Selecting Tents for Camping
So you’re thinking of doing some camping and you’re planning on going tent camping. So all you need to do is drive down to the local camping supply store, look for tents for camping, grab a tent and you’re ready to go. Have Fun!
Unfortunately, you may run into a few problems when buying the tent. There are a few things you should take into consideration or at least take into account.
Tents for Camping – Items to Consider
- What type of weather will you be camping in? This is very important because a tent will be providing you shelter. You don’t want a tent with high ventilation features if you’re camping in the dead of winter. But on the opposite end of the spectrum you don’t want a very closed tent if you’re camping in the tent. Other weather factors to consider is the likelihood of rain. An occasional storm may not be a problem for any tent, but constant downpours could be a little overwhelming for some.
- Tent size is a consideration. If the tents for camping will be used by a family you’ll need a much larger tent than if there’s just two of you or one for that matter. Tents classified as family tents are usually large enough to quite comfortable.
The age and size of the campers is also something to consider. As a rule of thumb when looking at small tents I prefer to go one size larger than what I really need. For example if there’s two of us I will get a three person tent. If it’s just me, a two man tent. I do this because from my experience the right number is quite cramped and I like having the extra space to stow gear inside the tent. The large family tents can actually accommodate air mattresses and even cots. In addition the larger family tents have rooms divided by fabric walls. - Type of camping. To evaluate what tents for camping you need you’ll also need to consider what type of camping you’ll be doing. For example, if you’ll be backpacking your tent should be lightweight and compact. If you’re driving to campground, being lightweight and compact is not necessarily a consideration. So you need to have an idea of how you’ll use the tent before you purchase one.
- Ease of erecting. When considering tents for camping the ease with which the tent can be erected should be considered. As a matter of fact, many sporting goods stores have tents already erected in the store. Be sure to look at how the various tents go up and actually discuss the pro and cons of the various designs with the stores salespeople. After you’ve purchased a tent and taken it home you MUST practice erecting the tent before you go camping. Bt erecting the tent at home you’ll not only know how to do it but also if you need any tools to do so, like a mallet to drive the stakes. I strongly recommend you erect the tent a few times before going camping. Keep in mind that the weather may be inclement when you arrive at your campsite so that is no time to start learning how to erect your tent.
Over time tents for camping have undergone many design changes that not only make them very easy to erect, but they are lightweight yet made of very sturdy materials. From the days of a simple tarp spread over a rope or propped up with poles, we now have multi-room tents, rainflys, screening, screen rooms, privacy flaps, and built in floors.
Modern Tents for Camping are very comfortable and inexpensive shelter options for today’s camper.
