Stargazing is one of the best and memorable things to do while on a camping expedition, but it can be tough to stay up until the next morning to get a glimpse of a shooting star. To enjoy this activity to the fullest, you need to use the best tent for stargazing.
A good tent with a mesh dome is a great way to enjoy stargazing all night long. With these types of tents, you get a clear view of the night sky and are not exposed to chilly winds and annoying bug bites.
What is a Stargazing Tent?
A stargazing tent, as the name implies, is designed for those nights when you want to stare at the stars and the Milky Way until you fall asleep. These tents are usually manufactured with mesh tops so you are able to see through the top of the tent.
To ensure these tents are water and wind-resistant, they come with a rainfly that can be installed over the mesh top. These tents are great to sleep in because they allow you to watch the sunrise into the next morning.
Many people invest in these dome tents because the material is cooler during the summer. The mesh top has an opening that allows hot air to escape so you won’t feel like you are trapped inside a sauna.
Although these tents give you a clear view of the night sky, it remains closed so the insects and wild animals can’t get to you. The rainfly can be installed strategically to block out beaming sun rays. With these tents, you can connect with nature and get a feel of how it’s like to sleep in the wild.
The Key Components of a Good Stargazing Tent
Stargazing tents come in different designs and sizes. So which one should you pick? Tents with the following features usually offer a better camping, sleeping, and stargazing experience.
A solid view platform
If insects and rain can get to you, you might as well be sleeping out in the open! A good stargazing tent should have a solid frame, a proper net to protect you from insects, and a safe foundation to protect you from running water or crawling insects.
Minimal obstructions
The last thing you want is your tent getting in the way of your view of a shooting star. Look for a tent with a large view at the top so you have a good vision of the beaming stars. Dome or tunnel tents are ideal because there aren’t too many poles in your way.
A lot of windows
The more mesh windows there are, the better. Any dome tent that comes with more mesh than tent fabric at the top is ideal for stargazing because you can see so much more.
Protection from natural elements
Your tent should offer you solid protection from cold winds, rain, insects, and night creatures. A tent with a full mesh cover offers good protection from flying insects.
A proper rainfly will protect you from cold winds and rainy weather, and a proper waterproof base will keep your sleeping bag and equipment nice and dry.
Look for the Best Tent for Stargazing Here
If you are aiming for the stars in terms of tent shopping, then you have come to the right place!
For this guide, we spent many hours looking for the highest quality of tents with the best reviews. We also spent a lot of time researching tents that are perfect for stargazing. Here is a quick look at our top picks for astronomy lovers.
1. The Kelty Dirt Motel Backpacking Tent – The Overall Best
This stargazing tent is very easy to set up. When it’s fully assembled, it has a height of 43 inches and the area is measured at 28 square feet – making it ideal for housing two adults.
The tent is made of durable materials and can be used in light rains.
The floor has a water resistance rating of 300 millimeters while the rainfly has a 1500-millimeter water resistance.
Overall, this is a good tent to use from spring to autumn, but it may be a bit too cold for winter. When you buy the tent, you get everything that is needed to set it up. The full kit weighs 3 pounds so you can easily take it along on your backpacking adventures.
Specifications
- Weight – 3 Pounds
- Max Height – 43 Inches
- Floor Area – 28 Square feet
- Occupancy – 2 to 3 people
- Color – Grey/orange/navy
- Closure type – Zipper
- Seasons – Autumn, Summer and Spring
- Materials – Polyurethane coated 70 denier nylon, mesh walls and 40 denier siliconized ripstop nylon
- Pole materials – Aluminum
- Included – Stuff sack, guy lines, dome, poles and rainfly
Pros
- Large mesh top gives you a clear view of the stars
- Made of durable materials
- Good water resistance
- Rainfly can cover the entire tent
- Very light and portable
- Good dome height so you can move around
- Has a lot of pockets
- Able to occupy two or three people
Cons
- Can be chilly in late autumn or early spring
- A bit tricky to set up
- Higher quality zippers would have been nice
2. The Kelty Night Owl Backpacking Tent – Our Runner Up
The dome has a waterproof base with mesh walls and a mesh top. These features give you a full view of the stars at night and your surroundings. In chilly or rainy weather, you can cover the tent with the water-resistant rainfly.
The tent is a bit heavier than the Dirt Motel because it has a larger floor area of 33.75 square feet. Its rectangular design makes it more suitable for tall adults.
Every part of the tent is made of durable materials, including aluminum poles and water-resistant stop rip materials. At 6 pounds, it is a bit heavy but is still suitable for backpacking.
