How to choose a tent

The tent you bring along with you on a camping trip can either enhance or complicate your experience in the woods. It’s important to take your time in choosing the right tent for you and the expedition you're embarking upon.

In order to make an informed decision when purchasing a tent, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:

• What season/ weather conditions will this tent be used in?
• How many people will be using this tent? Do you want extra room of a 3 person tent to sleep 2 people in a comfortable space? Or you wish to save on weight and sleep in a smaller tent, closer to your “roommate”
• Is weight an issue? Will you be carrying this tent with you every day, by yourself, split the components among the campers or is it more of a base camping trip?
• What is my budget for this purchase?
• How frequently will I be using this tent? You can by a first price tent from a well known supplier for occasional camping, or invest in a technical tent to use every week!

Size

Selecting a tent that is the right size for your needs can be tricky. If you are using your tent only to sleep in, then the tent will hold the number of people that it is supposed to (a three person tent will hold three people). If you expect to spend time in the tent other than to sleep, you might consider a little more room (getting a four person tent for 2-3 people). Consider set-backs due to weather in this calculation. However, it is excessive to bring a tent that is too large for your use as it adds weight to your pack.

Conditions

There are three main categories of tents to choose from when making your selection:

1. Three Season Tents

• Three season tents are an effective choice for spring, summer and fall—not an effective choice for conditions of heavy snowfall and high winds
• Mesh bodies provide good ventilation and reduction of condensation
• Advantages include: versatility, lighter weight and more compact than four season tents
• Steep walls increase usable interior room, shed precipitation better and help drying the tent.
• Mesh windows and doors with zippered closures to choose the level of ventilation.
• Same length poles sections and color-coded poles to ease the set-up in less than ideal conditions.
• Tent body of light blue, yellow, white or beige to let the most light in.

2. Expedition Tents

• Four or five aluminum poles for extra stability and freestanding construction.
• Steep sidewalls to shed wind and snow.
• Two doors with vestibules for maximum storage and easy entrance.
• Vestibules have an additional pole for extra room and support.
• Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the fly for tying down in very bad weather.
• Protection in heavier weather (winter camping, windy conditions)
• Mostly used for winter camping and mountaineering.
• Heavier materials means greater weight and less compatibility
• Heavier fabric with thick waterproof coatings—less ventilated

3. Single Wall Tents

• Made of a single canopy-fly waterproof breathable fabrics which are most effective in dry, cool conditions (don't do well in humid, summer conditions)
• No inner body enables the tent to be lightweight and compactable

Weight

If you are always carrying your equipment, the weight of the tent might be an issue. Consider a lightweight model if you carry your tent all day, for every day of the trip. A heavier tent should be used for occasional camping, base-camping trip with occasional portages. Remember that the weight can be split among the campers to have each a light part of the tent to carry.

Materials

A tent's material affects the garments performance—it is important for you to pick the material that best suits your camping needs. Some materials are lighter; others are more durable or more compactable. The two main categories of tent materials are: nylon and polyester tents.

1. Nylons

• Lighter weight (can be a factor if you must carry your tent with you throughout the entire trip)
• More compactable
• More durable than other materials although can stretch if wet.
• New silicone coated nylons prevent from mildew, don’t stretch and are thinner for more compressibility than regular nylons.

2. Polyesters

• More resistant to UV rays, commonly used on family tent to stay in the sun for extended period of time.
• Heavier material than nylon, good for base camping trips with occasional portages and hikes.
• Less sensitive to humidity and condensation
• More solid and stable as a material than nylon, will not stretch.

Poles

There are two types of poles that are generally used in tents: fiber glass and aluminum. Higher end gear mostly use aluminum poles. They are lighter, resistant to cold, more stable than fiber glass poles. Aluminum poles are a bit more expensive, but they rigid and are designed to fold smaller and neatly when packing up a tent. In contrast, poles made of fiber glass are heavier, longer, and seize up in cold conditions. As well, they are too flexible for larger tents to maintain their form in strong winds. Advantages to fiber glass tent poles are that they are less expensive and good for all seasons except for winter.

Waterproofing

The waterproofing of a tent is measured in water column height; it evaluates the depth of water the fabric can hold back. If a tent has a 600mm coating, it will keep water out for one minute at a depth of 600mm of water. To camp comfortably, the minimum waterproofing for tent floors is around 1000mm, and around 500mm for tent flies. If you are concerned with waterproofing, some models have sealed seams and zippers for extra protection.

Floors

The shape of tent floors also affect function and waterproofing. Floors in a bathtub-like shape offer less stitching and seams on the bottom of the tent. Furthermore, the impermeability of the tent's base comes up higher around the tent for greater waterproof protection. Arc shaped floors share the floors tissue evenly throughout the base of the tent. Often a one-piece floor sheet. As well, floors can be easily changed if ripped and stitches all around, don't touch the ground if the tent is set up with proper tension.

Another important point: Add a footprint to your purchase. Perfect to fit your exact tent, it will take all the wear and tear, the dirt and grit abrasion instead of your harder-to-replace tent floor.

-Germain Altitude

Passionate about all things outside, Germain is our resident gear expert, nay, freak. He's here to share his knowledge and wisdom. He'll also answer your questions about all things outdoor gear. And hey, if you have any questions concerning the two Ls, life & love, try him out. You're guaranteed an honest answer.