How much floor space in a tent

[Reverse]

Hi, I am wondering how much floor space to figure per person. I am married and hike with my spouse. We have never had anything large than a double bed so just wondering how much floor space we will need. ie can we get by with a 1 person tent. Folks who are married what do you do? Normally we are tarpers but when I weigh out a tarp plus netting or bivy a tarptent for 1 seems the same weight. Yes I am a gram weany as hubbby carries 80% of our gear.

[soumodeler]

I use a 2 person tent for just me. I would want a 3 person for 2 people. Especially if you expect to be in the tent a lot, like if it is going to be raining, winter trips with less daylight, etc.

[methodman]

I think you may have to sleep on top of each other in a 1 person tent.

[hipbone]

Sleeping pads are 20 inches wide. You'll need about 45 inches across. My girlfriend and I sleep in a Fly Creek and we find it to be plenty of room and it costs us about 16 ounces a piece in our packs.

[Leo L.]

You will want to have a sleeping pad each of you, and this defines the minimum width, depending on which pads you will be using.
We have a Thermarest ProLite, and it was hard to find a 2p-tent that is wide enough to bring in both pads.
In the MSR Hubba Hubba NX we finally bought we can use both pads only if we place them head-by-foot.

Now when doing multiday hikes, we find the tent being the lower limit in size, especially bad bad weather.
We have to coordinate every movement and activity in the tent, one keeps laying down while the other is sitting up, and so on.

I would say its impossible for two to live in a modern lightweigt 1p-tent.

[HooKooDooKu]

I personally consider modern 2P tents to be too cramped for 2 people.

It was only several years ago that you could find what I would label as "standard" 2P tents and "wide" 2P tents.
For example, you can still find specifications for the "Mountain Hardware Drifter 2" and the "Big Agnes Lynx Pass 2". Both of these tents had rectangular floors, with the MH being a "standard" size with dimensions of 93"x50", and BA being a "wide" size with dimensions of 90"x58".

But today, it seems like every major manufacturer is now only making "small" 2P tents that follow the dimensions of the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. This is a tent with a trapezoid floor 90" long, 52" wide at the head, and 42" wide at the feet.

You also have to account for the fact that these specifications are based on where the tent poles hit the ground. The actual usable space inside these tents is about 5" smaller than the specifications. The results are that if you are using "standard" size sleeping pads (72"x20"), the pads basically have to abut each other to fit inside "standard" and "small" tents... and if either of you is using a "large" size sleeping pad (77"x25"), two sleeping pads simply will not fit inside a "small" or "standard" size tent.

Even today, as my son's have gotten older, my "wide" Lynx Pass 2 has started to feel a little cramped for two of us. So if I were in the market for a 2 Person tent for me and a spouse, I would be looking at modern day 3P tents.

[Ashepabst]

and keep in mind that floor area isn't always comparable across different tent designs. Some seem large by floor area, but curve steeply inward so still cramped if you're --or both of you are-- sitting up. tents with a small floor area but with vertical sidewalls sometimes feel roomier than without the vertical sidewalls.

[Hosh]

I agree with HooKooDooKu. As manufacturer's are judged by ounces, they tend to get very liberal in sizing/specifications. I tend to use a 1 person adder for multiple person tents. This is especially helpful if you intend to keep your gear inside or enjoy a wider (25") pads. Another critical element other than floor space is how steep are the walls. Again pursuing lighter weights, manufacturers can lessen the pole structures that result in tapered side walls and ends. Another consideration is how much time will be spent inside, just sleeping or waiting out storms, bugs or staying warmer.

[Berserker]

Only comment I have is in many years of hiking and having tried many different shelters I have determined that I like all my gear inside the tent with me...not part of it in the vestibule where mice and other critters can mess with it. So for me personally, it's a 2 man tent, or a large 1 man tent (I currently use a Lightheart Gear Solong, which qualifies as a large 1 man tent). Just wanted to throw the logistics of gear storage out as something to consider.

[wordstew]

If I were you I'd go with a:
Big Agnes Flycreek UL 2 86x52/42 (L x W head/foot) inches https://www.rei.com/product/895955/b...k-hv-ul-2-tent
Exped SynMat HL Duo Sleeping Pad 72x41/32 x 2.8 or 77.6x51/40 x 2.8 inches https://www.rei.com/product/113718/e...o-sleeping-pad

[chknfngrs]

Newsflash: mice and other critters have, can and will continue to chew through nylon.

