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Last Updated on August 23, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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10 Unique Camping Tent Types
Camping in a traditional tent is the most common method, but some fun and unique tents are available!
Key Takeaway
The article explores various unique tent types for camping beyond the traditional tent.
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- The article lists 10 unique camping tent types, including yurt tents, plastic igloo tents, rooftop tents, canvas/bell tents, pop-up tents, dog tents, truck bed tents, hammock tents, trampoline tents, and white duck canvas bell tents.
- Yurt tents are circular tents made from canvas and wooden frames. They are spacious and can be used for glamping or as tiny homes.
- Plastic igloo tents are perfect for creating dry, warm spaces to eat and gather on camping trips.
- Rooftop tents are popular among hikers and rustic campers. They are a great way to stay safe and dry off the ground when camping.
If you are looking for a more exciting camping experience, consider these ten different unique tent types:
1. Yurt Tents
Yurt tents are popular for glamping campers and formal outdoor events. Whether you are hosting a garden party or building a camping cabin, a yurt tent is an excellent investment.
Because yurts are unique, they are often confused with bell tents. Bell tents have only a single pole in the middle that holds up the canvas and structure.
On the other hand, official yurts have a fence-like lattice wooden wall built into the structure’s circumference. The roof is made of wooden rafters that angle upwards toward the top.
Designed after an ancient tenting technique that originated in Mongolia and its surrounding areas, yurts are circular tents now made from canvas and wooden frames. The yurt includes rafters, a door, and a circular light or hole in the top. The hole was once used to allow campfire smoke to exit the tent safely but now works as a window or covered duct.
Yurts aren’t just great for camping. You can also use them as statement pieces at an outdoor event like a picnic or wedding. Some yurts are more permanent, used as tiny houses or rental spaces in backyards. They can also be a small, convenient cabin space for users looking to set up their vacation home for cheap.
Yurts are perfect for larger families. Most models can sleep eight or more people, depending on the size of your cots or sleeping bags. You can camp in them and use them as eating or recreational spaces.
Whether on a picnic or watching projected movies, you can use a yurt for almost anything.
The Cost:
Yurts are very expensive, depending on the kind you want to camp with.
Some yurts are more portable, able to be used as actual camping tents and taken on the road – as they were always meant to be. However, some modern yurts are more permanent, built as small homes and cabins rather than used to camp.
Camping yurts are portable and collapsible, usually taking about 45 minutes to set up.
Sites like campingyurts.com sell them for upwards of $2,000. Other manufacturers, like Pacific Yurts Inc., build more permanent structures you can live in full-time. These cost between $7,000 and $17,000.
2. Plastic Igloo Tents
Popularly used in winter as cozy igloos for dining and drinking spaces, plastic and bubble tents are a unique and simple way to set up a camping space.
While most plastic and bubble tents don’t offer much privacy, they are perfect for storing food and creating dry, warm places to eat and gather on camping trips. Most plastic tents are easy to set up, with plastic poles and zipper doors allowing easy access and takedown.
Most plastic tents are dome-shaped and quite spacious. You can fit picnic tables, dining tables, or even chairs and TVs inside them for comfortable glamping or backyard camping.
You can also use plastic tents for garden and patio seating outside in winter or during rainy seasons. Igloo tents are also great for children’s birthday parties and events, allowing for dry spaces to play or eat.
The Cost:
Plastic igloo tents like the above can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000+, depending on your brand, size, and materials. The more expensive tents are more likely to be used by restaurants and businesses than campers.
However, if you want something to take camping as a backup tent or food tent for garden parties, a $300+ tent is probably perfect for you!
3. Rooftop Tents
Rooftop tents revolutionized nomadic camping and are perfect for campers who like roughing it in dangerous places.
Rooftop tents are more popular among hikers and rustic campers. They are a great way to stay safe and dry off the ground when camping, and they can also help you avoid bears, other animals, and possible intruders.
Rooftop tents are always ready to go. Once you park at your campsite, you can pop up your tent in your car and unpack the rest.
Rooftop tents are also great for keeping warm. Sleeping on the ground can be colder as the temperatures seep through the floor and into your sleeping bag and blankets.
In a rooftop tent, your blankets won’t have that problem!
Having the Right Car:
Depending on your car type, a rooftop tent might not suit you.
