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Tips on selecting a tent: Questions I have received and the answer.Jul 01 '05 (Updated Jul 03 '05) Write an essay on this topic.
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This is a couple of questions I have had on tents and my responses to them. Several of them have pretty much asked the same question so I felt it was appropriate to answer it here. Question 1:I like four season camping. What’s your opinion on the most weather resistant family style tent? What brand do you look to when tent shopping? Question 2:Hi- I read your reviews of some Coleman tents and I am writing to thank you. You are an invaluable resource to the outdoor community! My family and I have been tent camping for the past 2 years. Our tent was purchased from The Sports Authority, and it is their brand. It has been horrible! Every time it rains it leaks badly. So much that we wake up soaked from our blankets wicking up all the water off of the floor. We even seam sealed everything, and it still leaks. Well, I've learned my lesson. I need to do more homework on tents before I buy another one. So I wanted to ask you what tent you would recommend for a good, solid family tent. We want something that will last, and hold up well in a rainstorm. What would you suggest? My combined answer If you are looking for a 4 season family tent, I’m afraid you are out of luck unless you want to spend a great deal of money. A true 4-season tent is designed to withstand the harshest elements and allow you to sleep peacefully, it is not designed for a family to walk around and play in like some of the Coleman models are. A family tent is generally considered to be a very large, roomy, and sometimes multi-roomed tent. Almost all tents that you can walk upright in has too high a profile to be able to handle a heavy snow load or heavy winds (exceptions are one that has a lot of crossed poles and/or guy wires holding it down.) And the reason you want a four-season tent is so you can camp in snow. The North Face trailhead is the only tent I have found that has the space, profile, and pole design to handle most weather conditions. I would not trust it in extreme weather conditions though (high winds and heavy snow fall). If you like this type of camping either build a igloo like some campers do in the San Bernardino mountains during the winter, or get a good quality 4-6 man dome style tent. The North Face and MSR calls these types of tents expedition tents. Just remember that these tents are pricy. The other option is to spend 5 grand on the North Face 2 Meter Dome. I’m sure we all have 5 grand lying around. The first thing I look for is the manufacturer name and the basic design. Names of manufacturers I trust are REI, North Face, and MSR. Kelty is a brand I have had good luck with but I inspect their products a little more that I would with the other brands. But would feel confident recommending almost any brand that REI.com carries. SportChalet is a good store but they carry some brands I would avoid like Coleman tents. I looked at Walmart.com and I personally would not buy any of the tents I found there (Ozark and Coleman). The only reason I would get a tent there was if I was under time constraints and I was only going to use it in as a short term option (like for 2-4 weekend trips). They just are not dependable in the worst weather conditions. As far as family tents are concerned I would recommend... REI Basecamp 4&6- I love my Basecamp 6 and it fits my family of 4 quite comfortably with room to spare. REI Hobitat 4&6- I like the layout of the poles because they cross each other in several places. It is also high up which means you can stand up fairly easily inside it. But the higher profile will not work well in high winds or heavy snowfall. But the pole design looks solid. The North Face Himalaya- Well designed but only if you have 700 to blow on a 4 man tent, but this is an expedition tent and is designed for true 4-season camping. The North Face Trailhead 6&8- similar to the Coleman Weathermaster but a much better design, and more expensive. Sierra Designs nomad 5.1 or Bedouin 8- 2 tents to check out if you like the REI Basecamp design. Now do you want a family tent or an expedition tent? That is a question you have to answer because you cannot get your cake and eat it too. You have to sacrifice room for stability or vice versa unless you have 5 grand. There are other family tents and expedition tents out there that I would recommend but this should give you a good start. I look for 2 things in the design of a tent. First is pole design. Do the poles overlap? How many poles are there? Ultimately does the tent look like it can withstand a lot of abuse. The second thing I look for is the profile. I prefer to have a tent with a lower profile if possible because I know it will withstand the elements better. But the drawback with a lower profile is you can't stand in that type of tent. Another suggestion I give is to buy two types of tents. One tent is for sleeping and changing in. The other tent is a large screen tent that will allow children to play in or the family to eat in/play games in without having to worry about bugs, dirt, or the sun. Not the ideal option for some families (my family included) but a good option for someone that needs to escape from the outdoors/ dust/ bugs/ etc without getting dust tracked in their tent every time a kid goes in and out of it. And another question you need to ask yourself is what are your primary needs. As your children get older you really only need one tent for sleeping because your children will be outside all the time. In that case 45 SPF and a solar shower are better investments. But when your children are young I recommend that you get a tent that is large enough to fit a play yard and/or room for additional toys and play area inside the tent. Hope this helps. Also, Here is a link to use the REI tent finder. It might help you narrow down your choices. http://www.rei.com/rei/gearshop/advisor/tent.html?cm_re=toc*3*tentfndr&vcat=REI_SSHP_CAMPING_TOC Note: When I talk about heavy rain and snowfall I am talking about the most severe weather conditions. These conditions are quite common at the 10,000 feet level and above on some mountains (during certain parts of the year). But you could experience these condition in other areas depending on where you are, the season, and the microclimate. My guide on family tents. A story on why good gear is important.  |
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