Camping and Hiking Tents
Camping can be a great endeavor whether you’re planning on a solo backpacking journey, a family hiking adventure, or something in between. Tents are an essential piece of camping gear, come in all sizes and styles, and are made for every outdoor environment. From scaling Mount Everest to taking the family on a trip to a beautiful lake, choosing a suitable tent ensures an enhanced camping experience.
What are the different types of camping tents?- Dome and Pyramid: The sloping sides resist wind and rain well during camping and are suitable for solo campers, a family, or small group. Options are available with enough room for up to a dozen people to fit inside.
- Cabin and Wall: Cabin and wall tents offer expansive headroom with vertical walls and a capacity to sleep several people. Some cabin tents slope inwards halfway up or towards the top for better durability in extreme weather. Additional rooms can often be added to a wall or cabin tent for larger family or group camping.
- Tunnel: This suitable camp option provides privacy for all campers and is designed to connect rooms end-to-end.
- Screen-room: Expand any area or room with this see-through option. Screen-rooms are designed similar to cabins, keep out bugs, and allow full view of the surrounding scenery.
- Toilet and Shower: Camping does not mean you have to leave necessities behind. Long-term or fast setup options are available to keep you from running to a campsite’s facilities several times during the day or night. A toilet tent gives you an extra private room doubling as the bathroom no matter how secluded a camp location.
- A rainfly is a separate waterproof cover that goes over the tent without touching it. It is designed to protect against rain and provide ultraviolet protection as well. Rain flies come in many sizes to allow for any view and ventilation adjustments.
- Structure: How the structure is designed will make a difference when setting up the camping tent and for durability when pitched. The most common structures use poles, pop-up, or a basic a-frame.
- Materials: Climate should be considered when choosing the material. Polyester offers ultraviolet protection, but nylon is strong and lightweight and suitable for backpacking. Canvas and poly cotton are also options.
- Capacity: Consider how many people will be sleeping inside and if gear will need to be stored, too. The capacity listed is based on the number of people that can sleep on the floor space with sleeping bags and no other supplies or gear.
- Features: Features considered necessary to one person or family may not be necessary for another. For example, setup options range from inflatable to pop-up and may require more than one person. Other features range from waterproof to ultraviolet protection, high altitude, mosquito nets, organizer pockets, and mesh panels for cross ventilation. Stabilize in rough weather using guy lines and a tub-style floor to keep out moisture during camping.