Choosing a Tent

Having a shelter is critical and a tent can be a simple solution. Most tents are lightweight, portable, and durable. Tents keep rain and wind out, while keeping warmth in. The outer rain-fly should be strong, watertight, and taught, keeping the heaviest rains and high winds out. The inner part of the tent should be loose, made of non water repellent materials (to minimize condensation build up), but retain heat, with air vents. These two layers of the tent must not touch each other. If they do heat may be lost, and condensation may form inside the tent. To prevent water seepage and tears on the bottom portion of the tent, a ground tarp should be placed down before the tent is set up. However, some tents have built in tarps, or don't require one. Do your research to know what type of tarp, if any, is best for the tent.

Tents

There are many different styles of tents, but most are constructed similarly. However, certain styles of tents are more suitable for a particular climate. For extreme snow and rain conditions, a dome tent is a smart choice. A dome tent can be stabilized with many stakes placed around the perimeter. With the rounded dome shape, this tent allows precipitation to runoff quickly and efficiently. These tents are small, and normally fit one person. A three-hooped tunnel tent, on the other hand, can be large enough for two or three people. This type of tent also fares well in heavy precipitation as well, due to the cylinder or tunnel shape of the tent. Because of the shape and size of the tent, it won’t fare well in extreme snowfall or wind. A traditional horizontal-ridge tent is the multi tool of the tent world, It can be set up almost anywhere. This is  also the cliché “A” frame tent most people think about. This style of tent can come in any size, from a one person tent to a five or six person tent. Overall, a ridge tent is very useful. A tunnel tent is a cross between a dome tent and a ridge tent. This is the classic one person backpacking tent. This tent is lightweight and easy to setup. They can also be set up on grass, rocky valleys, and can deflect high winds. The geodesic dome tent is great for family tenting. A geodesic dome tent is strong, lightweight, large, and easy to setup and teardown. Because of it’s design, This tent is large enough to stand comfortably in, and fit five to eight people. This tent won’t fare well in extreme weather or climate conditions. But with the open and airy design, it’s a great choice for camping in the yard, or at a camp site.

There are many different styles of tents, and you should take into consideration the weight and sizes of your tent, for you will have to transport it somehow. If you are not using a vehicle. I find you can never have too many tents. It might sound silly, but this could be the difference between life and death. Stay tuned for more next week and remember to always be prepared.

Thank you, and please leave a comment or suggestion below about what I should blog about next week.