1-Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent

Fair weather, with occasional rain storm? I have, and still use my Ozark Trail, 30 dollar bivvy tent. Its been through like 20 trips so far, without problems. EXCEPT... I needed to waterproof it with scotchgard and wax on the seams after a really windy rain storm.

Bought the same for my scout - I did reseal and heavy waterproof spray it the last 2 years but it’s done absolutely fantastic. It’s extremely light weight and the poles look like crap, but they’ve held up great

I've had good luck with the 1 person Ozark Trail tent. It was cold, muddy and rained the entire trip, but it held up very well for $30. The only thing I did was change the stakes out for lightweight aluminum ones. I've moved on to a larger tent to hold my gear, but I still take it out from time to time (minus the large tarp lol) https://preview.redd.it/fga77he0qx0h1.jpeg?width=1644&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=519f488cef26ff2f5ce2dc96e56bb1e808d64180

I have the $80 Ozark Trail 1p backpacking tent from Walmart and it holds up exceptionally well in heavy rain. In fact I’ve only used it in rain thus far and I’ve stayed dry 100% of the time. I was actually shocked at how well it performed

Walmart just says it has “enhanced coating” which I took to mean that it comes with a waterproofing coating of some sort. I have not applied any myself, but now that I’ve been out with it a handful of times I probably will coat it again before I head back out. The rain fly also extends nearly to the ground rather than only about halfway like some of the cheaper models.

If your just starting out tbh inexpensive gear is where it’s at. I’m a small person, so a 1p almost always fits my gear. You may want to size up. Though my top beginner recommendation is a 1p, 70$ Ozark trail backpacking tent. It’s durable and water safe, while being about 3.5lb. I find it roomy enough to put all my gear at my feet or by my side.

This will sound insane, but one of my favorite tents is the 70$ Ozark trail backpacking tent. It’s very durable if a bit heavy and for the price you can’t beat it. I’d say there is nothing comparable (From a reputable brand) under 300ish. It’s a one person but still comfortable with a nice vestibule. That said I’m writing this from my sea to summit telus 2. It’s the second trip out, but I love it. A bit lighter than the Ozark and considerably roomier. Given that full price it’s more than 5 times the cost it’s not surprising. I however picked it up at my local sierra trading for an insane discount - I think I may have accidentally robbed them??? If you’re just starting out the Ozark will serve you well till you know what features you really care about. Tents are a lot of personal preference and figuring out what you need. sierra and sometimes dirt cheap can have really great deals both online and for sierra at least in store for high end tents and gear.