Best Waterproof Tent for Your Next Camping Trip

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The first lesson to learn before going on a camping trip is that water-resistant and waterproof don’t always mean the same thing. In fact, they almost never mean the same thing.

Being water-resistant isn’t a guarantee that things will not get damp on the inside of the tent. There are features to look for to make sure your tent becomes completely waterproof. Some of these features include the following:

  1. Tent Shape – Find an A-frame for maximum headspace, but water can collect at the top. Dome tents don’t have the same problem.
  2. Walls – Single-walled tents must be breathable and waterproof, meaning condensation shouldn’t form on the inside. Double-walled tents are better.
  3. Rainfly – There should be a gap between tent and rainfly for better air circulation.
  4. Storage – You should have somewhere inside the tent to store your gear.
  5. Seams – Must be sealed to prevent leaks. Have extra sealer and a tent repair kit in case the seal fails
  6. Seasonality – Two-season tents are only for summer camping. Three-season tents cannot handle winter. Four-season-tents can handle winter and snow.

Considering these factors, you’ll have the best waterproof tent for camping to ensure you can go camping all-year-round.

Comparison Chart

Bessport Backpacking Tent Ultralight Camping Tent

ALPHA CAMP Camping Dome Tent

Hewolf Waterproof Instant Tents for Camping

ayamaya Pop Up Tents with Vestibule

Night Cat Waterproof Camping Tent

Best Waterproof Tent for Camping Reviews

Once you know which characteristics to look for in your ideal tent, reading online reviews can help you narrow the best products from a list of hundreds of tents. You can learn which are the best tents according to your budget and depending on your camping needs.

This article reviews the five best waterproof camping tents. Read on to learn more, and you’ll be sure to make an informed decision by the end.

Bessport Camping Tent

This Bessport Camping Tent is a lightweight tent made for hiking, mountaineering, backpacking, and other forms of outdoor adventure. It has six versions, holding one or two poeple, and available in three colors: grey, green and orange.

Review

The Bessport tent is an excellent backpacking tent, as it weighs just 4.4 lbs when packed (just under 2kg). It is spacious, with two D-shaped doors and a canopy interior area of 20.4 square feet.

The 42.1-inch ceiling offers relative comfort in the interior, with the 2-person tent increasing the headspace to 43-5 inches. The tent fabric is made from hard-wearing 68D polyester. Accessories included in the buying price are an inside storage bag, rainfly, carry bag, four guylines, and twelve fixed stakes.

The seam is taped during construction and heat-sealed to create a solid barrier against rain and any ensuing leakage. The floor design is welded to elevate the bottom of the tent, thus protecting the camper from wet grounds. Additional protection is provided by a full-coverage rainfly.

The tent has ultra-light no-see mesh walls and it comes with aluminum alloy stapes and reflective guylines to increase wind resistance. Setting up takes about 2.5 minutes – there are two poles featuring clip-pole attachments to further reduce weight. The free-standing setup means a tent can be carried to a different location without needing to dismount it.

Bessport tents come with no risk purchase terms – you can send for a replacement should you have any quality concerns. Replacements and refunds are available if you’re dissatisfied, no questions asked.

PROS

  • Redesigned poles make the tent more wind-responsive for greater stability
  • Excellent ventilation with high mesh panels, ample headroom, and rip-stop panels
  • Extra-large doors with strong, smooth 2-way zippers to make for easy entry and exit
  • Easy setup – one person should take less than three minutes
  • Good value for money, and inclusive of necessary accessories

CONS

  • Not enough headspace for very tall campers
  • Setup directions a little confusing
  • A little heavy for a backpacking tent

Alpha Camp Camping Dome Tent

The Alpha Camp 2-4 Person Camping Tent is a dome-shaped, waterproof, lightweight backpacking tent ideal for all-season outdoor adventures.

Review

Measuring 84 by 72 by 42 inches, the 2-person tent can comfortably fit two adults with a little room for gear. Included in the package are one inner tent, one rainfly, 4 wind ropes, 8 tent pegs, and one carrying bag.

This Alpha Camp tent is made using tough polyester-taffeta fabric that is covered with eco-friendly PU coating to prevent harmful UV-rays. The fly and floor seams are well sealed to provide adequate protection during wet weather. The dome shape makes water slide right off the roof.

Setup and take-down are very simple, thanks to the shock-corded frame of fiberglass with ring & pin and clip systems. The tent is easily carried in the portable carrying bag that can be fitted onto a backpack. The carrying bag measures about 18 inches when packed and is shaped like a tube.

Ventilation isn’t a problem, thanks to the large mesh roof vents and big windows. Large, D-shaped doors with half-windows give enough light and allow easy entry and exit. You can store your small things in the overhead mesh pocket sewn into the tent’s walls, and there’s a mud mat to keep the tent floor clean when you come in from the rain. There’s a gear loft for the much larger items.

The tent includes an electrical port access point to help you keep all your devices charged and accessible. When not in use, there’s a cover that’s fully closable for safety purposes.

PROS

  • Portable, lightweight and durable backpacking tent
  • Storage pockets allow you to organize your belongings
  • Easy set-up and set-down; all within a few minutes
  • The rainfly offers complete protection against rain

CONS

  • Limited instructions to assemble the tent, could be harder for an amateur
  • A little cramped for three or four adults, but very spacious for two

Hewolf Waterproof Instant Camping Tent

Hewolf Waterproof Camping Tent is a 2-4 person hexagon-shaped camping tent, with a height of 65 inches at the highest point. It is comfortable for 4 children/small people or 2-3 adults, and can comfortably fit a queen-sized mattress.

