The Perfect Family Backpacking Tent: Argali Absoroka 4P
The perfect family backpacking tent doesn’t exis….
That’s what I used to think until the Argali Absoroka 4P came into my life. I had been mulling over options and debating with myself for at least a year or two, trying to hone in on a tent with a balanced combination of weight and space. I was non-committal with everything I could find, and about the time I’d tell myself, “This is the one,” something would prevent me from pulling the trigger because I knew there had to be a better solution.
Little did I know that Brad from Argali was dialing up a design for his backpack hunting customer base that could easily be adapted to the needs of a family of four.
Nothing is ever perfect, but the Argali Absoroka 4p is about as close as it gets and my shelter of choice going forward for the foreseeable future.
The Problem with Family-Sized Backpacking Tents
You’d think it would be easy to find a backpacking tent that works well for a family of four headed into the backcountry, but it’s not. There’s always some “thing” about larger tents that don’t quite tick all the boxes for me, which forces me to continue my forever-long search.
After all these years of backpacking, studying gear, and talking to the experts, I’ve developed personal standards and preferences that need to be met before I haul something into the backcountry. Unfortunately, I know too much at this point, so glaring defects or downsides are much easier for me to spot, and when I do, it’s hard for me to look past them.
Gear isn’t cheap, so I’m not spending money on anything that will keep me up at night wishing this or that it was different. I may not always know what I’m looking for, but I certainly know what I’m not looking for.
My needs for a family backpacking tent aren’t crazy, but they do make for a difficult solution. I need a tent that can handle four people plus gear, is compact when stored, and won’t tip the scales.
If you’re familiar with the “three-legged stool” theory of gear, you’ll know that you can’t have it all. Something always has to give, and in this case, you’ll either have a compact tent that’s lightweight but won’t fit four people or a larger tent that’s heavy and too bulky.
It’s almost impossible to find something that meets all requirements, but that’s exactly what I found in the Argali Absoroka 4p and why I’m so excited about it.
The Absoroka 4P Design
What makes the Argali Absoroka so unique is its pyramid-style design, where the only structure for the tent is a single carbon fiber pole in the middle of the tent. This creates more interior volume while not increasing bulk or weight. The single-center pole provides structural integrity because wind easily moves around it due to its pointy pyramid design. I know this works because I’ve been using pyramid-style tents since 2016 and have had them in all kinds of weather.
Twice I’ve been in wind storms so strong that I was planning my “plan b” if the tent decided to rapture itself. In both scenarios, I was holding onto the center pole like some kind of emergency grab handle, and both times, the tent emerged unscathed. I emerged a believer in said pyramids.
Traditionally designed tents struggle to keep their weights down because of the poles required to keep their structure, especially when you start getting into the 4-person size. There’s a dramatic increase in weight and bulk as you increase the space inside, which is why, for a long time, I thought maybe my wife and I would get two tents as a way to spread the weight and bulk across both of us, but as you’re probably thinking, that doesn’t solve anything. It only creates more gear and more work.
For those lightweight nerds, you’re probably saying, “Well, what about a trekking pole tent? Those are crazy light!” True, but in my humble opinion, they’re annoying to pitch, generally single-layer which causes a lot of condensation issues, and structurally questionable. I’m not saying they’ll fail, but they certainly don’t inspire confidence. Trekking pole tents drive me crazy, so for me, they’re not an option, but for you, maybe they are.
To make a long story longer, it’s difficult to find a family-sized backpacking tent that’s light, compact, livable, and structurally sound unless you’re thinking outside the box. Lucky for me, because I’m willing to dip my toes into other ponds, I know the benefits of a pyramid-style shelter from firsthand experience. The backcountry hunting world has long used pyramid shelters in extreme conditions so if it’s good enough for me on a hunt in foul weather, it’s good enough for my family on a nice summer weekend.
