Which tent should I buy?
Posted BY Ian under camping-advice
This is a simple question at the heart of this website.
Estate agents harp on about 'Location, location, location'. If they sold tents it would be (or should be) 'Purpose, purpose, purpose'. There is no one best tent for all uses and your choice should very much depend on the use to which you intend to put it.
In fact, what you need to look for are the tent qualities that suit your intended camping style. In extreme cases, one of these may prioritize over all others. For instance, a mountain marathon runner may sacrifice all other qualities in order to get the lightest possible option, including some parts of the tent at home. More generally, there will be several tent qualities that need to be prioritized.
It is not always as simple as then looking for a tent with those qualities. Some qualities may not be specified by all manufacturers. There may also be different payoffs between qualities. Payoffs that only you can ultimately resolve. Is a 0.2kg weight saving worth £50, or is it worth an extra £100 to get a nice red tent instead of that horrible yellow one.
Often you will end up with a compromise solution. That's no bad thing. The less you tend towards extremes the more likely that you will be able to make use of the tent in other circumstances. A very lightweight tent will probably be too cramped for a long holiday. A strong mountain tent can be used even for a weekend down by the seaside. It just looks a bit daft if you take the down jackets too!
Which tent should I buy? is a question that only you can answer. This site does not intend to tell you which tent you should buy but to examine the factors leading to a decision, and then to recommend some of the best options.
The question misses one important aspect. Tents are now sold by a whole range of suppliers. The follow up question should be ... and where should I buy it?
There's no one right answer to that question either. Look at prices but also consider delivery times and costs. Can you wait for it to come in stock? Is the total price still the cheapest? Also consider policies on returns just in case you find the tent damaged, or discover when you open it that it is wholly unsuitable. A tent is a large purchase and you want to be sure that you keep some options open.
The best answer to the question Which tent should I buy? is therefore to say that if you are asking then you are not ready yet. Keep doing your research. When you no longer need to ask, then you will know.