Camping Shelters- Writer’s Choice

These are the types of camping shelters I have used and do use when I’m spending nights outdoors.  I can pass along my mark of approval that these are viable options which accomplish their intended purpose if used properly.

Best 4-Season Tent

Fjallraven Abisko Lite 2 with groundsheet

• 4 season capabilities.
• More eco friendly than most other tent options with comparable performance.
• Typical great Fjallraven quality and durability.
• This shelter has an outer storage area to fit dirty footwear and/or packs to free up or keep clean the interior.
• Wonder ventilation through the well-designed roof openings but still keeps water and precipitation out.

Best Screen Hammock

Grand Trunk Skeeter Beeter Hammock

• Great shelter for humid, insect dense areas.
• Durable and very roomy.  You can house your pack if you wish (I would use a little 550 paracord tied on one end of the hammock and the other on the pack to keep everything from sagging in the middle).
• The mesh screen keeps out very tiny bugs very well and allows for some visibility, yet is also breathable.

Best Ultralight Open Hammock

Eno Sub7 Hammock

• Wonderful shelter for non-humid, warm weather areas.
• Ideal for lightweight backpacking, especially when paired with the Eno Helios tree straps.
• Made of very strong Dyneema fibers.
• Very minimal pack space.

Best Lightweight Tarp

Henessy Hex Tarp

• Excellent general tarp for minimal shelter use.
• Very large covering for those who like to move around at night or to use for multiple people.
• With 6 sides, you can set up to block wind or light in various positions.
• Built-in attachments and cords along with storage pockets to keep them organized and out of the way.

Honorable Mention- Car Camping

2010 Nissan Murano SL

• Surprisingly great for car camping.
• Enough room in the back (seats down) for me (5′ 10″) to lay out completely straight.
• Also has storage space beneath the cargo area above the spare.
• The glass roof is perfect for seeing stars at night laying down.
• Seats do not lay complete flat but do provide something to lay against when parked correctly on inclines.
• There are many cars and SUV’s which are great for car camping.  The 2nd gen Murano is probably not the very best, it is very good however.

Deciding Which Shelter To Use

You have an almost infinite amount of options which are increasing in number continually.  There are likely better options that the ones I have presented but these work and are what I use when I venture out into the wild or just want to have a night away from home.  You should really let your situation and environment dictate the type of shelter you go with.  Some of these are more expensive than others, you will generally get what you pay for with these.  Higher quality commands a higher price but there are deals to be had today.  Take note of what you will need and then decide what to get with the resources you have available.  Be safe and choose a shelter which will protect you and your gear properly.