Camping Tents buying guide

Love to spend time in the wilderness regardless of the weather? Opt for suitable camping tents to enjoy your trip and have a safe shelter to rest in during breaks.

The camping tent provides you with full comfort when you want to take rest. It keeps you safe at night from the environmental factors so that you can sleep comfortably.

However, while selecting a particular model, you have to deem certain factors. You cannot blindly purchase as it can lead you in investing your money in an ill-fitted model. A poor choice will ruin your experience, and you will repent investing your money in that particular product.

Gathering correct details and facts on all the essential features can become a strenuous task. On the contrary, a comprehensive buying guide provides you all the information under one roof. You can quickly analyze all the pointers to funnel down the best product.

So, let us have a quick introduction to the product without wasting any more time and then move further into this guide.

What do you mean by Camping Tents? Why do you need them?

The camping tents are a shelter that you temporarily set up. This temporary shelter can be canvas or polyester that is supported by poles and tightly stretched by rope or cord. You use pegs to firmly attach them to the ground.

They are a must for a safe and excellent camping experience. With this, you can sleep and rest after a long and tiring walk through the forest. This shelter provides you a means to sleep at night with no worries by protecting you from the chilly wind and insects.

This is a basic necessity, especially when you go camping with your family. It will help you and your family to find shelter during terrible weather. It will also keep the insects out, and you can safely sleep with your family and pass the night with no worries.

Why should I read this buying guide before purchasing camping tents?

There are several types of tents available in the market. To select the best option, you need prior knowledge of the critical features that define the tent's usability and performance.

By reading this buying guide, you will access all the information in a well-organized manner. You can quickly go through them and sort out the best option for your trip. Moreover, you will get answers to common questions and queries.

So, what is the wait then? Let us dive into this extensive guide.

Types of Camping Tents

1. Ridge

The ridge tents are camping tents present for a long time back. They are the very first type of tents used in camping to get shelter. They usually comprise a thick canvas that is stretched over a horizontal pole while being supported by a straight vertical pole.

They are stable mainly because of how you place them and tie. These camping tents use the lightweight aluminum poles, and the sheet covering uses nylon or polyester. They are best for two people since it has shelter space to accommodate two people comfortably.

2. Dome

They have two flexible poles, and these cross at the top, making a dome-like structure. They anchor to the ground at the four corners of the dome.

These domes come as both smaller and larger sizes. The larger variants have an extra pole that makes its porch space bigger. They are best for four people. However, the larger size makes it less stable.

They are easy to set up and take down because they are lightweight. They are less expensive and also give you good headroom.

3. Tunnel

The tunnel tents are the best camping tents for large groups of people. It comprises flexible poles, and these series of poles loop such that it forms a tunnel shape. You can even attach the rainfly to it.

For stability, you can use the guy lines. With this, it will withstand the bad climate. It is also easy to put it up and take it down too. It provides a lot of space and a lot of headroom. But they are comparatively heavier.

4. Geodesic

The geodesic camping tents are the better and stronger versions of the dome tent design. It has more poles compared to dome tents and hence offers more stability.

The number of poles crossing each other means greater stability is there. Hence the geodesic tents offer more stability and can withstand fairly stronger winds. It is best for outdoor camping in the wild and also winter campings.

They make use of high-quality materials in the making and are the best shelter for a group of four people. The type is a lot of durable and comparatively lightweight. But they are also equally pricier than the other tent variants.

5. Cabin

The cabin tents make use of aluminum poles that sit together to form a tent that looks like a cabin. They usually make use of waterproof polyester or nylon.

The cabin tents have internal dividers that divide themselves into the form of a room. This is the best tent for a family camping.

6. Pyramid

The pyramid tent shapes like a pyramid comprising a central pole and rainfly draped over it. It uses guylines and stakes to provide stability.

It is very simple to set it up, and it is usually lightweight too. If you properly pitch it in, it is also very stable even in terrible weather.

Things to deem about while selecting appropriate Camping Tents

Material

1. Nylon

Nylon is lightweight and water repellent with the help of waterproof coating. Hence if you need a tent that is lightweight and stays dry during rain, then using nylon-like material is the best.

2. Polyester

The polyester is like nylon since it is also water-resistant and a lot more breathable. The polyester materials are a lot more durable and withstand harsh sunlight, too, as compared to nylon.

3. Canvas

The canvas or cotton is a traditional material used for making tents for a long time. They are highly durable and also offer high breathability. The material keeps the tent warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

But it is a lot heavier than the rest of the materials and becomes worse when it rains by becoming even heavier.

