Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

    Most tents now come with bathtub floors, which keep seams several inches above the ground, and "no-see-um" mesh to keep out the tiniest insects. Double-track door zippers let you unzip the fabric door while leaving a screen in place for insect protection. Color-coding makes setup easier, though experts still recommend practicing with a new tent at home before taking it on a trip. Reviewers say to look for the following additional features when buying a tent:
    • Consider your priorities. For family camping, allow plenty of space for playing inside on rainy days, and look for good storage to keep everyone's belongings neat. For backpacking, balance light weight with size; a tent that's light but cramped may not provide a good night's sleep.
    • Bigger isn't always better. A tent that's too big or too oddly shaped may not fit onto the tent pads at many campgrounds. Also, the bigger the tent, the harder it may be to stay warm during cool weather.

    • Full-coverage rain flies are best. Quite a few tents increase ventilation by providing only partial-coverage rain flies that include little awnings over the windows and doors. Reviewers say these are adequate in a light rain, but can let in driving rain. It's better to have a rainproof tent that increases ventilation with cleverly placed vents.

    • Factory-taped seams are important for rain protection. However, tent experts recommend using seam sealer on a tent periodically anyway. Some inexpensive tents need seam sealing before the first use.

    • Look for plenty of storage pockets and loops. Both owners and professional reviewers say that built-in storage makes a big difference in tent livability. Some tents come with plenty of interior storage, while others make gear lofts available only at extra cost.

    • Ventilation is crucial to minimize condensation. Look for mesh placed both low on a tent wall and high in the roof for good airflow. Ideally, you can open and close vent covers from inside the tent even with the rain fly on. Tents with a rain fly, known as double-wall tents, usually provide the best combination of ventilation and storm protection. Single-wall waterproof fabric is usually used only on tents designed for ultralight backpacking, where a little condensation isn't as important as light weight. Some hybrid backpacking tents are partly double-wall, partly single-wall, to balance these factors.

    • Double doors are a big convenience. They add ventilation and minimize having to climb over someone else to enter or exit the tent. They also make it easier to decide how to pitch the tent to get good views, privacy and resistance to wind and rain.

    • Two vestibules are better than one. You can store gear on one side and cook on the other if it's raining outside. Large vestibules also let a dog sleep in protected space, yet outside the tent. Experts recommend a vestibule of at least 6 square feet, so you can store a pack in it as well as boots.

    • Shock-corded poles, color-coding and quick clips make for fast setup. Shock-corded poles fold into sections for compact storage, but unfold quickly to full length. Clipping the tent to the poles is faster than having to thread the poles through sleeves. Color coding means that the pole tips are matched to specific tabs around the grommets where they're supposed to go. Some tents have the setup instructions printed right on the carry sack, especially useful for large family tents with lots of pole parts.

    • Even lifetime tent warranties don't cover sun degradation of the fabric. To prevent sun degradation, canvas is the best tent material, polyester next. Plain nylon has the least resistance to ultraviolet rays. If a tent is used only a week or two a year, pitched mostly in the shade, this is less important.

    • Aluminum poles are stronger -- but heavier -- than carbon-fiber poles. Some family tents use steel poles, which are heavy and eventually rust. Reviews don't recommend tents that use fiberglass poles, because they're prone to splintering. Variable-diameter poles are designed to minimize tent weight, putting the largest diameter where the most strength is needed.


    • Single-wall backpacking tents are lightest. These eliminate the rain fly, making the tent body either from breathable rainproof fabric or from silicon. Most breathable fabric tents can't be treated with fire retardant, so they can't be shipped to some states or to Canada. Silicon fabrics have an electrostatic attraction to pollen, sand and dust.

    • Square footage doesn't tell the whole story. This measurement is a starting point to help you decide if a tent is big enough, but also check length to be sure your sleeping bag or cot will fit. Total interior space (measured in cubic feet) depends on the tent's shape. A-frame tents less interior space than hoop, dome and umbrella tents. Within types there's still variation in available space, so look for a design that maximizes it.

    • Headroom is important. For a family tent, make sure the headroom allows the tallest person in the group to stand up inside. For a backpacking tent, make sure there's space for everyone to sit up. It's possible to get dressed without sitting up, but it's not comfortable. Being able to sit up comfortably also makes rainy days inside the tent much more tolerable.

    • Stakes and guy lines that are brightly colored are easier to see. Some tent stakes even have a reflective coating so you can move around the tent site with a flashlight without tripping over guy lines. Colored stakes also make it easier to avoid leaving some behind when you pack up to leave. We found many owner-written reviews recommending replacing cheap metal stakes (which are prone to bending) with heavy-duty plastic stakes.

