Budget Bug Out Tent

I wanted a decent tent. I only had 2 requirements, that it didn’t cost me a fortune and that it wasn’t a crazy bright color, but something that would blend in. If I could meet those 2 items I’d have a great budget but out tent!

Budget Bug Out Tent

I love our family size tent (a Coleman Red Canyon Tent), but I’ve come to realize that if we have to bug out that this huge, bright orange tent might not be the best option. I needed a tent that was more petite and that would be a little easier to hide or blend into the forest. I don’t know what has happened in the last couple decades, but it seems like every tent you see, is a super intense color, that you can see from miles away. This is probably great for the drunk camper, who needs to stumble safely back to his tent, in the wee hours of the night, but what about someone, who is interested in staying off the radar or do some stealth camping? There just aren’t many decent camouflage tents these days. After much shopping and comparisons, the Texsport Camouflage Trail Tent seemed like the best contender, and since it cost under $30, I figured even if it was garbage, I wouldn’t be out of a ton of money. When the Texsport Camouflage Trail Tent arrived, it was a pleasant surprise. It was a much better tent, than I had dared to hope. Why is this a great budget bug out tent?

• Packed size is roughly the same size as a loaf of bread, should be easy to pack in your bug out back or to lash it to your pack.
• It’s not heavy to carry
• It camouflage. This will help when you’re hunkered down in the woods.
• It’s pretty large for a pup tent. Measures 54-by-38-by-84 inches (W x H x D). We’ll talk more about this below.

I’ve camped out in pup tents as a boy so I was no stranger to pitching this tent. It went up relatively quickly. I can set this up in less than 5 minutes. Which is nice since my family size tent takes about 15 minutes. After setting it up, I’d do a few things differently.

• Replace the cheap nylon guy lines with 550 paracord (I’d probably use some Zing It, or Lash it).
• Treat with some waterproofing spray or get a rain fly to setup over it.
• The tent stakes aren’t the super robust high dollar stakes, but are no means are they the worst I’ve seen. They are light (aluminum) so I’ll keep using them with the tent.

Tent Size

As I mentioned before this tent measures 54-by-38-by-84 inches (W x H x D). Inside the tent I am always amazed by the space. I am 6 foot (265lbs) and am able to stretch out in this tent. I could sleep in here easily. Today My 7 year old daughter crawled in to join me, and if we both had moderate sized backpacks we’d probably would be able to store them on her side down by her feet. If we had no gear in the tent, my 5 year old would fit fine too. If we were in a bug-out situation my wife, 3 daughters and I should be able to sqeeze in just fine. If not, I’ve always got my poncho shelter. For the price this tent is a great deal. I do a lot of camping (back yard and forest) and am pretty pleased with this. For a tent less than $30, it’s a great Budget Bug Out Tent for yout bug-out bag or get home bag!  

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