HOW TO CHOOSE A TENT FOR CAMPING

Many people don’t know how to choose a tent for camping but it is actually not complicated if you approach it from the angle of what you need.

You want to go camping and you need to make it an effortless period of enjoyment. How do you ensure that your tent serves the same purpose in nature as your home serves where you live?

What to look for when buying a tent?

Your situation (the unchangeables) dictates what tent you need to buy.

• What are the activity requirements (what will the tent be used for)?
• How many people must sleep in the tent?
• What must be kept in the tent and what can be stored outside?
• How will you transport the tent?
• What seasons will you camp?
• Are there any special height requirements?
• Are there any special space requirements?

What are the activity requirements (what will the tent be used for)?

Do you need a tent to go backpacking or hiking or will the family camp together for the school holidays?

Tents for backpacking are usually single or 2-person tents that are as light as possible to make them easy to carry. They are manufactured from the lightest material and are waterproof or at least water-resistant.

Backpacking tents are not made from heavy canvas or even ripstop material to keep them as light as possible. You will find them in tent shops listed as nylon tents.

A family tent for 4 or more people must be more spacious and larger and will need to be transported in a vehicle as it is just too heavy and bulky to carry long distances. Family tents are meant to last long and are made from durable and heavier material.

It is logical that tents used by touring bikers and tents used by holidaying families will be different in design, weight, size and transportability.

Once you decide what you need the tent for, you are on your way to the next step.

How many people must sleep in the tent?

The number of people who will sleep in the tent will dictate what size the tent will be, subject to what type of beds you will use.

Tents are usually listed as 1, 2, 4, or more person tents to indicate how many people can comfortably fit into the tent. However, what type of bed you use will tell you how many people should fit into the tent.

Person-based tent sizes are mostly based on sleeping bag sizes, which will be around 500 – 600mm wide and 1800mm long. Keep in mind that It is a different exercise to get in and out of a 600mm wide sleeping bag on the ground than to get off a 600mm stretcher with a fixed frame. You just need more space for the latter!

All this means that you must first know what beds, mattresses or sleeping bags will be used and then decide on the size of tent you will need to buy.

A rule of thumb is to get a tent with a rating of 1 or 2 persons larger than the number of people that will use the tent. This gives ample moving space and space for children to move in.

What must be kept in the tent and what can be stored outside?

Everything that needs to be protected from rain, wind and people who swipe your stuff at night, needs to be kept inside.

Most private camping resorts in South Africa have adequate security and well-behaved campers, so your property is usually safe outside the tent. Many people use a gazebo to protect their property and at the same time use it as a provider of shade during the day. Keep in mind that the weather has little respect for camping rules or for your likes and dislikes. When it rains it rains and when it snows, it snows.

Make a list of what you will take with you when you plan your tent buying, so you will know exactly what you will need to be inside the tent so that you make provision for everything.

Many campers buy additional, smaller and cheaper tents to use as storage space. Those tents can be nylon tents that do not cost as much as canvas or ripstop tents as long as they protect your property.

How will you transport the tent?

If you go camping with a motorcycle, you will hardly buy a 4-person heavy canvas tent.

Know beforehand where in your vehicle you will transport the tent. Most trailers sold in South Africa can carry a 6-person tent with ease and have space left for your camping chairs. If the tent must fit into the back of your small SUV, the size of tent you can buy may be limited by the available space.

What seasons will you camp?

The reality of global warming has also added to the possible complications going with camping.

You may experience severe weather of some kind in a season when it would historically never occur, so it is advisable to keep as much of your camping equipment and accessories inside your tent and away from surprise winds, rain and flooding.

In South Africa, we don’t need 4-season tents and tents that cater for extreme weather conditions as our climate differs widely from the Northern hemisphere where people camp in extremely cold conditions. Our mild climate calls for average tents that are equally useful in rainy wet summers and mildly cold winters.

We do however need to anchor our tents well because of the threat of unexpected strong wind gusts, especially along our coastline.

Most tents available in outdoor stores are adequate for all our seasons.

Are there any special height requirements?

Are you or any family members unusually tall? Measure the tent height before you buy.

The height of a tent is measured at the roof ridge, which is the highest point of the tent. Tents with sloping roofs will be lower at the edges and may cause a problem for tall campers.

Are there any special space requirements?

Do you need space for specific items such as wheelchairs, fridges, ovens or washing machines?

If you are not going to buy an additional tent for storage, your camping tent will have to have space for that.

What are the four types of camping tents?

There are actually 10 types of tents (not counting army tents) although most of them are not popular in South Africa and are rarely seen at camping sites locally.

The 4 types of tents come from a broad definition for tents used in the USA namely dome, teepee, A-frame, and tunnel tents.

Dome tents are the most popular in South Africa possibly because they are the most affordable. Tunnel tents are actually a variation of a dome tent – an elongated tunnel tent. A-frame and Teepee-type tents used to be the tents used in South Africa but are now rarely seen.

Pop-up tents are popular among campers who tour and don’t remain in one place for long.

Cabin tents are popular as family tents and among campers who camp in one place for longer periods.

Roof-top tents are popular as many campers drive double-cab vehicles with which roof-top tents work well.

How to choose a tent for camping conclusion

Do not get confused by all the classifications, numbers and advice when choosing a tent for camping.

The best way to choose a tent for your camping adventures is to inspect a tent at the shop where you want to buy it, talk to salespeople and explain your needs in detail.

Knowledgeable salespeople and tent manufacturers know what tents go with what number of people, activities and types of camping.

Happy camping!