Camping Tents – The Not-So-Typical “Home Away From Home”

In recent years, camping has, more than ever, become a popular recreational activity. It is a refreshing escape from the technologically-saturated lives of modern humans, appreciated not only by nature nuts but by the regular nine-to-five city worker as well. As such, most states have established their share of camping sites, from strictly regulated zones within natural parks to RV parks complete with electricity, gas pumps and toilets. In contrast to vacationing and getting hotel accommodations which could bust a working person's budget, camping would only require you to make the bulk of your expenditure the first time you do it. The camping gear you buy the first time could be used for many years if you will take care of them.

Camping stores offer a wide range of temporary outdoor shelters. There are a lot of brands to choose from, including Coleman, which has been one of the forerunners in the camping equipment industry. There are both online and store catalogs to choose from, through which you could browse at your leisure, or you can simply ask the sales personnel for information on the kinds of camping shelters they have available. Remember not to rush your decision; a good camping tent would cost more, but you will be using it many times, so choose wisely. Consider it an investment.

Your choice of outdoor shelter will depend on the number of people in your camping party. There is the single-person tent which a typical backpacker would use, and then there is also the family camping tent which could accommodate four, six, or more people. Keep in mind that as the number of people in your party increases, so does the amount of camping and cooking equipment they will use, so you should also make room for these. Size considerations for selecting a tent should include not only floor area but head room as well. These two depend on the framing structure of the tent. Domed tents usually have a larger head room to floor area ratio, compared to other frameworks such as that other common design, the tunnel tent. Keep in mind, however, that the higher your tent is from the ground, the less resistant it is to the force of the wind. Because of this, the tunnel tent is usually considered the sturdier of the two due to its lower profile. There is one modified version of the dome tent: the geodesic dome tent. This type has the same framework as the regular dome tent, but there are additional poles which crisscross through the framing, making it more structurally sound.

There are also different tent configurations, especially for the larger kinds. Your tent could have its "door" in the middle of one of its wider sides, allowing for separate sleeping or storage sections at each end. Some tents are even big enough to have "rooms", or partitions, inside. The other configuration has a door on one of the tent's ends, where an extended flap of material beyond the "door" covers a vestibule area for storing your camping cooking equipment.

Most camping tents nowadays are weatherproof, but you should still take note of the season rating. The majority of campers would require only the three-season tent, but for those who prefer snow camping, a four-season tent would be considered a good investment: it has better insulation and waterproofing.

Before you pitch your tent, make sure the ground where you are setting it up is clear of rocks or other such things which could perforate your tent's fabric. To protect the underside of your tent better, you could first lay out a separate groundsheet, over which you would pitch your tent. This way, your tent would last longer. When not in use, store your tent in a dry place away from heat, as heat could damage the synthetic material of your tent. If your tent becomes too dirty, do not use strong cleaning materials on it, as these may wear out the fabric, and its waterproofing capability will suffer. You should also air out your tents once in a while when they are kept in storage for long periods of time; this way, you can also check out the material's integrity.

Remember that a good tent is the camper's best friend; take care of it, and it will take care of you.