Most rooftop tents require a sturdy car with roof racks for easy assembly and attachment. Without roof racks, you will need specialized rooftop tents that attach well to flat roofs.
Furthermore, most car roofs have a weight limit. Rooftop tents can weigh 100 lbs or even more. Add your weight or the weight of a dog or partner camping with you, and the numbers start to add up quickly.
In that case, you’ll want a car that can hold a lot of weight or invest in roof racks that distribute weight properly to prevent dents or damage.
The Cost:
Most rooftop tents are pretty pricey. Most cost about 1,500+ before shipping and accessories.
However, Thule rooftop tents are an excellent investment. They are high-quality and can last you years once you buy one.
That’s why only the more serious campers buy rooftop tents to take everywhere they drive.
4. Canvas/Bell Tents
Canvas and bell tents are beautiful, easy to set up, and perfect for camping or outdoor parties.
While most canvas and bell tents aren’t as insulated or utilitarian as traditional polyester tents, they are comfortable in dry, warm weather.
Bell canvas tents are circular and raised with a single large pole in the middle, smaller poles, and zip doors for access. Using many ropes that stretch outward from the center, the entire tent is easy to set up!
Other canvas tents are more square or rectangle-shaped. These tents are used for large parties, Boy Scout adventures, weddings, or camping with large families. While not as pretty as bell tents, the rectangle canvas tent is just as good at keeping out the rain and bugs.
Many canvas tents can be waterproof, and they have options to have walls or no walls!
Canvas and bell tents are more popular among the glamping crowd and are great for honeymoons, date nights, or even sleepovers with the whole family.
Because canvas tents are huge, they can hold double beds, dining tables, chairs, or even patio couches and TVs.
Canvas tents can also have windows and good airflow. They are relatively simple to set up and take down, and you can customize your interior space however you like it!
The Cost:
Canvas tents are pretty expensive.
Like rooftop tents, most good-quality, customizable canvas tents cost $1,500 to $4,000. You should receive high-quality canvas and many accessories and features for that price. Furthermore, some canvas tents have electrical cable outlets, windows, bug mesh on doors and windows, and a shock-absorbing grounding system for harsh weather.
5. Pop-Up Tents
Are you a solo camper? Well, a pop-up tent might be perfect for you!
Designed after soldier’s tents that were made to pop up and down quickly, pop-up tents are great for campers who only need a little space. They are also great for motorcyclists who can only fit so much into their saddlebags.
Pop-up tents are spring-loaded, meaning they pop into place when you set them up. When you need to take them down, they are collapsible and are stored in a small, easy-to-pack container. This leaves little need for effort and can create quick and easy camping for hikers on the move!
Furthermore, some pop-up tents are perfect for small families or couples wanting more space. Some can sleep four people or even you and your three dogs!
Other pop-up tents are comfortable for a single person to stand in, such as a changing room at the beach or in the woods. You can also use them as a cover for camp toilets or showers!
The Cost:
Most pop-up tents are pretty affordable in the $100+ range.
This is perfect if you want to buy a few so your teenagers can have space. You can also buy one as a backup tent for emergency camping on a long hike.
The more expensive ones cost only about $200, so pop-up tents are affordable.
6. Dog Tents
One of the more unique tents on this list is a tent for dogs. Whether buying a tent for your dog to sleep in alone or a durable enough one for you and your fluffy friend to sleep in together, dog tents are great for the devoted pet parent.
Most dog tents are travel-sized and pop up quickly once you reach your site. They are great as quick-and-easy dog houses to keep your pet safe from the rain or in the shade. You can also use them as small storage tents for food or supplies!
Other tents offer an “annex” or small space attached to the main tent. Usually used for supplies or excess luggage, these annexes can make cozy dog dens.
You can also buy outdoor dog beds and open cots with a small tarp to protect your dog from sun and rain.
There are playpen tents for smaller dogs who need a little space to move around in your campsite. These circular tents have a small tarp over them. However, not all of them are waterproof.
Finally, there are also folding pet crates and boxes that you can use as kennels in the car on long camping trips. These rectangle-shaped crates offer a quick and easy travel solution for rowdier dogs needing space in the car.
The Cost:
Elevated dog bed cots are roughly the same, costing most around $50-$100.
Playpens are cheaper at $30+, and collapsible kennels are about $50+.
Tents with small annexes for your dog to den will cost the same as traditional tents if not more. That means they’ll probably cost over $100.
