Tent Buying Guide - How to Buy Tents
Buying a Tent can be daunting task if you do not know exactly what you are looking for and what type of condition you intend to use it for. But don't worry, it's not as hard as it seems. Let our Tent Buying Guide help you sort through all the information and find the ones that you need to know. Read on.
If you like to buy a Tent, you should know the answers to the following questions before you head off:
- How many people are going to sleep in it?
- Is weight or bulk an important issue?
- What weather conditions will you be using it in?
Size versus Weight
The importance of the first two questions will be covered in this section.
A major consideration for anyone who will be carrying their Tent is the internal space the Tent offers versus its weight. Tents that are, let's say designed for 2 persons, do have different sizes. That is because some provide a way of storage space for gear or 'living room' for changing clothes, cooking, sitting out bad weather, etc. Others do not. Some Tents offer larger porches, or a porch on each side/end (therefore giving double storage space), with only a marginal increase in weight. It is therefore important for you to decide whether increased comfort and convenience of carrying a lightweight (but cramped) Tent outweighs the comfort and convenience of a more spacious (but heavier) Tent.
Types of Tents
What weather conditions you will be using your Tents for as well as the type of camping you are planning to do are the next things you should know. You can choose between the following types of Tents:
3-Season Camping Tents
If you camp and backpack in mild or hot weather, then you should buy a 3-season Tent. They are manufactured with lighter weight fabrics and poles. They are also less ridged and have a stable structure. They will cope with heavy rain and moderately strong winds. Because the inner part is well vented, the Tent can be made cooler in hot weather. These are often the cheapest type of Tent.
4-Season Backpacking Tents
If you backpack and camp all year round, you need a stronger Tent. 4-Season Tents are made of stronger fabrics and poles than the 3-season Tents. They also have a more stable structure. It will cope equally well with hot and cold temperatures through the use of adjustable vents on inner and outer parts. Because you also want to use the Tent in rainy and winter conditions, it will withstand heavy rain, strong winds, and some snow.
Expedition Tents
These are the strongest. They are made of the strongest fabrics, poles, and have the most stable structure. They are especially useful if the main activity you use your Tent for is Mountaineering, high altitude trekking, and camping in exposed location in winter conditions. These Tents are dedicated to cope with strong winds and heavy snow. For summer camping, these Tents do have a disadvantage. Because they have smaller entrances (to reduce the amount of snow blown in severe weather) and is less vented (to increase warmth of Tent), it is rather uncomfortable to use in hot weather conditions.
Other criteria
Condensation
All Tents that are waterproof will allow condensation to form on the inside surface of the flysheet - most notable thing in the morning. To avoid that you or your gear become wet inside the Tent, a well designed Tent will have a good airspace between the inner and flysheet. This will reduce the amount of condensation and reduce the chance of the inner touching the outer and getting wet.
The two main methods of pitching a Tent that have an inner and an outer Tent are: inner first or inner and outer together. Pitching the inner Tent first offers the benefit of extra strength and stability and it also offers a larger ventilation gap between the inner and outer Tent which reduces condensation.
If Tents are designed to pitch the inner and outer together, then these are quicker to put up and it will keep the inner Tent drier if you pitch the Tent in rainy windy conditions.
Cooking in Tents
Beware that most of the Tents are made of fabrics that do burn very easily and rapidly. Therefore, if you have a choice, never use a stove inside your Tent. However, in some situations where this cannot be avoided, do take care that the Tent is adequately ventilated, and that the stove is well away from sidewalls of the Tent. If you use liquid fuel stoves, then watch out for flares that can occur occasionally if you are cooking.
Maintenance of your Tent
- Always let your Tent dry thoroughly before packing away for storage. Otherwise, mildew will grow in there, which is smelly and impossible to remove.
- After you have dried your Tent, always clean all the dirt and grit from the zips, as it greatly accelerates wear. Lubricate zips when necessary with a silicon spray.
- Inners and flysheets can be machine washed with a product made to clean Tents.
- After some time, you might want to waterproof your flysheets again. There are several special products on the market that can be used for this purpose.
- Check the Tent for small holes and rips in the flysheet or ground sheet. If you found some, then you can easily repair these with sealant products.
- If there are larger holes, rips, or other damage, the Tent can be returned to its manufacturer. They will repair it with care. Do make sure that the Tent is clean and dry before you return them.
After going through every possible detail about Tents, we hope that you are better informed now and ready to buy one. You can do so now by going to our Mountaineering Tents Shop. Have a great time shopping!
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