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Camping Tents: A Buying Guide
You’ll want to look at things like the material, weight, and dimensions to see if the tent will accommodate your whole group. Do you like your space? If so, than you may want to get a tent with some room to grow! Keep in mind that a “3-person” tent, for example, can fit 3 sleeping adults and little else. While there are many options, features, bell and whistles, there are some main qualities of tents that you’ll want to know before buying your home in the woods. Ask yourself the following questions below: How big of a tent do you need?The dimensions can be critical when picking a tent. Have a little one? That pack-n-play and maneuvering space around it takes up the space of 2 sleeping bags! How about vertical space? Some large camping tents have room to stand up while others are the crawl-in and crawl-out type. If that’s important to you, you’ll want to look at the interior height.Are you driving or hiking to your campsiteA 52-pound tent with a gear loft, porch, bay window and cup-holders could make your camping trip a blast…unless of course you have to hike a mile into the woods with it?! A backpacker’s tent can be very different than a scoutmaster’s tent! Be sure to look at the pack weight of the tents before you buy it, especially if you’ll be carrying it for any significant distance.What is the tent frame (pole) material?You’ll notice the high-end tents have lightweight aluminum poles while others have fiberglass or steel poles. While aluminum poles are great, I have nothing negative to say about shock-corded fiberglass poles as these have served me quite well over the years. With aluminum poles you get a stronger frame for the carry-weight, so if weight is a consideration you may want to look for an aluminum framed tent.What is the tent material?Almost all new camping tents are made out of nylon or polyester taffeta. Most will list a weight in denier (d) or ounces and the type of coating. Nylon is lighter than polyester; and the polyurethane coating than some polyester tents are coated with is susceptible to wear from UV rays. A camping tent with ripstop is a stronger poly thread that’s woven into the fabric to prevent large tears or rips. As you evaluate the tents side-by-side, pay particular attention to the tent’s material that goes against the ground – this needs to be durable and thicker than the tent walls. Look at the material for the rain-fly (if applicable) and if the seams are double stitched. All of this is important for the long-term ability of a tent to keep you dry.I think it would be fair to say that all reputable camping tents will keep you dry on their first few uses, but over time the cheaper tents will wear and tear (literally) and these holes and thin areas can allow water and bugs to get in (no fun). You’ll notice that the higher-end tents are nylon or heavy polyester…you get what you pay for. But it’s also worth noting that with proper care a polyester tent with polyurethane coating can last for 10+ years of dry, fun camping!
The tent comparison charts below are good 2-3 season tents for family outings, serious backpacking, or scouting trips. They are listed by size: small (1-2 person); medium (3-5 people); and large (6+ people). There are over 50 camping tents from reputable vendors...there should be one there that fits your needs & budget...
Small Camping Tents for 1-2 People:
Medium Camping Tents for 3-5 People:
Large Camping Tents for 6 or more:
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