Who Makes The Best Tent Under $100?
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When looking at purchasing a tent there are many different tent designs and features to pick from, it can be overwhelming to pick one that you like. I’ve outlined what I think are the best tents under $100 and what considerations you will want to make when selecting a tent to make purchasing a tent easier. Below are my tent recommendations and the criteria you will want to look at when selecting a tent from this list.
Sleeping Capacity
The main item to look at when picking a tent under $100 is to look at the sleeping capacity of the tent. Depending on how large you would want your tent to be there are many different options to choose from. There are tents that are designed to hold anywhere from 2-14 people.
If you want your tent to take up a small footprint on your campsite you would want to go with a tent that will hold 2-4 people. These tents will be smaller as they are designed to sleep up to 4 people laying side by side.
I’m 6’ 4” 190 pounds and I have a 4 person tent. While I can’t stand up in the tent I do have enough room to crawl inside of it and be able to comfortably sleep two people plus our camping gear inside.
I personally wouldn’t go with a two-person tent unless you were planning on going backpacking with the tent and you need it to be as light as possible.
My 4 person dome tent has enough room to fit me, a queen air mattress, and my clothes for the weekend comfortably. As I stated earlier I’m a taller individual and I can still fit inside of the tent at night no problem.
Seasonality
The seasons the tent is designed to be used in is also a factor in picking the best tent under $100. Most tents are going to be designed to be used in 3 seasons which means spring, summer, and fall.
Most 3 season tents are going to be designed with vents at the top of the tent and on the windows to allow it to let out hot air during the summer months. During the colder months, you can cover up those vents with a tarp if you need to stay warm inside of the tent.
2 Season Tents
2 season tents are designed to be used in the summer months. 2 season tents typically will be designed with a lot of mesh in order to keep the temperatures within the tent down. Being constructed with a lot of mesh also means that the tent should be good at keeping insects out.
One thing that you would want to look at with 2 season tents would be that the construction of the tent is adequate to your needs. If a tent is designed with a lot of mesh it’s not going to be as sturdy so make sure the tent can hold up to what you need it to.
3 Season Tents
3 season tents are going to be designed to withstand rain and light snow but are not going to be the best for extended exposure to the elements. Most of them should come with a rain fly to help protect you in heavy downpours of rain but most 3 season tents are going to be thinner and lighter and the canvas material will eventually get soaked by the rain.
The rain fly can be removed to help vent hot air from the tent during the day. Most 3 season tents will also feature windows that can be unzipped to reveal mesh that will provide more cooling.
4 Season Tents
4 season tents are designed to be able to be used in snow and wintery conditions. 4 season tents are typically dome tents to help prevent the accumulation of snow on the top of the tent that could damage the tent from the weight. 4 season tents will typically feature less mesh on them to help keep out the cold air and keep in the warm air of the individuals inside.
Single wall and double wall tents
Most tents that you will see on the market are going to be double walled tents. This means that they are built with a material that is meant to be breathable as the base material and then wrapped in another waterproof outer layer rainfly. Some backpacking tents are single walled tents but the ones in this review are all going to be double walled tents.
Tent Value – Picking The Best Tent Under $100
Depending on how long you are expecting your tent under $100 to last you may want to look at one that is really cheap. If your tent only cost $50 then it’s not that expensive to replace from time to time.
If you are looking for tents under $100 you are already on the budget end of the tent buying spectrum. Typically you will not find many extra features on tents that are for sale under $100.
Tent Waterproofing
While some tents may be advertised as waterproof what the manufacturer is really talking about is the rainfly is waterproof. Any canvas type tent will eventually allow water to seep through the tent wall if it gets soaked enough with rain.
What most tent brands will do is create a tent with a polyester rainfly and tent floor and call the tent waterproof. Just know that waterproof is a loosely used term when looking for tents and nothing is really ever “waterproof”.
