When it comes to buying a backpacking tent it can be so hard to know where to start! Our go to for the last seven years has been the Marmot Tungsten Two person tent. This awesome tent has stood the test of time and survived many storms, from thunder and lightning on the Skoki Loop, to West Coast Trail rain and damp. This tent just keeps on going and for that reason, it’s our go to backcountry tent. We love it so much that when we upgraded our front country tent this year, we got the four man Marmot Tungsten because we knew we’d never have to worry about the weather we were camping in!
We find the Marmot Tungsten tent is a great compromise between weight, price and durability for a backpacking tent and suits us perfectly.
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Table of Contents
Marmot Tungsten 2P Specs
Floor area: 2.8 sq m
Assembled height: 107cm
Assembled length: 224cm
Assembled width: 137cm
Minimum weight: 4 lbs 15.7 oz
Why We Love The Marmot Tungsten Tent
One of the biggest benefits of the Marmot Tungsten tent is that it is a ‘true’ two person tent, it easily fits both of us on larger sleeping pads. We both have the Thermarest Neoair Topo Luxe and Mike has the large version which is longer and wider, while I have the regular size. They fit comfortably side by side and both offer space at the end to store bags or whatever you need.
We have spent many, many nights in our Marmot Tungsten over the last seven years and it has held up in all types of weather. We find it really important to know our gear and especially our shelter can hold up in a storm and keep us dry. It has held up well against wind, when set up and secured properly, it has also seen some pretty intense rainstorms and never let us down! The materials all feel sturdy and good quality and I have to admit, we aren’t always the most gentle on our gear.
Another thing we love about the Marmot Tungsten is how easy it is to put up and take down! After a long day on the trail, nothing beats being able to set up your tent in ten minutes. The easy pole system comprises of two main poles which are attached through a centre point. The inner tent has clips which attach to the poles and then a small pole goes across the middle at the top to pull out the sides. The rain fly goes over and there are velcro attachments to attach it to the poles in stormy weather. Peg it out and you are good to go!
The other big bonus of the Marmot Tungsten is that it has two doors and two vestibules, one is bigger than the other. The larger one we use to store our bulky backpacks while the smaller one we keep our shoes in typically. This is great extra storage space which doesn’t impact the living space inside the inner tent. The one downside we’ve noticed is that if it is raining very hard sometimes water can bounce back up under the vestibules, so we pack a small tarp to wrap around our bags if there is rain in the forecast.
The price of the Marmot Tungsten is also very reasonable and when it goes on sale, it is such a bargain. I purchased it on sale and it cost me just over $200 which is a steal for a great tent.
The Downsides Of The Marmot Tungsten Tent
The biggest negative of the Marmot Tungsten is that it is on the heavier side for a backpacking tent. I carry the whole tent so it’s definitely more than manageable to use backpacking but it isn’t in the ultralight category by any means. We split it up when we pack it, putting the poles in the back side of my pack and putting the soft inner and outer tent parts in a stuff stack so it fits neatly in my backpack. You could also put it on the outside of your pack too if that’s easier.
The other negative is that it doesn’t offer much in the way of pockets, there is one on each side at the head of the tent for small items like your cell phone and a small pocket towards the ceiling you could potentially put a head torch in at night. However I’d like a few other pockets, originally you were able to buy a loft for the tent which would be super practical for storage however this seems to have been discontinued. It’s a minor complaint and doesn’t really affect our use of the tent though.
Other Options For Backpacking Tents
One of the most popular backpacking tents is the MSR Hubba Hubba tent, you’ll see these everywhere in the backcountry and for good reason, they come in at a lighter weight than the Marmot Tungsten but still offer excellent durability and space. However it comes with a much higher price tag. Also in the more pricey but lighter backpacking tent space is the popular Big Agnes Copper Spur tent, this is a staple for many backpackers for its roomy interior.
There are also cheaper tents on the market than the Marmot Tungsten which maybe have one door, or no vestibule. Ultimately you don’t need to spend a fortune to go backpacking, I’ve seen many Canadian Tire Outbound tents on the West Coast Trail for instance. This isn’t a tent I would recommend for such a renowned rainy trail, however people do it and they still have an amazing time.
