← Gear database
How much does a shelter weigh?
Real numbers from 78 verified shelter weights in our database — not manufacturer claims.
The median shelter weighs 745 g
(0.75 kg), based on 78 items.
The average is 833 g — pulled up by a few heavy outliers,
which is why the median is the better benchmark for your own pack.
139 g
Lightest
509 g
Ultralight threshold (P25)
745 g
Median
2,040 g
Heaviest
A quarter of all shelter items weigh 509 g or less — if yours is under that, it counts as genuinely ultralight. The middle half of the market sits between 509 g and 1,000 g. Anything above 1,000 g is heavier than three-quarters of what is available today.
Lightest shelters
Zpacks 7x9 Flat Tarp
— 139 g
Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp
— 155 g
SlingFin SplitWing UL Tarp
— 224 g
Full ranking of the lightest shelter →
Heaviest in the database
MSR Elixir 2
— 2,040 g
REI Co-op Passage 2
— 1,950 g
The North Face Stormbreak 2
— 1,870 g
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