How to Choose a Tent for Camping

So you’re going camping! Choosing a tent that fits your style, needs, and locations can be a fun task. Make sure you’re not overwhelmed by bells, whistles, and deals. While those can all be great-you really need to concentrate on a few key points to ensure your home away from home will be everything you want and everything you need-even comfort!

Over the River and Through the…?

No, that isn’t how the song goes, but you really need to consider where you’re going-the climate, the length of your trip, the seasons you plan on using the tent. For instance, would you use the same tent in Florida as you would in Canada? Depending on the time of year this may be true, but if you’re looking for shelter from a snow dusting you’re hardly going to pick the same tent you would pick for a humid Florida summer. Make sure your tent provides shelter from the elements and is made from a fire-retardant material-think of all the heaters or fire you may need to start if the evening gets cool. If you’re looking for a one-size fits all tent then you need to go camping in the summer. Otherwise, take these pointers and let the research begin!

How Much Do You Want to Work?

So you’re either camping on a mission or camping for leisure, right? Either way, when choosing a tent for camping you need to decide how much work you would like to do to set up the campsite. Depending on the size of the tent (base this on how many people will be sleeping inside your tent), you’re able to get tents that are so small they’re built in to a backpack! These are obviously smaller tents used for 1 or 2 people. The next type of tent is attached to the ground with ropes and pegs-these take more work, and are easier with two people helping (although one person is more than fully capable). Next, you have your pop-up tent, which does just that-it pops up with a few simple steps (follow the directions). So depending on the amount of labor you’re interested, the number of folks you’re taking camping, and how much room you have to haul the necessities-you’re able to determine what your home away from home will look like.

That Was Easy!

So now you have all of the key components for picking a tent! You’ll guide yourself through the process by answering all of the questions you’ve read here. This way, you can be answering more questions and delegating tasks like “who is finding the firewood?”