The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Tent: Everything You Need to Know
Selecting a suitable tent is the guarantee of a peaceful sleep in the mountains.
Sometimes the wind shakes the tent, sometimes the rain pounds on it, and whenever I camp, I always seek moments like this, staying in the tent and seemingly becoming one with the mountains and the forest.” (Source: Backpacker’s Handbook by Chris Donaldson)
In the mountains, camping is an interesting mountain life, a weekend camping, you can relieve the whole body fatigue. When hiking the route, it is impossible to avoid camping, when the tent is the outdoor mobile home.
In the outdoors, tents can best give people a sense of home.
Tents are sometimes the only man-made objects in the snowy mountains
When you want to go into the mountains, you need to pick a tent, you must hope it’s strong, easy to set up and also very comfortable and light, the price is also good, unfortunately, it is impossible to achieve.
Among all the different kinds of tents, it is a demanding demand for the perfect style.
The reason there are so many types of tents is that these factors are contradictory to each other, so you need to understand the environment you will be facing and then pick out the right tent, which contains the following points.
1.Windproof and waterproof performance
2.Whether the tent is easy to set up
3.Comfort: you stay in the tent comfortable or not
4.Durability: how long the tent can be used
5.Weight: after meeting the previous four items, How much are you willing to carry?
Tent Windproof and Waterproof erformance
Tent weather resistance is the tent’s ability to resist the environment.
The environment in which the tent is located and weather resistance are closely related.
For example, if you are camping in a park, the tent may only need a basic weather resistance.
Parks and other environments that are mild do not require tents to be very weather resistant.
You’re heading to a rainy area, weather resistance is the tent’s ability to repel water. If you are camping in windy mountainous areas, weather resistance is the ability to protect against wind.
Weather resistance is the ability of the tent to withstand the weather
When the wind and rain are mixed, the weather resistance of the tent will be tested even more. Bad weather does not only appear in the extreme areas of high altitude, usually you may encounter rainfall, or the usual route may also run into high winds.
Many tents were destroyed by high winds in the saddle of Little Wutai Mountain
Tent Structure
From the structure of the tent, we can initially decipher the weather resistance of the tent.
The geodesic, tunnel, and dome are three classic structures. Each structure can show the degree of weather resistance.
The more the poles cross, the more stable the tent. The geodesic tent gets its strength from the intersection of the poles. Each cross point is a support point, in the face of high winds, snow pressure, these cross points to ensure that the tent will not collapse.
The geodesic tent has more than three tent poles, with the intersection of more than three, the wind from all directions will meet resistance.
The geodesic tent can adapt to the harsh plateau environment.
The geodesic tent, suitable for high altitude camp construction, and the solid crossover point can resist snow pressure.
The tunnel structure adopts a different idea. The tunnel tent’s poles are bent towards the ground, and the design of close to the ground can reduce the influence of wind. If set up against the wind, the wind does not squeeze the tent pole excessively, while the wind coming from the side may be a little shaky.
The tunnel tent consists of multiple hoop-shaped tent poles arranged in parallel curves.
Tunnel tents are generally two to three parallel tent poles, and parallel poles ensure stability.
Single circle tent is a simplified version of the tunnel tent, they are the same principle, are through the tent pole close to the ground to resist the wind.
Single circle tent, only one arc tent pole, but the structure is equally solid.
Single-person circle tent is lightweight and stable
The two main poles of the dome tent cross once, usually at the highest point, and the crossover point provides resistance to snow pressure. However, the crossover point is located high and the poles are easily bent under the action of wind.
Dome tent structure schematic
The dome tent can stand firmly in a mild environment
The dome design is widely applicable, from low altitude to high mountains are used by mountain friends.
The fish ridge tent has only one main tent pole, with the top half pole as a balancing aid. With fewer poles, the wind resistance is reduced.
The fish ridge tent is actually a simplified dome tent, the reduction in the number of poles brings a decrease in wind resistance.