[Crossup]

Sounds like the OP might handle tight quarters, but my wife and I started with a BA Copper Spur UL3 and ended up with a Kelty Yellowstone 4 just to have some actual living room> no we don't back pack the Kelty. Now that my wife has admitted she's willing to try backpacking trips, we'll probably go with two BA FC UL2s as I already have one and that also allows some convenient privacy. If we go, it will be a real win for me as currently her idea of camping is our 21' travel trailer

[Hosh]

I am a big BA fan, the haters will be out shortly. Here's what appears to be the replacement for the Flycreek after it was changed to the High Volume version. Pretty nice weight and price if you can tolerate the front entry. I bought my daughter a FC HV UL2 for Christmas, it's a nice one person setup.

https://www.steepandcheap.com/big-ag...NhdDcxMTAwMDQx

[Feral Bill]

I personally consider modern 2P tents to be too cramped for 2 people.

It was only several years ago that you could find what I would label as "standard" 2P tents and "wide" 2P tents.
For example, you can still find specifications for the "Mountain Hardware Drifter 2" and the "Big Agnes Lynx Pass 2". Both of these tents had rectangular floors, with the MH being a "standard" size with dimensions of 93"x50", and BA being a "wide" size with dimensions of 90"x58".

But today, it seems like every major manufacturer is now only making "small" 2P tents that follow the dimensions of the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2. This is a tent with a trapezoid floor 90" long, 52" wide at the head, and 42" wide at the feet.

You also have to account for the fact that these specifications are based on where the tent poles hit the ground. The actual usable space inside these tents is about 5" smaller than the specifications. The results are that if you are using "standard" size sleeping pads (72"x20"), the pads basically have to abut each other to fit inside "standard" and "small" tents... and if either of you is using a "large" size sleeping pad (77"x25"), two sleeping pads simply will not fit inside a "small" or "standard" size tent.

Even today, as my son's have gotten older, my "wide" Lynx Pass 2 has started to feel a little cramped for two of us. So if I were in the market for a 2 Person tent for me and a spouse, I would be looking at modern day 3P tents.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ All of this. The Drifter 2 is my son's tent. It fits the two of us (6'3" each) well enough, especially with the double doors and vestibules. So based on this and other tents I have used, go for about 16 square feet a head. Weight matters, but so does a good night's sleep.

[nsherry61]

Simple answer to the OP as also mentioned many times above, you will need a 2-person tent, many people use a 3-person for two people, even two intimately close people.

My wife and I have spent many a nights in all kinds of weather in a small semi-A-Frame tent roughly the size and shape of a BA FC2. We never had a problem, I like it that my wife doesn't have enough room to escape to "the other side of the bed". Taking turns moving around the tent is part of the expedition teamwork, and in the end, we normally team up to break camp with one person doing in-tent duty and the other person doing outside stuff, so it works out just fine.

I have also used small 2-person tents with climbing buddies years ago and my brother-in-law (also roughly 6'4" and thinish). Again, we've never had problems with it. Gear is fine in the vestibules and anything that needs to be in the tent still can be. With my guy friends, if the tent has enough head room we do often sleep with heads in opposite directions You just have to be comfortable bumping into each other occasionally when sleeping or otherwise both in the tent, no big deal in my experience.

[RangerZ]

I think you may have to sleep on top of each other in a 1 person tent.

Thread drift: what’s a person’s R value?

[Maui Rhino]

I prefer tarps, but my wife prefers a tent. When we're both camping together, we use a Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo. There's enough room for both of us to sit up and not feel camped, thanks to it's more vertical sides. It's also wide enough for my 25" wide pad, and her standard width pad. Great tent worth checking out.

[Time Zone]

Hi, I am wondering how much floor space to figure per person. I am married and hike with my spouse. We have never had anything large than a double bed so just wondering how much floor space we will need. ie can we get by with a 1 person tent. Folks who are married what do you do? Normally we are tarpers but when I weigh out a tarp plus netting or bivy a tarptent for 1 seems the same weight. Yes I am a gram weany as hubbby carries 80% of our gear.

IMO a 1P tent is out of the question for 2P, except say in a survival situation.

15-16 sf per person is adequate, on average. If you want your gear in the tent with you, or if both of you are large (tall, broad, or both), you're better off aiming for 20+ sf/person. If both apply, you probably need a 3P tent of about 50 sf.

Alternatively, you could stick with your tarp setup, since it may be less than the weight of the 2P tarptent you'd really need. Keeps things modular, which has certain advantages.

[Time Zone]

Thread drift: what’s a person’s R value?

It's a measure of how good they are at pretending to be a pirate.

[rocketsocks]

It's a measure of how good they are at pretending to be a pirate.

*Post of the Day*