Irrespective of what form of camping you are intending to undertake, the first thing you need to establish is whether your tent is suitable for your needs. It may seem like a strange consideration but the fact is that there are a vast selection of different tents available, all of which are targeted towards specific needs. Making the right decision when camping depends on selecting the best tent, so how do you make your decision?
The most important thing to remember when selecting a tent is that the types offered will vary both in terms of capacity, price and function. A tent is a camper’s primary form of protection against the outside world and therefore needs to be durable and strong in order to be most effective.
Mountaineering
For mountaineering camping expeditions, tents will need protection from exceptionally cold temperatures and stronger winds. Mountain tents will typically be smaller in size to make them easier to carry during climbs. Their low height and aerodynamic shape will also help to protect them from strong winds, by having a smaller surface area. An alternative to mountaineering tents is a bivi. These are single person shelters which are designed to offer protection from wind and rain whilst camping. Exceptionally light in weight these easy to transport bivis can be invaluable for mountaineers.
Festival
Of course, not all camping expeditions are so serious and many people commonly use tents during festivals and other outdoors events. In this situation, a different type of tent is needed with protection taking a secondary role. Instead, ease of erection and high visibility become the main functions, with festival tents offering an easy to assemble temporary shelter. A number of festival tents are therefore “pop-up” tents which simply spring into place once opened. Colourful guy ropes are often an added feature designed to help campers locate their tent amongst the thousands of others. These tents will be available for a number of different births and may even have storage areas at the front for shoes or food to be stored away from the sleeping area.
Family Holidays
Finally, tents are also commonly used for family holidays. Once again, these tents will have a different focus to the previous two, concentrating more on size and comfort. Family tents will typically come in larger births, in order to accommodate the whole family in one shelter. The inside of these tents is often compartmentalised, allowing parents and children to sleep in separate areas in order to provide more privacy and room. Storage pockets and multiple ventilation points will be common features of the interior, helping the occupants to stay comfortable at all times.
Some family tents will even have multiple entrances in order to make it easier to gain access. Increased height of family tents can also make it more comfortable, allowing campers to stand upright inside their tent with greater ease.