Fish ridge tent can do very light, good weather camping activities are not uncommon
The structure is only a general assessment of the weather resistance of the tent, specifically when it comes to the style, you need to observe the various components of the tent.
Tent pole quality
Tent pole is the skeleton of the tent structure. Good quality poles, the tent is not easy to collapse in bad weather.
Currently, aluminum pole is the mainstream of tent pole use, while fiberglass is a good choice for entry-level tents.
Aluminum pole: Most camping tents will use aluminum poles, aluminum ductility is better, can be bent, not easy to break, good wind resistance. However, there are many kinds of aluminum poles, different manufacturers workmanship, mixed, poor quality aluminum poles are easy to deformation, break.
Korean aviation aluminum is the choice of raw materials for many outdoor manufacturers to make tent poles, aluminum does not distinguish good from bad with the naked eye, the difference lies in the inherent performance.
Aluminum poles have both strength and malleability and are still evolving. Among them, DAC from Korea and Easton (USA) are two representative companies that manufacture tent poles with guarantees.
DAC’s aluminum poles, professionalism and relevance is very strong, reflecting the increasingly high degree of segmentation of the outdoor industry.
DAC aluminum poles also distinguish between grades, the higher the price of aluminum poles is also higher, which is also the reason for the high cost of high-quality tents.
Fiberglass Pole: The advantage of fiberglass is that it is cheap, but the disadvantage is that it is easily damaged. It is easy to break in the pressure or -20 ° below the environment, so the cold environment or windy environment camping, generally not recommended to choose.
Fiberglass tent poles broken openings are very sharp and may cut through the tent fabric or hurt the camper.
Cheap fiberglass contributes significantly to camping promotion.
Fabric strength
On top of the tent poles, the tent weather resistance also needs the support of fabric.
If the fabric quality is poor, wind rope, ground peg connection and other stress parts may tear extensively in the wind and rain.
Some tent brands will publish the tear resistance factor (Tear Strength), the same thickness of the fabric, the top tent tear resistance index can reach 20 kg, while ordinary tents only 2 to 3 kg tear resistance index.
At present, the mainstream tent fabric is polyester and nylon, there are also blends of the two:
Polyester fiber: corrosion resistance, UV resistance significantly exceeds the natural materials, while both better breathability.
Nylon: wear resistance and tear resistance is the same quality of cotton fiber more than 10 times, so greatly reduce the weight and thickness of the tent fabric.
Polyester (left) and nylon (right)
Ground pegs and wind ropes
The stronger the tent, the more wind ropes and ground pegs there will be. If the tent can withstand the harsh environment, the number of pegs and wind rope are quite a lot.
Ground pegs: You can visually judge the weather resistance of the tent by the number of pegs, generally the tent will be equipped with 8-12 pegs, more emphasis on the stability of the tent pegs in the number of 12-18.
Open the tent storage bag and count the pegs to determine the number of peg anchor points.
Ground pegs are the basis for stabilizing the tent
Wind Rope: On top of the ground pegs, the wind rope anchor points on the tent are also weather resistant components. Wind rope points should be able to stabilize the tent from different directions.
Wind rope is necessary to maintain the stability of the tent
Bath tub height
outdoor environment, the ground is inevitably stagnant water. Inside the tent “bath” design, is to deal with the invasion of water.
The bathtub is an image that refers to the height of the waterproof material at the bottom of the inner tent, the bath tub is high, the ground is not easy to enter the standing water.
The purpose of the “bath tub” is to stop water from accumulating on the ground.
Weather resistance is a key indicator for tents, because resistance to the elements is what they are meant to be. At the same time, the tent also needs to be easy to set up.
Best weather resistance tent in Amazon
The following are some of the tents that we have selected for better wind resistance on Amazon.
Tent : Easy to set up
A tent that is easy to set up will reduce the amount of time you are exposed.
Can quickly set up the tent
We often feel pitchability when camping.
