Best Tent for Homeless People in 2023
When it’s about finding the best tent for a homeless person, getting protection from different weather conditions is a must.
It should keep anyone dry inside after a thunderstorm. Getting enough ventilation is another crucial benefit a tent should provide in the summer.
Additionally, you must consider the following parameters before buying one –
- Inside space.
- Price.
- Quick setup and takedown process.

Coleman Cabin Tent
This is a high-quality tent for homeless families at an affordable price. Overall its performance and build quality are better than most others at this price range.
I’ve prepared this review guide on some of the best tents for the homeless, mentioning their highs and lows considering all those parameters.
I’m sure it will help you to manage some affordable housing for homeless families and individuals.
Without any further ado, let’s begin.
5 Best Tent for Homeless Person
1. Coleman Cabin Tent For Homeless

Key Specs:
- Capacity: 4/6/10 person
- Seasons: 3 season
- Installation Type: Instant
Pros
- Multiple versions are available, varying in capacity.
- Easy and quick setup process.
- A lot of airflow and natural light inside because of the big windows.
- Decent amount of space inside.
- Lightweight, hence easy to carry around.
- It gives comfort in both summer and winter.
- Well constructed with sturdy build material.
- The single-layer plastic welded skin makes the seals durable.
- Sufficient height to allow tall guys to stand inside the tent without bending.
- It doesn’t cost a fortune to buy this tent.
Cons
- The tent storage bag is small. It shouldn’t be a cause of concern for the homeless, though.
- It doesn’t come with a rainfly. You have to purchase it separately.
Coleman is a popular brand for making different types of instant tents. An instant tent is something a homeless person would love to have as they are pretty quick to set up and takedown.
Besides this 4-person version, you can buy different versions of this tent, like –
- 6-person tent.
- 10-person tent (includes rainfly with the purchase)
While the room inside the tent is quite spacious and this 4-person version of this comfortable tent can accommodate four homeless persons, I think staying not more than three-person would make their life more comfortable. Similarly, the 6-person tent should be used for staying five persons and the 10-person tent for staying eight persons.
Considering the comfort of a homeless family, one of the major drawbacks of this 4-person tent version and the 6-person version is that they don’t come with a rainfly. It doesn’t cause too much trouble in light rain as the tent boasts high-quality seam and clothes. However, someone should buy a rainfly to get protection from a rainstorm. Luckily, a compatible rainfly is separately available for each version.
In a nutshell, this Coleman instant tent gives every essential a homeless person would expect from a tent. The price, extra space inside, protection from different weather conditions, usability, etc., makes it the best tent for homeless person.
2. Hyke & Byke Zion Backpacking Tent

Key Specs:
- Capacity: 1 person
- Installation Type: Freestanding
Pros
- Straightforward setup process.
- Lightweight, hence easy to carry around for a nomadic homeless person.
- A footprint comes with the purchase. It protects the tent floor from the ground moisture.
- The rainfly covers all the way around the tent.
- It has plenty of room inside to lodge tall people lying down flat without feet touching the back, providing enough headroom.
- A gear net above and some space beside the entire tent let anyone keep some essential items.
- Plenty of ventilation and lights inside, particularly when someone uses it without a rainfly.
- It keeps you dry in a downpour.
- Inexpensive.
Cons
- A pretty basic tent for one person.
- A bigger stuff sack would have made life a lot easier and quicker while packing this tent.
- The price could have been better considering the size and other features.
Hyke & Byke backpacking tent features an asymmetrical design to ensure maximum comfort while staying inside the tent. It’s constructed with high-quality materials, including a combination of fabric and mesh walls, floor, rainfly, and pole.
It’s quite a basic tent without having too many bells and whistles. Unlike the Coleman cabin or OT QOMOTOP tent I reviewed, One homeless person can stay in it without having extraordinary protection against weather elements. Still, I believe it’s worth spending on this tent if you are on a budget and want to accommodate some living space for the homeless population.
3. Coleman Dome Tent

Key Specs:
- Capacity: 4/6 person
- Installation Type: Easy setup
Pros
- It’s quite durable.
- Different versions are readily available, varying in size and capacity.
- Its ability to withstand heavy rain is worth noting.
- The darkroom technology controls the inside heat efficiently.
- Easy to set up and take down in quick time.
- The bottom air vents let control the inside temperature in hot weather.
- It features strong stitching, quality zippers, and fiberglass poles to ensure sturdiness and stability.
- The price is a bargain.
Cons
- Too thin/see-through fabric. This would bother anyone concerned about privacy at night more than anything else.
- Unlike the other models, this one is not too roomy inside.
One of the most applauded features of this high-quality shelter tent is its ability to keep dry inside during heavy rain. I believe it’s something any homeless would love to have from their tent. Also, it is worth mentioning how well this heat-resistant tent can lower the heat inside by keeping it dark.
The rainfly is made of quality material, and it covers so much of the tent to keep the inside dry during rain.
You can buy either a 4-person or 6-person version of this tent. Moreover, a dome with a screen room version is also there to buy.
Overall, this Coleman dome tent is another awesome tent for the homeless population to provide all-weather protection. In addition, it features almost everything a homeless person would anticipate at an affordable price.
However, considering the space inside the tent and other necessary features, I believe the Coleman cabin tent and OT QOMOTOP tent are some of the best out there for homeless people.
4. Abco Tech Pop Up Tents For Homeless

