Shelter Archives - Smart Survival Skills

Shelter is absolutely necessary for survival, it doesn't matter what situation you are in! I think we can all agree on that fact, right? Whether you are on a camping trip, outdoor adventure, SHTF scenario, emergency disaster situation, needing to live without a permanent home for whatever reason, etc... Tents are a great option for shelter! However, not all tents are created equal. Not even close! Whatever your reason may be for needing a survival tent, it's important that you know the best options for the particular situation you need one for. There are a lot of them out there but only a few choices worthy of any given situation. Most of these types of "best survival tent rankings" posts or videos are all about the top options for a full on emergency grid-down SHTF disaster situation. Those are great to an extent, and we have included some on our list as well. However, there are many other reasons why you may need a tent to survive in. These include things like; camping, hiking, living off the grid, personal situation leaving you temporarily homeless, extended outdoor vacation, and so on… It doesn't always have to be the end of the world for you to need a tent for survival. Not to mention there are climate considerations and geographic locations to think about. Those are VERY important for choosing a tent. Therefore, we have offered a wider range of options on our list with something for everyone! Please note: These aren't the "8-man" tents you pick up at Walmart for $50 every couple of years to take to the nearest local campground with your family and friends for a night or two in the summer, and end up just leaving it there. Yeah, I suppose some of them could be used for that - to an extent - but that isn't their intended purpose. I just wanted to make that clear ahead of time. So, let's get started... Our Reviews of the Best Survival Tent by Category Remember, these are not in any sort of order of importance as it will depend upon your needs, budget, location, and many other factors. Roof Top Tents / Roof Rack Tents Thule Tepui Kukenam You will be hard-pressed to find any list of the top 10 roof rack tents that doesn't have the "Tepui Kukenam" on it. They may not be #1 on everyone's list, but they are certainly in the running. Therefore, when you average out the best roof top tent rankings this is the best option overall. Now, there are different versions of this tent, but I'm not going to take the time to talk about each of them separately, so I'm lumping them all into one as the Tepui Kukenam. They are all at least somewhat similar, so no matter which one you choose, it is going to be high quality and more or less feature what I discuss here. Roof rack tents are very popular these days and for good reason. They are super versatile and very comfortable compared to their counterparts. This is a four season tent built to endure the elements of just about any climate. It can accommodate up to 3 people but I would say that is stretching it if I'm being honest. It's more like a 2 person (comfortably) tent. In my opinion there are TWO distinct advantages to this type of tent (among others) and they both have to do with it being far off the ground. First off, you don't have to deal with all the rocks, roots, uneven ground, and so on that will keep you up all night. Secondly, when it rains you aren't dealing with the flooding of your tent, getting all your stuff wet, not getting any sleep, and all that mess. No! Instead, you will be resting upon the Tepui Kukenam's cushy foam base. Designed for real protection year-round, this rugged tent features heavy duty fabrics with waterproof treatments to keep rain, snow, and moisture out. Though it can look intimidating to the average outdoorsman, I would say the Tepui Kukenam is actually quite simple to set up. That being said, it is a roof rack tent, so you will need to be sure you can use your roof top for mounting a tent. It does come with mounting brackets that will attach to most rooftop racks. The Tepui Kukenam is the standard of which all other roof top tents are measured. That is a virtual fact! My Final Review of the Tepui Kukenam: This is the industry standard in rooftop tents and has earned this reputation without a doubt. I would recommend the Tepui Kukenam tent to all my friends because it is strong, versatile, high-quality, durable, comfortable, and relatively affordable. Not to mention; rooftop tents are first-class in the industry, and this is among the best of them by all accounts. Tepui knows what they are doing and that is quite obvious here. The roof rack tent category is considered by most to be the best of the best overall when it comes to tent types for many reasons, but they do have some potential negatives that you may not have thought about… You have to climb a ladder to get inside. This can be a hassle at times; Going to the bathroom at night, carrying things in & out, etc… Especially if you have dogs or small children with you. They can't be carried around or moved to different spots easily. It goes where your vehicle goes. If you mount it low, you can lose space for