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Tent Choice for a Comfortable Outdoor Experience

Tent Choice can be a very important decision for first time tent campers. After spending much time in tents by myself and with family and friends I would like to throw in my two cents worth. Tents are great because of their portability into places that camp trailers or pickup campers cannot access or to just keep it simple and thrifty.

First of all, when reading the description from the manufacturer about their tent, keep in mind that when they say 4 person tent, that means 4 (small) people lying in their sleeping bags shoulder to shoulder, like sardines are packed in cans, and no room for their gear. Dolores-River

Tent choice will depend on floor dimensions so figure at least 3 ft for each persons width and a 6 ft person needs another 1 1/2 ft in length. If you use cotes then you might be able to store some gear under them but its always good to have extra room in the event of bad weather and storage. Two full size adults need a floor size of about 10 ft by 10 ft for their sleeping comfort and gear for an extended stay.

Its nice if you can stand up in it as this greatly aids in putting on clothing and just being free to move about. Tent choice also depends on the types of terrain you will most likely be in. A good all around choice is the geodesic or dome type tents. These work well in wind, shed rain and snow and with the self standing frame are a one person easy setup.

I like the aluminum pole frames but have had good luck with fiberglass poles as well. Some tents have inflatable ribs for support and no ridged supports at all.

Dome style tents actually streamline themselves in high winds, changing shape and provide downward pressure. Geodesic design tents have a couple more poles that give better support over regular dome tents that can help in snow or high winds.

Some tents have a frame that you put up over the tent and then you pull up the tent and hook it to the frame which I like the most when by myself. Tents having poles pushed through long sleeves in the tent can be a bugger to put up and take down for one person. The poles tend to get stuck on the fabric pushing them through. Then when you pull them out, they can pull apart and get stuck, even though held together by a bungee running down the center. They are a very tough design though once up.

Wall tents have great square floor space and straight walls and are easily able to be laid out with gear and sleeping space. Large flat wall areas can act as sails when there is no shelter so beware of these if not in woods or near some sort of wind break.

I once camped on the Keys in Florida and had a new wall tent torn up because of high winds coming off the ocean. They can also require a second person to make setup easier. Many hunting guide services use this style of tent in Colorado, most have stoves, cotes, tables and are quit large. Wall tents may be the only tent choice if a really large tent is required.

Another tent choice can be the A-frame tent which is a very simple design. Just take as large of a plastic tarp as you wish, and drap it over a log or rope thats suspended across two standing poles tied and staked or two trees that are the right distance apart. Then just stake the ends to the ground. You can even tie a smaller plastic tarp across one of the ends to keep wind from blowing through. Very portable and economical.

Tent choice also depends on whether you will be backpacking in or driving and just unloading gear from a vehicle, four wheeler or horse. Large tents can get very heavy, and backpack tents are geared for lightness and convenience. When I use a tent, if I plan on staying somewhere for more than 3 days, I like to have a canopy of some sort, either a tarp for a lean too or commercial pop up type. In high temperatures or fowl weather a canopy can be a lot cooler and another place to sit while watching it rain and not get claustrophobic sitting in a tent.

Usually small, light and low profile tents are whats needed for backpacking providing ease of portability and stability in high winds. There are many different styles to choose from with dome and tunnel or ingeniuos combinations of both designs.What ever tent design is chosen, make sure that seams are taped, and the bottom and up the sides about 6" are heavier material and water proofed. Make sure that the top is also treated and waterproof.

Materials are another decision for tent choice as far as weight and durability. Tents primarialy were made of canvas but nowadays are mainly nylon and polyester. Canvas tents would breath when dry and mist when first rained on. Then the material swells and becomes quit water proof. This is when you would here someone say, "Don't Touch The Tent"!!!.

Single walled canvas tents could leak if someone or anything like your sleeping bag touched during a rain storm. Usually at night and with lots of lightning, causing occupants to lie motionless in fear of having bedding and clothing wetted down, or worse, having the wet tent come down on top of them.

Tent choices have come a long way with excellent designs for easy setup and light, tough materials.

When buying a new tent make sure you get as much as you can for your money. A cheap tent is not always the best answer when your out camping and all hell breaks loose. Weather can change at the drop of a hat and all you have is that tent protecting you from the elements.

Tents are rated as to what seasons they may be used in. They can be rated 1 to 4 as to the severity of whether you will most likely be camping in. Some tents are like a tent in a tent with the water proof outer rain fly and a breathable inner tent. This design which is very common, also provides insulation in the form of an air space between the two layers of material, and keeps condensation from forming and dripping on the occupants.

A good tent choice is a 3 to 4 rating, 3 being fall weather and 4 being winter with snow. Your locale climate or whether or not you plan to camp elsewhere will help you decide. Going with a sturdier tent can be a real benefit. You will probably not regret paying a little more and you will have it for years.

After tent choice has been decided, make sure you become aquainted with the instructions. Its a good idea to set up the tent in your yard, use seam sealer on all the seams so stitching holes are sealed and let dry.

Always place the tent on a plastic tarp and be sure that ground is clear of sharp objects and flat. Make sure tarp edges are tucked under the tent so that water flows to the soil and not onto the ground tarp and under the tent. In very rainy areas it is a good idea to make small trenches to carry water away and down hill if possible.

Tent staking will very with terrain. Usually tents come with stakes that will work for most types of soil, but their are situations that will require different methods. In firm, rocky soil I use stakes that are nothing more than large nails so that I can get them out. I always bring a claw hammer to drive and remove stakes with.

During take down and while camping I bring a small broom and dust pan to aid in cleaning debris from the tent floor.

Make sure that your tent is stored dry and somewhere that mice or bugs can't get to it. With good care tents can last for many years and give you great security in the outdoors. I use seam sealer about every two years on synthetic tents and on a canvas tent a product called Canvak can be applied to increase water repellent nature without ruining the tents ability to breath.

For slickrock and sand camping there is a page in this website, Utah Camping on Slickrock and Sand Tips that can help.