Tent Selection...Guidelines for Choosing the best camping tent for your family Purchasing new camping equipment can often be a confusing task, especially tent selection. I recently went through the process of purchasing a new tent for our family, and I found myself torn between several models. I can be a picky shopper, but I figured if I had trouble with tent selection, then you might be in the same boat...or tent...so here is the process I went through to make my decision. I hope it helps you. First, decide how many people will be sleeping in your tent. I know this is obvious, but I had to consider that our daughter is of the age that she will often want to bring a friend camping, and frankly we all have a better time if we allow it. Also, keep in mind that if it says it sleeps 6 they are talking about 6 sleeping bags - not queen sized air mattresses. This brings the second point...how many rooms or dividers are needed. We needed at least two rooms for privacy in changing clothes etc. The next issue for me was head room. I just like some space overhead, and like to be able to stand upright. Changing clothes while squatting or laying on a bed just won't get it for me. Experience has taught us that good ventilation is essential...it keeps you comfortable on hot nights and keeps everything dryer (wet clothes and even your breath will cause condensation in an enclosed tent). A rainfly is a necessity when mother nature fails to cooperate with your camping plans. (Also purchase some seam sealer and apply it before your first trip to prevent a leaky tent.) Ease of setup. It is tempting to purchase a tent big enough for a circus event, but when you are looking at that pile of poles you will regret it. When making your tent selection, choose a model that has interconnecting shock corded poles...you will thank me. Most Coleman tents are equipped with these and instructions are sewn into the carry bag. If you are backpacking to your campsite, weight will be a huge issue. You will want to choose the smallest and lightest tent available. I hope this was helpful, I chose the "Coleman Galileo" tent for us. It sleeps 6 comfortably (big enough for two queen size air mattresses with room left over), set up is easy and is all contained in a relatively small carry bag. It also came with metal stakes (many tents provide only plastic ones, which aren't sufficient for gravel or hard grounds). There is plenty of mesh ventilation and lots of vertical space. The arrival of our new tent sparked an excitement and anticipation in all of us. It's time to make a practice run of setting up the tent in the back yard. Side note: We have now purchased a second dome style tent for the kids. They like the privacy and so do we. They can stay up whispering secrets & playing games. We also always bring so much "stuff" this works much better. Hope this helps to make your tent selection process easier.
If you have any questions not covered here about tent selection, please feel free to contact us.
|