other things. If you mount it high, you lose clearance to fit in garages or under trees, and so on. You have to pack it up if you want to use your vehicle while you are out in the wilderness. Meaning, you can't just hop in and take a quick drive for supplies or whatever. Sure packing them up typically only takes a couple minutes depending on exactly which rooftop tent you have, but it's still something to consider. Can't stand up in them. Of course, if you are just out surviving that is not a big deal. You can't stand up in any true survival tent. But for normal use, you can definitely buy tents that are tall enough to stand in. This cannot be done with a roof top tent. Anyway, there's no denying how great these rooftop tents are, but they aren't perfect -- nothing is. If you are set on getting one then you can't really go wrong with the Tepui Kukenam. Winter / Cold Weather Tent Black Diamond Eldorado This is another that is virtually always among the top 5 (if not number 1) of its category -- the best cold weather tent lists. It consistently ranks as one of the best winter tents for backpacking every year. You might think the Black Diamond Eldorado looks like an average mountaineering tent at first glance. However, as we all know, looks can be deceiving! This is undeniably a very good choice for high altitude snow treks, and performs amazingly well in extreme weather. You're not likely to find many better mountaineering tents for the money, that's for sure. BDE offers a double combo of extreme toughness and light weight. Yes, all-around use is what this tent excels at but it is absolutely robust enough for when the weather turns crazy. The Black Diamond Eldorado was recently chosen as the winner for the best overall four season tent by professionals. It has also been said that; if you can only have one shelter that does everything well, this is the one to choose. Very few tents are as well-rounded as this one, which is why we have included it on this exclusive list, and have it as #1 in this category. Tactical / Military Tents Eureka TCOP The Eureka TCOP (Tent, Combat One Person) features all of the things you want most out in the field -- It keeps you dry, it's tough, fast to setup, and more. It has been referred to as, "one of the best tents ever produced!" This tent has been engineered to withstand nearly any situation. And as a very high quality, weather resistant tent that is relatively affordable - It's great for backpacking & other outdoor adventures. You will have a very hard time finding a more durable tent, especially at this price point. Now, it is a bit on the heavy side compared to many of those lightweight tent options. So, if you are going to be carrying it with a bunch of other gear for miles at a time, that is something to consider. However, I will trade weight for strength any day when it comes to shelter. A close friend who is active duty military says he uses this tent all the time when he goes out into the wilderness. His assessment is that it's a great tent that will hold up in most situations, and is able to withstand all but the most brutal & extreme weather conditions. Basically this is the smaller version of the combat tent issued in the marines. Yes, it's essentially a military tent. So, as long as you're not an idiot about where you pitch your tent and select a good draining location, you aren't going to get wet. I have personally owned one for several years now and have used it in multiple states/climates all over the USA. In my opinion, you won't find a better tent overall. I've put mine through some pretty severe weather and ended up coming out like a king. Furthermore, its solid build will last a very long time if you take care of it. I have used mine quite heavily with no issues at all, and it still looks darn near new. If you are bugging out for a planned reason or just going to live off the grid for a while to wander in nature; this tactical tent should absolutely be among your top considerations to take with you. Long story short, if you want an awesome tent and don't feel like messing around with cheap alternatives, then go get yourself a Eureka TCOP right now! Compact Emergency Tents DDITW - "Don't Die In The Woods" This is known for being the toughest mylar ultralight survival tent in the world! That makes it pretty darn good for its category, but it's worth noting that Mylar is not very tough to begin with. So don't go expecting this to be a rugged and solid tent by any means. However, it's great for its intended purpose. Let's think about this for a second… Obviously you don't want to die in the woods -- or anywhere else you might end up stranded -- due to not having adequate shelter. Well, you are in luck, because that's precisely what this tent is made to prevent. We aren't talking about a "real" tent here. As in, the one you take to the campground with your family for a fun weekend. No, this isn't for that. This is an EMERGENCY tent that you have with you and ready at all times for when something unexpected happens, and you need proper shelter. The DDITW survival tent is designed for you to easily bring with you while