Choosing a Tent

Define your needs

If you spend more than a couple of nights a year outside, your tent is probably one of the most important pieces of gear you own. For a serious outdoor enthusiast, a tent may be like your second home. Choose a good one, and it will keep you warm and dry during vicious storms and cold mountain nights. Take good care of it and your tent will probably last for years.

Tentmakers are in a tight spot. Customers expect them to build something that is light but durable, well-ventilated but waterproof, and easy to set up but still structurally sound. Back in the days of burlap, such concerns didn’t exist. Fortunately technology has come to the rescue. New materials and construction methods have created a plethora of designs from which to choose.

There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all tent. Unless you can afford three or four tents, the best you can hope for a good compromise. But finding a good fit is possible. You simply need to consider what kind of trips you'll use the tent for, i.e. where, when, and with how many people you'll camp.

A season for everything

Three-season tents are the most popular and widely available models. They are designed to handle spring, summer, and fall in temperate climates. In reality, most three-season tents will even handle a few inches of snow. These tents are light and versatile, making them a good choice for most backpacking trips.

Four-season tents are far sturdier than their counterparts. Despite the name, they are actually designed for one season: winter. They are built with heavier materials. Their shapes are designed to resist severe winter storms and heavy loads of snow. These tents can be used year round, but the extra poles and material make them heavier and less breathable than three-season tents.

Think three-dimensionally

Tent manufacturers often take liberties with their tent capacities, so play the skeptic when reading tent specifications. Packing two people inside a two-person tent doesn't leave much space for anything else. If you're tall, if you like having some elbowroom, or if you plan on storing gear inside the tent, you might need to tally an extra person onto your desired tent capacity.

Mulling over the square footage will only get you so far. Always examine a tent in person before buying. If the salespeople at a particular store won't let you crawl around inside a pitched tent, then it’s probably best to find another store.

Single walled, double walled

When it comes to water, a tent must satisfy two qualifications: it needs to repel precipitation and dew, while allowing water vapor inside the tent to escape. If the tent doesn't allow free airflow, condensation forms on the inside surfaces of the tent. Double wall tents usually solve this problem by using a mesh roof, which is then covered by a second layer, the rainfly. Air can flow around and underneath the fly, then through the mesh. Single wall tents, on the other hand, are constructed of a single layer of material, eliminating the rainfly. In single wall tents, air flows through open overhangs in the material, or small mesh vents around the bottom edges.

Single wall tents are usually much lighter, have fewer parts, and are easier to set up than double wall tents. Most importantly, they eliminate the possibility of trying to attach a rainfly to your tent on a dark, windy night. That scenario alone is a compelling argument in favor of single wall tents. Double wall tents, on the other hand, are less expensive and greatly reduce problems with condensation. If you've never jostled around inside a condensation-laden tent, just know that it's like experiencing your own private rainstorm.

The contest for most people comes down to weight. If weight isn't an issue, double wall tents are typically roomier, better ventilated, and more comfortable in general. For ultra-lighters or those who backpack long distances, however, saving a few pounds on your back is worth more than having the roomiest tent in the world.

Vestibules

A vestibule is a bit like a porch or garage on the side or front of the tent. Vestibules are handy for changing clothes or pulling off boots before hopping into the tent. They also provide a convenient, easily accessible spot to store backpacks or gear where they'll be kept safe from the elements. Only the lightest tents eliminate vestibules in order to save weight.

Footprints

A tent footprint is a custom ground cloth cut to match the contours of your tent floor. Using a footprint protects the bottom of your tent from sharp rocks, sticks, and abrasion that can damage the material or its waterproof coating. Footprints may extend the life of your tent by absorbing some of the abuse, but they come at the cost of additional pack weight. If you opt for buying a footprint, it may be worth leaving behind on high-mileage or strenuous trips.

Double wall tents often allow you to pitch the tent with only the footprint and rain fly, eliminating the body. This is a lightweight option for those trips where you won't encounter bugs or heavy weather.

A question of price

The key to finding a quality tent is neither underspending or overspending. A custom $600 tent probably won't be any more comfortable or durable than one that costs $300. You probably don't need something that's tricked out with all the options either. Sometimes, and especially with backpacking, less is more.

At the same time, a cheap tent will quickly get trashed. Spending a bit more money opens you up to high-tech materials that can save you a significant amount of weight. Most good tents are priced somewhere between $150 and $300 dollars.