Best Survival Tent For Prepping & Emergencies

Sergeant is a somewhat unknown company with little fanfare, but they pride themselves on providing substantial value that begins with a 100% lifetime warranty. Sergeant reinforces that value by offering a less expensive bug out shelter that still manages to handle most conditions and also provides plenty of additional benefits.

On that list of benefits is the lightweight design with a weight that comes in at 8 ⅗ oz, ideal for hikers. Also, while the packed size is not provided, this model packs down to a little larger than a can of soda, about the same as most of its competition.

One of the more surprising things about the Sergeant model is how large it is at 96″ x 60″, big enough to fit two people comfortably. On top of that, this tent is not known for leaking like some of the other mylar based tube tents that we have come across.

Unfortunately, this is also one of the least durable options on our list with a purely mylar construction that is only 26 um thick, though this at least traps plenty of body heat. It also does not help that this model seems to lack the ease of setup that some of its competition has.

Go Time Gear may only have been around for about half a decade, but that seems to be more than enough time for the company to understand that you need to signal for help in a crisis. A great example of this concept in action is the included signal whistle that the Go Time Gear Emergency comes with that produces a 120 dB alarm.

Even better, this shelter comes in neon orange, so you are clearly visible, and can be used as a reflective signaling device for overhead searches. Like many of the other tube tents that we came across, this option is also great for hikers thanks to its lightweight 8 ⅔ oz design.

Even better, this tent will pack down to the second-smallest profile that we encountered at 5 ¼” x 3 ¼” while still providing 96″ x 60″ x 48″ of space. As good as all of these features are, they are only made more enticing by the fact that the Go Time Gear model is inexpensive too.

On the other hand, like most mylar-based tube tents, this option is not the most durable, though it does weave polyester in with the mylar. However, that carries with it other potential issues as the Go Time Gear Emergency is far more challenging to repack into its carrying bag than other products on the market.

Don’t Die In The Woods might be one of the newest companies on our list, but based on its specs we would not be surprised if the founders were avid backpackers. For starters, this is the lightest model that we reviewed on our list coming in at a svelte 8 ½ oz– though some of its competitors are still comparable.

Similarly, this tent also packs down smaller than any other option on our list at only 5″ x 3 ¼”– though this is still similar to other models on the market. Nonetheless, when you consider how useful this portable survival shelter is for hikers, its low price is only the icing on the cake.

Also, while the smallest packed size might seem to come with space restrictions, at 96″ x 54″ x 33″ this will comfortably sleep two people. The mylar construction also helps keep you warm when it’s cold, and the taped seams keep you dry when it rains.

Of course, like other mylar-based tube tents, the Don’t Die In The Woods Ultralight is not the most durable and needs a tarp footprint. You may want to replace the included paracord as it is not the strongest we found, despite the advertised 425 lb weight limit.

Though River Country Products may be another new company, they offer a good mix of features for trekking — not least of which are the included trekking poles with their Trekker 2. Even better, this cuts down on additional gear to carry as this model uses those poles to support the tent as well.

Another significant difference between this model and many others is its A-frame design, which provides an enclosed space to keep out bugs. It also helps that this option is made out of polyester, so you do not have to worry about its durability as much as with most tube tents.

While the added durability is nice, the inclusion of a polyurethane waterproof coating is even better, though you may still want to seal the seams. While it does not pack down as small as tube tents, the River Country Products Trekker Tent 2 still packs down the smallest for traditional tents at 10″ x 6″.

Of course, you get what you pay for and the increased quality of the materials used, as well as the extra features, mean this is not an inexpensive option. While paying for quality is a reasonable expectation, the fact that this product is smaller than most at only 84″ x 60″ x 42″ is not.

Winterial continues the trend of survival tents made by new companies, though this shelter tends to sit somewhere in the middle of the pack with few distinguishing characteristics. On the other hand, this can also be seen as a good thing as it does not have many flaws.

For starters, the Winterial is a bivy tent, so you can rest comfortably at night without having to worry if you will get eaten alive by insects. However, unlike other enclosed models we saw, the Winterial option is also incredibly breathable thanks to a completely mesh canopy.

To ensure that mesh canopy does not present additional issues, the Winterial does come with a rain fly of excellent quality and has sealed seams to keep out water. Finally, this is arguably one of the most stable structures on our list thanks in large part to the use of aluminum poles.

That said, as with other enclosed shelters, the Winterial is expensive– not to mention it is the second-heaviest, though still only weighing 3 lbs 3 oz. Still, for the price of the Winterial, you would expect a bit more space as it’s only 38″ wide and 28″ tall, making it a one person tent.

PROS

Snugpak is one of the few companies on our list that has been around for a while, and in that time, they have made sure to figure out what it takes to make an excellent survival tent: namely durability. While many products may suffice for a single, emergency use, the Snugpak The Ionosphere can last for many seasons thanks to its 210T polyester construction.

Further reinforcing durability, the Snugpak The Ionosphere uses anodized aluminum for its support pole design to reduce the risk of corrosion. As if that were not enough, there is also no other product on our list that provides anywhere near as good waterproofing which comes with a 5000 mm hydrostatic rating.

While that kind of waterproofing might be an issue for other tents, the Snugpak The Ionosphere does not suffer breathability issues as it comes with a mesh canopy design. Also, as a bivy tent, there is little risk of bugs getting inside whilst wind and chilly weather is better kept at bay.

That said, you have to pay the piper somewhere, and the Snugpak The Ionosphere is expensive — arguably an expensive option regardless of the niche. Also, while this model provides a decent length, it can only sleep one person and is shorter than most.

PROS

Our final tent comes from Ultimate Survival Technologies, the most experienced company on our list and have therefore understood the importance of versatility. Unlike most of the tube tents that we reviewed, this is the only model that can also be used as a rain fly.

This feature allows you to get far more mileage than other options, and the company avoids many of the same issues other tube tents fall into as well. For example, the Ultimate Survival Technologies Tube Tarp 1.0 is made out of mylar as well as nylon and is one of the few tube tents without durability issues.

Even better, this tube tarp works well for hiking thanks to its lightweight design of only 1 lb 12 oz — though that being said this is still heavy for a tube tent. This is one of the smaller shelters on our list and is easily the smallest tube tent that we came across. 

As much as this model improves on durability, it fails with waterproofing and leaks worse than any other product we reviewed. That being said, the Ultimate Survival Technologies Tube Tarp 1.0 is an inexpensive option, much like its competition.