Review

The Hewolf instant tent is an ideal tent for a small group of campers, such as a family of two adults and two children. In the spirit of instant tents, it takes seconds to assemble and disassemble because of the instant mechanism. You simply need to lift the top of the tent to spread out the six arms/edges, then pop the top mechanism and click the lower joints in place.

It is double-walled with an external canopy made from strong but breathable polyester and an inner layer of fine but sturdy mesh fabric. While it can withstand rain, it may not withstand high wind speeds.

You can use the Hewolf instant tent as a beach tent too. Included is a rainfly, and the inner mesh is removable to create a canopy-shaped sun shelter. Other accessories needed for setup are included.

If you’ll be in windy conditions, you’re advised to anchor the tent with 6 stakes at the corner. In addition, add at least 8 guylines to increase stability and wind-resistance. Once this is done, the tent should withstand wind speeds of up to 15 MPH.

Hewolf offers a lifetime guarantee on their tents (make sure the product has the Hewolf name on the surface when you get the product). Services include free pole replacement in case your poles are broken.

PROS

  • Easy and speedy setup and take-down thanks to the popup technology
  • Versatility - Tent can double up as beach sun shelter; you can also remove the top fabric to be left with the mesh tent
  • Excellent ventilation because of breathable mesh and polyester
  • Tent can open up on both sides for greater convenience
  • Hexagon shape creates more room when more people use the tent
  • High roof allows the setup of an overhead light

CONS

  • Not ideal for camping in areas with strong winds
  • Breathable fabric good for ventilation but not very warm
  • Too heavy to be a backpacking tent – about 10 pounds when packed

Ayamaya Popup Camping Tent

The Ayamaya Popup Camping Tent is a double-walled waterproof dome-shaped camping tent, with large mesh windows. It is ideal for family camping trips and outdoor excursions and is easy to set up thanks to the popup technology.

Review

Space is the first excellent feature of this popup tent: its spacious interior measures 12.5 by 8.5 feet, and it can comfortably sleep 4-6 adults with sleeping bags. If you have lots of gear, though only 5 people should use the tent.

Centre height is 53.5 inches, which isn’t high enough to stand, but it allows relatively easy movement within the tent. The vestibule design gives a separate space for camping gear, shoes or a pet, if you’re camping with one.

It includes an electrical cord access port which allows you to run a power cable from an external generator or power source into the tent. The walls have storage pockets and a lantern hook to keep the tent floor from accumulating random stuff.

This Ayamaya tent is double-layered to provide complete rain protection, while preventing condensation from forming in the tent. The inner and outer layers have a small gap in between, and they are separated by hooks. This offers additional ventilation and improved air circulation – important for a tent holding four or more people.

For a tent of its size, this tent is easy to set up, thanks to the pre-assembled poles. You need only to open the bag and release the tent – no complex instructions, no fiddling with poles, that’s it. The tent is stored in a small carrying bag, although it’s too heavy for backpacking.

You don’t have to worry about ventilation, as it includes four windows, two doors, and hooded vents to allow maximum air circulation. Doors have double panels, so you can keep either side completely open. You can open the outer layer and leave the inner mesh in place to prevent insects and small bugs from getting in.

The outer layer is made from strong PU 3000 fabric with heat-sealed seams to make it completely waterproof. There’s an integrated rainfly with vents to provide additional protection for rainy nights.

PROS

  • Plenty of room for family campers, with separate storage for camping gear
  • Fits a queen-size air mattress
  • Sturdy material with a good design to withstand bad weather
  • No leakage when tested with a garden hose by one user in their backyard
  • Good quality fabric and long-lasting 

CONS

  • Entryway between outer and inner walls has a little room and allows cold to come in
  • Can be tricky to set down for an amateur – but once you learn, easy
  • Not ideal for backpacking, better for car camping

Night Cat Waterproof Camping Tent

The Night Cat Waterproof Camping Tent is another instant tent that uses popup technology. It is an automatic hydraulic rainproof tent that comes in three colors – blue, jungle green and light green – and can include a tarp.

Review

Made from an advanced hydraulic pressure mechanism, this instant tent pops up in place to complete setup in less than one minute, and you can similarly take-down in two minutes or less.

It is made from 210D waterproof PU3000 Oxford fabric and includes a waterproof PE tarp to add a layer of protection on the bottom of the tent. The tarp is made from waterproof PE materials and there’s waterproofing tape on every seam. The poles are made from sturdy fiberglass poles, and there are stakes and guylines to ensure the tent can withstand windy weather.

You can use the rainfly separately as a canopy shelter at the beach or elsewhere. There are two doors for easy access and proper ventilation. Mesh windows allow good air circulation without disturbances from bugs.

This Night Cap tent is very roomy for two adults, but it can also fit two adults and one child if necessary. It can fit a queen-sized air mattress or two separate sleeping bags. Night Cap tents come with a customer satisfaction guarantee, with replacement or refunds for defective products or complaints.

PROS

  • Automatic setup and take-down within seconds
  • Completely rainproof and able to withstand hard winds
  • Versatile tent for both camping or chilling at the beach
  • Double doors and mesh windows with smooth zippers for good air circulation
  • Indoor pockets to hold small items

CONS

  • Three adults would find this tent cramped, let alone four
  • May not withstand heavy storms

FINAL VERDICT

The Alpha Camp tent is our choice for backpacking, providing adequate space for two people and good quality fabric and sealing to keeping out rainwater. For four people or more, the Ayamaya popup tent seems to be the best waterproof tent for camping for a family trip.

Regardless of the tent you choose to buy, experts always advise setting up the tent in your living room or backyard first. This allows you to learn how to set up and takedown down, test for water-resistance (just hose down the tent), and check whether the product is defective.

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