Depending on your needs, a dog tent could be an affordable and easy investment!
7. Truck Bed Tents
Like rooftop tents, truck bed tents are attached to your vehicle and easily set up.
They can be used to sleeping at a campsite, changing clothes at the beach, or napping on long road trips.
Although these tents are only suitable for trucks with open beds, they are great for boaters or 4-wheeler owners who want to haul something and have a place to sleep!
Truck bed tents, which use straps and poles, are great for quick and easy camping. They keep you warm and dry, keep unwanted animals and bugs out, and maintain a dry space above the ground during rain.
Most truck bed tents are only built for two people, but you could squeeze in a small family of four. Some models are 6 feet tall, so you can stand up to change clothes or stretch.
Truck bed tents have sewn-in tarps and tent floors like regular tents. However, most truck beds aren’t very comfortable, so bring padding inside your tent.
These tents are great for pickup truck owners who love camping, hiking, or tailgating! No matter your needs, having an easy-to-assemble pop-up tent ready to go at all times is a huge plus!
The Cost:
Truck bed tents are quite affordable.
They commonly range between $80-$200, which is great for a single camper or couple.
The low cost allows the camper to buy accessories for the interior, such as added padding or insulating materials to keep you comfortable in any weather.
8. Hammock Tents
Hammock tents are ideal for keeping you off the ground quickly and easily.
Hammocks are invaluable for hikers. They offer a soft and comfortable place to rest on a long journey. However, ordinary hammocks can’t keep out the bugs or sun.
That’s where hammock tents come in!
Hammock tents have zip-up covers, which allow hikers and campers to sleep peacefully without sunburn or bug bites to wake up to.
Like the Haven XL Hammock Tent, many can be equipped with padding and insulators to create a cozy, durable environment.
However, it is essential to know that hammock tents are not for those with back or shoulder pain. They aren’t always the most comfortable and can’t always accommodate everyone overnight.
Instead, hikers and campers prefer to use hammock tents as a quick, bug-free nap space. That way, hikers can rest on long walks or hikes for an hour or two before continuing down the trail.
The Cost:
Hammock tents are relatively affordable and last quite a long time.
For example, the Haven XL is roughly $340 with the added insulator pad, but it can be had for as low as $280 without the pad.
For about $100- $500, you can get the tent, all the ropes, ties, parachutes, and tarps needed.
The pricing will differ depending on the brand, accessories, or materials used to make your tent.
9. Trampoline Tents
The trampoline tent is probably the most unique tent on this list.
Exactly what they sound like, trampoline tents are circular tents that can sit on top of a trampoline. This allows kids and teens to camp outside comfortably above the ground!
These tents are uncommon, but you can buy some from sites like JumpSport or Acon.
There are more common trampoline tents sold on Amazon and through other retailers that are more like tarps. These tarps go over the mesh-and-pole trampolines, protecting children by keeping them from falling off.
These tents go over those poles and zip up with a door at one end of the trampoline for children to climb inside.
While not as tent-like as the trampoline-top circular tents we mentioned before, these are great for kids’ parties and sleepovers, creating a bouncy-house-like atmosphere.
The Cost:
JumpSport and Acon sell circular trampoline-top tents in the $330- $560 range.
10. WHITEDUCK Avalon Canvas Bell Tent
These large tents with many windows and doors are built for campers who want to bring many luxuries. They are mainly used for semi-permanent rental spaces, like Airbnb, for couples or friends.
You can also use glamping tents for luxurious outdoor picnics and weddings. These tents also allow users to string lights or attach electronics through accessibility ports and flaps in the tent.
Campers can bring small televisions, mini-fridges, or fans on their camping trip.
Not all glamping tents are expensive and luxurious, though!
Some tents that are considered “glamping” tents are just overly large ones or those with attached annexes or awnings. Those additional awnings and annexes allow users to set up picnic spaces or store extra luggage.
While more valuable than those pretty canvas tents, they are still considered more of a hassle for quick and easy camping. Instead, they require much time to put up and take down, and they aren’t small and portable like single-person pop-up tents.
The Cost:
Depending on the type of glamping tent you get, you could be charged anywhere from $200 to $1,500.
For more traditional tents that have annexes and awnings, the cost is roughly $250-$400.
You could pay $500+ for canvas and bell tents used at weddings or $3,400+ for luxurious cabin tents that double as houses.
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