Tent storage
Another consideration when looking at the best tent under $100 is going to be how much storage space you will need inside of your new tent. Are you planning on bringing a lot of camping gear along with you on your next trip? Well, then you may want to get a larger capacity tent as it will have more room inside for you to sleep as well as store your camping supplies.
If you are going to be going on a backpacking trip you will want your tent to be as light as possible so your tent storage capacity will not be as large is it would if you went with a normal tent that is designed to be used on a campsite.
Tent Patio
Some tents under $100 will come with a patio that you can use to put your shoes on before you step into the tent so that you don’t bring mud and dirt into the tent with you when you are entering and exiting.
This is useful if you like to keep the inside of your tent as clean as possible and also provides you with extra storage space for your camping gear. Just realize that most of these patios will not be enclosed so your stuff would be subject to the outside elements and your gear would not be secured from raccoons and people just wanting to take your stuff.
Rain fly
A rain fly is an accessory of a tent that you can put on if you are expecting to have rain during your camping trip.
It may not be a bad idea to put on your rain fly regardless of if you are expecting rain or not as you may have a pop up storm come through and if you don’t have your rain fly on your tent then that would allow the rain to come through the top of the tent and get your sleeping bag and other camping gear wet.
Most tents should come with a rain fly unless they are an ultralight tent. In our list of the best tents under $100, most of the tents that I have chosen are going to include a rain fly from the factory.
If your tent does not come with a rain fly or you have lost it you should be able to get another one either online or at a camping goods store. It may not be specifically designed to fit your tent but it should get the job done. Another option is to just buy a blue tarp and use that for rain protection but that’s not the best look at a campsite.
Tent height and shape
Another item to take into consideration when purchasing a tent under $100 is the height and shape of the tent. If you are tall and expecting to be able to walk around in your tent then you are going to want to purchase a tent that has a tall peak height.
There are some tents that are designed to look somewhat like cabins that have near vertical walls to help you be able to move around inside the tent more easily.
The most common type of tent is a dome style tent which is defined by its dome shape on the top of the tent. Dome tents are nice for sleeping in but if you are tall you may have some issues walking around inside of them depending on how tall your tent peak height is. Dome tents are designed to have their outer walls slope inwards towards the ceiling of the tent.
Tent doors
When choosing the best tent under $100 you will want to decide how many tent doors you want your tent to have. Most tents under $100 are just going to have one tent door on them.
The shape of the door is another consideration depending on how easily you want to be able to get in and out of your tent. If your tent has multiple doors it makes it easier for multiple people to be able to get in and out of the tent.
Interior loops and pockets
Some tents that you will find in this list will features interior loops and pockets within them for extra storage space. Extra storage within the tent is always a plus.
Best Tent Under $100 – Reviews
Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent
The Coleman Sundome 4-person tent is designed to be a 3 season dome tent. One thing that stands out with this Coleman tent though is that the rainfly is not a full coverage rain fly.
This means that some water may fall off of the rain fly onto your tent walls and seep into the tent. For this reason, I wouldn’t recommend this tent to someone that plans on camping in a lot of rain storms.
Other than that it seems well built and offers features such as internal storage pockets and an E-port that allows you to snake an extension cord through the port easily into the tent. To check out the current prices of this Coleman Sundome 4-person tent on Amazon click here.
NTK Cherokee GT 2 to 3 Person Tent
The NTK Cherokee GT tent is a 2 to 3 person 3 season tent designed to be used in spring, summer, and fall weather.
The NTK Cherokee GT is designed with a polyester rain fly that’s also been laminated with polyurethane to provide extra protection against the rain.
The rain fly is also full coverage of the tent which means that it should cover the tent fully to keep the rain off of the walls of the tent.
This tent features a two-way zipper but only has one door on it so keep that in mind. The NTK Cherokee GT also features a large mesh area at the top of the tent which should help the tent vent built-up heat in the summer months.
