So you want to go camping…Some people consider staying in a cabin, motorhome, or camper camping, but really those camping styles can be more descriptive of glamping. To do what most people consider as actual camping you will need a tent.

Tents come in many different sizes, ratings, and with a variety of features. The average cost of a tent depends on a couple of factors which will be discussed in this article. But for quick reference, the average costs are:

Tent price

	Basic Tents	3-Season Tents	4-Season Tents
4- Person Low End	$25	$200	$420
4-Person High End	$70	$650	$900
6-Person Low End	$35	$275	$475
6-Person High End	$75	$800	$1000+
8-Person Low End	$40	$325	$560
8-Person High End	$100	$850	$1000+
10-Person Low End	$60	$375	$800
10-Person High End	$110	$1000	$1000+

Average Basic Tent Prices (there are some pretty expensive tents available, but they are not rated for cold or inclement weather):

• 4 person: $25
• 6 person: $35
• 8 person: $40
• 10+ person: $60

Average 3 Season Tent Prices (these tents vary in price due to manufacturer and upgrades):

• 4 person: $200 (low-end cost of $99 all the way up to $650)
• 6 person: $275 (low-end cost of $140 all the way up to $800)
• 8 person: $325 (low-end cost of $170 all the way up to $850)
• 10+ person: $375 (low-end cost of $200 all the way up to $1000)

Average 4 Season Tent Prices (these tents are usually more specialized and therefore cost more):

• 4 person: $420 (low-end cost in the $200s all the up to +$900
• 6 person: $475 (low-end cost in the $300s all the way up to +$1000)
• 8 person: $560 (low-end cost in the $300s all the way up to +$1000)
• 10+ person: $800 (low-end cost in the upper $300s all the way up to +$1000)

Each tent capacity has high prices and low prices. The season rating and features of the tent can definitely skew the price.

Why are prices on 3 season and 4 season tents so different?

Tents are given ratings based on the comfort level that can be expected when using them in different seasons. A three-season tent is usually rated for more moderate temperatures, while a four-season tent can handle more extreme temperatures.

The moderate temperatures suitable for a three-season tent are commonly those of the spring, summer, and fall. These tents are somewhat light and can withstand wind, rain, and a slight amount of frost.

Because they are typically only used in temperate climates, these tents almost always feature thin walls and floors, and plenty of mesh. They are great at providing ventilation and keeping your tent cool. They may also include a vestibule and a rainfly.

A four-season tent will be a bit bulkier and heavier because it is built to withstand cooler temperatures. Though it can be used in the spring, summer, and fall it may not be the most comfortable. A four-season tent is best suited to a winter climate.

Four season tents are constructed to withstand winter elements including ice, snow, gusty winds, hail, and freezing rain. In order to keep the cold out and provide insulation, these tents have little to no mesh. However, they may feature a few ventilation ports.

Because of the lack of mesh, the tent is well insulated and could become hot and humid in warmer temperatures. Four season tents also use thicker materials for the walls and floor, usually nylon or polyester.

The rain flys and vestibules provided with four-season tents will often be staked to the ground, covering the entire tent instead of only the top. A four-season tent will also have robust poles made for withstanding strong gales.

While you may be able to use a four-season tent during all four seasons, it may not be the most comfortable in warm temperatures. A four-season tent is primarily designed for cold temperatures and extreme weather while a three-season tent is suitable for moderate temperatures and slightly inclement weather.

Examples of Three Season Tents With Prices

 

 

 

 

 

 The North Face Stormbreak 2 Tent

Price: $159.00

• Backpacking tent
• 2 doors and 2 vestibules
• High-low ventilation
• Rain canopy

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eureka X-Loft 6 Person Tent

Price: $376.93

• 2 doors and 2 vestibules
• Mesh storage pockets
• High-low ventilation

Examples of Four Season Tents With Prices

Check Amazon’s Price Here

Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 Tent

REI Price: $639.73

• 2 doors
• Awning vestibule
• Large main room and separate sleeping area
• Four season rated
• 16 interior mesh pockets
• Sleeps 8 plus people

Check Amazon’s Price Here

ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian 3 Person Tent

Backcountry.com Price: $199.99

• 3 person tent
• Four season rated
• Two vestibules
• Two doors
• Polyester UV resistant rain fly
• Gear loft and mesh storage pockets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Big Sky Chinook Two Person

Price: $549.95

• Four season double wall
• High ceilings
• Two vestibules
• Two large side doors
• Large gear storage area
• 2 person tent

How do different sizes affect prices

The given size of the tent is how many people (adults) can sleep inside. However, this does not always mean comfortably sleep inside. Nor does it consider living space and rainy day activities that may need to happen within the tents nylon walls.

