If you’re planning to go kayak camping, your ordinary camping tent simply won’t do. Kayak camping differs considerably from traditional backpacking and hiking, so you need to make sure you have the right gear with you so that your trip is nothing short of a grand success.
Today, we will walk you through exactly what you need to look for when selecting from the best kayaking tents, plus the top 5 kayaking tents campers everywhere will love.
Are you ready? Let’s get started!
The top 5 kayaking tents we recommend for 2024:
The Top 5 Best Kayaking Tents Reviewed
Take a look at the top 5 kayaking tents you’ll want to consider before you embark on your grand kayaking adventure.
ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 2-Person Tent
- Spacious interior
- Sturdy, 3 season design
- Waterproof rainfly and sealed tent floor
- Easy setup and breakdown
- Pretty lightweight
- Heavier than some 2 person tents on the market
- Tent zipper is not as durable as some
Our first choice is the Alps Mountaineering Taurus Tent, featuring a dome shape designed to hold 2 campers. We like the spacious dimension of this tent, coming in at 46 x 60 x 90 inches. We were very pleased by the durable fiberglass poles, that ensure the tent will stay strong and sturdy if rougher weather conditions hit without being so heavy that they overbulk your vessel.
Even more importantly, the tent is designed with wear-resistant polyester and taffeta sporting UV coating. The tent is ideal for 3 season use, so you can get plenty of camping trips from this single product. The Alps Mountaineering Tent doesn’t disappoint with its waterproof elements, sporting a rainfly that offers complete coverage for the entire tent structure. The floors feature waterproof seals as well to prevent any moisture leaking through.
The tent is super easy to set up, using an integrated clip system that secures the tent material to the poles. You can set up the tent in mere minutes and breakdown is just as easy.
Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person 3 Season Tent
- Large interior
- Really compact when packed up
- Light packed weight
- Easy setup with color-coded design
- Durable rainfly with vents for air circulation
- Pricier option than some
- Could be a tight fit for 2 people plus all their gear
We chose the Mountainsmith Morrison for our review due to its huge interior space yet compact design. The tent features 56 x 43 x 92-inch dimensions, providing a total of 35 square feet of interior floor space. The first feature we noticed about the Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Person 3 Season Tent is that it sports a durable rainfly with roof vents for enhanced air circulation.
We also liked the fact that while this 3 season tent offers amazing interior space, it packs down to a really manageable size that won’t be any trouble to transport in your kayak along with the remainder of your gear. The tent sports a packed weight of 4 pounds and 11 ounces. We also favor this choice for its incredibly easy setup, sporting color-coding so you can assemble the structure with ease.
Slumberjack Trail Tent
- Full coverage rainfly
- Spacious vestibule
- 75-denier fabric with 1,200 mm hydrostatic rating
- Noiseless zipper pulls
- Very light packed weight for easy transport
- The poles can wear out with extended use
- The floor material could be thicker
Our next selection is the classic Slumberjack Trail tent, designed for 2 campers with a user-friendly, freestanding design. We were pleased with the full coverage rain fly included with the tent, which keeps moisture out and ensures you’ll stay nice and dry when you turn in for the night. We also liked the handy storage space this tent has to offer, with a vestibule to stow your belongings in.
The tent material is designed from 75-denier polyester with a hydrostatic waterproof rating of 1,200 millimeters. We were very impressed with the taped seams and mesh panels for superior cross ventilation. The structure even sports noiseless zipper pulls, so if you need to step out of the tent for any reason during the night you won’t need to worry about waking your companions.
The pole structure of the Slumberjack Trail Tent is also on point, with fiberglass poles designed to hold up against a range of weather conditions. The tent weighs a mere 6 pounds and 5 ounces when packed, offering a total floor space of 33.3 square feet when set up.
Coleman Dome Tent for Camping
- Very quick and easy setup
- Quality inside space
- Large window for premier ventilation
- Tub-like design with welded floor seams
- 75-denier polyester taffeta flysheet
- The zipper can get stuck
- The tent corners could be more vulnerable to weather elements
A fully set up Coleman Dome Tent has impressive dimensions of 7-foot x 5-foot x 48-inches, making it a great kayaking tent. We liked the fact that the tent has a spacious door so campers can enter and exit with total ease. Plus, the structure also sports a very large window in the back which greatly increases proper airflow.
The floor of the Coleman Dome Tent for Camping is configured to a tub-like style, designed from 1000-denier polythene and integrated welded seams to ensure no dampness gets through. We were glad to see that the tent also comes with guy points so you can increase the stability of the structure if a blustery gale or rough storm hits.
For additional waterproofing qualities, the tent also comes with a flysheet manufactured from 75-denier polyester taffeta that repels water like a dream. The tent takes just 10 minutes total to set up. It also includes a rainfly awning to enjoy the shade from the sun or use as an additional barrier from moisture.
Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent
- Easily folded aluminum poles
- Very easy to transport with handy carrying bag
- Large vestibule for storage
- Mesh design offers superior cross ventilation
- UV resistant and waterproof rain fly
- Condensation can gather in the case of very damp environments
- Pole tips are designed from plastic rather than aluminum
Our final choice is the Kelty Salida Tent, featuring a very compact design with durable aluminum poles that fold with ease. The tent even comes with a roll top cube bag for transport that you can store in your kayak without fuss. One element that drew us to the Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent was its quality floor space of 30.5 square feet.
