Planning on getting a 3 person tent but confused by the huge number of options? Well, you’re in the right place.
I have curated a list of the best 3 man tents Australia to help you make your decision! The right tent for you largely depends on what kind of camping you will be doing.
Will you be hiking and need a lightweight tent that you can carry? Perhaps a heavier yet sturdier canvas tent that can be set up within minutes suits you better? Or do you prefer a pop up tent that sets up as soon as it is pulled out of the bag?
I have reviewed one tent from each camping style category in the list below, to make sure that you are covered no matter the type of camping that you will do!
Lastly, keep in mind that most 3 person tents can’t comfortably sleep 3 adults (especially if they have a lot of gear in the tent). Consider upgrading to a 4 person tent if you need the extra room!
Let’s get started!
Best 3 Person Tents Australia
Coleman 3 Person Swagger Instant Up Tent
Best Instant Up 3P Tent
The Coleman Swagger is a free standing, hybrid tent-swag. It is an instant up tent, meaning that it can be erected very quickly (often less than 2 minutes) with the use of poles that are pre-attached to the tent. The poles can be raised and locked into position via a central spine.
In addition, it has a wide floor plan, meaning that it can sleep 3 people plus some camping gear. Unfortunately, the internal ceiling is low at just 120cm, so no standing up in the tent.
It is a very well built tent, with many users commenting on how well it performed for them in quite windy conditions.
I really like the ability to convert the front door into an awning, which provides shade, ventilation and some room for storing extra gear.
At 10kg, it is far too heavy for hiking, but it is a great tent to throw in your car and have up within minutes of arriving at your campsite.
It comes in 2P and 3P varieties.
Explore Planet Earth Speedy Blackhole 3 Pop Up Tent
Best Pop Up 3P Tent
If 2-3 minutes of tent setup sounds too long, how about a tent that sets up literally within seconds!
The Explore Planet Earth Speedy Black Hole range is widely regarded by many as the best pop up tent in Australia. Setting it up is super simple, as it pops into position as soon as it is out of the carry bag.
For a pop up tent, it is a surprisingly sturdy and reliable tent. The 3,000mm waterproof rating will keep you dry in almost all conditions, although some people have noted that you need to peg out the tent carefully to prevent pooling or water on the top.
The sunlight blocking is a cool feature that lets you sleep in beyond 6am, and also helps keep you cool on hot summer days, but also warmer on cool winter nights.
The built in internal lighting is a nice touch, and it means that you can use your tent at night, without having to attach any torches or lanterns. It can be powered from a USB battery adapter, or a power bank (this is not included).
Unfortunately, the ceiling is very low in this tent (this is common for pop up tents). You will be able to just sit up in the tent as long as you aren’t too tall.
The 3 year warranty is fantastic and not often seen for tents.
It comes in 2P, 3P and 4P varieties.
Explore Planet Earth Spartan 3 Hiking Tent
Best 3P Hiking Tent
Another product from Explore Planet Earth is the Spartan hiking tent. For how strong and durable this tent is, it is excellent value for money.
It is built to handle strong weather, with a 4,000mm waterproof rating for the fly and 5,000mm rating for the tent floor. The tent material is very durable and holds up well in a wide variety of weather conditions.
Unfortunately, the sleeping area is pretty narrow for 3 people and really more suited to 2 people and some gear. At 3.3kg, it is also quite heavy to carry while hiking, so you definitely need to split the load over 2-3 people to make it manageable.
The 2 year warranty confirms that this is a quality tent, designed to give you plenty of use over its life.
It comes in 2P and 3P varieties.
Oztent RV3 Canvas Touring Tent
Best 3 Person Touring Tent
Touring tents are designed for those who will be travelling to new campsites frequently, and need a tent that can set up and pack down very quickly. They are tough and rugged, designed especially for Australian conditions.
The Oztent RV3 is no exception. This tent is widely loved by Australians and generally considered to be one of the best, if not the best, touring tents. If you want a high quality tourer tent and budget isn’t an issue, then look no further.
Unfortunately, with high quality comes a few drawbacks. The tent is very heavy (22kg) and is 2 metres long when packed, which makes it difficult to put in the boot of your car. It is also far more expensive than the other tents in this list.
It comes in a variety of sizes, including the RV1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
What To Consider When Buying A 3 Man Tent?
Getting ready to lock in a particular tent? Check off on the list below to make sure that you haven’t missed anything important!
Camping Style
In the 3 person tent category, there is huge variety in terms of price, size, weight and much more! That’s because a 3 person tent for expedition hiking is going to look very different to a 3 person tent that someone would use when 4WDing.
Think about the kind of camping that you will be doing and what attributes are most important to you.
