Choosing your first wild camping tent can be overwhelming. There are hundreds of models available, all promising to be lighter, stronger or better value than the next. After more than thirty years of camping in the mountains, completing all 214 Wainwrights and spending countless nights in the Lake District, Snowdonia and Scotland, I’ve learnt that if you believe what they all say, they’re all the best tent for every situation.
I’ve owned and used budget tents, premium expedition tents and lightweight tarps. Some have been excellent, others taught me expensive lessons. If a friend asked me what he should buy today, these are the tents I’d recommend without hesitation.
Whether your budget is £200 or £1000, the best tent isn’t necessarily the lightest or the most expensive. It’s the one that suits the way you camp.
My recommendations
Best value (£200-ish)
Vango Banshee 200
The tent I recommend to most people starting wild camping. It’s affordable, reliable, roomy enough for one person and has proven itself repeatedly in poor British weather.
Premium (£800-ish)
Hilleberg Akto
If your budget stretches further and you regularly camp in exposed mountain conditions, the Akto remains one of the best one-person tents ever made.
Ultralight (£450-ish)
Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar
Not a beginner’s shelter, but one of the most versatile systems I’ve ever owned. Light, incredibly weather resistant and surprisingly spacious once you learn how to pitch it.
Which tent should you buy?
| If you… | Buy… |
|---|---|
| Want the best value | Vango Banshee 200 |
| Camp all year in poor weather | Hilleberg Akto |
| Want to travel light and already have experience | MLD Trailstar |
Why trust my recommendations?
I’ve been wild camping for over 30 years and have completed all 214 Wainwrights, spending hundreds of nights in the Lake District, Snowdonia and the Scottish Highlands.
I’ve been on expeditions with a 15kg bag and camped on mountain tops with a 2.9kg base weight (my shelter weighing under 200 grams). I’ve used loads of shelters and made them a number of them as well.
This is from my Mountain Leader training expedition, a proper mixed camp of shelters strung across the group. I’m the one under the orange tarp, sub-500g, because I was ill that week and needed to keep every gram that I could off my back.
I don’t recommend gear because it’s new or fashionable. I recommend it because it’s earned a place in my bag.
This guide is for you if…
- You’re buying your first proper wild camping tent.
- You want a tent that will last for years rather than one season.
- You’d rather buy the right tent first time than waste money upgrading later.
- You camp in the UK where rain and wind are part of the experience.
If you’re looking for an ultra-light racing shelter or something for family campsite holidays, this probably isn’t the guide you’re looking for.
How I chose these tents
I haven’t chosen these because people talk about them on social or because a manufacturer sent them to me to review.
I’ve camped in them.
I’ve carried them over mountains.
I’ve pitched them in heavy rain, high winds and winter conditions – all of them.
They have been with me for years while others came and went, and every recommendation on this page comes from personal experience rather than a weekend test or reading someone else’s review.
Let’s get into it.
First, let’s understand some fundementals.
Tent size
When you first start wild camping it’s tempting to buy the smallest, lightest tent you can find. I think that’s a mistake. I’ve done it, and sold it. The Coshee is a great example of something that is simply just too small.
If you can’t sit up, get changed comfortably or keep your rucksack and boots inside, you’ll soon begin to resent using it. Wild camping often means long evenings (at least 12 hours in winter), inside the tent during the night or while the weather passes through, so a little extra room makes a huge difference.
I’d happily carry a few hundred extra grams if it meant sleeping well and actually enjoying the experience.
Tent weight
People often obsess over weight, I’m no exception, but after years in the hills I’ve learnt that comfort and reliability usually matter more than saving a few hundred grams.
A lighter shelter is always welcome, but not if it means sacrificing space or performance in bad weather. When you’re starting out, buy the lightest tent you can comfortably afford, not simply the lightest one on the shelf.
Pitching your tent
A tent should be quick to pitch, especially when it’s raining or windy.
Whatever tent you buy, practise putting it up several times in the garden before taking it into the hills, then consider it’ll be much more difficult with the elements on your back. The first time you pitch it shouldn’t be in darkness with a 30mph wind trying to pull it out of your hands.
One thing I insist on is an all-in-one pitch, where the flysheet and inner stay attached. It keeps the sleeping area dry and makes life much easier when the weather turns. The Banshee and Akto conform to this standard (the Trailstar is a different setup).
Space
Don’t just think about where you’re going to sleep.
Think about where your boots, rucksack and wet clothing are going to live. I’ve seen people leave their rucksack outside in a bin liner. Personally, I’d rather carry a slightly bigger tent than spend the night wondering whether my kit is getting soaked or needing something out of the bag. Not having somewhere to keep your boots or having nowhere to get out of your drenched clothes can make things very uncomfortable.
