A premium quality four-person shelter with solid weatherproofing and unique features. Rainfly doubles as a standalone portable shelter. See Review A close-up of the seam stitching on the Mountain Hardwear Trango, which expands when wet to firm an even tighter seal.

A vestibule or awning gives you the option to sit outside undercover and store bulky pieces of camping gear. A spacious car camping tent with windows that can be left open in the rain. Outstanding materials, interior space, and external storage. See Review Only three poles were needed to erect the main structure and they’re made from a high quality, flexible aluminum material.

Our Verdict

SPACIOUS DESIGN. This family tent features a large front vestibule that can be used to store gear or as an additional seating area. Massive interior height makes maneuvering around a breeze. As long as it’s 20 lb. 15 oz. weight is not an issue for you, there’s not much wrong with this tent. In reality, it is very hard to find a lighter 6-person tent out there, but the Big Agnes Big House 6-Person tent is slightly lighter. In addition to floor area, peak height and pole structure make a big impact on overall livability. Peak height in particular is an indication of whether or not you’ll be able to stand upright, and most car camping-style tents have a peak height of around 72 inches. However, this number is just part of the equation, and it’s important to also look at the slope of the walls and pole design. Dome tents with simple, X-shaped pole structures only allow you to enjoy that peak height at the middle of the tent. On the other hand, a tent with a more advanced pole system can create nearly vertical walls for walking around. This is one of the main reasons we love the REI Wonderland and Marmot Limestone: Both ends of the tents have vertical walls, and the pole designs truly opens up the interior. The cabin-style The North Face Wawona, REI Skyward, and Big Agnes Big House are other standouts in maximizing interior space. The Big Agnes Big House has a generous 80-inch peak height Capacity: How Many People Actually Fit in These Tents?

But having a smaller volume is an advantage in cold weather, as there’s less air inside the tent to keep warm. The included footprint adds additional value to this well-constructed tent. The mesh is 40D polyester, the tub floor is 68D ripstop polyester, and the poles are DAC Pressfit aluminum. The interior square footage is small, but dual vestibules help to keep everything you don't need for sleeping separate. And while very lightweight, you'll sacrifice headroom in the tradeoff. Overall, this tent is small but mighty and a great addition to any campers toolbox, depending on your needs. Due to their shape, cabin-style tents are more susceptible to being damaged in strong winds than dome-style tents.

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The Trango has been the go-to for hardcore expeditions and mountaineering pursuits since 1995, which means Mountain Hardwear has been steadily improving this shelter for nearly three decades at this point. The Trango has been our tent of choice for high-elevation camping this year, and our testers all agree that every inch of this shelter is as bombproof as they come.