Luke Cuenco 05.24.21
Camping is a great experience whether it’s alone or with a group of people. Sometimes its great to bring the whole family along and get everyone packed in together to keep things simple and safe – especially if you have young ones. Tents have come a long way in the last couple of decades and advances in materials and design and there are a lot of good options out there for getting you, your friends or your family all under one canopy. There are many sizes of tents out there, ranging from single camper, up to massive, family-sized models. One of the most popular sizes is perfect for you and a couple of friends. Let’s take a look at the best 4-person camping tents for your outdoor adventures.
Table of Contents
1. Hilleberg Saitaris – Editor’s Pick
When you don’t know what to expect as far as weather conditions go it helps to have a tent that is prepared for everything. The Hilleberg Saitaris 4-person tent is made form extremely strong Kerlon 1800 tent fabric giving it a strong resistance to tearing.
The Saitaris features both a standard and extended vestibule for storing your boots and other items that you don’t want inside the sleeping area with you but outside of the elements. If you don’t need either of the vestibules, you can simply set up the inner tent portion using the supplied pole holders.
The Hilleberg Saitaris 4-person tent is available online for $2,100 and can be used all season long and in almost any conditions and has an interior floor area of 53.8 Square feet.
Pros/Designed to work in any season and in any weather
Cons/Expensive and requires additional setup for using only the core portion of the tent
Bottom Line/If you don’t know what to expect, and you can afford it, this is a great “buy once cry once” type of tent
2. Heimplanet Nias 4-6 Person Tent – Unique Design
Above I mentioned that materials and designs have come a long way for tents as we’ve gone through the years and as a child the Nais inflatable geodesic tent is one that I would have imagined campers of the future would use.
Instead of using traditional tent poles, the Nias (and all Heimplanet tents) make use of collapsible and inflatable frames that support the rest of the tent. This makes it so that storing the tent is much easier and setup is a breeze. The Nias features two centrally located entrances and can comfortably sleep 4 to 6 people, for privacy, the tent comes with two removable cabin dividers so that the interior space of the tent can be customized. The Heimplanet Nias is available for $1,179.95 and has an interior floor area of 107 square feet.
Pros/No need to deal with tent poles, Large Internal Floor Space
Cons/Tears or ruptures in the frame will require a more delicate touch and won’t be nearly as rigid as tent poles.
Bottom Line/An easy to set up and take down large tent that is highly customizable for maximum comfort
3. Big Agnes Big House 4 Deluxe Tent – Most Room
When you just want to have some space, nothing beats having an extra large tent. The Big Agnes Big House 4 features near vertical walls that give you extra movement space within the tent. In addition, the interior of the Big House 4 features storage pockets, an integrated welcome mat that can be rolled out for boots and shoes, and finally reflective guy lines and webbing to keep you from tripping over your setup at night.
The Big House 4 features color coded webbing and buckles so that you won’t screw up setting up your tent and the entire tent comes with a briefcase-style bag that holds everything needed to set up the tent. The Big Agnes Big House 4 Deluxe Tent is available for $369.95 and has an internal floorspace of 60 square feet.
Pros/Lots of internal Storage Space, Affordable
Cons/Lacks an included vestibule and requires the purchase of a separately sold footprint for durability
Bottom Line/A great budget friendly option for less hardcore camping trips
4. Nemo Wagontop – Most Headroom
Stand up and stretch out in the Nemo.
The Nemo Wagontop has a unique feature In that it is designed so that you can stand straight up inside the tent (unless you’re Shaq). The Wagontop is centered around luxury and features large windows mounted high up and a large vestibule for storing everyone’s shoes outside of the sleeping/living area.
The Wagontop does more than just comfort though, the Canopy and Shell are both made from 75D PeU Polyester fabric while the Floor is made from durable 300D PuU. The Wagontop is billed as being easy to set up by one person with its unique frame design. The Nemo Wagontop is available for $499.95 and has nearly 70 square feet of floor space (69.4 sq/ft) with a peak height of 80” making inside charging less awkward.
Pros/Great ceiling height and easy setup
Cons/High mounted windows usually mean less airflow on hot nights
Bottom Line/Great for families and friends who want to maximize comfort inside of their tent
5. Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Model Geodesic Tent – Tried and True
Most hunters are very familiar with the Cabela’s Alaskan Guide tent
Tested over 25 years in the Alaskan environment and improved over the years to better suit those unique needs, the Alaskan Guide Geodesic Tent is Cabela’s offering for the rugged team of explorers looking to brave the Alaskan wilds.
The Alaskan Guide Geodesic Tent offers both rain and snow protection with its 2,000mm PU waterproof coating and 75D polyester ripstop tent fabric. The frame also provides an extra layer of protection from snow and strong winds with its 7 shock-corded fiberglass poles. If the ground beneath you gets wet, you can bet that the 210D polyester oxford floor with 3,000mm coating will keep you dry with its bathtub style shape.
The Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Model Geodesic Tent costs $349.99 and has just over 72 square feet of interior floor space.
Pros/Extreme weather resistance and waterproofing
Cons/Lots of stakes and guy wires to tie down makes setup a chore for short stays
Bottom Line/Great for a base of operations and a place to rest your head for long trips in the colder regions of the world where you might see snow
Determining tent size
Let’s say there are four of you, all adult-sized people, and you want to go camping. Will a 4-person camping tent fit all of you?Yes. A 4-person tent is designed to fit four averaged-sized adults laying flat on their backs inside of sleeping bags. You won’t be able to fit any gear next to them inside of the tent and it probably won’t be comfortable if any of them are wild sleepers.
The use of an average-sized adult laying on his/her back is the standard unit of measurement for sizing tents. This should give you a better idea of how the company’s rate their tent sizes. If you plan to bring along gear or other items that you’ll want in the tent, reduce the number of people. To be most comfortable, I’d suggest a 4-person camping tent is good for two-three people and their gear, unless we’re talking about the Big Agnes tent.
You’ll noticed I included the square footage with each of these picks up above and that is for a very specific reason. 4 person tents generally have about 60 to 70 square feet of floor space and this is generally accepted for sleeping 4 people shoulder to shoulder with no gear. My personal preference is to have about 30 or 40 square feet per person so that everyone can store their gear inside the tent with them and to provide a bit of rolling room at night.
Picking the right tent
Picking a tent is all about knowing what you’re going to need out of it. It’s always a good idea to use a tent that is at least somewhat weather resistant and is made from a durable material. A true 4-season tent will be able to withstand more weather and wind than a 3-season rated tent will. If you plan on some winter camping, or are going somewhere where the environment is rough, plan accordingly.
Cabin style tents are great for groups of people who don’t want to get in each others way when moving around and tents with multiple doors also help keep everyone happy at night when someone inevitably goes out for a bathroom trip.
Will a 4-person tent fit 4 people?
In short, yes, it will technically fit 4 people. You just won’t have a lot of space for gear, coolers and other camping essentials.
What makes a tent 4-season rated?
4-season tents have stronger poles, and shapes that help repel strong winds and snow loads. These types of tents tend to be more about keeping heat in, so unless you plan to go winter camping, a three-season tent makes more sense.
About the Author
Luke is also a private certified pilot and is currently pursuing his commercial pilot’s license in the hopes of becoming a professional pilot. Some of Luke’s other interests include anything to do with aviation, aerospace and military technology, and American Conservancy efforts.
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