This tent also features a waterproof tent floor made from polyethylene and designed as a tub. Overall this tent should do a very good job of keeping water from getting inside the tent so I would recommend this tent if you are going to be camping a lot in rainy conditions. If you are interested in buying this NTK Cherokee GT tent on Amazon click here.
ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4-Person Tent
The ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 4-person tent is designed to be able to easily be put up at a campsite with only two poles to complete the setup.
The main benefit of the ALPS Taurus, in my opinion, is that it has two entryways to get in and out of the tent. This is beneficial because you don’t have to crawl over another person or your camping gear to get in and out of the tent.
This tent also features factory sealed seams, a mesh roof, and polyester rain fly to help keep you dry in rainy conditions. This is a 3 season tent and should perform well from spring to fall. ALPS is a well-reviewed tent manufacturer and offers a limited lifetime warranty on their products. To check out this ALPS Mountaineering 4-Person Tent on Amazon click here.
ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1-Person Tent
The ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 1-person tent is designed to be a backpacking tent that you would use for your backpacking adventure however, you could use this at a campsite as well if you wanted.
It’s not designed to be a very large tent with a center height of 3 feet so don’t expect to stand up in it. The ALPS Lynx is designed with walls that are comprised of mostly mesh so it should do a good job of ventilating heat in the summer months.
With that said it may not be the best backpacking tent for a winter hiking trip. The ALPS Lynx does come with a rain fly as well to keep you dry if rain is in the forecast. If you want to check out the current prices of this ALPS Mountaineering tent on Amazon click here.
ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 2-Person Tent
The ALPS Meramac 2-person tent is designed to be a smaller tent with a center height of 4 feet. It is one of ALPS best-selling tents, I’d bet because it’s pretty affordable it’s currently $66 on Amazon which isn’t a bad price for a 2-person tent.
The ALPS Meramac also has two doors on it which is nice so you don’t have to climb over people or your stuff to get in and out of the tent. It also features a full coverage fly to keep you dry in the event of a rain shower.
The Meramac also comes in larger sizes if you like the tent design but need it to fit more people, just realize the larger the size of the tent typically the more it will cost. Reviewers have said that this 2 person tent is a great option for camping in a car or truck bed because of the small footprint it takes up. To check out the current price of this ALPS Mountaineering tent on Amazon click here.
Coleman Instant Cabin 4-Person Tent
The Coleman instant cabin tent is a cabin style tent (hence the name) that has its rain fly built into the tent itself.
The Coleman instant tent is advertised as being able to be set up in a minute, I’d bet that it takes a bit longer than that if you don’t have practice setting it up all the time.
The Coleman instant tent also features double walled fabric so that should help with the durability of the tent over time.
It also features a tub like a floor surface that runs up the walls of the tent a few inches like the other Coleman tent I reviewed. It’s not a very tall tent for a cabin style tent with a center height of 4 feet 11 inches.
It also features Coleman’s darkroom technology which means that it should do a good job of blocking out the sunlight if you are trying to sleep in on your camping trip. I really like the darkroom technology feature and think that it also helps out with keeping the tent cooler by keeping excess sunlight out of the tent.
If you were interested in purchasing this Coleman 4-Person tent from Amazon you can check out the current prices here.
Winterial Single Person Tent
The Winterial Single person bivy tent is designed to be super lightweight and be used on hiking or backpacking trips.
This tent design is made completely out of mesh on the top of the tent to help with ventilation but it does come with a full coverage rain fly to help keep the rain out of the tent in a storm.
It’s marketed as a three season tent but with the top of the tent completely mesh I wouldn’t think it would do that well in the cold.
It does, however, seem to be really lightweight which would be a factor on a backpacking trip as it only weighs 3 pounds. It also comes with three bundles of strong cord to help you secure the tent on your backpacking trip. To check out the current prices of this Winterial single person tent on Amazon click here.
Ground tarp
It’s a good idea to buy some sort of tarp that you will lay your tent on to protect the underside of the tent from punctures and water.
This is especially important if the ground is already wet or if you are expecting rain over your camping trip as it will keep your tent off the ground and should help it from getting as wet on the bottom.
