How to choose a tent: size, weight and camping styles

Rolling out your sleeping bag after a day on the track is a good feeling. So is arriving at a campsite, opening the car boot and setting up for a long weekend. The tent you need depends on which trip you're taking.

Start with how you'll get there, how many people need to sleep inside and the conditions you expect. Then check the weight, floor area, shape and setup.

Quick answer: how do you choose a tent?

Choose for the trip first. For hiking, compare packed size, weight and weather protection. For car camping, look at floor area, headroom and living space. Check that your mats and gear fit, read the product's intended seasonal use and practise pitching before you go.

This is your space to breathe away from the everyday hustle.

The right tent makes all the difference. It should be quick to set up, comfortable to sleep in, and ready for whatever the weather brings, so you can spend less time figuring things out and more time making memories.

Choosing the right tent for your adventure can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be.

Here’s what matters most and how to find the perfect Kathmandu tent for your trip.

Check the linked product page for the full floor plan, specifications and availability of your chosen colour and model.

Solo hiking: The Ridge Bivvy Tent is the lighter, more compact pick. The Mono 1 Person Tent v2 gives you more floor space and tougher build. Compare headroom before you choose.

Two-person hiking: Ridge or Bora: The Ridge Tent – 2 Person is a robust tent. The Bora 2 Person Tent v3 is freestanding with a semi-geodesic pole structure and its inner sleeping area is 132 x 214 cm, which is about 66 cm each. Check your mat widths before you commit.

Campsite stays: The Retreat 40 2 Person Tent suits couples. The Retreat 80 2–3 Person Tent adds capacity and a top-arching pole for headroom, which works well for festivals and short carries. The Retreat 80 comes with pegs, a repair kit and a three-year warranty.

Quick set up near the car: The Roamer Quick Pitch Tent – 4 Person has a built-in frame, so you can spend less time assembling poles. Its blackout fly reduces incoming light, while large mesh windows provide ventilation.

Family camping: The Retreat 280 4–5 Person Tent and Retreat 360 7–9 Person Tent are built around shared living space. The Retreat 360 has two enclosed bedrooms, an open bedroom and a large vestibule. Check the footprint against your campsite before you book. The Retreat Compass Hub pairs with the Retreat 150, 280, 320 and 360 if you want a bigger shared area. site needs more than a single sleeping room.

Start with your trip

Think about how you'll get there

Carry it on the track
Compare weight, packed size and floor area, because every extra item needs to fit in your pack. As a rule of thumb, a hiking tent should weigh just over 1 kg per person. Splitting the load helps too: one person carries the inner, another the fly and poles.

Camp near the car
Weight matters less here. Prioritise headroom, separate bedrooms and somewhere to sit when the weather turns, and check the tent fits your campsite and your boot.

Keep it compact
A bivvy is a small solo shelter. Check its dimensions carefully if you want room to sit up or keep gear inside.

Check the space, not just the person rating

Count the sleepers
Then check the floor plan and internal dimensions against your sleeping mats or mattress. A two-person rating doesn't tell you how much space is left for bags.

Plan for gear
Look for a vestibule or extra living space for boots and packs. Think about how you'll get in and out when everyone is asleep.

Leave room for longer stays
Extra space can make a family holiday more comfortable. If you're hiking, balance that room against the weight you'll carry.

Tent shapes: what the pole structure does

Tunnel: Hoops in a row, pegged out as you pitch. They’re light, roomy for their weight and handle wind well when pointed the right way. They need more pegging effort and aren’t always freestanding.

Dome: Crossing poles form a self-supporting structure. They’re usually the easiest to pitch, and a freestanding design can be moved around or pitched on hard ground. The Retreat range is freestanding.

Semi-geodesic: More than two poles crossing multiple times. The extra crossings add strength for the weight, which is why the Bora and Boreas hold their shape better in wind than a basic two-pole dome.

Built-in frame: The frame is part of the tent, so there’s no separate pole assembly. The Roamer works this way.

Match the tent to the conditions

Know your seasons
A season rating describes the conditions a tent is designed for, not the month on the calendar. Three-season tents suit spring to autumn trips below the snowline. A four-season rating means a sturdier pole structure for stronger wind and colder conditions. Choose for the conditions on your route.

Understand the waterproof rating
The figure in millimetres is the hydrostatic head, which is how much water pressure the fabric resists before it leaks. Floors are rated far higher than flysheets because they cop wet ground and your body weight. The Mono and Boreas both pair a 2,000 mm fly with a 10,000 mm floor. The Roamer’s rainfly is rated to 3,000 mm. Read the rating alongside seam sealing, ventilation and the overall design, because the number alone doesn’t tell you how a tent performs.

Keep air moving
Look at the mesh panels and vents. Follow the pitching instructions and use the specified pegs and guy ropes.

Pitch for the wind
Face the door away from the prevailing wind, peg out every guy rope and use the pegs supplied.

Compare the packed weight

Check the full packed weight. The Ridge Bivvy is listed at 1.5 kg, while the Roamer Quick Pitch Tent is 9.66 kg. One is a compact hiking shelter; the other is a four-person campsite tent. Choose the weight that works for how far you'll carry it.

Practise the setup

Watch or read the pitching guide. A built-in frame can simplify setup, while conventional pole tents have their own pitching steps. Try it at home so your first attempt isn't in fading light at the campsite.

Do you need a tent or a day shelter?

Not every product in the tent collection is an overnight tent. If you want a daytime gathering space or beach shade, explore shades and shelters separately and check the intended use of the model you choose.

Ready for your next trip?

Check the space, weight and setup, then make sure the tent suits the conditions you expect.

Explore the full tent range or browse hiking tents. Once you've chosen your shelter, our tent cleaning and storage guide will help you care for it between adventures.