Camping Tents – The steps to choosing a camping tent that’s right for you

The camping tent is one the most important piece of camping gear that you'll need for your camping trip, unless of course, if you prefer other forms of shelter.

Choosing a camping tent can be an overwhelming experience. There are so many of them out there but only a few might be suitable for what you need it for.

It can be tough choosing a camping tent especially if it’s your first time camping so I'll try to make it simple for you by breaking down the process into a few simple steps.

Size is the first thing you'll need to consider when choosing a tent because it won't do you any good if you have your feet sticking out of a tent that's too small for you or if there's so little space inside that you find it hard to sleep.

A tent that is too big is also a problem if you're backpacking because you'll be carrying weight that is unnecessary.

Another reason why you should consider size first is because it's the easiest. You don't want to go through the headache of choosing the features of a tent and then find out the size you want is not available. You might not even know what features you need to start with.

Basically there are two questions you need to ask yourself when choosing the size of your tent:

1. How many people are you planning to accommodate inside the tent?
2. How big and how tall are you?

Backpacking

If you're backpacking in a large group it's better to have just one tent if the overall weight of the tent divided by the number of people is less than if you're going to use more than one. Having only tent also presents a good opportunity to bond with each member of the group.

A group of backpackers don't usually have a problem with bonding but sometimes it's much more fun with just one tent. You can play cards or have a relaxing drink together in one tent.

A word of caution with the one tent approach. A few days without showering is likely to make most backpackers smell a little bit especially in summer. If you have a problem with that then choose smaller tents to limit the number of smelling bodies or opt for a solo tent or even a bivy sack.

The simplest way to find the right tent size for your group is by getting inside the tent with the same number of people and see if you can sit down and lie down comfortably.

Car/Base Camping

Unless you're a private person it's almost always better to go for the one tent approach for social purposes. However, you can still have your own private "room" and be under one roof if you use something like the The North Face Docking Station Tent or the Abri Socio.

To determine the number of people that can fit into particular tent, most tent manufacturers presently assume that dead bodies stacked side-by-side inside a tent is the same scenario as live people sleeping in the same tent. The truth is, there are not very many people around that sleep as still as a mummy. Most people tend to move around a little bit when they sleep.

Consider a 2 person tent if you're alone or a 3 person tent if you're with another person. It's almost always worth the extra weight even if you're backpacking. Remember that you also need space for your other gear.

If you're not absolutely certain that you'll never ever going to use the tent in the rain, you're going to need a waterproof tent.

How can you tell? Look for sealed or taped seams, bathtub floors, waterproof rainfly, waterproof fabric, polyurethane coating. Tents with these features are likely to be waterproof.

Sometimes you never really know from the features if a tent is really waterproof. If possible, choose a tent that has already been proven to be waterproof. Reviews and independent gear tests helps.

A 3-season tent is usually good enough for all seasons unless you encounter heavy snow. If you expect to encounter heavy snowfall, consider 4-season tents.

Double Wall tents vs Single Wall Tents

Climate is the most important consideration when choosing this feature. In wet climates where condensation is very likely, it's a good idea to choose a double-wall tent. In a dry climate of where you can easily manage condensation, a single-wall tent will do.

To help you decide, double wall tents are warmer, more durable and cheaper but also heavier, bulkier and has a much more complex set-up.

Single-wall tents are lighter, easier to set but colder, less durable and more expensive.

Your tent has to be fit for purpose so choose based on the likelihood of problems with condensation.

Number of Doors

A two-door tent is easier to ventilate than a single door tent for obvious reasons. It also makes entering and exiting the tent a lot easier.

Stakes

The stakes you need depend on the terrain you're going to encounter. Pin stakes are useless in the sand so make sure your camping tent include enough T-stakes which are good for loose ground and snow.

Y-stakes are probably the strongest and suitable for harder terrain.

Color

Choosing the color of your tent might not seem important and it's not a surprise that it's the last to consider when choosing the features of a tent but color is more than just aesthetics.

In the hot and dry desert, if you're setting up camp during the day, a bright-colored tent with UV-resistant fabric can do wonders in keeping you cool.

In some places, you are either required to use only bright colored tents or dark-colored ones.

If you're not backpacking, weight is the least important consideration, sometimes you don't even need to consider it at all. If you're backpacking, a small weight saving can really make a difference over long distances.

Camping tents usually have 2 or 3 weights published by tent makers. Package weight is the weight of the camping tent as it is in the store so it includes everything that comes with the camping tent. Minimum weight is for the tent, fly and poles. Fastpack weight is for the fly sheet, poles and fitted groundcloth.

People usually start with a budget and then decide on a tent from there but in most cases, it's the tent that decides your budget, not the other way round. If you only have $50 to spend on a tent, you're not likely to go very far.

It's also easier to make a judgement once you already have the kind of tent in mind.

However, it doesn't always work this way. If you're an experienced camper, you'd probably know straight away how much you want to spend on a tent because you know how much a tent is worth. If that's the case, the last step could be the first step when choosing a tent.

If you're a beginner, it's unlikely that you know how much you should spend on a tent anyway so making it your last consideration can really make the decision so much easier.

If you have any suggestions to add to the 5 steps to choosing the right tent for you, let me know.