Rec and Sports

Family Tents: How To Purchase One That Is Right For You

There are few hobbies that are more rewarding than leaving the hustle and bustle of normal life behind and heading for the great outdoors. However, whether you are planning to enjoy a week at a campsite or heading into the wild, the right equipment is essential and a quality camping tent should be among your chief concerns.

There numerous factors which will determine which is the right camping tent for your requirements. If you do not go camping regularly and conditions will not be too harsh, then something cheap and cheerful should be enough. However, if your camping tent is going to see a lot of use in all kinds of weather then it certainly is worth splashing out on good quality and the right design. There’s nothing more dispiriting than having your camping tent falling to bits around you in the middle of a stormy night.

One of the first things you need to think about is how many people your camping tent needs to hold. Camping tents can vary in size from one-man, with enough sleeping room for one person, to large family tents with a few rooms.

Another thing to think about is ease of use, both in terms of the weight of the tent and how easy it is to put together. If you are hiking you will want something lightweight, definitely not weighing over five kilograms. One-man tents can be as light as 1.5kgs, though lighter models are usually more expensive.

How easy your tent is to put together should also influence your decision. If you plan on setting up camp somewhere for a few days, then this is not a big worry. On the other hand, if you need erect your camping tent every day, maybe sometimes in stormy conditions, you will need something that you can assemble quickly. Some camping tents literally pop up in moments, while cheaper models could take a good 15 minutes to erect.

There are a few different tent designs and some are better built for certain conditions and requirements than others. If you are a fair weather camper this needn’t be a huge worry. On the other hand, if your tent will regularly be exposed to extreme weather conditions, design can make all the difference.

Geodesic – This is thought to be the most durable of the tent designs. Intersecting tent poles ensure it has excellent strength to withstand bad conditions. This is the tent for the more adventurous outdoor expeditionist.

Dome – This is perhaps the most popular tent design. It weighs very little, is inexpensive, is easy to assemble and offers good overall strength. A common pick for backpackers.

Tunnel – Another common choice, though not quite as lightweight as the dome tent. However, it is significantly more spacious.

Finally, it is essential that your tent’s fabric is made from high quality fabric. Lightweight nylon or polyester are the best materials for the job, andit goes without saying they should be fully waterproof. Also, it is often a good idea to waterproof the seams of the tent yourself as a final precaution.