Three Person Tent

Sized by shoulder width, not by comfort

A three person tent is rated by how many sleeping mats will lie side by side across the inner, shoulder to shoulder, with nothing else in there. That convention is worth taking literally. The range runs from ultralight backpacking shelters through dome and tunnel designs to tipi cuts and darkened inners. Two things decide almost everything: the shape of the pole structure, and whether the tent is carried or driven to a pitch. Wider capacities and other shapes sit in camping tents.

Does a three person tent sleep three?

It sleeps three people who know each other well and carry very little. For two adults plus rucksacks, boots and room to sit up, the same tent is generous, and that is how most are used. Three adults with kit will want the extra width of a shelter from tents four person. Going the other way, two people who move a lot in the night are usually happier in a three than in a design from two person tents.

Dome, tunnel or tipi?

A dome crosses two or more poles over the top, stands up on its own before it is pegged, and sheds wind from any direction, which suits open ground where you cannot choose your orientation. A tunnel runs hoops in parallel: more usable floor area and headroom for the same weight, but it has to be pegged out and pointed into the wind to stay up. A tipi hangs one skin from a central pole, packs small and gives standing height in the middle, at the cost of sloping walls over the sleeping space.

What should be checked on the specification?

• Porch: the covered space outside the inner is where wet boots and packs live, and its absence is felt on the first rainy evening.
• Doors: two doors mean nobody climbs over anybody, one door saves weight and one more zip that can fail.
• Pitching order: an outer-first or all-in-one pitch keeps the inner dry while you put the tent up in rain.
• Poles: alloy poles flex and recover in wind, fibreglass is heavier and splinters rather than bending back.
• Inner fabric: a mesh inner ventilates and shows the sky, a solid or darkened inner cuts early light and holds a little more warmth.

How much should it weigh?

The number on the label matters less than how it divides. Split three ways, the inner, the flysheet and the poles each become a small item, which is why a backpacking three often travels better than a two carried alone. For a campsite tent, floor area matters and weight barely does. The figure to watch is packed length, since a long pole set will not fit inside a rucksack and ends up strapped to the outside.

Why is the inside wet in the morning?

Usually condensation rather than a leak. Three people breathing overnight put a lot of moisture into a small volume, and it settles on the coldest surface. Leave the vents open even when it is cold, keep the inner off the flysheet, and dry wet kit outside. Water tracking in at a specific point, always the same point, is the sign of a seam that needs sealing.