4. GORE-Tex

This material has a lot of insulating properties incorporated into it. Hence it is best for camping in the winter or colder regions. It also offers great breathability too. But it is more expensive than other materials.

Tent poles

The tent poles also make use of various materials that define its basic properties, such as strength. This also decides the structure of the tent and influences the tent's overall weight. The materials include:

1. Aluminium Alloy

This is a common material for making a tent pole. They are flexible, lightweight, and robust.

2. Carbon Fiber

The carbon fiber is pricey, and they are of high quality and strong.

3. Fiberglass

These materials are of use for cheaper tents. But it is likely to break and is heavy too.

Sleeping capacity

The main functionality of camping tents is the sleeping capacity. Depending on the number of people and your gear you have to accommodate inside the tent, you must choose a tent carefully.

Since the companies do not universally define the tents with per person dimensions, consider all the campers in your team. You will also have to decide upon the room space that your equipment will demand.

So it is better to choose a tent with the capacity to accommodate all the people who will be with you and all the gear along with an extra person. When you do this, it ensures that there is enough room for everyone, including all the equipment.

With this, it gives everyone in the tent enough elbow room to even toss and turn around in the night. Hence you can peacefully and comfortably relax and rest for the night. Not doing this can lead up to causing problems in sleeping at night and end up affecting the entire camping period.

Seasonality

1. 3-Season Tents

By a wide margin of the most famous selection of tents, they are lightweight intended for the moderate temperatures of spring, summer, and fall. The 3-season tents can withstand heavy downpours but not fierce breezes or storms.

They have mesh panels that keep all the insects out, making sure there is enough air inflow. If you are correctly pitching them, they can withstand certain extreme conditions too. They keep you dry even during the light snow and rain.

Since they are lightweight, they are easier to carry around during the trip and relatively a popular choice for recreational camping.

2. 3- 4-Season Tents

These camping tents are for the continuing 3-seasons use. It is appropriate for summer use and in late-winter when moderate snow might be there. They mainly offer ventilation, quality, and warmth-maintenance.

They usually incorporate extra 1 or 2 poles and lesser mesh panels compared to the 3-season models. They offer more sturdiness and warmth than the 3-season tents. They are best for high-elevation campings and harsh winter conditions. They are highly sturdy and hence can be used for extended-season camping.

Even though the 3-4 season tents are sturdy and comparatively better than the 3 season tents, they cannot withstand the harsh winter conditions as the 4-season tents.

3. 4-Season Tents

Designed to withstand fierce breezes and significant snow loads, these tents can be best for any season. Their key feature is the stability it offers in extreme conditions, especially during the harsh winter season.

They make use of more poles along with fabrics that are heavier than the 3-season tents. They incorporate a rounded dome to overcome the possibility of snow collecting. It insulates and keeps the inside of the tent warm.

They are best for winter camping or camping in extreme climates where there are fierce winds or heavy snows. With the strong and more poles, they can withstand heavy winds and offer safe shelter for you.

Weather protection

Considering the weather protection feature, a decent tent needs to shield you from all kinds of climate conditions, be it heavy downpour or fierce winds during your camping period.

Different types of resistances provided by camping tent are:

1. Water Resistance

In case you're exploring nature during the rainy season, the rainfly should ensure the water does not get in. This means it has to be waterproof to keep you dry during the heavy downpour. It's ideal for getting a tent with a nylon material rainfly with waterproof coating.

2. Wind Resistance

The tent must be able to resist and stay intact in case of light to fierce breezes. Frame using fiberglass is best for such conditions.

3. Sun Protection

The strong sun can cause various problems to stay inside a tent. Tent using the fabric that comes with some kind of UV protection is better during the summer. Higher-quality fabrics with UPF 50+ rating can block harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Tent Doors

While picking your tent, you must consider the number of entryways or doors you will need just as you consider the shape. In case you're camping along with your family, different doors and separate rooms can assist you in moving smoothly while going for washroom breaks at night.

Cabin type tents are best under such conditions here. Since each member can get a room with its tent door for each room, it also ensures privacy and easy movability during the nights in and out of the tent.

Tent Poles

The tent's pole can determine the structure of the tent. It also helps in deciding how simple or hard it will be to pitch up the tent. Practically all the family tents available these days are detached or freestanding. This implies that you do not need stakes to set it up.

The best thing about this is that it is easier to set it up and take it down. All you have to do is pick up the tent and move to an alternate camping site. You can likewise easily remove the dirt by just shaking it before taking it down.

Lesser poles will allow you to set it up faster and take it down similarly. It's additionally simpler to join the poles to the clips rather than thread them through pole sleeves. Many camping tents use the two clips and shorter pole sleeves to maintain the balance with ventilation, strength and ease of setting it up.

