Here's What You Need To Know

There’s a dark secret lurking in on the shelves of our favorite gear stores.

Sometimes what gear companies advertise is a little, shall we say...lenient with the truth. This is particularly evident when it comes to the weight of high-tech tents. If you're like me, then you may feel deceived, or at least conveniently misled when you compare the manufacturer's stated weight to the real-world experience. So what's really going on?

Why is your expensive new tent heavier than you expected? And what can be done to shed those unwanted ounces? Read on you backpacking truth-seekers!  

The Curious Case of the Nemo Dagger Osmo Tent

The other day I received the Nemo Dagger Osmo 2-Person tent in the mail. It retails for a budget-testing $530 (USD) and claims to have a "trail weight," also referred to as a "minimum weight," of 3 pounds, 6 ounces/1.52 kg. But when I unboxed it, I immediately noticed that my arms had either gotten weaker, or the tent had let itself go a little bit. Now in all fairness, Nemo does state on their website that the Dagger 2P has a "packed weight" of 4 pounds, 2 ounces/1.86 kg (i.e. 12 ounces more than the trail weight). This is still an impressive figure for a top-tier 2-person backpacking tent that certainly justifies the premium price point, but still: what's with the discrepancy? 

Tent Lingo 101: Trail Weight vs Packed Weight

In simplest terms, trail weight is the minimum weight you can carry and still have a shelter. Trail weight includes the tent poles, the inner tent (if it’s a traditional double wall tent), and the rain fly. That’s it.

Packed weight is the weight of the tent with the poles, inner tent, rain fly, tent stakes, guy lines, spare parts, and sacks they pack up in.

If you’re like me, you’re actually carrying the “packed weight,” not the trail weight. For years I looked at the trail weight that tent companies advertised and just assumed that that's what would go into my backpack. Unfortunately, this is not the case. What is more applicable is the packed weight. Packed weight is basically the maximum weight you can carry, as it includes the tent stakes, repair kit/spare parts, the additional guylines, and the various bags and sleeves that each set of goodies comes in.

Some of these differences might sound inconsequential, but they are all grams that add up in the world of lightweight, and especially ultralight, backpacking tents. It can be equivalent to an extra can of fuel, that cozy layer you want to bring, or that special candy that makes everything right in the world again.

How to Reduce the Packed Weight of a Tent

If you are a fast-packing bean-counter, or a dyed-in-the-wool minimalist, then there are a few sacrifices that you can make to reduce the weight of your tent. For starters, leave the extra tent stakes behind, or perhaps even ditch the entire lot. Instead, you can gather rocks from around the campsite to secure your tent, or get fancy with it and build deadman anchors if sleeping in the sand. The tent stakes were the clear culprit for the Osmo's above average gap between trail and packed weight. But this is far from a knock. I actually have to give props to Nemo because they included 10 robust stakes in their shipment, rather than the 8 flimsy ones that you usually get. This gives us backpackers options, and confidence in Nemo's quality/durability. 

More Examples of Tent Weight Funny Business

Another prime example of a tent's advertised weight not quite telling the whole story is the Durston X-Mid Pro 1. But before I go any further, I have to preface this by saying that I love my Durston tent. It is truly a game changer. I can't believe how well-designed, easy to set up, and resilient such a featherlight tent can be. But, the 1-pound (453 grams) sales pitch doesn't factor in the tent stakes, and since this tent does not come with poles, you will either need to buy those separately, substitute trekking poles, or get creative with dead branches in the vicinity of your campsite. At the end of the day, if you hike with trekking poles anyway, then the only extra mass that will need to be added to your kit is the tent stakes (unless you use an on-site alternative). Just don't brag on the internet that you have an entire tent that weighs a single pound or you might get a little heat in the comments section (trust me, I know!) 

The MSR Hubba Hubba 3 has a weight of 3 pounds, 7 ounces/1.55 kg posted right on the sleeve of the tent. In reality, when I pop that same package on my scale, it reads 3 pounds, 13 ounces. That's not as shocking of a difference as we saw with the Nemo Dagger, and sub 4-pounds is pretty amazing for a shelter that can fit three amigos, but it's still an interesting, and slightly sneaky phenomenon. Mistaking trail and packed weight specs online might be one thing, but directly labeling the product as something that doesn't functionally translate…well, the consumer can probably be forgiven on that one.

False Advertising or Uninformed Expectations? 

So is it up to these premium tent companies to be more direct, or should us backpackers spend more time researching our purchases? I can honestly sympathize with both camps. It makes sense that manufacturers would want to put their best foot forward. And it's not like the trail weight is some unachievable standard. There may be many veteran outdoorsy folks out there who are perfectly happy with the two metric system. But on the other hand, I also know what it's like to spend serious dough on gear and feel like I didn't get all that I bargained for. In either case, I hope that this rundown made you all a bit more consumer-savvy. These tents really are worth checking out, even if the advertised weight is a bit of a fib. Just pay attention to that packed weight and you'll have a better idea of what to expect. 

If you liked this article and want to learn more about the ins and outs of the outdoor industry, plus regular gear reviews and backpacking adventures, please head on over to my new YouTube channel.