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How to pick a tent for camping? First, consider exactly where you’re going and how your choice of destination correlates with what your ideal tent should be. Then, research the weather – severe conditions mean you’ll likely need to lean towards more heavy-duty equipment, particularly if you’re heading out in winter. Pick the right size to accommodate any travel companions who might be coming with you. After that, think about any special features you’d like the tent to have. More details in the rest of the article below!
How to Pick a Tent for Camping?
Plenty of factors will play a role in determining your camping tent of choice. Without putting in sufficient effort to research ahead of time, you may doom yourself to a subpar purchase that will not perform suitably well on your next camping trip. Worst-case scenario: you could have a truly terrible time.
So, let’s provide a detailed breakdown of all the factors worth considering in your quest to buy a good camping tent.
Your Destination
An important aspect to think of when choosing a camping tent: where will you be deploying it? Is it an established camping ground, or are you headed out into the deep wilds? Is the terrain rugged and mountainous, or will there be plenty of flat, open spaces where the wind can blow freely?
All of these should influence your decision-making. For example, if your camping trip is to an area without dense foliage or tree cover, firmly securing your tent against the wind becomes that much more important.
Tent Seasonality
Like many other items, high-quality tent design accommodates certain weather conditions that differ year-round. Most tents available on the market are built to withstand light to moderate weather. 3-season tents are thin, airy, and perfectly serviceable in temperate conditions during spring, summer, and fall.
In harsher winter conditions, a 4-season tent may be more appropriate to provide ample warmth and protection from the elements. These tents are built out of sturdier, thicker fabric with less mesh, meaning less cold air will be let inside.
Tent Size
This should come as no surprise, but the number of guests in your party will affect the choice of your tent regarding the size of its interior. With more people in tow, your tent will need to offer more room and storage to comfortably fit everyone.
In addition to its basic square footage, bringing other people along will involve a host of other factors to consider. Some of your companions may have spatial preferences, such as a higher ceiling or extra room, to avoid sleeping in close quarters.
Some tents are furnished with features to accommodate family comfort for campers who prefer bringing their family along on hikes and trips. These could include extra partitions between parent and child spaces or an extra foyer or extension, so the family dog doesn’t trample all over the bedding and leave muddy prints everywhere.
Extra Features and Accessories
When wondering how to choose a camping tent, many people lack adequate foresight and only buy for the short term. Later on, they realize they’d like to go on another trip. Now, with some experience under their belt and possibly with some more research, they realize their newly bought tent lacks a specific feature recommended for their upcoming adventure, ultimately having to resort to buying another piece of equipment.
To avoid this, spend time considering all the circumstances you may face on your trips, both in the near and distant future. While you can purchase add-ons like windbreaks, tarps, or extra-sturdy tent pegs separately, they will often cost more than the total price of a tent bundled with these tent accessories in the first place.
Weight and Ease of Setup
If you plan to backpack or hike to your campsite, consider the weight of the tent. Picture yourself traversing miles of stunning terrain, your backpack snugly carrying your essentials. Now imagine the weight multiplied several times by an unwieldy tent slung across your back as well. The trek would turn exhausting in a flash.
Similarly, unless you’re planning to get to your destination in a car, a long hike turning into hours of wrestling with a cumbersome tent can put a damper on the fun factor of your journey.
The Takeaway
So, how to buy a good camping tent, then? With the help of our pointers, hopefully, the process will become much easier now that you know what to look out for.
Read more: Camping 101: How to Set Up a Campsite Like a Pro - Tips and Tricks for Beginners