    • A footprint or groundcloth protects the tent floor. Most tents have an optional footprint you can buy, that's already shaped to fit under the tent with a margin of a few inches all around. (Counter-intuitively, the tent footprint must be a little smaller than the tent, not larger.) To save money, you can make your own out of Tyvek or 4-mil black plastic.
    Last edited by renodesertfox; 06-01-2012, 08:15 AM.
    Get campin', Renodesertfox A canvas campateer
    Campin' Here Between Campouts! Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

  • #2
    Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

    Nice thread RDF!
    FlashLantern turns your flashlight into a lantern!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

      I agree! Thanks RDF! I love my tent (Columbia Bugaboo II), but I do miss the "bathtub", tarp-like floor in my little Coleman tent. I knew water wasn't going to get in!

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

        I would add to look for a tent with no seams on the floor. That's better than taped seams to keep water out. Also, I think it's a good idea to shop a specialized stores like REI or similar rather than Sports Authority or Dick's or similar stores. You can actually find very knowledgeable people at places like REI who will give you *GOOD* advise on tents, sleeping bags, etc. The other guys are usually nice enough, etc. But you don't know if you can trust their advise. Been there, done that! I trust REI or other specialized stores where you can ask very direct questions and get honest answers (maybe answers that you don't want to hear)

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

          Nice information RD on what to look for on camping, thank you.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

            We have the colored heavy duty replacement stakes....most people like the Safety Yellow ones because they are impossible to bend and impossible to lose.
            www.monkindustries.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

              I like the Eureka Timberline series. They are the kind I used when I was in the scouts, theyt ahve 2 person and 4 person tents. they are durable, small enough to pack in and are easy to set up.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                Just today I bought a new Eureka TimberlineII at Bass Pro Shop in Springfield Mo. It was as easy to set up as I remember after 25 years. Now more and more memories of my scouting is flooding back into my mind.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                  The Timberline series are quaint tents worthy of a campout, but understand these are highly dated designs...even Eureka! offers newer models with more useable interior room and hub features...Camp On!
                  “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                  ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                    We're currently using a Colman 9 person tent for our weekly summer camping trips in well wooded areas, and it's been great for moderate weather. we were in it for one major rain storm and thing's were not so good. The rain fly and windows leaked baddly! It was a good thing we were on inflatable mattresses...which were practicly floating by the next morning! I went through with seam sealer and resealed everything...the next camping trip that it rained during wasn't as hard, but...no leaks! And I'd hate to be in it during heavy winds! But...we love the amount of room it provides! We have a Queen sized sleeping area for my wife and I, a single sized sleeping area for my son on the other side with a card table and three chairs in the middle to eat, play games or whatever on rainy days! If you go through it with seam sealer...it's a nice tent (for nylon).

                    Rodney

                    Click image for larger version

Name:	12034513.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	15.9 KB
ID:	69426
                    Last edited by busere; 01-17-2012, 10:25 AM.
                    2012 - Nights spent in the back country: 12

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                      For the backpacker with light weight in mind, Kifaru...

                      http://www.kifaru.net/shelter.html

                      I like their tipi design.

                      Rodney
                      2012 - Nights spent in the back country: 12

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                        Good post! thanks!
                        I travel back packing, i use a Camp minima S1 tents, for this kind ot use, I think is the best or one of the top 3
                        Last edited by Jenna; 02-10-2012, 06:09 AM.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                          The tent I decided on (my first tent!) is a Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge 2. I decided to go with something that I *could* use on a backpacking trip down the line though I know there are lighter options out there.
                          I also know that I may decide I want something a little roomier for car camping in the future. Live and learn! And I will certainly be fine in a 2p tent by myself or with just my dog, especially if I put up a tarp at the site for rain and sun protection.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                            Originally posted by Aeryn View Post
                            The tent I decided on (my first tent!) is a Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge 2. I decided to go with something that I *could* use on a backpacking trip down the line though I know there are lighter options out there.
                            I also know that I may decide I want something a little roomier for car camping in the future. Live and learn! And I will certainly be fine in a 2p tent by myself or with just my dog, especially if I put up a tarp at the site for rain and sun protection.
                            If you bring an extra tarp, besides the one you use to shelter yourself from the weather, you can use your hiking stick at night as a pole to rig up a little shelter to stick all the gear that doesn't fit in your tent. (If you are car camping you can just stick it in the car also).
                            Last time I went camping, I put a tarp folded in quarters in front of my tent. When I got in the tent for the night, I stashed my boots outside between the layers of tarp.
                            https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...80841173_n.jpg

                            If I had a big more stuff, I could have made a little shelter almost the size of the tent itself with 4 stakes, a hiking stick, and some 550 cord.
                            Nights spent outdoors this year: I lost track

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Tents: What to Look For, Suggestions

                              Originally posted by busere View Post
                              For the backpacker with light weight in mind, Kifaru...

                              http://www.kifaru.net/shelter.html

                              I like their tipi design.

                              Rodney
                              Hmmm.. I bought a ton of cotton duck cloth/canvas when it was on clearance. Been sitting in my fabric box for a while. Wonder if it's enough to make a teepee out of. might be a cool sewing project.
                              Nights spent outdoors this year: I lost track

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X