We also liked how much storage space this tent has to offer, with a 10 square foot vestibule that you can secure your belongings in overnight. The tent is very sturdy and waterproof, with taped seams that make the product an ideal fit for 3 season camping use. We like the dependability of the mesh/fabric material the tent is manufactured from, that offers long-lasting use while still providing fantastic cross ventilation.
Set up is a total breeze with this tent, as the structure includes large clips that secure the body of the tent to the pole frame and dual poles. You’ll also receive a UV resistant rain fly attachment with the Kelty Salida tent, that you can use to cover the structure and safeguard all campers inside if inclement weather hits.
What is Kayak Camping?
If the concept of kayak camping is new to you, here’s what you need to know. Kayak camping is exactly what its name indicates—camping in the great outdoors, using a kayak or canoe to get from one camp location to the next. Rather than using a car or backpacking from campsite to campsite, you use your trusty kayak to transport you wherever you need to go.
The majority of kayaks offer quality storage space, so you’ll definitely be able to fit more in your kayak than you would if you were backpacking. That said, you might not have as much storage space for your tent and gear as you would if you were car camping.
So, it’s essential to understand the key features to keep an eye out for when choosing your kayaking tent to ensure you make the best choice for your grand adventure.
How to Pick a Kayaking Tent
You’re going to be looking for different features than you would if you were purchasing a tent for traditional camping. When kayaking, you will always be facing damp weather conditions on the water, so a great kayaking tents need to be sturdy and waterproof enough to withstand these elements.
Also, the majority of kayak camping trips require 2 campers, so you’ll typically need to search for tents that hold at least a 2 person capacity.
Here’s what you need to know to make your selection of your next kayaking tent.
Camper Capacity
The first thing you need to consider is the camper capacity you’ll require. If you’re going to be traveling on your own or traveling with a group where everyone will be handling their own tent and gear, tent capacity might not be as significant a factor on your wishlist. However, even if you’re traveling on your own, you might decide you’d like to have a 2 person tent to give yourself a little extra wiggle room and additional storage area for your gear.
Otherwise, if you tend to camp out with one or more other kayak adventurers, consider the size of the group you typically camp travel with. Then, select a tent that will provide enough space for everyone and their belongings while still leaving enough room to sit up and move around.
Is It Waterproof?
Since you’re going to be traveling from one campsite to the next via a kayak, it follows that the right kayaking tent are sufficiently waterproof to ward off moisture and dampness. Tents made of materials like canvas are not recommended, because canvas soaks up the water quite easily, thereby becoming heavier and weighing the entire vessel down.
When looking for a kayaking tent with waterproof designs, keep an eye out for sealed floors designed to deflect moisture and prevent it from seeping in through vulnerable areas. You’ll also want to look for a tent that comes with a rainfly as a secondary barrier against rainy conditions if you hit showers at the campsite.
The good news is, most of the top kayaking tent products include a rainfly with your purchase, so you won’t have to waste time searching for that component separately.
Consider the Tent’s Weight
One of the most important components you’ll need to take into account is the weight of the product. While your kayak will probably have enough space to bring more gear than you would if you were backpacking from campsite to campsite, you want to make sure the tent you select doesn’t weigh it down so much that the kayak becomes unstable.
It's important to choose a kayaking tent that is lightweight, but still offers the key features and functionality you're most likely to need. Now, if you intend to camp with a group of people, you can easily distribute the tent’s components between your travel mates, so no single vessel carries too much of the load.
With that said, if you’re going on a solo kayaking adventure or with a very small group, finding a very lightweight model is going to be imperative. Consider the weight of the other gear you’ll be bringing besides your tent, such as your sleeping bag, camping cookware, and so forth. Ideally, kayaking tents should be sturdy enough to keep you safe in tougher conditions while still being light enough to double as backpacking tents if necessary.
Look for a kayaking tent that comes in at a moderate weight range, somewhere between a heavy duty tent and a lightweight shelter.
Is It Easy to Setup and Breakdown?
No one wants to get to the campsite after a long day of kayaking only to grapple with their tent just so they can get a peaceful night’s rest. You never know what type of weather conditions you might encounter either that will make easy access to a secure shelter all the more imperative.
It’s non-negotiable that your pick is easy to set up and break down, to save you time, trouble, and needless stress when you’re weary from the day’s adventures.
Conclusion
We were more than pleased with each of the top 5 kayaking tents, as they fulfill a range of varying campers needs. However, our top choice from the group is undoubtedly the Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent. We loved everything about this tent, from its durable, foldable aluminum poles to its easy set up to the user-friendly carry bag it comes with that you can easily secure in your kayak.
The 30.5 square foot floor space is nice and spacious for 2 campers, plus the 10 square foot vestibule helps ensure you won’t be overcrowded by your gear when trying to sleep. The UV resistant rain fly attachment and taped seams offer just the waterproof qualities we look for in kayaking tents as well.
For a lightweight, portable, durable, and waterproof design that you can depend on for 3 season use, the Kelty Salida Camping and Backpacking Tent is our reigning champion of the best kayaking tents.