For example, you go out to walk the line, before the tent is set up when the rain may have fallen, this is a test of tent set up sex situation.
Another example, you are outdoors in high winds, but the tent is difficult to set up successfully.
You and a group of people camping, everyone has set up the tent, but you are still busy wearing poles, this is also the buildability.
Pitchability is the ease of tent pitching, which can be examined from the following aspects.
Wind and rain to set up
Tunnel tent, tower tent are in the wind and rain can quickly set up the tent. In addition, the use of exoskeleton design of the dome tent also reduces the chance of getting wet.
Tunnel tent floor mat, inner and outer tents can be connected as one, and the camp can be set up quickly by putting on the tent pole in the wind and snow
Likewise, the tower tent supported from the inside can be quickly transformed into a shelter in case of rain.
There are two designs of dome tent, one is exoskeleton design, that is to say, the tent pole is at the outermost, and the inner and outer tents are connected as one. This design will not get the inside wet even when set up in the rain.
External support inside hanging type, tent pole in the most outside
External support hanging inside, the tent pole outside, like an exoskeleton
On the contrary, the traditional dome tent design tent pole inside, need to build the inner tent first, and then draped on the outer tent, this way is difficult to build in the rain and wind, first build the inner tent is easy to be wet by the rain.
The traditional dome tent design finally drapes the outer tent and is likely to get wet inside by rain.
For the inside of the outer tent, set up under the canopy is a way to avoid rain wet inside the tent, but more trouble.
Can the tent stand on its own
If you can set up the tent on the floor at home, it means that this is a tent can stand on its own. On the contrary, a tent that can only stand on the ground peg wind rope is “non-self-supporting”.
The prerequisite for self-supporting is the presence of crossed poles. If the tent can stand on its own, it is easy to change campsites if you are not satisfied with a location.
Dome tents are “self-supporting” tents, they can be repositioned before they are pegged and have the advantage of being easy to move around.
Of course, self-supporting easy to move at the same time, too light tent may also be the entire wind blown away.
In windy weather, it is difficult to set up the “self-supporting” tent represented by the dome tent.
Non-self-supporting tents do not require crossed poles and can be extremely light, although they are more difficult to move.
Non-self-supporting tents, such as tower tents, are difficult to move after erection, but the weight and volume are very small.
Tent pole connection method
You will find that tents are set up at different speeds, both because of familiarity and because of different pole connection methods.
There are two main types of connections between tents and tent poles: pegged and through-pole.
If you are only camping for the weekend, you can choose the convenient peg type. Hook-ups are easy and quick to set up, easy to attach, and have the advantage of saving time and energy, as well as providing space under the outer tent to reduce condensation. However, hooks can fall off in the wind and rain.
Quick and easy to hook up
If you are going to go for the alignment, you should go for the more reliable way of threading the poles. Threading the poles is more cumbersome and time consuming, but the advantage is better protection, the tent poles are in the package and more stable in stormy weather.
Threading the poles prevents the poles from shifting and also prevents the poles from shifting in the wind.
Tent pole stability
If you find that the tent shakes violently in the wind and rain, the tent pole is often misaligned, indicating that the tent pole is not stable enough. There are two designs of tent pole stability.
Metal buckle: If you want to choose a warm area camping tent, you can choose the metal buckle wearing method, this way is more lightweight.
The metal grommets of the inner and outer tent and the floor mat are passed through in turn to achieve stability, which is the most common way.
Sleeves: If you are going to a rough area, the poles need to be more stable. Some tents will add sleeves to the end of the poles to make them more stable.
Sleeve stabilization method, the tent pole is not easily displaced
Weather resistance, pitchability. Once all these factors are in place, you still have to see if the tent can give you a good night’s sleep.
Amazon Easy Set Up Tent
Here are some convenient tents to easy set up on Amazon.
Tent Comfort
Tent dry, spacious enough, all kinds of things can be placed in an orderly manner, we call this a comfortable tent.
