Tent Rental in Bozeman, MT

Rental camping tents for Yellowstone and Big Sky Adventures.

Explore Rentals offers nearly the full line of premium Big Agnes tents. Our tent rental program allows you to safely and comfortably sleep under the stars without the investment of purchasing new equipment, or hauling it on the plane with you.

Whether you are car camping with the family, or going deep into the backcountry- we have a rental tent that will be perfect for you.

How to Choose a Rental Tent:

The first step is to ask a couple of questions: 1) How many people does the tent need to sleep, and 2) Where/ How will I be using the tent. Tents are generally grouped by how many people they sleep and by use. 

As far as the size of tent, as in how many people it can sleep, tent manufacturers tend to push the limits of this number. Big Agnes, our provider of rental tents, is a bit more fair than most other companies. In general, the bigger the tent, the more comfortable. You can fit 6-people in a 6-person tent, just be warned that you will likely have some of your gear on top of you and some part of someone else’s body will be touching you. 

At Explore Rentals, we group our rental tents into three categories: Backpacking, Car Camping, and Shelters. Read more below about the differences: 

Rental Backpacking Tents

Backpacking into a high mountain lake in Gallatin Mountains near Big Sky. July 2018.

Backpacking tents. Backpacking trips are defined by hiking a significant distance into  your camping spot, and carrying all of your food and gear in a backpack. These trips require significant planning and preparation (permits if in Yellowstone), and every ounce/ gram matters because you have to carry everything with you. Backpacking tents tend to be smaller and lighter, and as a result, generally less comfortable. Think of them as a shelter to keep you dry and bug-free and not much more. We offer rental backpacking tents that sleep from 1-3 people. 4+ person tents tend to pack bulky and heavy, so one is often better off having 2 2-person tents rather than 1 4-person tent.

We offer premium rental backpacking tents from Big Agnes. These tents are the cutting edge of technology, and push the limits of design and material strength in order to be as light as possible. Unless if you are actually going backpacking, these tents are probably not your best choice as they are less spacious, more difficult to set up, and the extreme weight savings makes for a less durable tent- unless if it is set up and used correctly. 

Our favorite rental backpacking tent is the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3. It is extremely light, has a door on each side of the tent so you do not need to crawl over each other to get out, and has 2 vestibules perfect for storing backpacks and stinky boots. The Copper Spur is a super premium tent and extremely well made. When staked and guyed, this backpacking tent is near bomb-proof. 

Rental Car Camping Tents

Big Agnes Tensleep Station-4 on Yellowstone Lake

Car Camping/ River Trips/ Overlanding tents. Most of  our visitors that rent tents fall into this category. This is defined by the need to transport tents and camping supplies only a short distance from a vehicle or a boat to a campsite, and does not need to transport all items at the same time. With this scenario, one is willing to carry a heavier/ bigger tent because it is a lot more comfortable. These tents will comfortably sleep 4 – 6 people (8-person tents are often difficult to set up and sleeping 8-people in one tent is kind of gross), can accommodate cots (a 4-person tent can fit 2-cots, a 6-person 3-cots), and are often tall enough to stand up in- which makes a huge difference when you are putting your clothes on in the morning. These tents are WAY more comfortable than backpacking tents. BTW Overlanding is just a popular term for car camping, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. We do not offer roof-top tents because they 1) are extremely difficult to get in and out of 2) take longer to set up then a regular tent 3) Have to be taken down every time you want to move 4) greatly reduce gas mileage. 

Our rental car camping tents have all proven that they can withstand most Montana camping conditions. When we first started the business, we had inferior rental Coleman and Kelty tents. These tents ALL failed. Poles broken, seems blown out, and tears in material. It is extremely important to understand that there are inherent risks to camping in Montana, and especially in Yellowstone National Park at elevation. When properly guyed out and set up, we have found our tents can withstand some serious winds (30-35mph). That being said, freak summer storms bearing winds of 50+ mph happen- and NO tent (barring extreme 4-season mountaineering tents) can withstand these conditions.

Our favorite rental car camping/ river tent is the Big Agnes Tensleep Station 4. It is the perfect size for 2-people on 2 of the Alps Ready Lite cots (these are a true gamechanger when it comes to comfort). It also has a massive vestibule for gear storage and great ventilation- key for warm summer nights. Although it is a tall tent, we have found when properly guyed out these tents can withstand some pretty nasty conditions. The rental Big Agnes Rabbit Ears is a more affordable option that is easy to set up and much safer in variable Montana weather than anything our competitors offer or that you can buy in Walmart. 

Rental Camp Shelters

The Sugarloaf in the Siskyou National Forest

River and Camp Shelters. Now we are talking about some advanced level camping stuff. A couple of years back Big Agnes introduced their Sugarloaf Shelter. We were skeptical at first, but after a couple of uses we have found these to me nearly indispensable for our own river and camping expeditions. These shelters provide protection from sun, bugs, and rain- while still being able to comfortably prepare meals and hang-out. 

Our rental Sugarloaf Shelters are awesome for setting up a camp kitchen, or even to the most extreme comfort, setting up your tent inside the shelter. There is nothing more comfortable camping then being able to leave your tent knowing it will be dew and bug free. These are Gamechangers. The boss has weathered some extreme storms in these with no issues at all. 

The Sugarloaf shelter makes for a great place to wind down without the bugs.

How to weather a storm when camping: 

• Be prepared! Always fully stake out and guy your tent. In Montana NEVER trust the weatherman! 
• Always expect the worst, and keep everything that can blow away or get wet protected and secured. 
• The bigger the tent, the more comfortable you will be. Being cooped up in a backpacking tent for a long storm can test all friendships! 

RENTAL CAR CAMPING TENTS

How to Set up Your Rental Tent

Setting up Big Agnes Outfitter Tent

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