Shopping for a tent
air mattress, rubber floor tiles, and battery-operated lantern are all good additions to a tent purchase
Is it that time of year to consider the purchase of a tent? Here is a case study for what you might be getting for a low price a new tent
I’ll use an advertisement in a recent newspaper for a tent that looked to be a good buy. This tent had a 9×9 foot floor. That gives you 81 square feet (a good size for 3 to 4 people) and a 72-inch vertical center-height. The walls are fairly vertical, so much of this floor-space is usable. However, the ceiling tapers quickly so most of the vertical height is really about five feet but that’s not bad unless you are over 6-feet tall.
So this tent might be dimensionally sound, but where the “rubber-meets-the-road” is in the materials and construction. Take a closer look. Is ventilation limited by a small mesh portion at the very top and maybe to a single window at the rear? A tent can be really miserable without adequate ventilation. if it sleeps four people, you need ventilation! With four people snoring away inside a nylon cocoon, you can actually end up with more water (in the form of condensation) inside the tent, in the morning, than outside on the ground!
Check the rain fly (that’s the flap of material forming something like an awning over the tent’s entry). If the rain fly sends all the moisture right onto the sides of the tent, it will quickly soak through the 800mm polyurethane coating when someone touches it from the inside. Tip: A super rain fly that comes all the way to the ground can really help insulate by trapping a thin layer of air between the rain fly and the sides of the tent.
Even with these deficiencies, is the tent worth the price? Maybe, if there will be only one or two in the tent or if you plan only to use it once or twice in the middle of summer. It might be great for backyard camping trips. But even then, you’ll have to baby the floor by placing a heavy tarp underneath it and, perhaps, another tarp inside, to help protect the waterproof coating.
In defense of any tent, price isn’t always the best indicator of quality. That’s why shopping the sales is a good idea. But it is truly of case of “buyer beware.”
Additional tips:
What you don’t want:
– A1000mm waterproof coating is inadequate for the floor and will wear off quickly.
– A “bathtub” floor construction comes up a few inches up the side of the tent and is not adequate to insure water will not leak in.
– A 800 mm waterproof coating walls is inadequate.
– All zippers should work easily and not hang up.
A good idea:
– Buy and apply seam seal before you go camping, no matter item’s price.
– Learn how to tie double hitch, clover hitch, and sheep shank – these are useful knots for all campers.
