6 Qualities You MUST Consider When Buying A Tent


Posted BY Ian under tent-qualities

There are lots of qualities that you need to take into account when buying a tent. There are others that you really should ignore. This post aims to identify those qualities. Later posts will look at each quality in more depth.

Qualities that matter when buying a tent

Size: What do you intend to use your tent for? Will you use it alone or with others? A partner or a whole family? Will you need space for cooking and equipment? All these factors need to be thought through before you even start to look at manufacturer's dimensions and pretty pictures with bodies all lying comfortably tucked up. In an ideal world you will see your tent before buying but I know this cannot always be the case; not if you want more choice than the local high street has to offer.

Portability: Your camping style will determine whether you need to be able to carry your tent easily or not. Portability comes in two forms: weight (a simple consistent measure) and size. How small does the tent pack down for you to carry it. Some lightweight tents have long, awkward poles.

Basic shape: There are a limited number of choices here. None is perfect for all purposes. There are always payoffs: weight vs comfort, ease of pitching vs strength etc.

Materials: There are many options for the tent poles, the flysheet, inner and ground sheet (as applicable), guy ropes and pegs. Do your kids need the added expense of aircraft-quality titanium? Probably not. The placement of guy ropes, the length of these and the type of pegs used also add to the overall strength of the tent - if that is an issue for you.

Entries: The number and location of entry points is an important consideration that depends very much upon your intended style of camping. A good design will allow you to move in and out easily and provide ventilation without bugs, leaks or jams.

Brand: Buying a branded tent will give you some assurance about quality. It probably also means that the item will be relatively expensive. See also the comments about Brand (for brand's sake) below.

Qualities that do not (or should not) matter when buying a tent

Colour: You would be surprised how many people let their final decision about tents, and camping gear generally, rest upon the colour of the item available. That's why manufacturers spend so much time researching trends in such matters. Tent manufacturers are perhaps more conservative than clothing ones - but I have seen animal print tents now for those who are presumably making a statement about it raining cats and dogs!

Brand (for brand's sake): I have put this quality into both camps. You should not be buying a tent solely because it is branded but because there is some feature of a brand that you are choosing deliberately. A strong reputation for after sales service could be one such reason. Some brands specialize in certain tent styles only. A later post will look at these issues.

Accessories: If an item doesn't come included with your tent it is almost certainly not essential. You can therefore make do with a generic version if the better tent (taking all your priorities into account) doesn't come with a certain accessory. Ground sheets are a good example. Useful in some camp situations but any size larger than the base of your tent is fine - it doesn't have to match exactly. If you're worried about colour-coordinating then this is probably the wrong site for you.