com last summer, I now feel the need to correct my mistake. After only a few weeks of total use time, the seams on the fly are now leaking in multiple spots, causing dripping through the mesh into the tent generally.

The problem is worst at the guy-line attachment points and anywhere the plastic clips touch the fly. So many leaks that I cannot identify all the exact leak locations. Poor-quality seam-taping appears to be the culprit, although I cannot rule out a more basic design issue with the way the fly seams are sewn and taped.

There are no rips, tears, stretches, punctures, or other obvious signs of damage anywhere on the fly or the rest of the tent–and separating seam tape can only be found on the fly. In my updated opinion based on longer-term use, I feel this tent is merely a fashion piece, not a viable tent for thru-hikers or serious canoe trippers or anyone who needs a reliably leak-free shelter.

The last 3P tent I owned (different brand) lasted 22 years, as I am very careful about how I use, clean, store, and maintain my gear. Yes, of course it weighed about 3 lbs more than the Tungsten UL. Bottom line is the Tungsten UL is not a good value by comparison unless weight is EVERYTHING to you.

But what good is a leaky tent even if it weighed nothing? In my experience, a “few extra pounds” beats “miserably wet for days” when in the wilderness, especially on extended trips. Knowing what I know now, I won’t sacrifice weight for quality (for critical gear like a tent) on remote trips ever again.

This review is for the Trango 2, but the design is nearly identical. The tent itself performed well early on, seeing use high on Longs Peak and Mount Whitney. It’s very heavy for what it is, the stakes are of poor quality, and the guy lines are easily tangled.

However, it’s a sturdy, very roomy 4-season tent. Unfortunately, Mountain Hardwear does not honor their warranty. I recently noticed that the fly was flaking laminate everywhere off all the seams–think epic “tent dandruff.

” I sent in the fly at my expense ($20), only to have it show back up on my doorstep a few weeks later. The only communication I ever received from Mountain Hardwear was my return tracking number–that’s it.

No discussion of a repair, no offer to replace the fly, no discount on a new fly. Nothing. They stated only that the product was beyond its useful life. My tent was used a grand total of perhaps 15 nights out.

Zero long-term sun exposure. Always stored dry and indoors. If you charge a premium price for serious mountaineering gear, your warranty should mean something. Potential customers should know Mountain Hardwear does not honor theirs.

I brought the Telos Tr2 Plus along with me for the past month on an unsupported bicycle tour from Colorado to Mississippi. I slept in the tent 24 of the 29 days I was on the road. This was my first time using it so I had my reservations taking an unknown tent with me but as a fan of Sea to Summit and the gear they make, I had the utmost faith.

I had nights that ranged from 17F up to 65F, I always felt that the tent stayed as warm as could be expected. I really liked having the fabric walls on the inner tent in place of the mesh. It offered a bit more privacy on those nights when the tent fly was not needed.

I was a bit nervous that the small vents at the top of the tent would not be sufficient but they seemed to do the trick. The only times I had issue with condensation was through Louisiana, I’m not sure there is a tent in the world that can handle that level of condensation.

I highly recommend the gear loft as well, it gets your clothes for the next day up off the ground and gives them a chance to breath a little bit better. Inside the tent, spacious! I had enough room to spread out and get comfortable all while storing all of my panniers inside the tent.

I found myself not using the lightbar feature however I can certainly see how useful this could be, especially if you are staying in one place for more than 1 night. It is a bit difficult to pull the tent tight for the tension ridge but once you do it a few times you get used to it and appreciate the fact that the tent doesn’t flap around at all.

I used the smaller ground tarp with the tent as I find myself setting it up without a rainfly as much as I can, if you pack the tent as tight as you can the inner tent and the ground fly can be packed together, eliminating the need for te seperate ground tarp bag.

All in all the only issues that I encountered was the color (the tent is not as discretely colored as I would like), and the tent stakes seemed to bend rather easily. I’m still quite impressed with this tent.