But wait, there’s more…
The Difference Maker(s) and Why the Argali Absoroka
Image courtesy of Argali
The first deciding factor for me on the Absoroka is the full-sized insert that can be installed after the tent is pitched. This insert turns the single-wall Absoroka into a double-wall shelter, meaning it can have bug netting and a floor like any other double-wall tent while still weighing under 4 pounds. You can use the insert if you wish or pitch it without, so it’s your call whether or not you want to bring it along based on your preferences.
Argali didn’t invent inserts like this, but they seem to have perfected them. Like how Canada invented hockey, but America perfected it. Same, same…
Many pyramid-style tents have an insert or “nest,” but they’re often sloppy and annoying to pitch, which is why I never bothered with them until now. Knowing Brad from Argali is cut from the same cloth as I am when it comes to tent irritations, I figured if it was good enough for Brad, it might be good enough for me, but I’d need to confirm that in the field on my own.
Brad nailed the design of the full insert that goes with the Absoroka 4P. It’s easy to attach, pitches taught, and feels like you’re in a regular old tent, but with much more room for people and activities.
The second deciding factor is the material used on the tent body, which is a 20d ripstop SilPoly. Argali is breaking the mold here by not using a nylon fabric, which results in a tent body that won’t absorb moisture. This is the part of the tent that baffled me the most when I learned about it.
Goodbye Nylon Tents
In all of Argali’s videos, Brad mentions this material shift, and I could not for the life of me figure out what he was talking about. As it turns out, Nylon has been the material of choice for decades because it was always stronger and better, but as technology improved over time, SilPoly slowly became better and better to the point where you can now make a durable tent out of it.
If you’ve ever experienced that soaked tent body feel in the morning, you’ll know it’s not fun packing up your tent, knowing it’s full of water. That happens because Nylon absorbs moisture, which is why Argali is moving away from it and toward SilPoly. SilPoly literally cannot absorb moisture so while you may have water droplets on your tent in the morning, they’ll easily fling off or dry quickly.
I was skeptical, but it’s true. When my wife and I took our kids backpacking with this tent, I purposely pitched it in a spot where it would get soaked from the dew. I was shocked the next morning to find the tent hadn’t sagged overnight from absorbing water and easily dried out before packing it up.
This is a game changer if you live in wet environments. To hear Brad discuss this in detail, tune into Episode 166 of The By Land Podcast (also listed below).
Absoroka 4P Specs
Image courtesy of Argali
*The following comes directly from the Argali website.
The Absaroka 4P is a lightweight, spacious, 4-person tent designed for backcountry hunting. Built with dual doors, a removable stove jack, and a tall pitch height to optimize wind sheer and snow shedding, the Absaroka is built for 4 season use and features sewn-in line-loc adjusters on all guy-out points for quick and easy pitching. Designed to be a spacious 4-person tent for riding out storms or 2-person mansion with a stove, the Absaroka strikes a balance between space, weight, and size ideal for mountain hunting.
The Absaroka is built to be pitched with an optional single center pole (sold separately) or two trekking poles connected together, and is constructed with our ripstop polyester fabric that won't sag when wet, maintaining the usable space inside the tent. The Absaroka is sewn with a silicone-coated thread and double lap-felled seams, making it highly water resistant out of the box.
The Absaroka 4P also comes with our ARC Removable Stove Jack System, designed to be run in lightweight mode or stove mode when you want a hot tent. With our zippered stove jack design, the removable stove jack allows you to keep tent weight and bulk to a minimum during warmer months if you aren't using a stove, while allowing stove use during the colder months, all with a single tent. Gone are the days of having to pack around a dedicated stove jack when you aren't using it.
The Absaroka 4P is ideal for four people and normal amounts of gear, or 2 people with a stove and lots of gear. The Absaroka can be used as a floorless shelter or with Absaroka 4P Insert with a bathtub floor/mesh insert for full double wall coverage (sold separately). A carbon fiber center pole can also be used to pitch the tent (sold separately). And if you want to make a hot tent, pair with our Skyline Ti Titanium Wood Stove.
