How to by a Tent or What to Look for in a Tent.

  Unless you are a seasoned camper or backpacker, choosing the right tent can be a bewildering experience. There are so many variables to consider and each of the variables seems to have sub-variables, not to mention shape, size and price. The following is basic guide to help you select the right tent for your needs and experience.

TENT TYPES - most tent manufacturers classify their tent products as Family or Base Camp, Three Season, Four Season, Ultra light or Solo and Backpacking tents.

FAMILY TENTS - also known as Base Camp or Cabin tents. Just as the name suggests, these are larger tents with plenty of room for 6 or more campers. Typically, Family Tents may have multiple window openings and entrances. They tend to be heavier and require more set-up time.

ONE SEASON - These are light weight tents for use durring the warmer months (summer).

TWO SEASON  - This is our own classification of specialized tents.  Basically the warmer season tent.  Usually needs modification to hold up during sever weather but on the other hand very light weight with capacity up to 2 or 3 people.

 THREE SEASON - one of the most popular tent styles because they tent to be rugged, durable and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Three season tents are capable of withstanding rain and wind and at the same time and are large enough for multiple campers.

FOUR SEASON - heavier duty tents with a lower profile to withstand the weather. Usually made of better grade fabrics with more poles for added strength and stability.

BACKPACKING TENTS - usually for 2-3 people max. Lightweight, compact, easy to set-up.

ULTARLIGHT or SOLO TENTS - tend to be smaller than Backpacking tents with room for one. Lightweight, easy set-up and compactness are key characteristics.

TENT SHAPES - basic tent shapes include Dome style, Umbrella style and Flex Frame style. 

Wall Tents– Semi- strait walls with ridged poles.  They are usually taller than other types and may be a consideration if you are a tall person and want to stand up in your tent.  However, the wall tents are usually heaver, more difficult or time consuming in erecting and don’t hold up in high wind. This tent is good for car/van camping were you don’t have to carry the tent too far.

Dome Tents- Like the name these are the most popular. Flexible poles that lock together erect quickly, lighter, smaller packing, self-supporting and handle wind well and you can get dome tents with a taller center height. Dome tents are a very good tent for back packing, canoe/kayak camping, bike camping or any type of camping.

Tube Tents  - A variation of Dome Tents with a very low profile.  They are the lightest and best in the wind. They pack small and best suited for back packers.  Some times called a Bivie tent.

Flex Frame Tents- tend to be lightweight, easy to set-up and compact. Most Ultra light and Backpacking tents are Flex Frame designs.

Umbrella Style Tents:  Umbrella tents usually have a ridged poles and the tent body hangs from the frame.  We usually see these tents in the family section.  They are a little more difficult to erect, are heaver, bigger packing.  However, they do pretty well in wind, usually taller, more windows, much more space inside sometimes-extra rooms.  Some are even wired for DC electric for accessories like lights and fans. Excellent for car/van camping where you don’t have to carry too far.

 Material - most tents are made of Polyester, Nylon or Canvas. Polyester is light and weather resistant, Nylon is light and durable and Canvas is protective and heavy duty, but is also heavy. 

Tent sizes or person capacity:  Tents are one person, two person, four person, and so forth.  Hint:  Nearly most of the time, include an extra person called STUFF.  Basically, when they say 2 people, they mean it.  So if you want 2-person tent buy a 3 or 4 person and so forth. Always add another person.

 Backpacking or just camping?  Back packing tents are smaller and lighter. Some have aluminum poles (lighter than Fiberglass but cost more).  Camping tents are usually bigger and heaver. So, give it some thought or buy two one for each.

 Tent Shapes:  Square, rectangle or Hex sided- think about how you will use your space

 Tent Colors:  Tents come in all colors, there’s no rule here, anything you like.  Hunters like camouflage, environmentalists and naturalist like natural, some that travel in the way back country like bright colors to be visible in case they have to be rescued.

 Ground Tarps or Footprints  - This is an extra layer of protection to preserve the floor area as this the weakest link. Sticks or sharp objects could poke thru the floor of the tent. This also gives you a little more padding and protection from the lumps and bumps.