Size

Size is equally important when considering different camping tents. There are two sizes to consider - while it's packed and open. When discussing the size of a tent, it affects and determines the portability of a tent to carry around or transport. Consider an instance where the tent is too enormous when closed, you may experience issues carrying it around throughout the camping period, or there are chances where it might not fit in the car.

Concerning the open size, it will pose problems while setting it up. The bigger size it has, the more difficult it will become to set it up and also take it down. Hence, the size of your tent will influence your camping experience.

Weight

The heaviness or the weight of your tent can have a significant effect on your camping. Heavy tents pose a problem while carrying a tent during the trip.

Depending on whether you will cover an enormous distance or just a small distance while camping, the weight of the camping tents plays an important role. If you were to park your car and go on a 6-hour journey from there, then a lightweight tent is better.

Two types of weights are present for tents that you ought to know about while buying a tent - trail weight and bundled weight.

Look into both of them before selecting a suitable option.

Ease of Setup

Putting up a tent can sometimes be very tiresome or relatively easy. To set up some tents, you will need more people, while for some, you will not. Fortunately, substantially more helpful freestanding type models have replaced all the traditional or the old tents that needed many people to set up.

Some of the best modern tents are for outdoors come pre-assembled to an extent and only require you to put the poles in the pole sleeves and set it up.

Ventilation and Breathability

You must always ensure that sufficient ventilation is present in the camping tents. This is to allow fresh air to get inside because with no fresh air, after a certain amount of time, you will start feeling uncomfortable.

So always guarantee that there is sufficient air inflow. The best camp tents have mesh screens on all entryways and windows. This mesh screen will allow the fresh air to come inside the tent. Alongside providing you with fresh air, it will keep the insects out.

But it may not be possible to keep them open in stormy conditions. Because of the open airflow, the insides of the tent can become cold and cause further problems. Hence it is best to choose tents that come with incorporated vents within the rainfly. It is better if there are vents both on the floor and the roof. These vents are best to allow moisture to escape and keep the tent warm.

Fly

The fly of the tents covers the entire tent. If it can cover even the windows and the doors, it is better. The fly used to protect the tent from the rain is waterproof as it is coated with silicone or polyurethane coatings.

To ensure there are no water leaks inside the tent, you must seal the seams present on the fly. You can seal the seams with the help of tape. You should peg the fly away from the tent floor such that during a downpour, the rain will not run down the pegged fly and seep into the tent.

You must peg the fly to ensure that there is always enough air inflow at all times, to prevent the condensation damp.

Price

Cost is another significant factor you have to consider while choosing a tent. Often excellent and high-quality tents are costly, but they are quite sturdy and durable. If you are a seasoned camper, buying a pricey tent is better. These tents last long and are durable, also providing excellent protection under bad weather.

You should analyze your budget and the conditions you will camp in. For camping in severe climatic conditions, your tent has to provide you safe shelter. Thus, investing in a costlier variant will be better. Otherwise, in any other case, a relatively cheaper tent will do.

Tent Accessories

1. Footprint

A footprint is a custom-fitted ground cloth that is available separately. This custom-fitted ground cloth footprint goes under the tent floor. Tent floors usually comprise rocks, pebbles, twigs, and such. This can significantly be uncomfortable to deal with.

This footprint is comparatively cheaper instead of replacing a tent itself. For family tents or with large groups, there is a great deal of foot traffic going in and out of the tent. This significantly will damage the tent and can make it less durable.

This ground cloth is such that it perfectly fits your tent, making sure there is no ground cloth sticking out.

2. Gear Loft

Most tents have designs that allow you to store minor items off the floor instead of keeping them inside the one or two integral pockets that are available. The gear loft is the interior mesh that allows you to store significant volumes of gear.

FAQs

1. Are all the models water-resistant?

No, all the models don't come with a good-quality rainfly. If you are looking to camp in an area where it rains cats and dogs, then invest in the model that will protect you and keep you safe under heavy pours.

2. Should I clean the tent when it is in use or when it is packed?

It is always easier to clean the tent when it is set up. You can reach all the spots with ease. Use a mild soap solution in water to rinse the stains with a soft brush. Never apply abrasive cleaners as it can damage the fabric of the product.

3. What are the benefits of double-wall construction in the tents?

They offer optimum breathability and protection against environmental factors. Most of the models come with double-wall construction.

Final Verdict

Camping tents present a simple yet effective solution to have a good night's sleep in the wilderness. All you need is to select the best option.

Here in this guide, we have corner-stoned all the pointers that are necessary to deem while selecting a good quality tent. Go through them and make an informed purchase.