Guide To Buying A Tent

This hub will provide you with a good tent buying guide and allow you to make an informed decision, especially for a family tent buying guide as that is an important thing to get right. There are of course one person tents and two person tents etc but when it comes to generally buying a tent the best thing to look for is the number of bedrooms. That's as good an indicator as any for working out the size of your tent and suit your occupancy. Tents typically come in dome shapes and room shapes and all should come with a really good ground sheet, pegs and poles where required.

The next thing I would look at would be the weight of the tent. If you are travelling to your destination by car, this is not an issue, but if you plan on hiking or a lot of walking then it becomes a very important consideration.

My own personal choice is the Quechua range of tents as they are really good quality and having used them I believe great value for money.

There are some other very important considerations to take on board. As an ex scout leader I know just how important these are and it is a big mistake to over look any of these.

Water Resistance :- This is often referred to as hydrostatic head. It is usually measured in millimeters and these figures should be used as a guide. 1000mm is ok for summer use and nothing else. It will withstand light showers. 1500mm will give a little more resistance to the damp and rain. 2000 mm is the most popular choice and is great for all year round use. I pay a little extra and go for 3000mm as I live in Ireland and we get real rain, a lot of real rain.

Taped Seams :- Again I go for this as it gives much needed added protection and resistance to poor weather conditions. Having those seams with added protection is just something that is necessary if you plan camping in any type of rainy conditions.

Fire Retardant :- Again another must for me. If you have never camped before then you probably won't realise how important this feature may be. I have seen quite a few tents go up in flames in my time with inexperienced campers and naked flames. The retardant tent has its surface coated with a special material to prevent this from happening.

The last thing I would look at, but also consider, especially if hiking is the packed size. It's always worthwhile noting that when you get around to packing.

After all of those considerations I then like to consider what I call the add value elements to a tent. My own personal preference is to have what is called a "riser ground sheet" in the living area of the tent and a sewn inner ground sheet. It just makes the camping experience a lot more comfortable, especially if you have anyone with you who is afraid of creepy crawlies.

I also like loops in the roof for holding battery lanterns and I like inner storage pockets. Most tents have a zipper access which I like. For tent attachment I much prefer what is known as a ring and pin system and I wouldn't really consider anything else. You can also purchase now what are known as double skin tents. I haven't tried them so I won't comment but the reviews do look good.

Then after that it truly does become personal choice. If you like a particular color, do you want windows and air vents and at that stage you are moving up the luxury league and the more expensive tents.