Whether it is an alpine expedition in the Himalayas or a family camping in the countryside, a comfortable tent is very important, no one wants to live in an uncomfortable tent.
For example, for alpine expeditions, an uncomfortable tent is a great blow to morale, and a bad night’s sleep can greatly affect the next day’s performance.
For a family of three going to the outskirts of the city camping, if the tent is very crowded inside, then the joy of being together is greatly reduced.
The comfort of the tent comes from the following design.
Ventilation in the tent
If it is too wet and the tent is poorly ventilated, the tent will be very uncomfortable.
Condensation is the condensation of water vapor inside the tent, when the water can drip directly on the body, sleeping bag, wet equipment. If the tent has ventilation design, water vapor can be discharged in time, the condensation problem can be reduced.
Severe condensation only occurs in areas with high humidity; condensation is not severe in cold areas.
The level of comfort can be seen in the ventilation design of the tent.
Double-layer structure: As long as there is enough space between the inner and outer tent, water vapor will penetrate the inner tent material to condense on the inner surface of the outer tent and get discharged with the air circulation between the inner and outer tent, or flow along the inner wall of the outer tent to the ground.
The separation design between the inner and outer tent, the more separate the inner and outer tent, the less chance of condensation.
Mesh structure: there will be mesh structure design above or on the side of the tent, the larger the mesh area, the better the air circulation and the less condensation.
Inner tent mesh structure
Ventilation hole design: Ventilation holes produce a chimney-like effect. The function is to discharge water vapor from the tent.
Ventilation holes at the top of the outer tent
Foyer ventilation holes
Details inside the tent
Paying attention to the design of small details inside the tent can also improve living comfort.
The fastener design at the foyer makes it easy to roll up the foyer and prevents condensation when the environment is humid.
Olive buckle at the foyer, can be easily rolled up foyer ventilation.
The light ring at the top of the tent can be used to hang camp lights, and if it is equipped with two light rings, you can get a brighter environment inside the tent at night. Some tents are topped with a rope for hanging things, this design can be used not only for hanging lights, but also for hanging miscellaneous things.
Hanging rope on the top of the tent
Most tents come with one or two grid pockets where you can put your phone, wallet, headlamp or snacks, and there are also tents with storage grids at the top to store more odds and ends.
Grid pocket inside the tent
Tent space
Each person has a short, tall, fat and thin, enough space to sleep comfortably. Space is not the bigger the better, but can be fully utilized.
The space inside the tent needs to accommodate you and your companion for sleeping, clothing placement, and sitting up.
Generally speaking, the width needed for comfortable sleep in an adult tent is 50-60 cm, and the length is 20 cm above the height.
Of course, if you are larger, or if you just desire a little more space, try living alone in a double tent.
Door style of the tent
The number of doors and open position will affect the feelings of the occupants. Some tents are designed to open the door on both sides, some double tents are designed to open the door only on one side, and tunnel tents are mostly open at the front end.
If a person lives alone, the single side door is comfortable enough and lighter.
Single side door can meet the needs of solo use
If you are living in multiple people, you should consider the feelings of your companions. Opening doors on both sides and front doors can avoid straddling your companions when you go out.
Two side opening doors suitable for double tent
Front-end door opening is also convenient for you and your companion to live together.
While comfortable, the tent should also stand up to long-term use.
Durability of the tent
Tents are not consumables, and a durable tent can stay with you for a long time.
Many situations are testing durability. For example.
You set up camp on hard ground, the tent fabric will encounter friction.
In each set up the tent and storage process, the tent also faces folding, bumping.
When camping, the wind and sun is also a test of tent durability.
Durability is mainly reflected in the fabric, through the coating and splicing can be judged by.
Coating
The fabric has to match the coating to show the durability. There are two kinds of coating as follows.