The ground tarp would also help protect your tent from punctures on the bottom from sticks and rocks that could get jammed into the underside of the tent.
Maintaining your tent
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- If your tent gets wet while you are out camping it’s a good idea to allow it to dry out before packing it up to prevent mold from forming on the canvas of the tent. If you do not have the ability to dry out the tent before packing it up and heading home it’s a good idea to unpack the tent from it’s carrying bag and allow it to dry out in the sun.
- It’s also a good idea to clean out the inside of your tent at your campsite so that you don’t have to deal with a mess the next time you go to lay out your tent at a campsite. If you can’t effectively clean out the inside of the tent at the campsite it wouldn’t hurt to bring it back home and lay it out to then clean the inside and outside with a dry vac.
- Spray your tent with a water repellent and UV protectant- There are water repellant sprays that you can purchase online that you can spray on your tent to help it repel water in case you get some rainy weather while out camping. The spray also helps protect your tent from being deteriorated by UV rays over time.
- Get a small broom and dustpan to help you keep the inside of your tent clean while in use.
- Store your tent in a dry area when it’s not in use.
- While you are camping it’s a good idea to stake down your tent stakes this will prevent your tent from being carried away by the wind and potentially damaged.
After each season it’s a good idea to inspect your tent for any leaks and holes. - If you do see any leaks or holes in your tent you should repair them with a seam sealant like this one on Amazon Seam Grip WP Sealant Adhesive
What’s The Best Tent Under $100 For Rainy Conditions?
When you see a description on a tent that says the tent is water resistant that doesn’t mean that the tent is going to stay dry on the inside, that simply means that the tent was designed to help keep water out.
If you are anticipating camping In rainy conditions you will want to get a tent that is better designed to help stand up to the wet stuff. There are tents designed to be used in wet conditions that will be better able to protect you and your belongings from the rain.
One key item to keep in mind is that the shape of your tent will greatly affect how well it is at being able to keep water outside of it. Dome tent designs are better at keeping water off of them because of the shape of the dome tent will keep water from pooling up on the top of it. The water will naturally want to flow down the edges of the dome tent to the ground. With tents with a more vertical wall, you will have a greater chance of causing water to pool up and leak into the tent.
Some tents will also feature a tub-shaped floor like this Coleman Sundome 4-Person Tent. The bottom tent material is tarp like which will prevent water from getting in the bottom of the tent.
On this tent that bottom tent material also extends up the walls to form a tub like a barrier between you and any rainwater. As long as you aren’t camping in six inches of water this should keep water from seeping into the tent from the bottom.
A rain fly is going to be critical in keeping the rain out of a tent in rainy conditions. If you’ve lost your rain fly or it’s blown away you can use a tarp to cover up your tent in a pinch.
Most rain flys will feature clip-on attachments so it’s also crucial that you get the installation of the rainfly right when you are putting it on as it won’t work as effectively if it’s not installed on the tent correctly.
Tent waterproofing spray
This tent waterproofing spray may be a good investment for your tent if you are planning to get a lot of rain while you are out camping. It restores and adds water repellency to your tent so that the rainwater droplets will bead more easily off of your tent and not soak into the surface of the tent.
Another benefit of this spray is that it adds UV protection as well which will make your tent hold up better to the suns rays and be less likely to fade in color over time. If you wanted to check out a waterproofing tent spray that I would recommend on Amazon click here.
Best Tent Under $100 – In Conclusion
Hopefully, now you were able to get a good understanding of what features you will want on your next tent and were maybe even able to find one that you really liked by reading this article.
When you are picking out the best tent under $100 there are a lot of different considerations that you have to make. The main consideration that you should make is the size of the tent and how many people can fit in it comfortably.
If you are shopping for a tent for under $100 most tents in that range will be smaller. If you wanted to up your budget a bit and get a bit bigger of a tent I would recommend checking out my other article about 6-person family tents.