There is some controversy about these.  Most footprints are manufactured for a variety of tent sizes or some campers just pick up a tarp at the hardware store and cut or fold to size.  The IMPORTANT thing to remember is that no part of the ground tarp should be exposed beyond the tent, (smaller is better than bigger).  The reason for this is rain or heavy due will flow down your tent and accumulates on the tarp and flow under the tent and eventually perk thru the floor. Now you have wet stuff.

Guy Linesor Guide Lines – Extra lines from your tent to the ground or other solid objects for reinforcement during high wind situations.  Unless a tent design calls for the use of guidelines, they are usually an adlib or improvised solution to combat high winds. They are sometimes call storm lines also.   I recommend using white lines most tents that supply them are black.  Throw them away you’ll hang your self at night even with some light they are almost invisible while white lines show up much better.

HINT: This is what we came up with.  We use a cut section of landscaping material under our tent, you know the stuff you put down in the garden to keep weeds from growing thru before you mulch. This allows ground water to perk down away from the tent.

The base of the tent should have 8-12 inches of floor material coming up the side. This is called a splashguard to protect the most exposed area from rain splash.

 Tent Fly’s are added protection from rain but not all fly’s are created equal.  Your fly should cover or overhang all windows and doors. Extra overhang at the door is a big plus as this gives you protection while entering and leaving the tent in the rain.  Some fly’s give full coverage top to near bottom. This is nice for cold weather but cuts down on ventilation, but still the best protection.

Extra windows - Great for looking out without leaving the tent and better ventilation.  Look for no-see-um mesh; this will keep the smallest bugs out of your tent.

Double doors - If the weather changes the other door might be better for going in and out.  If a zipper jams or just fouls, up can use the other door.

Stargazer top- This is where the top of your tent is covered with screen mesh.  Nice on a warm summer night to go to sleep watching the stars when you don't need the rain fly.  Note: keep your fly handy just in case, NOHA has thrown us a curve ball every now and then

Interior Gear storage- A gear loft for the top of your tent.  It is excellent for drying gear or just storage or putting a lantern to shine light down.  Side pockets for easy to reach storage.   Gear loops to hang things, like a light shining down.

Mud flaps- Usually this is an additional piece of tent floor material sewn onto the tent on the outside in front of the door.  A place to remove shoes or put on shoes or trap excess dirt before entering the tent.

Vestibule - This is an outside covered area to store other gear you wish not to get wet.

Side Curtains: Curtains that form a separate room or a privacy area for changing. Some are attached and some are removable.

 HINT:  Most tents are pretreated to be water proofed.  However, some do not tell you to pre-erect your tent and spray it down with water from a garden hose and let it dry in the sun.  By spraying your tent with water the first time and allowing it to dry, the fibers shrink a small amount to tight up the fiber and any possible leaks.  However, this can be done on the first trip in the rain. There might be a few leaks the first time but seal up after drying.  While new or seasoned tents (wet and dried once) may still leak you may need to pick up some tent water proffer usually a silicon spray or if on a seam a seam sealer.  Erect your tent and apply spray then let dry 8-12 hours  (open the door after spray dries to ventilate inside).  Again less is better than more two light sprays is better than one heavy spray.  If it’s a seam leak, you can fix any time except in the rain. Just rub seam sealer wax over suspected area.

 HINT:  Zippers are the next weak point. First pull slowly and directly along the zipper track.  Second buy zipper lubrication product, silicon spray or zipper wax and use it every 3-4 trips. A zipper repair kits are available and should be in your back up tent supplies kit. Be sure you take your repair kit with you a broken zipper in bug country can be a big problem.

 Note:  Never pack up a wet tent. Always dry before packing. flip upside down to dry bottom floor.   If you are breaking camp in the rain, open and dry as soon as possible or mildew will form and your tent will smell bad and dry rot.  A wet tent packed up for 4-5 days could be trashed.

 Note: Tent Location:  Locate your tent on level ground or a slight incline.  Look for ground obstacles like rocks, roots, limbs, Broken Glass, and Poison Ivy. Remove or relocate location.  Also, LOOK UP if under trees. There just might be that Widow Maker up high in the tree. A Widow Maker is a dead limb big enough to kill or harm you, or other wise damage your tent. Also consider your fire pit if you use one.  Which way is the wind blowing, will the tent fill up with smoke or sparks blow toward the tent if the wind picks up. Lastly the View, this is the first thing you see when wake up and one of the memories you will take home.

