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Camping Tents
One of the most expensive pieces of camping
gear you will buy is a tent. If you camp
in warm weather, a summer or 3-season (May-September)
tent is fine, but if you camp in cold weather,
a better buy is a 4-season tent designed
for low temperatures.
Since the right tent makes camping
more enjoyable,
other tent features to consider
are:
- Shape: The most popular shape is the dome
tent. Easy to set up and suitable for most
weather including high winds, a dome tent
provides good living space and headroom.
Pup tents are lightweight and compact A-shaped
tents more suitable for backpackers. Cabin
or wall tents resemble a house and are best
for large groups that stay in one place since
they are heavier to carry and more difficult
to set up. Tents with a “tub” floor, where
the floor extents up the sidewalls, are great
for keeping the floor dry during rain or
snow.
- Size: A tent’s rating indicates the maximum
number of people who can sleep
in it. Unless
you are backpacking where minimal
weight
and size is important, this
will probably
be too crowded. Divide the
rating by 2 to
determine how many can fit
in it with comfortable
sleeping/living space plus
room to store
gear and clothing. Tents with
separate rooms
or dividers provide privacy
and those with
storage lofts or pockets provide
more useable
floor space with the off-the-floor
storage
areas.
- Material: Polyester withstands UV rays better
and lasts longer than nylon
but nylon weighs
less. Lighter colored tents
are cooler in
hot weather since they reflect
heat from
the sun. A tent should be waterproof
or have
a separate waterproof covering
so you have
a comfortably dry tent during
wet weather.
- Ventilation: To allow for cooling breezes
and to reduce moisture problems, buy a tent
with opposing windows and doors so that you
have good airflow through the tent.
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