When selecting a tent size it is important to think about a variety of wants and needs. Do you want a high peak so that you can stand or does it not matter to you if you have to stoop, kneel, or crawl? Cabin tents and extended tents usually provided better headroom and standing room than domes or A-frames.

Are you hoping for separate rooms, a vestibule, an awning, or indoor storage? Additionally, do you plan on sleeping on the ground or bringing a cot or air mattress? All these considerations can affect the size you will need, and many times the size you require will be greater than the provided capacity.

Sleep-size Ratings

Four Person Tents

Four-person tents are typically considered the starting size of family-sized tents.

Before family-sized tents, there are backpacking tents. These tents are light and minimalist, designed to cram people in sleeping head to toe and not for relaxed group or family camping. They are designed to be compact and easy to carry with a focus on the tents ability to be transported and not time spent inside the tent.

Four-person tents however still may be rated using the backpacking head to toe sleeping method. If you have four adults, or even two adults and two children, this will not likely be a suitable sleeping arrangement.

Additionally, when getting dressed and ready in a tent you may went separate vestibules. Furthermore, if you plan to lounge in the tent or want to sleep on something other than the ground you will need to consider the space inside.

One helpful method is to subtract two from the given sleeping capacity. So a four-person tent could comfortably fit a family of two. Especially if you plan to do any indoor activities or bring luxury items from home.

This method doesn’t hold true with large tents, those beyond eight people, as they are quite spacious. Additionally, most tents will provide specifications beyond sleeping capacity or a picture of the tent erected so you can get an idea of just how much space it offers.

A four-person tent can have anywhere from sixty to seventy square feet of floor area. The height of the tent can vary. A four-person tent can comfortably sleep two adult individuals.

Examples of a Four Person Tent Prices

 

 

 

 

 

Cabela’s West Wind™ 4-Person Dome Tent

Price: $199.99

• Three season
• Spacious vestibule
• Rainfly
• Gear loft
• Hanging entertainment system with power port
• Four mesh pockets

Check Amazon’s Price Here

Coleman Cabin Tent with Instant Setup

Walmart.com Price: $135.00 When this article was wrote, Amazon’s price was lower.

• Pre-attached poles for set-up in just 1 minute
• Room for 1 queen airbed inside
• WeatherTec system
• Rainfly
• Darkroom technology to block sunlight and keep cool

Six Person Tents Examples and Prices

If our method holds true, then a six-person tent would be the average tent most families of four would choose. A six-person tent could comfortably sleep four adults, meaning there would be plenty of room for two adults and two children. There may even be separate rooms or vestibules thanks to hanging room dividers.

A six-person tent will usually have ninety to one hundred square feet of floor space.

Examples of Six Person Tents

Check Amazon’s price here

Kelty Trail Ridge 6 Tent with footprint

Campsaver.com Price: $330.97

• Roomy interior
• Roll up stargazing fly for ventilation
• Dome style
• Three season

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caddis Rapid 6 Tent

REI Price: $279.95

• Quick set up
• Rainfly
• Indoor storage compartment and gear loft
• Power port
• Multiple windows
• Three season

Eight Person Tent Examples and Prices

Eight person tents could sleep a family of six. They typically offer space not to just crawl or kneel but to stoop or even stand. Room dividers or separate sleeping areas are common with eight-person tents. They may also include extended awnings and indoor storage pockets.

Eight person tents provide 120 -130 square feet of floor space.

Examples of Eight Person Tents

Coleman 8-Person Tent for Camping | Montana Tent with Easy Setup

Price: $127.53

• Polyester construction
• enough room for 3 queen size air beds
• WeatherTec system to prevent leaks
• Extended door awning and hinged door for easy access
• 16 x 7 feet with 6 foot 2-inch peak height
• 15 minute set up and carrying case provided

ALPS Mountaineering Camp Creek Two-Room Tent, Charcoal/Blue

Price: $324.92

• Extra tall center
• 2 large doors
• Weatherproof fly
• Mesh storage shelves
• 6 windows
• Three season
• Cabin style

Ten Person Tents Examples and Prices

Ten person tents or ten plus person tents vary widely in their true living space capacity. Most people looking for a ten-person tent are not hoping to sleep ten people but more so to have space to store gear and spread out.

All ten-person rated tents will likely sleep ten people, although it may be backpacking style. Most ten-person tents are either cabin style or extended dome style; this gives them the capacity to provide multiple rooms, a large awning, and high ceilings.

Ten person tents offer anywhere from 120 to over 300 square feet of floor area.

