How to choose a tent
To begin with, let's look at what kind of tents there are and for what.
Camping tent
Camping is the most popular type of tent among the inhabitants, it is easy to install and practical for temporary housing. You can sleep relatively comfortably in it, store things, protect yourself from wind and precipitation. Camping tent is applied:
- for a long outdoor holiday with family or company;
- to accommodate people during festivals;
- as a temporary home for a team of workers.
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| Camping tent. |
Trekking tent
Trekking tent is a structure for hiking and cycling, which has a number of characteristic features:
- light weight – up to 5 kg;
- compact, they easily fit in a backpack;
- the absence of a vestibule (or it is very small).
When choosing a trekking tent, it is necessary to pay attention to the bottom, since it accounts for the main loads. The threads of the material should be thick, the weaving dense, and the water resistance should not be lower than 3000 mm of water column, otherwise the fabric will leak moisture in heavy precipitation.
Expedition tent
The expedition tent is designed for climbing mountains. It can stand in one place for a long time, withstanding winds, snow and rain. According to its characteristics, the product has a lot in common with a trekking tent, but it is more durable, suitable for extreme situations and has no size restrictions.
The improved characteristics of the expedition tent directly affect its cost, so before buying you need to be sure that such a design is really needed.
Fishing tent
A fishing tent is an awning that allows the angler to hide from rain, sun, wind, insects. Usually the product is designed for one person.
The choice of a fishing tent depends on the time of year in which you plan to go fishing. According to the seasonality , there are tents for fishermen:
- for summer fishing;
- for winter fishing.
Summer models are designed for use in the warmer months, so they have a bottom so that you can sit right on the ground, and the entrance is usually not closed. It is envisaged that the fisherman will sit in a tent, protecting himself from the sun and wind, right at the exit.
Tents for winter fishing are designed to be installed on ice, they have no bottom, they are tightly closed on all sides to protect a person during ice fishing.
According to other characteristics, in particular, according to the material used, fishing tents are similar to tourist models.
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| A tent for winter fishing. |
Tent for the beach
A tent for the beach is a lightweight structure for use on sunny days without precipitation. The design is designed to protect against direct sunlight, weathering, overheating. Although the fabric is thin, it allows you to keep the air cooler inside the tent than outside.
When choosing a "house" for the beach, you need to focus on the quality of its manufacture, your own preferences regarding design, weight and cost. A beach tent can weigh from 900 grams to 2 kg. Tents with a mosquito net are more practical, but it is needed if the rest falls in the evening or early morning, when insect activity is highest.
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| Beach tent. |
Tent-tent
A tent tent is a special type of tent having a large area and height. It is not intended for temporary housing, but serves as protection from precipitation, wind, sunlight, insects for the following cases:
- as a dining room or an open-air kitchen;
- play space for children;
- celebrations of celebrations;
- gatherings at the dacha with friends or a large family.
The weight of tents, usually, is considerable, so you immediately need to think about ways to transport them.
There are also tents for the shower and toilet, but their purpose is obvious and we will not focus on them.
Having decided on the purpose of the tent, we will list the main criteria that you need to rely on in choosing a product.
Number of seats
The size of the tent is selected depending on the number of people who will use it at the same time. Choosing models with sleeping places, you need to take into account the height of a person. His lying comfort will depend on it. The capacity of tents varies based on 1-6 or more beds.
Construction
The presence of a vestibule allows you to make it a camping kitchen, or a luggage storage compartment. It is practical when the entrance to the vestibule is on the other side of the entrance to the sleeping compartment. It would not be superfluous to pay attention to the presence of a window for natural light, it can be airtight or with ventilation. Separate sleeping areas will also be useful, which imply the presence of two compartments for recreation and are found in tents with a large capacity.
Water resistance
The waterproofness index of the bottom and the awning must be at least 3000 mm of water column (specified by the manufacturer) so that torrential rain and wet soils do not soak the tent through.
Frame material
If you choose a tent with aluminium arches, then its weight will be less than that of a tent with a steel frame. At the same time, aluminium alloy is more susceptible to deformation, so the optimal choice will be a fibreglass frame. It is durable and the lightest.
Form
The tent can have a different design:
- Hemisphere. It has a frame of two arcs that intersect, easy to install. The hemispherical tent is light and compact, it can be moved from place to place even when assembled.
- A half-shell. The frame of such a tent is a parallel arc. The model is roomy, it usually has a vestibule. The disadvantage of the half-barrel is the complexity of the assembly.
- The tent. They have a characteristic tent structure with a dome. They differ in stability and spaciousness, but they are extremely rare in private use.
- Gable. It has the shape of a house with a stiffening rib in the middle. It is not very convenient because of the location of the supports inside the tent.
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| Gable tent. |
Additional options
There may also be additional options in the tent that increase the comfort of its use. For example, pockets in which it is convenient to store small items, a loop for a flashlight, reflective strips, a mosquito net.
Seasonality
Tents are distinguished by seasons:
- Summer. It is sewn from a light fabric that passes air well. These are the lightest tents by weight.
- Winter. The product has a strong frame and a waterproof top, withstand strong wind and any bad weather. It weighs 1-2 kg more than similar summer models in terms of capacity.
- Three-season designs. Such tents can be taken on a hike in spring, summer, autumn. Durable materials are used for them, and the design must have a skirt — a strip of fabric located between the awning and the ground. The skirt protects from wind and snow.
The choice depends on what month the hike is planned for. If tourism is a year—round hobby, then it is most profitable to buy a 3-season tent.
The seasonality of the tent affects the number of layers of its awning. Based on this, the constructions are:
- single — layer;
- double-layered.
Two-layer models are heavier in weight, but no condensation collects inside them, the air circulates well. In such tents it is warmer in the cold and cooler in the heat.
There are many types of tents. You can't buy one for all occasions. The right choice of a tent for its intended purpose will simplify the camping life of its owner, provide him with reliable protection from the negative effects of the environment, and extend the service life of the product itself.
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