Types of Tents for Camping: How to Choose a Family Tent

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Call me a nerd, but I love walking campgrounds and checking out everybody’s camping gear. There are so many different tent types out there. And seeing them set up and arranged on a campsite is better than seeing them in pictures on Amazon or in a box at the store.

Some people have the fanciest tent arrangements, and others are simply sleeping in a hammock in a tree. I love the variety and getting inspired by people’s camp setups.

When it comes to buying a tent, there are many different types of tents you can choose from. Like most things, you’ll need to consider how you are going to use it in order to decide which type of tent is best for you.

How much space will you need? Will it be for the whole family? Any pets? Babies? Camping with a baby requires a lot more gear. What kind of bedding space do you need for your sleeping mats or air mattresses?

A good rule of thumb to follow is to purchase a tent that is for double the number of people who will be sleeping in it, especially if you plan on using air mattresses. A two-person tent is designed to sleep exactly two people, side by side. It doesn’t allow for much extra room for luggage.

Personally, I want a tent that I can stand up in. I don’t like having to be crouched down or crawling around when changing and going through my stuff. But I also don’t use my tent for backpacking trips. So I don’t mind a bigger tent.

If you’re going on a backpacking trip, you’d obviously want something super compact and lightweight.

Here’s what to know about the various tent types for family camping.

Instant-Up Tents – One of the easiest types of tents for camping

One of the best types of tents for camping, in my opinion, is an instant-up tent. My husband can set ours up completely on his own in a matter of a minute or two. Similar to an EZ-Up, an instant tent has the poles already in the tent. So you just have to extend each one and lock it in place. It’s so easy! And you can pick from various sizes and styles to choose from. You might also like the similar pop-up tent style.

“Dark Room” Tents

Similar to the idea of “black out curtains,” “black out” or “dark room” tents are designed to block out 90% of sunshine, keeping the tent darker and cooler than other tents. This type of tent is great when camping with small children. Our tent always gets so bright as soon as the sun comes up, so my kids wake up early and think it’s much later than it actually is. There are a ton of options when it comes to dark room tents, including dark room dome tents, dark room instant tents and even dark room dome tents with screens.

Tents with Screen Room – Great Tent for Extra Storage

Tents with an extra screen room can be beneficial for many reasons. If the screened area is large enough, you can use it for eating if you are camping where there are a lot of bugs around or if it’s a rainy camping trip. You can also use it to store bikes, scooters, etc. at night so they are close by and zipped up (although depending on where you are camping, you might need extra security for those things).

Screen rooms also make for a nice area for kids to play games or play with toys during the day, but without tracking dirt into the tent and dirtying things up in there.

Dome Tents – A Traditional Type of Tent for Camping

Dome tents are the most traditional type of tent when it comes to a camping tent. And they are my recommendation for anyone who is just starting out with camping and wanting to try it out before making a huge investment in gear. They’re typically a more affordable option, and they’re easy to set up. My oldest child (11 years old) has his own dome tent that he sets up next to our tent because he prefers his own space. It’s easy enough for him to set up on his own, and it doesn’t take up a ton of space, so storing it and finding room on the campsite for it is never an issue.

Connecting Tents – Great Type of Tent for Older Kids

If you plan on spending a lot of time in your tent or if you’re camping with people who want their own space, a connecting tent system or 3-room tent might be the way to go. These types of tents typically have a main room (which can be used for sleeping or set up with a table for eating/ games), and then smaller tents built off from that room. Connecting tents are also great for families with kids who might want to sleep in their own tent but aren’t quite ready to be alone.

These tents will require a bit more time (and probably more hands) to set up. And they will take up more space on the campsite. There are some 3-room tents that are also instant tents, allowing set up to be quicker and easier. There are also connecting tents that share an outdoor space, but each sleeping section is private, which would be good for multiple families or older children.

Tunnel Tents

Tunnel tents are another of the tent types that have many design varieties. Some have large storage spaces in the middle or extra patio space in the front. In theory, tunnel tents can be as long as you can imagine because they are just curved poles that form an arch through the tent fabric.

Tunnel tents do need to be staked down in order to keep their shape. They can also be quite large which can be tricky on smaller campsites.

The perks of tunnel tents are that they can provide some privacy by creating separate sleeping rooms and they feel spacious inside.

Backpacking Tents

If you’re going backpacking, you want the to bring the lightest amount of weight possible. A-frame tent types have always been popular backpacking tents because they are lightweight. Plus they don’t take up a ton of space. Sometimes you can even use your trekking poles to build these tents. But because they are super thin, they aren’t great protection against the elements.

There are a variety of other backpacking tent styles that you can choose from.

For more tips on tent camping, be sure to check out my other popular blog posts, like How to Stay Warm While Tent Camping, My Camping Equipment Recommendations and What to Do When Camping.

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