Buy the Right Tent

by Richard Matthews

If you need a tent and aren’t sure which to buy, consider first how the tent will be used.

A backyard tent for the children to play in, for instance, is simple enough. Most department stores stock adequate tents for less than $60, some for as little as $30. You’ll want a tough floor and durable zippers on door and window flaps—both receive rough usage from youngsters.

For camping trips or for backpacking, you’ll want a better tent with features for staying warm and dry in all kinds of weather. Keep in mind these tents are more expensive, ranging from about $100 up to $400 or more.

Don’t buy unless you see a tent set up. If a display model isn’t available, or the store clerk won’t put one up for you, shop elsewhere. As with a sleeping bag, if a tent doesn’t “fit,” it’s not for you.

If it’s billed as a “two man,” crawl in with another person and see if it feels cramped. Remember, you’ll be in the tent with pads, sleeping bags, and other gear, so make sure there’s room. Some tents have vestibules, a kind of “front porch” overhanging the entrance, handy for storing packs and boots out of the way and out of the weather.

Most tents today are made of “rip-stop” nylon, a material that won’t tear if punctured. These are reasonably rain repellent, but a must for keeping off rain is a tent fly.

A “fly” is a separate cover stretching over the tent’s frame without touching the tent’s fabric, creating a space between tent and fly. When it rains, the fly acts as an umbrella, shedding water and preventing seepage through the tent fabric when you touch it.

The tent’s “frame” or poles are important. External aluminum or fiberglass frames are best (and lightweight), with the tent hooked or threaded onto the assembled poles, and the fly stretched over the frame. Tents come in various shapes, but the dome tent, with its rounded top and sloping sides, is popular for sit-up roominess and stability in windy conditions.

Weight can be critical if you’re going to carry a tent any distance. Backpacking tents can be ultralight, up to 6 or 7 pounds (the one-man bivouac tents weigh as little as 3 pounds).

Examine several camping catalogs—many camping stores have them, and mail-order companies send them on request. Read specifications, compare features and costs, and then go shopping.

Richard Matthews, an avid tent camper, is Northeast editor for American Profile.

first appeared: 7/15/2001