Just sitting around the camping tent can be so much fun. And so, can traveling. This is not always easy to imagine; we get stuck in cities; we spend entire weekends doing things like surfing the internet. The places we go to are often of very poor quality, but there’s an escape – CAMPING!
During holidays or even during the summer, camping with friends and family can be quite a thrilling activity to bring you together. It is one of the most fun ways to get away from the pressures of regular life. However, you need to plan in advance for your camping adventure as there is so much that has to be worked out beforehand to make your camping unforgettable and, on the side, note sometimes things can get quite unpredictable.
For instance, you will need to get the basic commodities and items that are required for day to day survival; some of these items include food, beverages, clothing, and of course, a suitable tent. Choosing a camping tent can be quite a task because you need to make sure that you get one that is going to fit your needs. This because once you arrive in the camping zone, the tent assumes the status of your house, and any mistake made during the purchasing or choosing of the tent could turn to be a disaster. To simplify the process of getting the best camping tent, you need to consider these things:
1. Capacity
This is a key factor in the selection of any camping tent and what can and cannot be packed into it. You need to know the exact number of people going camping so as to ensure that one is left out or no tent that has more members than is required. Having a comfortable and warm place to retire to at night will surely make the camping experience more enjoyable. You do not need to have a tent that has everyone cramped together and sleeping in uncomfortable positions.
2. Weight
This is another crucial consideration that you can’t afford to skip when buying a camping tent. Camping tents are customarily designed and built with the purpose of allowing the person camping to move around comfortably, and carrying a weighty camping tent makes the experience only worse. The person in charge of carrying the tent will certainly be tempted to enjoy camping, which can easily interfere with everyone’s mood in the camping area and ultimately kill everyone’s spirit. You should get a tent of standard weight that is easy to carry and set up once you arrive at your campsite.
The optimal weight of a camping tent that can accommodate 3-4 campers should not exceed 3.5 to 6.69 pounds. The best examples of quality, lightweight and affordable camping tents are the Wenzel Ridgeline Dome Tent and the Coleman Instant Dome.
3: Ventilation
When camping in the summer, be sure to choose a camping tent that allows good air circulation, as it is essential to cool things off and get rid of unpleasant odors that eventually build up over a long weekend. However, if you enjoy winter camping, you will want to keep as much warmth as possible in your tent, so your camping tent should feature options to limit ventilation. Ventilation is, therefore, a crucial element when deciding on purchasing a camping tent.
In essence, the tent has to be habitable, which means that the interior of the tent has to be well spaced, easy to set up, and, more importantly, have good built-in ventilation. A tent that has these qualities will be able to accommodate you and any other people that you are camping with and ensure that there is not too much humidity inside the tent due to condensation.
A tent doesn’t allow proper airflow can cause the sleepless night to campers, which ultimately will destroy all the pleasure of the camping experience.
4: What Weather You Will Be Experiencing
You need to think about the weather that you will be camping under. This way, you will not have a tent that is leaking in the middle of the night, getting too cold if you are camping out in the snow, or even not properly ventilated. You must always ensure that you have proper ventilation if you are camping during the summer. You can opt for three-season tents. These are okay for all seasons except winter. Four season tents accommodate all seasons and can withstand the weather while you are out there.
5: Your Tent Needs
If you are going to be camping out in the wild, you will need to have a tent that is lighter to carry. You need to look for ones that have a very compact and lightweight design that can be easily carried around. You should choose a tent that is at least 60sq.ft in size, assuming you have 2-3 people with you. The best option for you is a tent that has aluminum poles. These are lighter, so you will not have to carry something that is too heavy for miles.
Long-distance hikes need tents that are not too heavy and are easier to set up. If you are going on the trip alone, you should consider a rollout or a tent cot. This way, you will not have to get frustrated while trying to get your tent to work because nightfall is approaching.
6: Height of The Tent
Your tent should be high enough for you to sit in. This is what ensures that you do not bring it down when you are getting in. Choose a tent with at least 3ft6. This way, you will be comfortable when sitting inside. You should also think about the rain-fly stability points at the bottom. They should be enough to ensure that the tent is stable enough, even during strong winds.
7: Floor Size Also Matters
You do not want to have a tent that has inadequate floor space, especially if you are camping out in the woods. It may force you to leave some of your gear outside the tent. This can be a huge risk, especially if you are camped out in a place that has wild animals. Make sure that there is enough space for you to sleep and also store the gear. Go for about 20 sq. Feet. This is a suitable size to sleep comfortably and have remaining space for storage.
Additional Camping Tent Tips
Make sure that you get a tent that is not complicated to set up. If you are a first-time camper, get help from a professional when choosing a tent. They can also guide you to ensure you get proper camping gear as well.
When you want to choose the right camping tent, you must first decide what you want to use the tent for. If your going up into the mountains camping then you need something that is going to stand up in bad weather and winds, but if you are just camping in the local woods for a night in summer then a cheaper tent might do the job just fine.
As a general rule, I would go for the best camping equipment I could afford. This will not only be better quality and perform better, it will last a lot longer as well.
If you are going up into the mountains then you definitely need a 4 season tent. This is going to protect you from wind, storms and rain and wont let you down, it may even save your life if you get in to trouble.
Cheaper tents are available for a night in the garden or summer lowlands but are not really appropriate for longer trips and all year round camping.
Its worth spending the money, if you have every tried to sleep in a leaking tent, you will know exactly what I mean. Waking up in the morning soaking wet in your sleeping bag with no dry cloths is not fun.
Where to buy camping equipment?
One thing I learned in the past when we did our yearly camping trip was that you should avoid buying stuff in camping shops if you can at all help it.
It didn’t seem to matter how well prepared I thought I was, I was always running out of something or had forgotten to get something altogether.
There were even times when someone we camped with had forgotten to tell us what they were bringing, and we would have to go get something needed for preparation.
As a rule, camping shops tend to be more expensive. You will find these at campgrounds and that is because everyone needs something, and no one wants to have to drive back into town to get something like butter or perhaps a tent stake that has turned up missing.
Camping shops know that people don’t want to do this, and they can charge more money for what they have. They seem to have a knack for charging just enough so that you have to pay more, but driving into town is still not worth it.
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There are great things about camping shops though. There is the fact that they are right there when you need them, and also that they tend to carry things that you might not be able to just grab from the shelf in your local grocery store.
Camping shops like Cabela’s, seem to have just what you need for camping and each of the little things that pop up. This comes from years of experience with campers and knowing what people always seem to come in to look for.
Camping shops will probably have things like string and fishing line, extra tent stakes, and things like butter, ketchup, and soda. These are all things people forget or run out of rather quickly.
I noticed one year when I ran out of butter I could buy a stick for two dollars. Normally I can get four sticks for that price at my local store, but it didn’t seem worth it to travel to town and back just for butter, so we bought it.
Camping shops are convenient but they certainly are expensive. I guess it’s worth the price if you don’t have to cut out half of your camping day to run down the mountain for butter.
