Tent Buyer's Guide

Average: Select ratingPoorOkayGoodGreatAwesome

Your rating: None

Camping tents come in many styles. From the small 1 and 2 man tents with a few features to the large group tents that sleep 10's of people and many in between.

But there are many different qualities of tents  and that is where people get into trouble. You have to watch out what you buy.  Bringing a bad tent could end up ruining your camping trip. But if you know what to look for when choosing your tent this will not happen.

How to pick a quality Family Tent

Of course the amount of money you have to spend is very important. But buying a tent is not the place to be cheap.

The number of people in your family is one of the most important factors you have to consider. If you are like most people you like to have room to move around and don't like to be crowded. Tents are made to house just a certain amount of people. Almost all tents are labeled with the number of people it sleeps on the outside of the box.

My advice is, buy a tent rated for at least two more people then are going to sleep in it. This will ensure you will have enough room for everyone and your camping equipment.

Quality matters. There are many really cheap tents out there but don't expect them to hold up to even mild weather.

Make sure you are buying from a quality manufacturer. Just like with anything else the brand name family tents are usually better then the unknown manufacturers.  Coleman, Columbia, Eureka and Kelty are some of the best brands to choose from.

Features

For your tent to hold up to the elements you need to make sure the family tent is made of durable fabric. Feel the fabric it should feel sturdy. There should be little to no streach to the fabric.

The rainfly and ground tarp should be waterproof. Look for a shiny coating on these parts, which means it is waterproof.

The tent should be rated for the season you are going camping in. Most tents are only three season tents. If you are going to be doing any winter camping make sure it is specifically rated for the winter  

The tent should be well ventilated. Look for mesh panes that will let the moisture from you breath escape but prevent bugs from getting inside. However, there should be a way to close off the mesh panels if it starts raining or it gets too cold.

When choosing a tent with metal make sure the metal  is sturdy and not too thin. You may want to consider purchasing a tent with flexable shock -corded poles. Tents with flexible shock-corded tent poles are easier to set up and the poles are less likely to break on you then aluminum or steel poles.  

Any tent you buy should be flame resistance for safety.

Light colored tents allow more light inside and are cooler in the summer. For winter or cold weather you should consider a darker color so it absorbes more heat from the sun.

Look for hooks on the cieling of the tent to hang lights and other items from.

Look for storage pockets to keep your gear off the floor and organized.

These are just some of the feaures I look for  when buying a tent.  Whatever tent you choose should be quality made and hold up to the elements. There is nothing worse then having a tent fail on you in the middle of the night and it could ruin your camping trip.