Long Distance Backpacking: Should You Get a One or Two Trekking Pole Tent?

My 3F UL Lanshan 1 Pro tent, a one pole tent, on the Quehanna Trail. I backpacked over 100 miles with it. My friend’s Zpack’s Duplex tent, a two pole tent. I thruhiked the Colorado Trail with it.

Despite backpacking for decades, I didn’t buy a trekking pole tent until 2023. Until then, I used trusty, cheaper, and heavier Eureka tents. (Shout out to the Gossamer, Backcountry 2, and finally the Spitfire, which did a great job on my AT thruhike).

It’s little wonder why trekking pole tents have become increasingly popular. They are light and utilize something many hikers already carry, trekking poles, for structure. Efficiency and gear that can serve more than one purpose is the name of the lightweight game.

Trekking pole tents come in two basic flavors, those that use one pole, and those that use two.

I’ve used both. Here are the reasons why I prefer a one pole tent:

Cheaper.Lighter.Packs down smaller.Tends to be easier to set up.Have a smaller footprint, important when you are dealing with smaller campsites.Basic pyramid design sheds rain more efficiently and handles wind better.Trekking poles break on trail (or can even fail when holding up your tent). Not a problem when you only need one. It is a problem if you use a two pole tent.If you are an ultralight backpacker with a condensed kit and only use one pole while hiking.As a solo backpacker, I don’t need the two vestibules that a two pole tent offers, and the vestibules for one pole tents are usually plenty large enough.

Yes, two pole tents offer more space and headroom. Two doors can reduce condensation. Though in my experience, a two pole tent was no better at reducing condensation. However, one pole tents can be surprisingly spacious and their headroom is often sufficient.

Bottom line: if you are a solo long distance backpacker with a fairly lightweight kit, I think a one trekking pole tent is the best option.

Let me know what you think.