Top Tents and Shelters on the Appalachian Trail: 2024 Thru-Hiker Survey

This installment of the 2024 Appalachian Trail survey covers shelters of all kinds. We’ll discuss the types of shelters used, the type and size chosen based on hiking companions, and more. As always, we’ll go over the top brands and models of shelters that were on the trail this year. There was another shakeup in the top brand this year, with a brand that’s been steadily growing in popularity usurping the longstanding leader, Big Agnes.

This year we collected 389 responses — a huge thanks to everyone who filled out the survey! The data was collected from October through November of 2024 through our survey, which was marketed using our social media platforms, Backpacker Radio, and TheTrek.co. Some responses from previous years were removed, and obvious mistakes in start and end dates were adjusted. No obvious duplicates were found.

Shelter Type

Freestanding tents remain the most popular shelter choice, but trekking pole tents are growing in popularity every year. Freestanding tent users stayed almost the same as last year, only dropping 1%. Trekking pole tent use grew to 30% from last year’s 27% among successful thru-hikers. Tarp use stayed at the same low percentage, while the number of hammock users dropped slightly. No one reported using a bivy this year. One hiker said they mostly used the shelters along the trail.

We wanted to see if hikers preferred a certain type of shelter depending on who they were hiking with. Those who hiked with a dog exclusively used freestanding tents this year. Those hiking with significant others or friends/relatives were more likely than the average hiker to choose a freestanding tent as well. However, it is important to keep in mind that the number of hikers in these groups is much smaller than the sample of solo hikers (only 8 participants hiked with dogs, for instance), which may skew the results somewhat.

Freestanding tents are generally heavier than their trekking pole counterparts, but they’re also easier to set up and can provide more usable interior space thanks to the structured pole architecture, which could appeal to hikers planning to share the space with another (two- or four-legged) person. And hikers sharing a tent can also split the weight, so the fact that freestanding tents are heavier might not be such a big deal.

Capacity

We also looked at the capacity of shelters hikers used related to who they were hiking with. It’s common for solo hikers to size up to a two-person tent or shelter, and that’s certainly the case again this year. The majority of couples used a two-person tent, although it was not uncommon for couples to size up to a three-person shelter. Hikers with dogs also most commonly used a two-person tent. These numbers were all similar to last year’s.

Tarp Size

10 ft x 12 ft tarps were the most popular tarp size again, as they have been the past few years. They were followed closely by 6 ft x 8 ft tarps, the next most popular size. There were only three tarp-only hikers, while the remainder were using a tarp in conjunction with a hammock. It’s difficult to draw any conclusions on what’s most popular from such a small number.

Switching Shelters

We asked hikers if they had to replace their shelter and if they replaced it with the same model. Luckily, the majority of hikers did not need to replace their shelter system. Most of the ones who did replace it opted to switch to a different model. This suggests it might be due to dislike of the shelter than damage.

When given the chance to provide extra information about their shelter choices, many participants included their reasons for switching. Here are some of the notable responses (lightly edited for grammar):

“I originally started with an X-Mid Pro 1, and then my gf and I moved in together into the X-Mid Pro 2 in Virginia. Only downside to the Pro 2 was its size made stealthing difficult.”

“I started with a Gossamer Gear The One and it leaked in the rain, so I changed to the Zpacks.”

“I switched from the Durston X-Mid 1 to a BA Copper Spur UL2 for more room.”

“Started with 1p Durston and switched to 2p Nemo, only due to being a tall person. Both companies make great tents.”

“In hindsight, I would have more strongly considered a double wall tent for the very wet year we had.”

Popular Brands and Models

Finally, we asked hikers to list their favorite brands and models they used. Durston Gear was the most popular brand this year, jumping two places to bypass Zpacks and take the spot from long-time champion Big Agnes.

The most popular model also went to the Durston Gear X-Mid, which swept the field with more than 90 people choosing some variant of that tent. Most hikers preferred the one-person version. Listed below are the top brands and then the top models by capacity, along with a summary table showing the overall rankings of each model plus a satisfaction score out of 10.

Top Tents on the AT by Brand

Top Tents on the AT by Model: Overall Satisfaction

The table below shows the overall popularity of each of the top tent models. We asked hikers to rate their satisfaction with their tent out of 10, with 10 being the most satisfied. Users were overall fairly satisfied with these models, which is reflected in the fact that most hikers did not replace their tents during their hikes.

The tent with the highest satisfaction rating was the Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 at 9.75 (but only 5 participants used it so we have a small sample size). The tent with the lowest satisfaction score was the Gossamer Gear The One at 7.57.

Top One-Person Tent Models

1. Durston Gear X-Mid 1 (37)

2. Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 1 (14)3. Gossamer Gear the One (14)

4. Copper Spur HV UL 1 (8)5. Zpacks Plex Solo (7)

Top Two-Person Tent Models

1. Zpacks Duplex (36)

2. Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P (29)3. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2  (23)

4. Copper Spur HV UL2 (20)5. Durston X-Mid 2 (20)6. Durston X-Mid Pro 2 (20)

Top Three-Person Tent Models

1. Zpacks Triplex (6)

2. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 (5)

3. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 (3)

Top Hammock Brands and Models

For hammocks, there weren’t many responses on brand or model (21). The only brands that had more than one response were ENO (5), Warbonnet (3), and Hammock Gear (2). Only two models had more than one response and they both were from Eno: the SingleNest (2) and the DoubleNest (2), pictured below.

Summary

1. The majority of hikers use tents as their shelter; trekking pole tents continue to grow in popularity.
2. Those hiking with a dog or significant other are even more likely than average hikers to choose a freestanding tent.
3. Over half of hikers using tents sized up. This includes solo hikers in two-person tents and couples in tents sized for three or more people.
4. Issues with pitch size and leaking in the rain were common comments hikers made about their tent models.
5. There weren’t many hammock or tarp users this year, but the most common tarp size was 10 ft x 12 ft.
6. The most popular tent brand was Durston Gear, with the Durston Gear X-Mid 1 being the most popular overall tent model.
7. There weren’t enough hammock users to identify trends regarding brands or models. Eno was the only brand with multiple rankings with the DoubleNest and the SingleNest.

Thank you!

Congratulations to all the Appalachian Trail hikers this year — and a huge thank you to all of you who took the time to fill out the survey! Upcoming posts will detail AT hikers’ backpacks, shelter systems, sleeping bags, and stoves/filters.

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 Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.