Being able to sit up, organise your gear and simply get comfortable makes far more difference than saving the grams.
Cooking
Never cook inside a sealed tent.
Apart from the obvious fire risk, stove fumes can be deadly. Use the porch with plenty of ventilation, keep the door open and only zip everything up once the stove is off and the fumes have blown away.
Don’t be thick and think that warming the air inside your tent will keep you warm all night, that’s the job of your sleeping bag.
Weather and wind
Any tent will cope with a pleasant summer evening. The real test comes when the weather turns. When I wrote my Banshee 200 review, it competed on Google against a review where all of the photos pictured it in camp sites! What do those photos really tell you? I’ve taken it out in awful winter weather and tested it to it’s limits, I imagine that’s why my review is number one now.
I’ve learnt that where you pitch your tent is just as important as the tent itself. A budget tent can perform surprisingly well if it’s sheltered from the wind or even just pitched ‘properly’, while even an expensive tent can have a miserable night (and its occupant) if it’s pitched carelessly on an exposed ridge.
That’s one of the reasons I recommend the Vango Banshee 200 for most people. It’s remarkably capable for the money, but I wouldn’t advise taking it onto an exposed summit in severe winter weather, although I’ve done it plenty myself and not died yet.
If I knew I was heading into really harsh conditions, I’d happily carry my Hilleberg Akto. Knowing the limits of your equipment is every bit as important as choosing the right stuff.
Here’s the Akto at Red Tarn, under Helvellyn. This is the kind of exposed pitch where I’d be happier in it than the Banshee. Brace yourself!
Waterproofing
A good wild camping tent should keep the weather outside, year after year.
Rather than getting caught up in hydrostatic head figures, I’d focus on buying a tent with a proven reputation for standing up to British weather. In my experience, quality materials, good design and careful pitching matter far more than chasing the biggest number on a specification sheet.
I speak with experience when I say, don’t go down the road of buying spray to waterproof a poor material, it doesn’t work. If I had a tent that let water through the material, the only place for it is the bin. Rather than selling one to some poor bugger who’ll find out it leaks on a camp in the hills, I’ve cut up about half a dozen tents and binned them.
Condensation
Every tent gets condensation. It’s simply part of camping.
Hone the skill of managing it. Good ventilation, sensible pitching and leaving enough airflow around the flysheet all make a noticeable difference.
If you seal your tent from the wind, breath out half a litre of moisture during the night, where’s that moisture going to go? Ventilation is the solution.
When your sleeping bag is warm enough, you don’t need to seal every vent to keep the cold out. I’d rather wake up cool and dry than warm and dripping with condensation.
Appearance
The colour and shape of your tent might catch your eye in the shop, but if you don’t want to stand out you should choose natural looking colours.
I’d rather own a tent that keeps me dry in a storm than one that simply looks good in the catalogue.
That said, I do like orange. When you camp on the tops and leave early enough, nobody would know you were ever there.
Which wild camping tent would I buy today?
People often ask me which tent I’d recommend, expecting one answer. The truth is, it depends on your experience, your budget and where you plan to camp. I use the right shelter for the job.
After years of wild camping, these are still the three shelters I’d happily recommend.
Product links here will take you to something I actually own, use and trust — not stuff sent to me free or paid to plug. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases so if you buy anything on Amazon (or another site) after clicking through and I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — you pay the same price, they just share a slice of what they’d have made.
Best value: Vango Banshee 200
If you’re buying your first proper wild camping tent, this is still the one I’d recommend to most people.
I’ve used several Banshees over the years (none have failed me, being a Mountain Leader I own 5) and they’ve taken me all over the Lake District, Snowdonia and Scotland. They aren’t the lightest tents on the market and they certainly aren’t the most expensive, but they strike a balance that very few tents manage.
The Banshee is roomy enough for one person and all their gear, pitches quickly, copes remarkably well with British weather and doesn’t cost a fortune.
Most people don’t need an expedition tent. They need a tent they’ll actually enjoy carrying and sleeping in.
For me, that’s where the Banshee excels.
What I like
- Excellent value for money at under £200 with better pegs.
- Loads of room for one person and their gear.
- Quick to pitch once you’ve practised.
- Good ventilation.
- Proven in bad weather.
What I don’t like
- Not a lightweight at 2.4kg
- Bulky
- Pegs are crap – get some better aluminium stakes
Know its limits and it’ll look after you for years.
Best for
Someone buying their first serious wild camping tent who wants reliability without spending a fortune. Also perfect for festivals and camp sites.
What surprised me
I expected it to be a beginner’s tent when I got my first. What surprised me was just how many experienced mountain leaders and regular wild campers continued using one even when they could afford something much more expensive.
Would I buy it again today?
✅ Absolutely.
The Banshee 200 is at it’s lowest price this year on Amazon!
