Buyers Guide To Choosing a Tent
We think that any time spent in a tent is time well spent. A quiet camp away from the hassle of modern life can be medicine for the soul, but with so many different designs available, making sure you buy the right one can quickly give you a tent's nervous headache!
Shelter is important. If you are a solo camper who loves going out in dry, calm weather, maybe a tarp (a single piece of waterproof fabric) is all you need. Perhaps you are travelling through a hot region, where a mosquito net is the only protection you need from the elements. Or maybe a Bivvy Bag is the best option for the lightest weight weather protection.
The odds are, though, a tent will give you the space and weather protection you need. Ultra-light models, in particular, can be really compact. Check the dimensions, as being unable to sit up properly while waiting out a storm is no fun at all. If weight and size are important considerations for backpacking/bike-packing etc, then be sure to check packed dimensions too.
Tents fall into four key shapes: Ridge tents are traditional, classic-shaped, easy to pitch and sturdy. Dome tents are spacious and easy to pitch, usually with two poles crossing at the apex. They often have two doors and sometimes two vestibules, so you don’t have to climb over your tent buddy in the night. Tunnel tents provide a high space-to-weight ratio and are very easy to pitch. Geodesic tents have two or more poles with five or more crossings, making them the strongest kind of tent design, ideal for wild weather or expeditions.
3-season tents are ideal for most typical outdoor adventures. Most can handle heavy rain and a light dusting of snow, but they are not designed to withstand extended periods of bad weather. A 4-season tent is designed to keep you safe from severe weather, including snow and high winds. 5-season tents are designed for expedition use, made to the highest specifications for extreme weather.
The hydrostatic head measurement of the groundsheet and fly sheet will give you an idea of how much water the fabrics will keep out under laboratory conditions, but the overall construction and how the seams are sealed are also critical factors in how your tent will perform outdoors in bad weather.
Poles provide the structural support for your tent, and there is a huge amount of science involved in creating them. Fibre Glass poles are the cheapest but nowhere near as strong as aluminium or carbon poles.
We stock over 30 different types of tent pegs. Yes really. These range from 2g titanium ultra light beauties to steel nails that can literally be hammered (we sell one especially for the job) into those special kinds of groundsheet wrecking gravel/concrete pitches beloved on continental campsites. There are triangular ones, swizzly ones, V/Y/T shaped ones, stakes for camping in snow, shovels for camping on sand – no matter what sort of terrain you will be pitching on, we will absolutely have the peg for that!
Airing your tent each morning of use, wiping excess mud off the groundsheet, allowing it to dry before packing up and storing sharp pegs as the last item in the top of the bag when you are putting it away are all simple ways to make your tent last longer.
Outdoor Gear Chat Podcast
Take a listen to our Outdoor Gear Chat podcast Episode 19, all about tents, where Cathy and Wayne talk tents, poles, flysheets and pegs, pegs, pegs...
