Camping tents UK 2022: best family 4-man tents, including budget and blackout options from Quechua, Outwell
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A tent is a wonderful investment purchase - with a little bit of TLC at the end of each trip, a decent camping tent will last for years and facilitate many great holidays.
What tent should I buy - backpacking, family, or four-man?
Depending on the kind of holiday you’re planning, there are a number of different tent sizes and configurations to consider. Family-style tents are usually bigger, with multiple compartments for convenience, storage and privacy.
Backpacking two-man or one-man tents are made with weight in mind - they tend to be lighter, less cumbersome and more appropriate for hiking, backpacking and covering large distances over multi-day hikes, for example.
Four-man tents, which we will be looking at in this article, are a happy medium-ground; perfect for two with ample room and storage space, or additionally suitable for a small family or friends if you’re looking to go away in a slightly larger group.
What to look for in a four -man tent
It’s worth looking into waterproof ability, especially when it comes to the outer ‘fly’ sheet which will protect you from the elements.
Pay attention to quality of attachments and zips too, as well as the amount of guy ropes and security ability the tent has. Additionally, we’d recommend doing some research in terms of inside the tent too - are there storage compartments?
Does it have a loop to hook up a torch or a lantern? Is there anywhere to stow away luggage or store other various bits of camping equipment? If you can, see if you can set up or try out a demonstration model and practice erecting the tent before you travel.
Get kitted out for your camping and backpacking adventures.
We have detailed guides to the best backpacking tents for your adventures here. Want to steady your stride? These are the best walking poles for hiking.
Keep it comfy with the best camping folding chairs, and sleep on the best air beds around, as listed here. And keep things illuminated with a great camping head torch.
Here are our picks of the best four-man tents on the market.
Best for: a reasonably-priced option
Key Specs: Weight: 11.7kg, Bedrooms: 2, Pitching: 2 people and 4 poles
This Decathlon tent features 2 Bedrooms in a relatively small package that we found easy to put up. It has an impressively sized standing area, and although the carry case weighs 11kg, we found it was easy to transport.
Coloured markings on the poles made it easy to put up in no time. We thought this tent was good value for money, and provided ample space for family and friends when camping. A simple affair, but a lot of tent for the money.
Best for: backpackers
Key Specs: Weight: 3.3kg, Bedrooms: 1, Pitching: 1 person with 3 poles
This offering from MSR was created for backpackers in mind. Although this 4-man tent is slightly heavier than some others that MSR create, it’s still perfectly small enough and light enough to take into the backcountry or on longer trips.
The tent itself can easily sleep 4 people, and we were also impressed with the amount of headroom. MSR tents often come with a breathable mesh fabric underneath the fly, but such is the speed of putting it up we would be very happy erecting this tent in stormy or inclement weather.
MSR tents don’t compromise on the quality of materials, design or construction - this model is an updated version with larger porch areas, built-in gear lofts and handy glow in the dark zippers.