hiking, trekking, camping, or partaking in other outdoor adventures. Really it is for any situation where you might find yourself lost or stranded without adequate shelter. It is for emergencies of all kinds. You will barely know you even have it with you considering how lightweight, compact, and easy to carry it is -- but you'll be very glad you had the foresight to bring it if you do end up needing emergency shelter. This tent is especially great for survival kits, bug out bags, emergency planning, and so on. It's quick and easy to setup, has multiple functions, is durable compared to other tents in this realm, super lightweight, provides the weather protection you need, room for 2 people, and is the perfect addition to your survival kit. Did I mention, it's also reversible? That means it can help keep you cool in hot conditions. Everyone is always worried about staying warm in the cold, and obviously that's very important, but not many people think about the opposite. This emergency tent can do both! Anyway, there are a lot of cheap survival tents on the market, but we feel the "Don't Die In The Woods" brand is the best when it comes to being affordable, compact, and convenient. It might not be the cheapest but it's certainly not expensive for even a tight budget. This is something we consider a MUST-HAVE for survival gear due to it being so affordable, light, compact, easy to carry & store. I'd recommend grabbing several of them to keep in various places such as your vehicle, home, office, bugout bag, get home bag, and more. Most Affordable Not a whole lot to say here other than the cheapest survival tent that is still of decent quality is probably the "SharpSurvival Emergency Survival Shelter." If you are REALLY strapped for cash and can't even afford the DDITW, or any of the others above. Or if you are simply looking to buy in bulk so you can have several tents ready in any situation, your best bet is the SharpSurvival Emergency Survival Shack. These are cheap enough and compact enough that I'd recommend buying several of them to keep anywhere & everywhere you might be in the event of an emergency. Put some in your survival kits, vehicles, camping bundle, storage, etc... Stash them EVERYWHERE! Make sure you have plenty because just one is NOT going to do it. They simply aren't durable enough to reuse for more than a night or two if you're lucky. Keep in mind, these are literally your last resort when it comes to sheltering inside a tent. After this you are likely better off finding somewhere to hunker down in the outdoors, or quickly building some sort of homemade shelter yourself. Top Pick for Best Overall General Survival Tent I'm going to choose the Eureka TCOP as the best survival tent overall . It is not the cheapest or the most expensive - It's relatively affordable! It's also not top of the line or bottom of the barrel - It's a good mid range option. Most importantly, it gets the job done! It is durable, proven, usable in most weather conditions, not too heavy or too light, easy to set up, and just about anything else you need. If I was forced into bugging out right now this is the tent I would want with me. Now, it's certainly not the top choice for every situation, but if you don't exactly know what conditions you will be living in after SHTF (and you almost certainly won't) then this is what I would choose for the unknown. Of course, we would all love to have the Tepui Kukenam to travel all over with and sleep in during ideal conditions, but that is simply not feasible for many different situations, and it's also pretty costly. On the flip side, we can all afford the SharpSurvival Emergency Survival Shelter Tent, but it has no luxury whatsoever. It is literally for an unexpected situation where you simply need some sort of shelter to help keep you alive. So, we think somewhere in-between is the best choice for the purposes of this post. That's not to say we don't think you should have more than one tent, depending on what you need it for, but if you are forced to choose just one to use for anything and everything, we are going with the Eureka TCOP. Obviously, if you know you are going to be in a cold weather winter tundra, you might want to choose the Black Diamond Eldorado instead. Or if you somehow know for sure what conditions you will be surviving in (unlikely), you could choose a different tent that isn't even on this list. I'm just saying this is my top choice for OVERALL general survival conditions when you have no idea what's about to happen in your world. Conclusion Just like anything else when it comes to survival gear, you probably aren't going to find the perfect solution for all situations. You simply don't know when or where a disaster might occur. So, you need to decide which is the best for you based on the most likely scenario you will be using it to survive in. We have simply listed the above as viable options for a number of different situations. Also, it never hurts to get a few different options if you can in order to prepare for more than one potential emergency. Only you can decide what is right for you and if you have the budget to cover all bases.