TrekSumo

I’m writing this as winter continues to skulk outside the front door of my house. Frost glistens on the roads and across the fields which means it’s time to get some cold weather hiking done. Most of my backpacking trips involve at least one night of camping. Even though I usually hike alone I tend to carry a tent that can accommodate me and all my gear. So today we’re going to look at the best two person tent options available in 2020. (I almost wrote about the best two man tent, but a wise woman reminded me that it’s not only men who like camping out).

The best two person tents for hiking sit at the crossroads of needs. They are:

• Large enough to accommodate two people and all their gear.
• Provide protection from the very worst the elements can throw at us.
• Light enough to carry, possibly for long distances. Models reviewed need to fit into the ‘best backpacking tent’ category.

With these criteria in mind, I went in search of a selection of tents that matched the points above. Prices range from affordable to ‘ouch’!

For anyone looking to travel light and fast, take a look my review of the 5 best one-person tent models.

The 8 tents I’ve reviewed for this post are:

Weaving your way through the web, searching for the best down jacket for men is no fun. I mean, where do you start? Are you really prepared to pay a premium price in order to save a few grammes in weight? Or does a high fill power tick the right boxes for you?

Down jackets have many uses. Heavier, higher fill power options are ideal for journeys into extreme cold environments. Lighter, easily packed variants are better suited as a thin insulating layer to fit over a t-shirt, or base layer.

Note: most down jackets are not waterproof. In fact, down and rain do not mix will. Just anyone who’s ever been caught in a downpour – at some point during the conversation you’re likely to hear the phrase, “Smells like wet duck”!

Protecting your mid-layer jacket is as easy as investing in a decent shell layer, like the Montane Alpine Endurance.

You’re keen and diligent, you’re looking for the best hiking app that will keep you alive when the manure hits the whirling thing. But finding a decent app is, well, tedious. Can you really be bothered installing and comparing multiple apps on your smartphone? If not, then read on.

A word of warning before we move on: never, ever come to rely 100% on apps as navigation devices. First learn the essentials of hillwalking and hiking – like how to map read well. Use your smartphone as a backup, or confirmation, only. TrekSumo accepts no responsibility for you walking in a foul-smelling bog.

I’ve put together a list of what I and my fellow hikers consider to the best smartphone apps for hiking. Without further ado, let’s see what’s on the list for 2020.

Hiking pants should be comfortable, breathable and weather resistant. As an added bonus, they’ll make you look amazing when you’re hiking! Over the years I’ve tested and worn many brands. My most recent purchase was a pair of Rab Vertex pants. I’ve been using them for about six months and to be honest I’m actually pretty pleased with them. But rather than try and sell them to you from the off, I’ll let you make up your mind.

I won’t go into any detail about Rab. Most of you already know this UK based outdoor gear manufacturer has a great reputation.

Are you looking for the best 2 – 3 person tent? One that can stand up to the fury of Mother Nature at her angriest? Then look no further – you have found the answer. Anyone who has heard the name Hilleberg will know that the tents they create are top-notch gear. The attention to detail and quality of build is phenomenal. This Hilleberg Keron 3 GT review will help you decide if this is the right decision for you.

I’ve owned various Hilleberg tents for the past four years. They’ve joined me them on many trips including a ski to the North Pole and quite a few long distance UK hikes. I’ve also used some other tents, but none of them match the GT for its performance in extreme environments.

Part of the Hilleberg Black label range, the Keron is, I am sad to say, now discontinued. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get hold of one.

Many outdoor stores still sell this model. They’re also available on eBay and from outdoor gear exchange groups on Facebook. Before I go into this review all I can say is I recommend you consider buying one of these tents.

Okay, let’s take a deep dive into the Keron 3 GT.