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Top Tents on the Appalachian Trail (2025 AT Thru-Hiker Survey Results)
Planning your AT thru-hike and trying to figure out what tent to bring? Here’s the most reliable data you’ll find: 279 hikers who actually finished the trail in 2025, ranked by the tents they used and how satisfied they were.
First, we’ll look at the types and sizes of shelters hikers are choosing, how many people share tents with other humans and dogs, and then dive into the top brands and models we saw on the trail this year.
This year, we received 279 responses from the AT Class of 2025. If you’re using this as a resource to help plan your 2026 AT hike, make sure to sign up to take the survey yourself next year! Hit the button below to be notified when the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey opens for submissions so you can help the Class of 2027 in their trail planning.
Sign Up to Take the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey!
Top Tents on the Appalachian Trail in 2025
Top Tents on the AT by Model
The table below shows the overall popularity of each of the top tent models. 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.
| Ranking | Tent | Responses | Tent Capacity | Satisfaction Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zpacks Duplex | 25 | 2-person | 8.56 |
| 2 | Durston Gear X-Mid 1 | 20 | 1-person | 9.45 |
| 3 | Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 | 18 | 2-person | 9.06 |
| 4 | Durston Gear X-Mid 2 | 16 | 2-person | 9.13 |
| 5 | Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 | 14 | 2-person | 8.54 |
| 6 | Gossamer Gear The One | 13 | 1-person | 7.62 |
| 6 | Durston X-Mid Pro 1 | 13 | 1-person | 8.92 |
| 6 | Durston X-Mid Pro 2 | 13 | 2-person | 8.38 |
| 7 | Nemo Hornet OSMO 2P | 11 | 2-person | 8.55 |
| 8 | Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 | 7 | 3-person | 8.86 |
| 9 | Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 | 5 | 3-person | 7.20 |
Top Tents on the AT by Brand
| Rank | Brand | Responses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durston Gear | 64 |
| 2 | Big Agnes | 57 |
| 3 | Zpacks | 41 |
| 4 | Nemo Equipment | 18 |
| 5 | Gossamer Gear | 15 |
| 6 | Six Moon Designs | 9 |
Shelter Type
Tents are still the most popular shelter choice by a wide margin, with 88% of this year’s survey participants choosing a tent of some kind. Hammocks were a distant second at 9% of hikers, though it should be noted that the use of hammocks nearly doubled from 5% in 2024 to 9% in 2025. The use of tarps and relying solely on shelters and hostels along the way remained unpopular.
Freestanding tents remain the most popular shelter choice, used by two-thirds of hikers in 2025, while this year we saw a small decrease in the usage of trekking pole tents to 24% compared to 30% in 2024). The growth in hammock usage appears to largely account for this difference.
READ NEXT – The Top Tents and Shelters on the AT in 2024: 2024 AT Thru-Hiker Survey
We asked hikers if they replaced their shelter along the way and, if so, whether they stuck to the same model or changed to something else. The vast majority (80%) of respondents did not change their shelter system during their hike, and most hikers who did switch opted for an entirely new model or even shook it up entirely with a new type of shelter.
Many hikers who switched shelters cited issues with customer service, durability, and availability as reasons for changing. Some answers we heard were:
“Difficulty reaching MSR when tent poles broke.”
“REI tent did not hold up to wear and tear like other brands.”
“Wanted a Durston Mid X Dome but it was not available. Will switch soon.”
Shelter Size
When we look at shelter sizes, 54% of this year’s respondents used a 1-person shelter and 39% used 2-person shelter. Only 7% of hikers chose to hike with a 3+ person shelter.
However, of those few hikers who opted for a 3+ person shelter, over 90% shared the space with at least one other occupant (either human or dog). Similarly, about three-quarters of two-person shelters in this year’s survey were only occupied by one person. 100% of hikers staying in 1-person shelters this year were the only occupants in that space (i.e., no one was die-hard enough to try squeezing another person or pet into a one-person tent with them).
This is similar to what we’ve seen in previous years, with many individuals and, especially, couples choosing to size up their shelter for more room. Ultralight backpacking tents are notorious for being cramped in the name of weight savings: the average two-person shelter typically offers just enough room to fit two sleeping pads.
If space and livability are important to you, this year’s results reinforce the notion that you might want to consider going up one tent size, especially if you’ll be sharing the space with someone. In contrast, if you’re hiking solo and are more concerned about weight efficiency, then, like the slim majority of this year’s class, you might be fine with a one-person shelter.
