What to Look for in a Canopy Tent for Just One Person

One cool thing about pop-up canopy tents is that they are easy enough to set up and take down that one person can often manage on their own.

If you are shopping for a canopy tent for just one person, what features and considerations are important? Below, we go over a few key things to look for when selecting your one-person canopy tent.

1. A suitable size

A good starting point is to shop for a pop-up tent that has suitable dimensions for your needs.

Ideally, you should try to find a tent that is as small as possible while still providing you with enough room for your intended use.

Smaller tents weigh less, are less cumbersome, and also are easier to set up. Still, you should see to it that you will not be cramped underneath your tent.

Take some measurements and figure out how much space you will need for yourself and any supplies you will have with you.

For a day at the beach or out camping, you probably can choose the smallest size. For some other uses, like setting up at a farmer’s market, you might need to choose a slightly larger tent so you can display your wares.

2. Lightweight

If you have to lug a very heavy tent around, you may strain your back or injure yourself. And if a tent is far too heavy, you might not be able to carry it far on your own at all.

So, one of the most important features of a pop-up canopy tent for one person is that it be lightweight.

Check the materials of the tent you are considering purchasing. See what the frame is made of. A lightweight material like aluminum is especially suitable for a one-person canopy tent.

The product listing should include the weight as well. Hopefully you have a pretty good feel for your strength and what you are able to carry. If you don’t, try carrying around an item with a similar weight to see how you hold up.

Make sure you think not just about whether you can lift the tent and carry it a short distance, but how it will feel to carry it a longer distance.

In particular, do not underestimate how rapidly you can become fatigued when walking across sand on the beach.

3. Portability features

Lightweight materials are important for making a tent easy to carry, but they are not the only thing to consider with respect to portability. Here are some other features you may want to look for:

• Case shape: This will impact storage and transportation of your pop-up tent, as well as how the weight is distributed when you are carrying it.
• Case handle: The case for the tent should include a handle. Pay close attention to the handle’s design. Ideally, it should be comfortably cushioned so that it does not dig into your hand after you have been carrying the tent for a while.
• Wheels on case: If you are going to be crossing a lot of flat ground (i.e. large parking lots, etc.), it may be smart to look for a product that features a wheeled case with a handle you can use to pull it along behind you as you walk. If, however, you would not use this feature a lot, it would add unnecessary weight to the bag. So, in that situation, you would probably want to skip it.
• Wheels for tent: You can purchase wheel attachments for some pop-up canopy tents (the tent itself, not just the bag). This allows you to wheel your tent from one spot to another. This again could be useful if you are setting up a tent at a farmer’s market, fair, etc. where your tent is set up on smooth, level ground. It would allow you to make adjustments without having to take down your tent and pop it back up again.

4. Easy to pack, unpack, set up and take down

Search through user reviews to find information about how easy it is to pack and unpack the tent you are thinking of getting. Packing a tent in particular can be challenging with some products, so pay close attention to that part in customer feedback.

For the setup and take-down process, you may be able to find videos on the product pages. If not, check YouTube. Some users may have uploaded videos showing what the process consists of.

The product page also likely contains written instructions, as well as an estimate for how many minutes it should take one person setting up the tent alone.

Note that the structure of the tent will have an impact on ease-of-setup. For example, a center locking frame design can be easier to manage than canopy leg sliders. This can help one or two people to set up a tent much more quickly and easily than they could a different tent design.

5. Overall quality and features

The above features and considerations are extra important when you are shopping for a pop-up canopy tent for just one person. But it is important not to neglect the other features that make for a quality tent as well. Some of these include:

• The durability of the materials
• Vents built into the canopy to prevent billowing
• Water-resistance features
• Side-walls and other add-ons
• The color and appearance of the tent
• Options for staking the tent
• Easy to maintain

Reading customer reviews can give you an idea of whether a particular tent lives up to its promise, and what you can expect in terms of its longevity.

Summary

When selecting a pop-up canopy tent for just one person, try to choose a tent that is lightweight, not too large, easy to carry, and easy to set up and take down. Continue exploring our site to learn more about pop-up canopy tents, or to check out our recommended tents.

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