Absoroka 4P Features
Lightweight-1.875 lbs (30 oz) shelter weight
ARC Removable Stove Jack System-Easily zip in or zip out your stove jack to run your tent in stove jack or lightweight mode to save weight and bulk.
No-Sag Fabric-The Ripstop SilPoly fabric we use has nearly no stretch when wet as polyester doesn't absorb water like other fabrics, maintaining interior usable space and eliminating the dreaded "tent sag" effect and keeping your tent light even in wet weather.
Dual Doors-Easily get in and out with two full zip doors.
Interior Gear Hanging Loops-4 sewn in fabric loops near the top of the tent make hanging wet gear or a tent light easy. Can also run paracord through these loops to make a clothesline for drying out gear.
Night Visibility-Reflective materials sewn into the tent make finding your tent at night easier.
Versatile Pitching-The modified rectangular shape and line-loc adjusters allow the tent to be pitched against the ground to keep out drafts, or elevated for better air flow.
Storm Worthy Protection-Steep wall angles and reinforced guy-out points create superior high wind performance and allows for snow shedding.
Easy Double Wall Connection-Color matching guy-out points and quick-connect, adjustable line-locs make attaching and connecting the Insert (sold separately) quick, easy and fool-proof.
Absoroka 4P Specs
Fabric-20D Ripstop SilPoly
Fabric Coating-sil/sil 2000MM treatment
Weight-30 oz in lightweight mode, 32 oz with stove jack attached
Weight with 8 stakes- 32.4 oz in lightweight mode, 34.4 with stove jack attached.
Peak Height-74"
Length-130"
Width-114"
Minimum number of stakes-6
Recommended number of stakes-8
Packed size-9"x7"
Zippers-YKK #5
Stove Jack Diameter-3-3.25" and compatible with most stove pipe widths
What's Included
Absaroka 4P Tent
ARC Removeable Stove Jack
8 Argali 7075 aluminum Piton Tent Stakes
1 tube of GearAid Seam Sealer
My First-Hand Field Experience with the Absoroka 4p
Before we go any further, you should know that I’m very judgmental about the user-friendliness of a tent. All tents are probably great if they’re pitched perfectly, but it’s getting them to pitch perfectly that frustrates me the most. I care more about ease of pitch, functionality, and usability than counting ounces. That’s not to say I don’t care about weight because I do. I’m only saying I won’t give up function for fat. I think that phrase works….
Let’s begin…
I took this tent out for the first time and couldn’t find anything glaring to complain about (and that’s saying something). I’ve been using tents like this for years, so I know where the weaknesses are, and still, I never found anything that frustrated me. If you don’t go cowboy out there and do your best to follow Argali’s directions, you’ll get a perfect pitch on your first try.
I figured if there would be anything that annoyed me, that would be it, but it didn’t. I did the thing, pulled it tight, stood back, walked around it, and promptly recorded a video message for Brad, immediately telling him how impressed I was with the whole thing.
Next up was making it a home and living in it for a night with two little ones, and it went off without a hitch. There was plenty of room for people and gear, and it was easy to get in and out of. We slept with our heads to one side of the tent and put our gear at our feet with packs stowed outside under the outer tent body. I couldn’t find anything I didn’t like and even asked my wife what she thought and she said it was a great way to spend the night in the woods as a family.
The Absoroka was perfect for what we were looking for and wanting in a family backpacking tent, and when we jumped in the car the next day for the ride home, my wife looked at me and said, “Well, do we have a new tent?” To which I responded, “I’m in trouble…”
Now, nothing is perfect, but after scouring the internet for years searching for family tenting options, the Absoroka 4P sets a high bar in my book. It’s enough to make me stop my search because I’ve decided it will be the tent our family will be using going forward because of how perfect it is for our use case.
I’ve learned that when it comes to getting into the backcountry, especially with kids, it’s important to remove as many barriers as possible so that getting outdoors is a seamless transition everyone enjoys. The Argali Absoroka 4P is a key component of improving my family’s backcountry living situation. When you look forward to using your gear because you know everyone will be comfortable, it removes friction and makes the whole experience far more enjoyable.