10 ft x 12 ft tarps were the most popular tarp size again, as they have been the past few years. Several hikers also opted for an 8 x 10 ft tarp, though the sample size of tarp users was small enough that these numbers aren’t particularly insightful. Very few people chose tarps 12 x 14 ft or larger.
Popular Brands and Models
Finally, we asked hikers to list their favorite brands and models they used. Durston was the most popular brand this year, once again upstaging longtime champion, Big Agnes. Brands that were reported by fewer than two people were aggregated into the “Other” category.
Big Agnes held their second-place spot, while ZPacks remained a more distant third.
The most popular model also went to the Durston X-Mid, which swept the field with more than 50 people choosing some variant of that tent. Most hikers preferred the one-person version.
One hiker reported starting with an X-Mid before making the switch to the X-Dome over halfway through.
Big Agnes had a much more diverse showing on the trail this year. The Copper Spur 2-person tent took first place, followed by the Tiger Wall 2-person tent. When we group all the sizes of their tent variations, the Copper Spur is by far the most popular, followed by the Tiger Wall, with the Fly Creek trailing as a distant third.
Zpacks also saw a clear frontrunner in their models: the Duplex was by and far the most reported model, especially once we factor in variations such as the Duplex Lite and the Duplex L (a version of the tent for taller individuals).
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.
Top One-Person Tent Models
1. Durston Gear X-Mid 1 (20) – Average Satisfaction: 9.45 / 10
2. Durston Gear X-Mid Pro 1 (13) – Average Satisfaction: 8.92 / 10
3. Gossamer Gear the One (13) – Average Satisfaction: 7.62 / 10
4. Copper Spur HV UL 1 (3) – Average Satisfaction: 9.00 / 10
5. Zpacks Plex Solo (3) – Average Satisfaction: 7.33 / 10
Top Two-Person Tent Models
1. Zpacks Duplex (25) – Average Satisfaction: 8.56 / 10
2. Copper Spur HV UL2 (18) – Average Satisfaction: 9.06 / 10
3. Durston X-Mid 2 (16) – Average Satisfaction: 9.13 / 10
4. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 (14) – Average Satisfaction: 8.54 / 10
5. Durston X-Mid Pro 2 (13) – Average Satisfaction: 8.38 / 10
6. Nemo Hornet Osmo 2P (11) – Average Satisfaction: 8.55 / 10
Top Three-Person Tent Models
1. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL3 (7) – Average Satisfaction: 8.86 / 10 
2. Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 (5) – Average Satisfaction: 7.20 / 10
3. Zpacks Triplex (3) – Average Satisfaction: 9.50 / 10
Top Hammock Brands and Models
Only about two dozen hikers reported using a hammock this year — less than 10% of respondents. The top brands reported were Warbonnet and ENO hammocks. There were not enough responses to gain any meaningful insights into the models of hammocks used from each brand.
Summary
- The majority of hikers use tents as their shelter; trekking pole tents use was down from previous years.
- Those hiking with a dog or significant other are even more likely than average hikers to choose a 2+ person tent.
- Issues with durability and customer service were common comments hikers made about their tent models.
- There weren’t many hammock or tarp users this year, but the most common tarp size was 10 ft x 12 ft.
- The most popular tent brand was Durston Gear, with the Durston Gear X-Mid 1 being the most popular overall tent model.
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.
More from the 2025 AT Thru-Hiker Survey:
- The Top Backpacks on the Appalachian Trail
- The Top Sleeping Bags and Pads on the Appalachian Trail
- The Top Stoves, Filters, and Rain Gear on the Appalachian Trail
- subscribe to our newsletter and, if this survey is helping you plan your 2026 thru-hike, make sure to register now to answer the survey at the end of your hike!
Sign Up to Take the 2026 AT Thru-Hiker Survey!
Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.
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Comments 3
It’s an honor to have so many people using our tents on the AT, but more important to me is seeing AT thruhikers giving us high scores for satisfaction. My goal is to make gear that helps people to thrive in the backcountry, so it’s awesome to see that AT hikers are enjoying the tents. Thanks to everyone in the AT community.
– Dan Durston
I’m a hammock guy, but when I hiked in 2023, when Durston was just starting to gain traction, almost every thru hike I met LOVED their Durston tent. Reliability, durability, and ease of setup/teardown were consistently mentioned.
Side note: I hiked with a Kakwa 55 backpack. Would highly recommend.
Thanks Tom 🙂