Specifications
- Weight – 6 Pounds
- Max Height – 43 Inches
- Floor Area – 33.75 Square feet
- Occupancy – 2 Person
- Color – Grey/navy
- Closure type – Zipper
- Seasons – Autumn, summer, and spring
- Materials – noseeum mesh walls and 68 denier fabric floor
- Pole materials – Aluminum
- Included – Storage bags, poles, dome and rainfly
Pros
- Full mesh top gives you a clear view of your surroundings
- Rain fly covers the entire tent
- Good water resistancy
- Height is good for moving around
- Includes everything you need to set up the tent
- Includes pockets in the corners and ceiling
- Tough aluminum poles
- Ideal for tall people
Cons
- Heavier compared to other tents with an occupancy of two people
- Some feel that the dome should be higher
- No instructions for the rainfly
3. CORE 9 Person Dome Tent – The Best for Large Families
The dome section is very high so people can stand upright in the tent. The tent is made of durable materials, where the base is waterproof, and the top is made of mesh that provides a clear view of your surroundings or gets plenty of fresh air.
Included in the package is a rain fly to cover the entire top area of the tent. The dome poles are made of fiberglass, which is not the best material, but it is ideal for reducing the weight as it weighs 18.21 pounds.
Specifications
- Weight – 18.21 Pounds
- Max Height – 72 Inches
- Occupancy – 9 Person
- Color – Orange/grey
- Closure type – Zipper
- Seasons – 3 Season
- Materials – Polyurethane fabric
- Pole materials – Fiberglass
- Included – Tent, tent poles, rainfly, tent stakes, and carry bag
Pros
- Large tent is good for groups or families
- Fits 3 queen air mattresses
- Able to stand up in the tent center
- Made of durable materials
- Light for such a big tent
- Fiberglass poles are light
- Mesh dome top gives a good view of the stars
Cons
- Fiberglass poles can break easily
- Not designed for heavy rain
- Some obstructions to the view when looking up at the dome top
- Challenging to fold to fit into the tiny storage bag
4. The Coleman Sundome Tent – The Runner Up for Groups or Families
The tent is made of durable materials, and even the smallest option has a large floor surface of 35 square meters. The flysheet is waterproof and will protect you from heavy rains while the rainfly offers good protection even though it doesn’t reach the ground.
Specifications
- Weight – 3.32 Kilograms
- Floor Area – 35 Square meters
- Occupancy – 2, 3, 4 or 6 people
- Color – Green or grey
- Closure type – Zipper
- Seasons – 3 Seasons
- Materials – Polyester taffeta with 75 denier flysheets
- Pole materials – Fiberglass
- Included – Storage bag, poles, rainfly, dome tent and other components
Pros
- Large windows for stargazing
- Made of durable materials
- Can handle winds up to 35 miles per hour
- E-ports make it easy to get electricity inside
- Easy to assemble
- Good water resistance
- The tent has mesh pockets for storing goods
- Available in bigger sizes
Cons
- The dome top has view restrictions
- Rain fly doesn’t cover entire tent
- Fiberglass poles are not as durable
5. The MSR Hubba Hubba 2 Person Tent – The Most Stylish
This tent will protect you from light rains, thanks to a rainfly that stretches all the way over the tent to the ground. The tent is mainly made of durable materials, except for the fiberglass poles as the poles reduce the weight of the tent to 3.7 pounds so you can easily travel with the tent.
It is a good tent during spring to autumn, and its extreme waterproof coating will keep you drier compared to the other tents on this list.
Specifications
- Weight – 3.7 Pounds
- Max Height – 39 Inches
- Floor Area – 29 Square Feet
- Occupancy – 2 Person
- Color – Red
- Closure type – Zipper
- Seasons – 3 Season
- Materials – Ripstop nylon polyurethane
- Included – Tent, hub-and-pole system, rainfly, stakes, and guy lines
Pros
- Top of the dome is full mesh so you can easily gaze at the stars
- Rainfly covers the entire tent
- Tent looks stylish
- Rectangle design makes it more suitable for tall people
- Quality waterproof coating
- Very easy to set up
- Light enough for backpacking at 3.7 pounds
Cons
- Poles are not made of the strongest materials
- Dome top is not very high
- Might be a bit chilly in cold weather
Our Starstruck Thoughts
There are quite a few factors that make a tent more suitable for your needs, with size being one of the most important factors. At the very least, the tent should have ample room for everyone to sleep comfortably.
Most people prefer a tent that is compact and portable for backpacking trips. While a huge mesh top is ideal for looking at the stars, make sure that your tent has the means to protect you from the cold and rain. A bigger rainfly is better for these types of tents because it protects you from winds that might blow in from the side.
We hope that this guide helped you find the best tent for stargazing. If you are in the market for other quality camping gear such as the best tent for hot weather or the best family tents for bad weather, we welcome you to look at our other guides.