 Caution:  Never Burn a fossil fuel device inside your tent as they give off CARBON MONOXIDE POISION as well as being a fire hazard.  We have done this back in the day before more modern devices were available. If you choose to do so BE AWARE of the risk, make sure you have some ventilation and STAY AWAKE as tired or sleepy is the first sign of poisoning.

 Smoking in a tent:  Not recommended as this will almost permanent put that stale cigarette odor in your tent.  You also run the risk of burning holes in the tent sides and bottom.  This can be cleaned but is a lengthy, labor intensive, and costly ordeal to reinstate to usable condition. Basically your tent is trashed or will smell like an old dirty ashtray and your tent will wear out before the smell fades.  If you like to burn incense I hope you really like that flavor because it’s going to be there a while.  However, if you have an unpleasant odor you wish to get rid of feel free.  We had a new tent that had an unpleasant manufacture odor right out of the box.  Terry dealt with it right away the incense flavor was better than the new tent smell.  Caution: Incense will not cover up everything like cigarette, cigar, pipe, cat, heavy mildew or sardine oil (somebody else’s story).

 I could write a whole article on what people have done to their tents but one good one is. In California outside Yosemite National Park years ago I pitch a tent on an anthill in the dark in the rain, no problem.  However, I spilled a Pina Colada, I thought I cleaned it up pretty well. The next morning I awake to the lady I was camping with jumping all over the place yelling, screaming and just totally having a fit. Ants, ants everywhere all over her, hundreds and I mean hundreds. None on me never could figure that out. While, I’m tiring to figure out what to do next, she is now naked in the campground still fighting ants. You’ll have to read Bloopers to here how that story turned out.

 HINT:  Do not keep food or drinks in tent.  Critters can and will gnaw holes thru tent wall to get at it and drinks always spill.  If you must have a drink in the tent always use a Stable cup holder in a pinch a shoe will work if blocked so it can’t be turn over. Always keep doors zipped closed.  Bugs, spiders and snakes can find there way in and there’s just so much space in there, especially if someone is freaking out over an illegal immigrant (Snake) in the tent.  In bear country this is a cardinal rule. They don't knock!  They just slice the tent wall and come in, and let the games begin!  Bear country camping is not for novice campers but the more experienced campers who can rum fast (just kidding - some bears can rum up 30 MPH).  Maybe someday, I might write a bear article but to date we haven't enough bear experiences, we've been there often but no bear.  Ya know, I'm kinda OK with that.

 Also after dark in flying bug country always turn off all lights in the tent before opening the zipper, because any flying bugs (mosquitoes) will fly to the light and in your tent as you are entering or leaving.  Now you have a whole new problem, a bunch of squished bugs against the tent walls and you never get them all. Just wait till your almost asleep. Buzzzzz.

Never spray your tent with insect repellent the chemicals in most sprays may break down the fiber and cause an early dry rot effect.  If you must spray do so at a distance so that dry partials fall upon the tent.  There are some tent fabric save insect repellent recommended for tents.

A dog or cat repellent (ask at Pet Store or Farm Supply) might be a good idea for campgrounds where dogs or cats run loose.  Spray the ground around the tent and a very light spray on the splashguard. I remember one time crawling into my tent to sleep only to be surprised by what in the %$#@*&^ was that smell – Cat!  I darn near totaled that tent cleaning cat spray off and airing it out over and over till I think I got it.  Every time I set the tent up I thought I could still smell it faintly, psychological effect I guess.  Male dogs just love to mark territory, here, there and everywhere and car wheels, coolers, and tents are fair places for them.  You’ll learn to recognize the sound.  The chink of dog tags in the night – chink chink chink squirt squirt squirt then chink chink chink.  Usually late at night or early in the morning.  The RVer’s sometime let their dogs out when security is low rather than walking them.

 Choose your campsite wisely, you are now armed with enough knowledge to have a great time and fend off the elements. It’s all about how to live with nature and enjoy your self at the same time without human impact on the environment. 

You see, selecting a tent is not a rocket science, especially after you know what to look for.  I hope to see you out there.   Leave No Trace

 The Camping Team & Chuck Milburn     

Camping Team & Chuck 's add ons