From cold weather to hot and humid weather, it preformed wonderfully. It is light, durable, and well designed. It provides ample protection from the elements and I am so looking forward to taking it out into the backcountry this winter to test it even more! The Telos TR2 Plus will be my go to tent from now on, another S2S product knocking it out of the park!.

Overall this tent is fine. It’s easy to set up and take down, the quality of the components is really nice and feels pretty solid. I do like that it’s almost entirely mesh on the body which allows for great views from inside as well as great airflow.

For backpackers I’m sure being able to split the components between packs is a welcome feature. There’s also ample space to stuff your gear, and you can turn the little stuff sacks the tent goes in into more gear pockets.

The instructions for setup are right on the gear itself so you don’t have to worry about losing it or trying to figure it out as you go along. Although as I said, setting it up is super easy as there’s only one pole and the stretch points are color-coded.

I wouldn’t use this as an actual 2-person tent unless you like cuddling with your travel partner, but it’s perfect for one person. I can’t imagine that two sleeping pads would fit together well at the foot of the tent without overlapping or pushing up against the walls of the tent but the really depends on your gear choices.

I wish the poles were just a bit shorter so I could fit them more easily into my motorcycle’s panniers. They only fit in the middle my top case which means I have to sort of tetris other things around them.

Here’s the catch: I have only used this tent twice, but on one such occasion it rained throughout the night. Nothing too heavy, but it was constant. I woke up the next morning to find that the water had soaked through the toggles you use to hold the vestibule doors open and dripped onto me and my sleeping bag.

For a $500 tent that claims to be 3-season, this is unacceptable. This is definitely something that should be reconsidered or redesigned in some way. This tent also does not come with a footprint. The material at the bottom of the tent seems pretty solid though, so it’s not much of a loss and some backpackers may even like the weight reduction.

I think for the price it should still be included but maybe that’s just me. I feel like I could have purchased a truly waterproof 4-season tent for much less. I’m going to manually do some waterproofing and give it a few more tries, but as it stands now the pros don’t outweigh the cons.

As an adventure guide I work with LOTS of equipment – from rock, tree and ice climbing, to caving, mountain biking, wilderness survival – I am constantly looking for the best gear to make my outdoor adventures enjoyable, both for my clients and for myself.

When it comes to overnight and multi-day programming, I have gone through nearly a dozen tents over the past 20 years. Generally my go to brand for personal use has been Big Agnes. Until I tried the Sea to Summit Alto TR2.

The Alto TR2 is easy to set up, works great for star gazing on clear nights, and provides plenty of weather proofing for rain and wind. As a semi-free standing tent, it is easy to move around when trying to find the optimal footprint, and set-up and take down is a breeze.

The double-door vestibules mean I can store things outside of the tent and still keep them dry, or even cook over a stove if it is really pouring out. The light tube is a bonus for diffusing my headlamp light when getting ready for bed, and the unique 3 bag storage system allows me to stow gear in multiple packs or multiple places in my own backpack.

This is a great help when I have to make room in my pack for carrying equipment for a tired client on a long hike. Although I currently have 6 other tents to choose from, I find myself reaching for the Alto TR2 every time.

TL;DR – Really roomy and comfortable, lots of clever features and tons of storage space. Tent and fly bags are too small and make packing the tent up difficult. I was very excited for this tent. The amount of clever features was intriguing to me.

As advertised there is headroom to spare inside the tent, and it makes a huge difference compared to other tents. Much more comfortable when changing, or just hanging out inside. The addition of using the tent bags as storage sacks inside the tent is great.

S2S even provided mesh pockets already so the tent bags are just extra bonus storage space. If you bought the gear loft then it’s a game changer as well. The only con I really have about this tent is the size of the bags for the tent and fly.

They’re just too small, which makes rolling up and packing the tent away a fairly annoying process. It feels like there’s no room to spare so if you don’t roll it up just perfectly tight enough then it’s going to be a struggle, or impossible, to get back in the bag.

And if you manage to just barely get the tent and fly in then the sleeves for the poles are likely to be too tightly stretched to get the poles in. All in all I’d recommend it but practice rolling up and packing the tent away before going out to camp.