About
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide you with the tools and information you need to fully enjoy your time outdoors.
We do that with in-depth guides and tutorials, and with tent reviews for every budget.
Our Tent Finder database scores 350+ tents against the same seven criteria, so you can compare them on equal terms.
1. Provide Comprehensive Tent Reviews
2. Be the go-to tent resource
3. Help you to Reconnect with The Outdoors
By the Numbers
Who is Behind the Site
Matt Blake
Owner, Managing Editor
Matt has run Wilderness Times since 2021. After years working in startups and corporate America, he left to spend more time outdoors with his wife and kids.
He has personally tested and camped in dozens of tents, and publishes his hands-on reviews on the Wilderness Times YouTube channel.
Matt edits and approves everything published on the site.
Our History
Wilderness Times was founded in 2019 by Mike Miller, who built the site and wrote much of its early camping and gear content.
In 2021 Matt Blake took over as owner and managing editor. Over the next few years the site grew to a team of writers, editors, and photographers covering everything from trail guides to gear roundups.
In 2022, we started the Wilderness Times YouTube channel, so readers could see tents pitched and used in the field. It now has more than 180 videos.
In April 2026 we launched the Tent Finder. What began as a spreadsheet for comparing tents became a database of 350+ models, each scored on the same seven criteria.
Today, Wilderness Times is run by Matt. We still cover camping, hiking and the outdoors, and tents are where we go deepest: hands-on testing where we have it, and clear, consistent scoring where we don't.
Past Contributors
Over the years, a number of writers, editors and photographers have contributed to Wilderness Times. They are no longer active on the site, and their bios describe them at the time they worked with us.
Grace Cummings
Former Content Editor
Growing up, Grace spent many summers heading up to her grandmother's cabin in CO to hike and camp and get some fresh air. Her father's enthusiasm for camping, hunting, hiking, and spending time in the mountains definitely rubbed off on her.
While she is currently based in the very-urban Chicago working as a writer and editor, she still takes every chance she gets to get outside and breathe in fresh air or take trips with her partner to get back to nature.
Victoria Marks
Former Staff Writer
Victoria is a dedicated writer and outdoor enthusiast who seizes every available moment to break free from the day-to-day of city life.
When she's not immersed in her work, you'll find her hiking and camping in the company of her steadfast Alaskan Malamute, exploring the tranquility of the outdoors.
Tory Dancu
Former Staff Writer
Tory is an outdoors enthusiast who takes every chance she can get to get out into the woods. After growing up at the base of the Appalachian Trail, she's explored the Rockies and Shenandoah's extensively - and has loved every second!
Shawn Gossman
Past Contributor
Shawn Gossman is known as Hiking With Shawn in his local area. A longtime hiker, cyclist, and mountain biker turned into a local social media influencer. Shawn is a permitted hiking guide for the Shawnee National Forest and an outdoor writer. Shawn lives in the very bottom of the state of Illinois with his girlfriend, her teenage daughter, and a bunch of cats.
Kate
Past Contributor
Kate is known as She's Going Solo as nearly every weekend she is off solo wild camping and hiking in either The Lake District or Yorkshire Dales in England and sometimes even the Highlands of Scotland. Most recently Kate has bought a van which she has converted herself into a camper which has given her more options in getting into the outdoors. Kate loves photography and when her teenage son allows, spending time with him.
Spencer Bienstock
Past Contributor
Spencer is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast. He is an experienced hiker, backpacker, car camper, and climber. Spencer loves getting outside and testing equipment, no matter the weather. With a master's degree focused on sustainability, he loves wilderness conservation and seeing sustainable gear hit the market. His favorite spot to camp is at Cape Perpetua Campground in Yachats, Oregon.
Justin Hikes
Contributing Photographer
Justin is a former software engineer. Currently enjoying Retirement 1.0. He is a forest bather who enjoys sharing his outdoor adventures on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. He enjoys hiking, nature photography and abandoned places.
James Willamor
Contributing Photographer
James is in love with all things outdoors. As the President and founder of unofficial Cicada Appreciation Society, North Carolina Chapter, he has a passion for hiking, camping, backpacking, and overlanding. He enjoys camping 40+ nights a year and sharing his experiences on Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter.
Our Content
Start with the Tent Finder, where you can compare 350+ tents by size, season, budget and score.
We publish in-depth individual tent reviews like this CORE 6 Person Instant Cabin Tent.
We also rate and compare whole product categories, such as the best 4 person tent, the best hatchets, or the best heavy duty camping chairs.
Our guides cover outdoor skills and safety, like how to stay safe in bear country, and gear questions like synthetic versus down sleeping bags.
We have also interviewed outdoor enthusiasts like Greg from Fat Man Little Trail, outdoor writers like Stefanie Payne, and those working to promote a good cause like Lisa Louis.
Whatever the topic, the aim is the same: accurate, useful articles that help you spend more time outside.
Our Testing and Review Process
We review tents in two ways, and we tell you which one applies.
Hands-on testing: Matt has personally pitched and camped in dozens of tents.
For these, we record setup, space, weather performance, and build quality in the field, and most have a video review on our YouTube channel.
Data-based scoring: For tents we haven't physically used, we score them based on verified manufacturer specifications, comparisons to tents we have tested, and aggregated owner feedback.
Every tent is scored from 1 to 10 on the same seven criteria: Space & Comfort, Quality & Durability, Value, Weather Resistance, Ease of Use, Intangibles, and User Reviews.
Those feed into an Overall Score.
Read the full details in How We Test and Review Tents
How we pick other camping gear
Tents are the only products we score in our own database. For everything else we cover, such as sleeping bags, stoves, chairs and hatchets, our "best of" guides are built on research, and we say so.
- Shortlist: We start with the products campers are actually buying and narrow them down on specifications, price, warranty and availability.
- Category criteria: Each category is judged on what matters for that product, for example warmth and packability for a sleeping bag, or weight capacity and comfort for a chair. Where a guide shows a score card, the scores follow those criteria.
- Owner feedback: We read verified owner reviews in volume and look for the problems that keep coming up, not just the star rating.
- Outside expertise: Some guides include input from named outdoor experts, quoted directly.
- Hands-on use: When we have used a product ourselves, the guide says so, and we will include our own YouTube video or a link to it on the page. When we have not, the pick is research-based, and we do not describe it as tested.
No brand can pay for a place in a guide or for a higher position. Picks are reviewed when a guide is updated, and products that are discontinued or fall behind are replaced.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
How we Make Money
What We Don't Do To Make Money
Here is what we don't do to make money:
- We don't run sponsorship articles.
- We don't accept paid guest posts of ANY kind.
- We don't accept payment for promotion of products.
Manufacturers sometimes send us products to review. We never accept payment for a review, and it never affects the rating.
Wilderness Times Is Reader-Supported.
Wilderness Times is reader-supported. We earn money in two ways:
- Advertising: We show display ads on our pages.
- Affiliate commissions: When you buy through some of our links, including links to Amazon and other retailers, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Neither affects our scores.
A tents's rating comes from our seven criteria, not from who pays a commission.
How We Use AI
Our tent scores are not generated by AI. We do use AI tools to write the descriptive text in our product overviews, and to help with research and first drafts on gear guides.
Nothing is published without being edited and approved by a human editor. Read the full details in our editorial process.
What to do now?
So what's the next step? We're glad you asked that!
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Want To Get In Touch?
You can easily do that by filling out our contact form or emailing us at [email protected].
Don't be a stranger – we love getting emails from passionate readers!
Matt Blake – Owner & Managing Editor, Wilderness Times