Examples of Ten + Person Tents

CORE 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent

Price: $269.99

• Instant set up in 2 minutes or less
• Can sleep up to 12 adults
• Removable rainfly
• Front and back doors
• Room divider

Ozark Trail 14′ x 10′ Orange Instant Cabin, Sleeps 10

Price: $149.99

• Sets up in under two minutes with pre-attached poles
• Two-room cabin style
• Sleeps ten adults
• Rainfly
• 8 windows
• Hanging gear organizer
• Electrical cord access

What Else Can Affect the Cost of a Tent?

Besides the season rating and sleeping capacity, there are a few other factors that can affect tent price.

• Rating for activities, setup, satisfaction and more…

A tent will have many ratings beyond temperature and season. The ease of setting up and takedown, the durability, customer satisfaction, and the weight all impact how much it will cost.

Light tents are preferred by those who have to hike or travel by water to their destination while car campers can get away with extremely durable yet bulkier tents. Some individuals want an instant pop-up style tent while others don’t mind threading poles and staking.

• Manufacturer

The manufacturer can play a role in cost. The more well-known tent producers often charge more for their name-brand tents than less well-known manufacturers.

• Special Features

Any upgrades or special features will likely cause the price to increase. Some tents have extra vestibules or interior storage pockets while others have luxury upgrades.  If the tent has a chimney port and can accommodate a wood-burning stove it will cost more. Similarly, if the tent has unique features like air chamber poles instead of aluminum the price will reflect this.

HemiPlanet Cave Tent (an inflatable pole tent)

Price: $759.95 – $789.95

• Inflatable tent poles
• Geodesic structure for a spacious interior
• Interior gear pockets
• Vestibule
• Five open and closable ventilation points
• Sleeps 2-3 people

Cabela’s Outfitter Wall Tents by Montana Canvas – Without Frame ( a wood-burning stove tent)

Price: $1,299.99 – $1,899.99

• Stove jack with weather flap
• Fire retardant duck cotton construction
• Water and mildew resistant duck cotton construction
• Window with storm flap and a bug screen
• Available in two floor sizes: 16′ x 20′ x 5′ or 10′ x 12′ x 6′

13ft (4m) Luna Bell Tent (a glamping tent)

Price: $1319.00

• Bell tent perfect for glamping
• Constructed of water-resistant sturdy canvas
• Inside pockets
• Purple reflective wires that can be seen at night
• Can sleep up to 6 adults on an air mattress with room for furniture
• Easy to assemble in 15 – 20 minutes
• Time of Year You Purchase

Just as almost all consumer goods do, tents and camping have a season. If you are purchasing your tent just before or at the height of camping season, usually the summer, then expect to pay more. It can be beneficial to wait for the off-season, typically the winter, to go tent shopping.

Inexpensive Camping Tents, Are They Worth It?

Whether or not to make an investment in a costly tent or just stick with the cheap version depends on your frequency of use and the conditions you plan to use your tent in.

If you are going backyard camping or to a local campground in preferable to moderate weather, then an inexpensive tent should be just fine. Especially if you only go camping once or twice a year.

However, you will need to closely watch the weather forecast for the scheduled date of your trip. If it looks like there may be inclement weather then you will have to decide whether or not you really want to go.

If you know the conditions you will be camping in will be rough in terms of wind, temperature, and/or precipitation, due to the time of year or the location, then it is not advisable to purchase an inexpensive tent. In the worst-case scenario, your tent could get destroyed leaving you to make a mad dash to your vehicle (hopefully it is nearby) and likely head home early.

Cheap tents may not be suited to the type of camping you are doing. If you are backpacking or traveling by water to your destination, you will probably want a light tent that is rated for backpacking.

Cheap tents may not use light but sturdy materials for the poles and panels. Leaving you lugging a very heavy tent around.

Finally, cheap tents may not be the size you were hoping for. As mentioned above, the sleeping space may be very cramped depending on how the tent size was measured and described. It is not worth purchasing an inexpensive tent if you will be miserable every moment you have to spend inside of it.

Ultimately, you will want to find the perfect combination of quality and price. If the negative reviews discuss cons that you can’t deal with, such as leaking or fragility, then don’t buy the tent. Even if it is very affordable.

Some low priced tents are rated relatively well and of decent quality, especially if you are an infrequent or backyard camper.

How Do I Know What Tent is Right For Me?

When choosing a tent your best bet is to make a list of your must-haves. This includes seasons, floor space, ceiling height, storage, number of rooms or vestibules, season rating, and any special features. Then once you have compiled your list visit an outdoor store.

In most cases, the store will have tents set up so you can go inside and get a better idea of interior space. Once you have narrowed down your selection you can then choose the one that is compatible with your budget.

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