PU coating: PU coated tents are easy to wrinkle and not smooth to touch. PU coating is difficult to withstand environmental tests, wind, ultraviolet rays, and continuous rainfall will corrode this coating.
PU coating is inexpensive and mostly used for entry-level tents
PU in a humid environment will produce hydrolysis, resulting in the destruction of the coating, high temperature and exposure to sunlight will also decompose and fall off.
Double-sided silicon coated: The double silicon coated fabric tent looks upright and feels fine to the touch. Silicon coating is a good way to increase the weather resistance, and the silicon coated fabric has strong tear resistance and will not be corroded by rain and snow.
Double-sided silicon coating will not have the problem of coating off, the surface is smooth, rain and snow can slide smoothly to the ground.
Double-sided silicone coated nylon is flammable and does not meet safety standards in the United States. Therefore, some manufacturers will use one side of the silicon coated PU composite coating.
Splicing
The coating is the foundation of the tent’s durability, and the splicing method is the core process of fabric quality.
When selecting a tent, you can observe which technique is used to splice between the fabrics. Is it pressed on adhesive strips, or sewn with expansion thread.
Pressed glue, is the most common way of seam treatment. It is the use of heat-sealed adhesive strips sewn tent surface, the adhesive strips have a life span, and will fall off after long-term use.
For the tent with pressed glue treatment, it needs frequent glue brushing maintenance.
Double-sided gluing technology is applied to both the inner and outer seams of the outer tent for greater durability. Vaude patented this technology and it has become the sewing feature of the tent.
Intumescent thread is a more advanced technology, as there is no need to press glue and there is no shedding problem. It uses a material that expands when exposed to water to sew the seams together, further narrowing the gap when exposed to rain and making the fabric more tightly connected. Intumescent thread technology is mostly used for double-sided silicone-coated fabrics.
Since the silicone-coated fabric is smooth, the use of expanding thread stitching is a technology that tests the process and is used by a few brands such as the foreign manufacturer Hilleberg.
Not afraid of the weather, easy to set up, comfortable and durable. These three directions to achieve balance is already a good tent, as for the weight of the tent, is another issue to discuss.
Tent Weight
Weight is not the only criterion for good or bad tent.
But the weight is also a key factor of the tent, no matter what the occasion, we all want the tent lighter: for example, when picnicking in the countryside, the weight of the tent is not the only criterion.
For example, when picnicking in the countryside, carrying a heavy tent out of the car will make you tired and breathless, and the fun will be gone.
For camping in the countryside, you definitely want your tent to be lighter, so that you are not so tired.
For long hikes and mountain climbing, you want a lighter tent.
The weight of the tent comes from the following parts.
Many mountain lovers are extremely sensitive to tent weight when choosing a tent. But the premise of light weight is to meet the requirements of environment and comfort, not to consider the weight first.
Comparison of weight
When we make weight comparison, it should be a dimensional comparison, such as four-season tent and four-season tent comparison, double tent and double tent comparison, tower tent and tower tent comparison.
There are many types of tents, the same dimensional comparison is meaningful.
The balance of weight
Weight goes down, either at the expense of protection or at the expense of comfort.
Light weight tent built at the expense of protection and comfort.
The use of new fabrics, new materials, such as coarse benzene fabric and scandium alloy, and the use of carbon fiber poles, attempt to achieve a balance of weight and protection, but at the expense of comfort.
New materials certainly have their advantages, but they are still in the development stage, while meeting the goal of strong, lightweight and comfortable tents is still unmet.
Rational choice
Therefore, in the face of tent weight, it is still necessary to return to the activity environment. Moderate environment of camping, or weekend short hiking mountains, the choice of low-protection lightweight tent can not be faulted.
Safe and gentle environment, do not necessarily have to carry too heavy out.
But hard environment hiking and high altitude climbing, even if it’s a little heavier, should put protection in the first place.
The tent still cannot forget its original position: “the faithful companion of bad weather”.
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Which tent are you most impressed with? Looking forward to your comments!