Lessons Learned
Having previous experience with pyramid-style tents, there wasn’t much I didn’t already know about pitching or handling the Absoroka 4p in the field, but I did learn a few things that I think are worth mentioning.
Lesson 1: Pitch Height
The Absoroka 4p can pitch higher or lower depending on your desire to increase or decrease airflow into the tent. When pitched high, a gap exists between the ground and the tent’s base; when pitched low, there is no gap. Neither is right or wrong; it’s up to you and your use case to decide which configuration you need.
I had originally pitched the tent high to increase that airflow and to maximize ventilation on a warmer night; however, when I went to attach the insert, I noticed the fit was a bit off and didn’t look right (could have been user error…). This makes sense because if the corners of the insert are meant to lay flat, but the corner of your tent body is higher, you’ll create an odd situation inside. You lose a bit of real estate inside because the corners of the floor are turned up a the edges, creating the look of a bowl inside.
Knowing myself and how much I can’t stand a tent that looks off, I re-pitched the corners of the tent body to fit snugly against the ground and everything came together nicely. Is there anything better in life than a nicely pitched tent? Is there!?
I’ll play around with this in the future, but for now, this is my observation. Sure, there’s less ventilation, but pitching the tent to where all corners touch the dirt creates a nice, square, and great-looking shelter that looks like it can withstand some nature thrown at it. Not to mention, your internal real estate increases because now you can use every inch of what’s touching the ground.
Lesson 2: Insert Door Location
There is only one door on the Absoroka 4P full insert. I must have missed the memo, so when I first pitched it and stood back to admire my creation, I found I had placed the door on what I had determined as the “wrong side.”
Image courtesy of Argali
There technically is no “wrong” side because there are two doors to the body of the tent, so you’ll always be able to access it; however, if your tent placement requires entry and exit from a specific side as ours did, then you’ll have to fix it. In my case, the door ended up on the side where people passing by could look in and I didn’t want that. Also, the door was facing the west, and it being a hot day, I wanted to be able to block the sun.
I unclipped the insert attachment points, rotated it to align with where I wanted the door, and reattached it. Easy peasy, but I did make a mistake in the process.
At some point during my insert rotation, I damaged the mesh at the top where the pole was. I’m guessing I just strained it enough for it to rip. Sorry Brad, lesson learned.
The takeaway is to know where you want your insert door and attach it correctly from the beginning to avoid hassle and potential damage from being an idiot. Looking back now, I should have just taken the pole down instead of trying to cut a corner.
Lesson 3: Sleeping Direction
Sleeping with heads opposite the door is the way to go so no one gets their melon crushed in the middle of the night. If you scooch everyone to the far side, you’ll have plenty of room at your feet to go in and out freely. But it’s personal preference, so you do you.
Pros and Cons
In classic gear review styling, let’s run through a few pros and cons of the Absoroka.
Pros:
It’s the perfect size for a family of four with gear and even a dog or two. But I also know from experience how amazing a shelter of this size is for just two people, so if you have space to pitch it, I say live it up.
It’s easy to pitch if you follow Argali’s pitching instructions. A word of advice here: if a brand gives you instructions on how to use their product, follow them.
Installing the insert is easy and when it’s pulled tight, it creates a perfect bathtub floor
The ability to add an insert, whether full or half, is great for environments where condensation is an issue, but also having the ability to leave it at home cuts down the weight big time
The fabric allows condensation to evaporate faster, meaning it dries quicker and stays tight all night. No one wants a wet tent to fold up in the morning…
Interior volume is excellent if you aren’t a human yard sale, but then, no tent is big enough if you don’t know how to organize yourself
The insert’s 3-way zipper design is a welcomed addition. One vertical and two horizontal zippers make getting in and out super easy.
If you’re into cold-weather camping, you can install a stove jack and bring a lightweight wood-burning stove to keep the inside nice and toasty.
