Buying a Tent

Buying a tent is sort of like buying a car--there are so many models to choose from. To facilitate your shopping experience, come to the store with a game plan. Have an idea of what kind of camping you’ll be doing: Do you need something that’s compact and lightweight for an overnight hike into the backcountry? Or do you need a roomy family-camping tent for car camping?

With a sea of choices out there, outdoor manufacturers are sure to have model that fits your needs. They break tents down into three main categories: family, three-season/convertible, and four-season/mountaineering tents. As a general rule of thumb, family camping tents are larger, fitting 4 to 10 people, and are good for moderate weather conditions, since parents don’t usually take little ones ice climbing. Look for models that separate the tent into rooms for an easy way to get privacy.

Three-season/convertible tents are general-use tents meant for spring, summer and fall weather conditions. Some can be "converted" into a tent for extreme winter conditions with the use of protective coverings over ventilation windows. Four season/ mountaineering tents come in single-wall and double-wall models, with single-wall tents being the lighter of the two. They are meant for cold weather conditions, and the tent is built to withstand wind and radical weather conditions all year long. Four season tents are becoming more popular because of their versatility (they can be used in extreme and fair conditions) and improved ventilation systems.

When you're heading to an outdoor specialty shop to buy a tent, think of one word: simple. Above all else, you want a tent that's going to be easy to assemble when you’re out in the middle of nowhere and Mother Nature's howling. The best way to tell if a tent is right for you is to set it up in the store. And, since you may receive some coaching, be sure to set the tent up again in your backyard before heading to the backcountry.

The tent's overall design and its technical features are two factors that affect price. These days, outdoor manufacturers are designing tents with sophisticated designs and ventilation systems meant to keep air circulating, the tent anchored, and you more comfortable. For example, four-season/mountaineering tents may feature highly wind-resistant fabrics, larger diameter aluminum poles, lower profiles, and more ventilation points--additions that all amount to more money. But you're paying for a structure that really lasts in radical winds and weighs less for the strength it packs.

Also, when shopping for tents, keep in mind accessories that mean spending more money but getting more comfort. Some tents come with attachable options, like attics and pockets, which are great ways to store additional gear. A footprint, which protects the tent’s bottom from rugged terrain, is also a plus though you usually have to pay a little extra for that as well.

Now for the real considerations: First is size. Tent size is rated by people, more specifically, the number of sleeping bags that can fit on the floor. Camping gear takes away from this number so if you are buying a tent for Mom and son, a four-person tent is about the right size. Height is another important factor. It is really nice to be able to stand up inside the tent so look for one with a good center height. A bathtub base design is also important. Here, the bottom rolls up several inches from the ground before the seam is formed with the tent’s wall.

Other considerations are:

• Collapsible tent poles of aluminum, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber or tubular fiberglass.
• Freestanding tents set up easily on sand, rocks, snow or anywhere it is difficult to get a stake into the ground. You still need to stake a tent down though unless you want to risk turning it into a very expensive and disposable kite.
• Nylon or polyester fabric for durability and lightest weight.
• One-piece floors add to waterproofness.
• Factory seam-sealed seams save you time and are more durable.
• Steep walls increase useable interior room, shed precipitation better and help vent out humidity.
• Waterproof rainfly that clips to poles and requires only minimal additional stakes.
• Mesh windows and doors with zippered closures for battening down the hatches when things get blustery and damp.
• Same length poles or color-coded poles (each color corresponds to a specific pole sleeve on the tent) makes it easier to set-up the tent in less than ideal conditions.
• Beefy nylon webbing stake loops at each pole end on the tent body.

Optional features include:

• Storage pockets inside for organizing.
• Tent body of yellow, white or beige to let the most light in. This also lets light out so if you are worried about a scene, this may not be for you.
• Gear loops inside the tent to hang flashlights and more from.

Features To Avoid

• Cheap fiberglass poles--these are the poles that discount stores and cheap tents rely on and these are the poles that break, shatter and disintegrate with alarming frequency.
• Too large a tent footprint with sharply angled walls inward may offer strength but require a large lot to set up in while offering minimal useable interior space.
• Metal zippers of any kind.
• Tents that require fully staking out to set up if you are planning on camping on terrain that is rocky, icy, or sandy,  unless you are very skilled at making alternative anchors for your tent.
• Tents so small you feel as if you're the filling in a nylon burrito.

Other Considerations

Add a ground cloth to your purchase. While you can buy a custom-made tent footprint from many manufacturers, with nothing more than clear polyethylene sheeting available at most hardware stores by the roll, you can make a trim-to-fit ground cloth that is slightly smaller than the footprint of your tent's floor. Now it will take the wear and tear of earth and grit abrasion instead of your harder-to-replace tent floor.

Finally, I suggest you visit Outdoor World at Arundel Mills. They have several tents set up in the back so you can see these features first hand and also obtain guidance on selecting and setting up tents. After making your selection, you may want to search on-line for the best value (Boy Scout Store, LL Bean, Campmor, REI, EMS, Hudson Trail Outfitters, Backcountry.com, Moosejaw.com, etc)