Buying the Right Tent for Your Sleeping Bag
Sleeping beneath the stars may be both a romantic
prospect and a hallmark of outdoor escapism, but if you find yourself doing
it, the stark reality, as the classic joke relates, is that it probably just
means someone has stolen your tent.
An essential piece of camping equipment that provides shelter and
solace from the weather, biting winds and pests of various sizes, a tent
that complements your sleeping bag will prove invaluable for your many
outdoor adventures. As such,
buying the right tent is perhaps just as important as selecting the proper
sleeping bag. When you go
shopping for that tent, make sure you take the following factors into
consideration:
·
Tent
Size – there are two schools of thought on what size of tent you should
purchase. The first is that you
should make allowances for extra space so you don’t feel cramped and have a
place to stash your equipment inside the tent, while the second is that you
shouldn’t pick one that is too large, as it translates into a greater burden
for you to carry around. Wisdom
tends to veer towards more space, especially if you’ll be pitching a tent
from a car, but also for better comfort and convenience.
Tents are rated in size by the number of sleeping bags that can fit
in them, so it is advisable to pick one with a rating of about one to two
people higher than the number of people who’ll actually use the tent.
·
Tent
Features – pick a tent with a waterproof floor that comes up a few
inches on the sides, as dampness is one of the worst enemies of an outdoor
adventurer. Check that the
tent’s seams are double-stitched and sealed so water doesn’t leak through
them. A roof vent is also
recommended to improve air circulation and reduce dreaded indoor
condensation. If you expect
mosquitoes and their ilk to bother you in the evening, select a tent that
has fine meshing. Lastly, make
sure that the zippers on the tent are sturdy and can handle a considerable
amount of yanking and tugging.
·
Weather Rating – as with sleeping bags, tents have seasonal ratings for
temperature and climate.
Three-season tents are fine for practically all outdoor activities aside
from serious mountain expeditions, for which you would be better off with a
four-season tent. Keep in mind
that a four-season tent will probably weigh about twice as much as a
three-season one.
·
Tent
Setup – you don’t want to be stuck on the side of a mountain with a tent
that you can’t assemble. Don’t
purchase a tent that has too many stakes or requires a lot of effort to set
up.
When you do select a tent that seems suitable for you,
you should practice setting the tent up in the store with the assistance of
store personnel, and then practice again at home until you can set it up
without any hassle. In a pinch, you
should be able to assemble the tent in less-than-ideal weather conditions.
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