Cons:
Every once in a while, I’d catch a zipper on the overlapping fabric when zipping up or down. It’s not a deal breaker, but you do have to be extra careful not to catch it.
The vent at the top doesn’t like to stay open. It needs a strap or something to keep it from folding over and closing. It’s an easy design fix and, again, not a deal breaker because these tents get a lot of ventilation.
I’m saying this next part with zero data to back this up other than anecdotal evidence based on my experience with sleeping in a tent like this in a massive windstorm, but I’d like to see a more robust center pole. The other tent I have in this category has a thicker carbon fiber pole (wall thickness), which just feels stronger in the hand. The Argali poles are great, but something feels a little fragile about them, but again, I have NO evidence that they can’t withstand heavy winds. I just know from experience that if the wind is really bad, those poles bend and shake like a…well, I’m not sure what it’s like, but it’s bad and I’ve been in situations in the past where I felt I had to help stabilize the pole so it didn’t break (again…no proof it would). All I’m saying is I’d like a bit thicker center-pole to help ease my PTSD. Once you experience a trust-fall situation with your gear, it’s hard not to make comparisons.
Who This Tent Is For (and Not For)
Regardless of your mission in the backcountry, if you have two to four people in your group and space to pitch it, the Absoroka is a no-brainer. Plus, if the weather does decide to turn on you and you’re forced to hunker down for a few hours, you won’t feel like the walls are closing in on you and your trail buddies.
As the title of this article indicates, I really do believe the Absoroka 4P with the full insert is a perfect tent for backpacking families. After hours of research and trying to sort this out, I’ve found this is the best option on the market that meets the requirements of space, weight, packability, and durability.
But, what about who it’s NOT for?
If you plan to pack up each morning to camp in a new spot that evening like you would on a thru-hike, I probably wouldn’t suggest this tent for one main reason. The Absoroka 4p requires a fair bit of real estate to pitch, and in my experience, it’s not a guarantee that your intended campsite will have what you need. Think of it as needing enough space for two 1-2 man tents side by side. If where you’re backpacking into or through an area that can handle that, then great, but if not, I’d consider a smaller option if only for pitching flexibility.
This is where the conversation goes off the rails because there are so many variables to account for. Some may say, “Well, just get creative—it’s the backcountry!” while others say, “Stick to the rules and only camp in designated spots.” I can’t tell you what to do, but I will say that even if you are the most creative person when finding a place to pitch a tent, sometimes you just don’t have the right-sized canvas.
Final Thoughts
There is no perfect tent for all situations. You have to use the right tool for the right job, and for me, the Argali Absoroka 4p will be my go-to shelter for family backpacking trips in the summer and hunting trips in the fall for the foreseeable future. I’m familiar with the design, know what it can handle, and personally enjoy living out of this kind of tent. If I know I’ll have the space to pitch it, and I need the room, it’s coming with me. If I know it’ll be buggy or I need a floor, I’ll bring the insert, and if not, I’ll just bring the main body.
Having a flexible design like this makes life easier because you have options. Heck, I could even pick up a half-nest with a dirt floor on one side and a double-layer tent on the other. Pretty sweet!
The biggest reason for switching to the Argali lineup of tents is the material they use on the tent body. I still have many more nights to spend under the Absoroka before I know for sure whether or not it’s good to go long-term, but for now, I like the benefits of SilPoly. Only time will tell!
If the Argali Absoroka 4P isn’t the right size for what you’re looking for, I’d encourage you to check out their other options. They have everything ranging from a 1P, 2P, and even 6P, so you’ll have no problem finding a shelter that suits your needs.
If you have any questions about this article or these tents, don’t hesitate to contact me directly, but I’d also encourage you to contact Argali themselves. They’ll answer the phone and give you all the details you need.
You can listen to Brad talk about these tents in Episode 166 of my Podcast (also below).
Emory, By Land
Thanks for stopping by! If you have any questions for me or want to connect, you can leave a comment below or shoot me a personal message at emory@byland.co.