Camping in the great outdoors can be a wonderful experience, whether with family, friends, partners or just getting away from it all by yourself. One of the most important factors in making your camping experience enjoyable is having appropriate equipment, and crucial amongst this equipment is your tent. There are a few things you may want to consider before buying tents for camping.

Something often overlooked is actually the comfort of your tent once inside. If the manufacturer rates the tent as a 2-person, then bear in mind it will be extremely snug! It’s advisable to move up one person to ensure your comfort. Don’t forget, you, your fellow campers and your gear all have to fit inside. Having said this, space saving (in your pack) can be a factor. Are you going to be hiking in? If so, you’ll want to ensure your tent doesn’t take up too much room in your pack or is not too heavy. There are a huge range of light weight tents available (Have a look at the selections on this site to compare styles and prices).

Another factor to consider is durability. Ask yourself what kind of conditions you’ll be in. Windy? Rainy? What will the terrain be like? If it’s likely to be windy, then a tent needing to be staked into the ground will be better than a free standing tent. Free standing tents are great in rocky terrain, and they are generally lighter in weight than staked tents. If it’s likely to be windy, then you’ll need a tent with sturdy poles and aerodynamic design. Dome shapes a great for windy conditions. Tents are graded into seasons. Probably the most versatile kind of tent is a 3-season tent. They are a compromise between strength, size and weight. They’ll be cheaper than a 4-season tent which will be more appropriate if your planning on camping in the mountains or anywhere temperatures can plummet. While a 4-season tent will be made from stronger material and have stronger poles (to withstand the weight of ice and snow), this means they are heavier and more expensive.

If you know you only want to camp in summer (fair weather campers!!), then go for a summer season tent for camping. They are cheaper, lighter in weight, have great ventilation and lots  of netting for protection against insects. They won’t offer much protection against inclement weather conditions, however.

Oh and another piece of advice…make sure you practise putting up your tents for camping. There’s nothing worse than erecting a new tent in the pouring rain…