Trail-tested lightweight tents

We recently tested 3 lightweight, packable tents for some backwoods Ontario hunting. Our goal was to find a tent that can hold all our junk (for those rainy fall days), can be set up with ease at the end of a long day in fading daylight, and fit into a backpack. Here’s our assessment: Stone Glacier Skyscraper 2P 4.6 lb with stakes 18" packed length 22" packed circumference www.stoneglacier.comMSRP: $645OOD stars: 4/5 (Editor's Pick) The Skyscraper stands stable, even on rocks. We used a stone to hold the vestibule guy line taut. The skyscraper four-season tent weighs 4.4 lbs, thanks to thin 15D nylon ripstop material, and packs into an 18-inch long package. We set it up on rocky ground in gusty conditions on the shores of Georgian Bay. Set-up was easy and fast. Added buckles on pole sleeves keep the fabric perfectly taut so it feels stable in high winds. Doors and vestibules on both sides, plus an added port in the roof, allow you to customize air flow. The colour is a perk. Blue makes it easy to spot when returning to camp in low light. It’s also bright inside, cutting down on that claustrophobic feeling. The components (metal stakes, clips, and poles) are all good quality and should last. The floor space is 32 square feet, 92-inches long, and 41.5 inches tall. A chunky price tag is one sticking point. Minus one star. Woods Cascade 2P 4.8 lb with stakes 18" packed length 30" packed circumference www.canadiantire.caMSRP: $199.99OOD stars: 3.5/5 Canadian Tire had this three-season tent on sale for $159.99, so we thought we’d give it a go. It’s widely-available and inexpensive. Assembly was very easy. A solo hunter can pop it up in a few minutes. Instructions are stitched inside the bag so you’ll never lose them. The poles and various plastic clips that hold the tent together are basic and won’t likely last as long as those on the Skyscraper, but the stakes are made of fairly sturdy aluminum. The floor area is about 30 square feet. The material is a ripstop polyester, and accounts for much of the added weight. Zippers are large and robust. There are doors on both sides. The kickstand vents in the rain fly are a bit small but leaving the fly open at the bottom helped airflow. We had it out through heavy rains in grass and had no