Key Specs:
- Capacity: 2 person
- Installation Type: Instant, Pop Up, Automatic
Pros
- Setting up this tent is as easy as falling off a log.
- It is lightweight and comes with a carrying bag to take it with ease.
- Adequate ventilation and light come inside because of two mesh windows.
- Fairly waterproof protection.
- Super inexpensive.
Cons
- Folding this tent back is not as easy as setting it up.
- Not the ideal option under a thunderstorm or during high wind.
This particular Abco Tech pop-up tent is suitable for only nomadic homeless persons who require shelter, nothing more than that.
It’s another pretty basic tent at a low cost providing only the basic features.
If you plan to buy some super-budget homeless shelters, this particular pop-up tent is something you should get your eye in.
5. OT QOMOTOP tent
Pros
- Superfast setup process. It doesn’t take more than sixty seconds to set up this tent.
- It’s quite capable of handling difficult weather conditions like high wind, thunderstorms, etc.
- An adequate number of windows to let enough air and light go inside the tent.
- A high-quality rainfly comes with the purchase, no matter which version you buy.
- Controlling the inside temperature is easy due to two bottom ventilation systems.
- Enough room inside to keep some necessary belongings.
- Waterproof tent.
- Several versions are available, varying in capacity.
- Cheap tent.
Cons
- The instruction manual is not too good. That said, using this tent is not an uphill task without reading the manual.
This OT QOMOTOP tent is quite a big tent to lodge a family of eight members.
If you are looking for something smaller or even bigger, the good thing is you can choose different readily available versions of this model varying in capacity. Here they are –
- 4-person.
- 6-person.
- 10-person.
All the above versions provide pretty similar benefits except for the size.
Regarding getting enough cover from the rain, the rainfly that comes with this tent is big enough and made of high-quality fabric to cover and protect the whole tent effectively. Setting up the rainfly is a breeze too.
You probably have not heard of this brand just yet. Better if you don’t remain skeptical about this instant tent for the homeless shelter. It serves the purpose just well without costing a lot of money.
If you are looking for some budget options, I’m going to cover them below.
Verdict
When you are searching for the best tent for homeless person, I believe you should not compromise the quality and usability. Nonetheless, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to purchase one.
To me, Coleman cabin and OT QOMOTOP are two high-quality tents for homeless families at an affordable price. For homeless individuals, Hyke & Byke Zion Backpacking Tent is the best bet for a collective tent experience, without any doubt.
How To Choose Best Tents For Homeless People
Many different types of tents are available, each suited for specific purposes. Below are the few features that you must look for while buying the best tent for homeless shelter:
- Weather Resistant
The most important thing when choosing a tent for homeless people is finding a tent that will be able to withstand the elements while keeping them safe and comfortable. This means looking for a tent with a rain fly, which will protect them from the rain and provide shade from the sun. A tent with a rain fly will also help prevent water damage to the interior of the tent.
- Durable
The next step is deciding what kind of tent you want to buy. Do you just want to buy a shelter to sleep in, or do you want a more permanent structure? You might want to look into purchasing a modular tent. If you plan to give them a tent for a longer period of time. These tents come in various sizes and shapes, so they can easily fit your space.
- Easy Setup
Since homeless persons might not have access to different tools, the tent must be really simple to set up.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can homeless people live in a tent?
Yes, of course. Homeless tent encampments are pretty common among homeless people all around the world. It’s true for third-world countries and countries like America, England, and Australia. Living in a tent is better than lying on the sidewalk or street.
2. What type of tent is good for homeless people?
Anything that is waterproof, heat resistant. Additionally, enough space inside to stay with family and pets is something anyone would anticipate from a decent tent for a homeless person.
3. What are the top tent models for homeless people?
Coleman cabin tent, Qomotop Tent, Marmot Limelight 2p tent, Coleman weathermaster tent, etc. are the best homeless tent models.
4. What other things should I consider before buying a tent for the homeless?
Besides being weather-friendly, budget-friendly, spacious enough, waterproof, heat-resistant tents, you can check out the tent’s set-up functionality and weight. You should get a tent that requires minimum time and effort to set up and take down and the weight is important to ensure a smooth portable tent.

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