The United States are a very good place for campers. Different terrains and locations allow campers to explore a diverse environment and experience something new each time they go on a camping trip. 

If you plan to go on a camping trip, you’ll be needing a lot of accessories, a tent certainly being one of the more important ones. In this article, we are going to give you a list of the major U.S. tent-manufacturing companies.

Mountain Laurel Designs

LightHeart Gear

Zpacks

Bear Paw

Tarptent

Arctic Oven

Seek Outside

1. Mountain Laurel Designs
This company was founded in Roanoke, VA, in 2002 by experienced backpacker and adventurer Ron Bell. Bell had around 40 years of experience when he founded his company and has started off using very simple materials as shelter while outdoors.

Ron’s focus on lightweight equipment comes from all of his experience as a Search and Rescue Climber for Yosemite National Park (YOSAR). 

The company started off very small, selling its products via eBay, before launching a personal website in 2003. It has since expanded to selling a variety of products – tents, clothing, etc. – along with custom made products tailored for the buyer specifically. 

By manufacturing those custom-made products, they saw what customers really wanted, and have developed the right designs and processes to make their equipment better using all sorts of ultralight fabrics.

The company’s philosophy is based on the simplicity of its products (simple, yet elegant, we could say), the focus on self-reliance in nature, the thrill of adventure and MLD’s specific minimalism in both design and usage. 

2. LightHeart Gear
This small North Carolina-based company specializes in the production of lightweight gear. They were founded in 2009. Although they started off locally, they are now a global brand and even have international shipping outside the States. 

They pride themselves in their lightweight products and their impeccable quality which has been recognized by the buyers again and again. Along with tents, LightHeart Gear also produces raingear and different clothing for both men and women. 

They were making their tents from a lightweight fabric called silnylon, which is waterproof, slightly translucent, and not breathable. But these days, they are changing all silnylons fabrics to silicone coated polyester. It is even lighter than silnylon, completely waterproof, not breathable, and more hydrophobic than nylon (it absorbs less water).

As you can see from the direction in which their technology advancements go, they are constantly looking to upgrade their gear and company on the next level.
They received the award for Small Business of the Year in North Carolina in 2019, which was a big thing for the company. 

3. Zpacks
The idea behind Zpacks came in 2004, when the company’s founder wanted to go on a hiking trip, but could not find any satisfactory gear. 

He started creating his own gear and soon started selling the designs online. In 2005, Zpacks – a Florida-based company – was founded. 

Zpacks is a growing and reliable brand that constantly works on improving their products, which makes them one of the best in the market. They have general products and also custom-designed gear. 

They wish to offer their customers the best possible ultralight gear. Customers bring those gears on their adventures, and it needs to be the best, and as lightweight as possible. That is something the company behind Zpacks knows much about because they personally use their own gear on similar adventures.

Unlike some other companies, Zpacks is known for its wide array of products. They, of course, sell high-quality tents, but also lots of other products and gear such as sleeping bags, backpacks, clothing for both men and women, and different accessories needed for a quality hiking or camping adventure. 

One of their best-known products is the Duplex Tent. 

4. Bear Paw
Bear Paw Wilderness Design is a small company founded in Colorado that specializes in manufacturing tents for a greater outdoor experience. They’re a small group that started off locally in 2009 but are today a globally known brand. 

They offer a variety of tents – from standard lightweight designs to modified and custom-made products – all of which are manufactured using American fabrics, which gives the products a much higher level of quality and reliability.

All of Bear Paw’s products are produced in the United States in small quantities and are then put on the market. This means that the products are high-quality, very safe, and very reliable. They also have an interesting returns policy according to which you can return your product (if it’s not custom-made or modified) within 30 days and get a full refund.

5. Tarptent
Tarptent is based in California and is one of the most reliable brands in the industry. Their first product – a tent – was manufactured back in 1999. Since then, Tarptent has been growing to become one of the best companies on the market. 

They have primarily focused on manufacturing high-quality tents for 1-4 persons and have several lines of tents for your specific needs. 

In their line of products, you can find a big collection of ultralight, mobile shelters that protect you from everything, from flying bugs to summer rain. 

They have an elegant and airy design, specially created for all outdoor adventurers. Also, Tarptent tents will keep you dry and are extremely lightweight, so you can focus on your enjoyment.

Tarptent takes much pride in its special procedure of designing and manufacturing the tents, which is what puts them on top of the list of the best tent-producing companies in the United States. 

6. Arctic Oven
Arctic Oven is one of the oldest and best companies when it comes to tents. It was founded in the late 1970s in Alaska but has since become a national and a global brand, with partners in Scandinavia, Russia, Canada, and elsewhere. 

Along with tents – which are Arctic Oven’s primary products – they produce a variety of different accessories and tent-based stoves that can be installed in their tents.

Arctic Oven’s original Dog Sled Tents has become a trademark product for winter-based adventures. The tent has proven its value and quality throughout the years and the company takes pride in its scientific tests of the tents. 

They regularly test the endurance of their products, exposing them to temperatures ranging from -40°F to 85°F, all of which the tents are able to withstand. They are perfectly livable and are quite often used by people both during and outside the winter snow season.

Arctic Oven tents are great for hunters, doomsday preppers, extreme expeditions, or recreational adventurers. They offer the right protection for everyone.

7. Seek Outside
This Colorado-based company was founded in 2009 by a group of outdoor enthusiasts who wanted to provide a new experience for adventurers. The company started off quite humbly but has since grown to be one of the leading brands in the market. 

Their main products are very large, family-friendly tents, but they also produce tent stoves, lightweight backpacks, and other hiking and camping gear. 

They personally design and handcraft all of their tents, wood stoves, and backpacks. Seek Outside equipment is designed for extreme mountain hiking, or some lighter adventures. 

Seek Outside is a good example of a company founded by a small group of enthusiasts, which would eventually grow and become an important factor in the tent-manufacturing marker, both nationally and globally. They also work on constantly improving their products.