Size/Dimensions
As I mentioned earlier, most 3 person tents can’t actually comfortably sleep 3 adults and their gear. The exception to this is the Coleman 3P Swagger and the Oztent RV3, which can actually sleep 3 adults in comfort, with space for gear too!
If you have a lot of gear or bags that need storing in the tent, either go with these tents or consider upgrading to a 4 person tent instead.
Having a decent ceiling height on your tent is important too. A high ceiling will let you stand up while in your tent (useful for getting changed), and will also make it feel much roomier and spacious. The tents in this article have ceilings ranging from 105cm to 190cm!
Weight
Larger, more feature-rich tents (such as instant up tents) tend to be heavier. Hiking tents, on the other hand, are much lighter. Consider your needs and think about whether tent weight is important for you.
The Explore Planet Earth Spartan tent is the lightest tent on the list, at 3.3kg.
Season Rating
Some tents are more suitable for certain weather conditions than others. This is typically expressed with the ‘season rating’. 2 and 3 season tents tend to be for mild to moderate weather, whereas 4 season tents are suitable for use even in cold conditions.
Geweare have a good article on tent season ratings if you want to read more.
Waterproofing
Storms are unpredictable in Australia, with sudden, unexpected downpours very common. You don’t want to be woken up at night with water dripping on your face, so make sure that you choose a tent with a decent waterproof rating.
Waterproof ratings range from 1,000mm (the lowest rating that is considered waterproof), all the way up to 10,000mm. The EPE Spartan 3 hiking tent comes with an excellent 4,000mm rating for the fly!
Ventilation
We all know how brutal and unforgiving the Australian sun can be. Tents can act as greenhouses, trapping in hot air. Make sure that your tent has some ventilation windows to let the hot air escape, otherwise you’ll be in for a hot and sweaty evening.
Lack of ventilation will also contribute to condensation forming overnight.
Setup Time
Few people enjoy setting up and packing down tents. Trying to fit both ends of the tent poles onto the pins, clipping the outer layer to the poles, banging tent pegs into rocky ground. It’s not a whole lot of fun.
Thankfully, instant up and pop up tents can make the tent setup process much easier. The Coleman 3P Swagger is an instant up tent that can be up within a few minutes, and EPE Speedy Blackhole 3 is a pop up tent that can be up within seconds.
Warranty
A warranty lets you sleep easy knowing that your tent is covered if it is defective in any way. It is also a good sign that the manufacturer has faith in the quality of their product, and that they stand behind this quality. The EPE Speedy Blackhole 3 comes with an outstanding 3 year warranty.
Build Quality
Poor build quality means a painful tent setup experience, higher risk of accidental damage to the tent, as well as frustrating and flimsy pegs, poles or zippers. Cheaper tents naturally have poorer build quality, as the manufacturers save on material to keep costs low. The tents in this article all have great build quality and great reputations amongst Aussie campers.
Extra features
Depending on what you plan on doing, extra features such as those below may be entirely unnecessary, or absolutely essential:
- Sunlight blocking can keep your tent nice and dark beyond the crack of dawn. This lets you and the kids sleep in as much as you like.
- Built in lighting can make it easy to find whatever you are looking for, without the need to attach lanterns or torches. The EPE Speedy Blackhole tent has both sunlight blocking and built in lighting.
- Awnings add shade around your tent, keeping it cool and giving you a place to store gear out of the sun. Awnings usually don’t hold up well in strong winds, so don’t leave them up if you will be away from your tent for a while. The Coleman 3P Swagger tent and the Oztent RV3 both come with awnings.
Summary
There are a ton of 3 person tents out there on the market. The right one for you will come down to the kind of camping that you will be doing.
The tents I have listed above are the best of the best, each suitable for a different kind of camping.
The Coleman Swagger tent is a great all-rounder, instant up tent. The EPE Speedy Blackhole tent is great if you want a tent that can be set up in seconds, but comes with some nice extra features like sunlight blocking and internal lighting.
For hiking, check out the EPE Spartan tent and for a touring/canvas tent, the Oztent RV3 is your best bet.
I hope that you have enjoyed this review of the best 3 person tents Australia! If you still have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
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Note that while every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this page, there may sometimes be errors. Check all specifications with the manufacturer before purchasing any product.
Interested you pick the 3 man Swagger tent for number 1. If you read the reviews many complain about the exact same issue, it leaks in the rain. That’s because the fly touches the inner either side of the main ridge pole. There’s also plenty of photos there to demonstrate this as well. Obviously not a good choice
The epe speedy and Spartan tents might hold 3 children but not 3 adults. Therefore they shouldn’t be included in this review of 3 person tents.