Or invest 5 minutes reading my Vango Banshee 200 review.
Premium choice: Hilleberg Akto
If money wasn’t the deciding factor and I expected to spend a lot of nights in the mountains, I’d buy the Hilleberg Akto.
Mine has never given me a reason to doubt it.
It’s beautifully made, incredibly stable in bad weather and one of those bits of kit that simply disappears into the background because it just gets on with its job.
You certainly pay for that quality, but if you regularly camp in exposed places, the confidence it gives you is worth every penny.
I still think it’s one of the finest one-person tents ever made.
What I like
- Plenty of room for one person and their gear.
- Really quick to pitch once you’ve practised.
- Good ventilation.
- Almost unbeatable in bad weather.
- Looks super cool – tent enthusiasts will admire it.
- Comes with awesome (but small) DAC pegs
What I don’t like
- Privey at over £800
- Not feather light at 1.7kg
- A bit bulky – separate components – poles in the side of your bag and tent compressed.
Best for
Experienced campers who spend a lot of time in the mountains and want a tent they’ll probably own for many years.
What surprised me
I expected superb build quality and got it in the buckets. I didn’t expect just how much confidence it gives you when the weather turns ugly.
Would I buy it again today?
✅ Without hesitation.
Ultralight choice: Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar
The Trailstar is a completely different animal altogether.
It isn’t really a tent at all, but a lightweight tarp shelter that rewards experience.
It takes longer to learn, it isn’t the obvious choice for beginners but pitching is a delight when you get the hang of it because you don’t have to lay it on flat ground. I have to post another image here camping in a Scottish shielding off Ben Lawers, guys hung over boulders, pegs lodged in crevices and a rock as a pillow with still with enough flat space to lie down.
In return, you get an incredibly light, spacious and versatile shelter that’s surprisingly capable in bad weather.
It’s the shelter I use now because it suits the way I camp today – superlight, fuss free with a 30L day bag on a three day expedition.
I wouldn’t recommend it as someone’s first shelter.
What I like
- Very light – with the bathtub-floor/bug-net and pegs it’s under 1kg
- Room for two people and their gear.
- Awfully quick to pitch once you’ve practised.
- Different configurations.
- Great ventilation.
- Great in bad weather.
- Looks extra cool – tent enthusiasts will wonder what it is.
- Stunning views (because there’s no door).
What I don’t like
- Because of it’s size, snow makes it sag
- Not much good on camp sites if you want privacy
- You must carry walking poles to erect it
- Pricey – £245 on MLD’s website (plus import tax) BUT you’ll also need an ‘inner’ bathtub-floor/bug net, and pegs so it’s more like £450!
Best for
Someone who has the ‘camping in tents’ thing nailed, wants to have fun now and/or travel lighter.
What surprised me
The lightness of it for the space you get is amazing. I didn’t expect it to change the way I camp altogether. I was even inspired to start making the inners (OookWorks) and then shelters.
Would I buy it again today?
✅ Without thinking about it.
I’ve written a full Trailstar review covering pitching, configurations and how it’s changed the way I camp, if you want to dig deeper.
Which one would I choose?
If you asked me today…
Buying your first wild camping tent?
Buy the Vango Banshee 200
Planning regular mountain camps in all seasons?
Buy the Hilleberg Akto.
Subscribe below to hear when I do the review.
Already experienced and looking to save weight?
Buy the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.
Whichever you choose, spend time learning how to use it properly. A well-pitched tent in the right place will almost always outperform an expensive tent pitched badly.
My final advice
If you have little or no experience wild camping, buy the Banshee 200. Get used to it to a degree where you’ve spent a few nights at least scared. Tone it down, have fun.
When you’re ready for more adventure, invest in an Akto or a Trailstar. The Akto is for your bad weather adventure nightmare camps, the Trailstar is for those beautiful summit camps in the summer when you want feel more ‘one with the landscape’ and have a view to wake up to.
I’d rather see someone buy a tent they can afford, use it every month and gain experience than spend a fortune on something they never really learn to use properly.
If you’re just starting out, buy the Vango Banshee 200 and get into the hills.
Use it.
Learn from it.
Make mistakes.
After a while you’ll know exactly whether you need something like a Hilleberg Akto or whether a lightweight shelter like the Trailstar suits the way you camp.
Experience is far more important than owning expensive equipment.
The Akto’s the one review I haven’t written up in full yet. When I do, I’ll send it straight to subscribers on the list below.
READ NEXT
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Is the Vango Banshee 300 big enough for 2 people and is it as good as the 200?
It is Richard, I use one with the wife at campsites and take my two teenage sons out in it, they’re a small 13-year-old and a big 14-year-old.
The 300 was designed using the same thinking as the 200 so it’s made ‘from the same cloth’ as they say.