Camping Guide: How To Choose The Best Tent?

Are you planning for a camping getaway? Don't forget to pack your camping gears, and out of all, a camping tent is the first piece of camping gear that you need to pack before anything else. But with a plethora of camping tents available in the market, choosing the right camping tent may get overwhelming and seem like a strenuous task.

So, taking the heap of loads off you, here we are, helping you make a wise purchase by penning down all the essential factors to look for when you buy a camping tent. Read through to know about every bit of detail that will help you buy the best camping tent.    

Let's get started!

Kind of camping you will be going

Purchase a tent that fits the best to the type of your camping expedition. If you have planned out your camping getaway through a car, then weight and size won't be a thing of issue. However, if you are going for hiking and backpacking, make sure to carry a light and backpacking tent that does not disrupt your hiking or backpacking experience. 

What season you will be going for camping?

There are three top picks in terms of seasons that campers usually prefer are summers, spring, and autumn(fall). Thus, a three-season tent is the best fit for every camper out on a camping expedition. 

The three-season tent is the finest choice that offers balanced ventilation, warm retention, and strength. However, if you plan to explore the thrill of camping during the winter season, go for the 4-season tents. 

Although it is a 4-season tent, it may not be the best fit for a summer expedition. 4-season tents are highly preferred for the winter season and mountaineering.

Number of people going to sleep in the tent

To determine the size of the tent, you must be familiar with the exact number of people that you are going with, for camping. This is because the bigger group you are, the bigger size of tents you will be required to carry.

But bigger tents can be a bit of trouble to carry during your backpacking or hiking expedition. So, carry it only once you are sure about the number of people who are going to accompany you. However, if it is a car camping, carrying a bigger tent won't be an issue. 

While you shop for tents, you will find them advertised as 1 person, 2 person, 3 person tent and so on. 

Evaluate the tent floor size 

The tent floor area is another significant factor in selecting the right camping tent. So, if you are looking for a spacious tent that can easily store all the camping gear, the tent floor size should be at least 20 square feet. However, if you are onto solo backpacking, a tent with 15 square feet will also be a good fit.

Single wall or double-wall designs

In camping tents, you get to choose either to go with the single-wall or double-wall built camping tent. The double-wall designed tents have the main section and a rain-flyer, whereas the single-walled designs don't have this feature. However, single-walled designed tents are lighter in weight, unlike the double-walled designs. 

If the lightweight factor is what you are looking for, then go for the single-wall-designed tents but make sure they have an efficient ventilation system. 

Check for the vestibules

For those campers who have restrictions on carrying a small tent due to weight issues, a vestibule will be highly useful. Vestibule refers to a floorless storage space created by staking the rain fly out from the camping tent. With this 5 square feet of vestibule space, a camper can easily keep a full-size pack out of the rain. 

Go for clips and sleeves

Clips and sleeves is another factor that will help you make a wise buying decision. In this method, the main section of the tent, referred to as the canopy, is attached to the poles. With the clip method, you get to enjoy the maximum air circulation between two walls, and also it becomes extremely easy to set up the tent. However, the sleeves are slightly more stronger. 

Consider the height of the tent 

For a comfy stay in your tent, one must consider the tent's height and not only the size. The tent's height is measured from the ground straight up to the tent's top exterior. For measuring the interior height, you need to subtract 2 or 3 inches from the stated "peak height. However, make a point while buying a camping tent that has at least a height of 3ft 6in for enough sit up. 

Consider the doors 

Before you purchase the camping tent, considering the number of doors in the tent is another factor to look at. For most campers, one door is enough, but some prefer a two-door camping tent. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that with the increase in the number of doors, you add extra weight and cost to the camping tent.

Ventilation

Your camping tent should have great ventilation that keeps your tent condensation-free during the winter season and keep you cool during the summer season. Thus, it is essential to buy a camping tent that has an efficient airflow mechanism making it highly usable in any season. 

Another features to look 

Now that you have shortlisted a set of camping tents based on the above factors. Here's a list of additional features that will help you cut-short your list further.

• Freestanding tents

Tents that can stand rigid without the help of stakes can be a great choice. You will be able to set up your tent effortlessly on the hard ground without having much struggle.

• Wind strength

If you plan to set up your camp in a windy area, then make sure that the rain-fly reaches the ground. If the rain-fly has plenty of tie-down points to attach, it is an additional benefit, and it will help stabilize guy lines.

Buy your first camping tent

Now that we accumulated all the factors that are going to help you in buying the best camping tent. You must be wondering which platform is going to have such camping tents that offer such offers. 

If yes, visit Adventure HQ, your go-to platform to buy the best camping tents. Fully backed up with top-notch camping tents, Adventure HQ has never failed to deliver excellence and customer satisfaction.