Disasters, both man-made and natural, put a strain on local environments. The best way to handle such a situation is to be prepared for it. A good example of not being prepared for a situation would have to be with Hurricane Katrina and more recently the earthquake in Haiti. The unfortunate thing is that planning for disasters involves a learning curve. It is a very reactive process of learning from our mistakes. To decrease the number of mistakes that are made careful thought and planning are crucial steps. This research paper has sought out the optimal shelter for humanitarian aid purposes. Housing people in a disaster provides some of the security that the victims had in their homes. It is important that this is done quickly. Several case studies were done on a variety of shelters designed for humanitarian aid relief. This study asks the question: what is the best tent?