Camping Suggestions

Posts Tagged ‘Tent’

You have reached at the campsite and where you all were surprised by the views in the area of camping. Before you start to contemplate the views do not forget that you go for a camping tent which will not be completed with out tent. Your camping activities start with setting up your camping tent.

Some camping tents are assembled in different ways due to their size and manufacturer characteristics. You can set up a small ten for yourself but for a large one you need help of other persons. Whatever the type and size of the tent you have, the real thing is depend on how perfectly you follow the steps and instructions while fixing the camping tent. In this stage at first you check that you have all the parts of the tent like frame and pegs. If you have complete equipments you can find a clear are where you can set up your camping tent. The selected area should be free of stones and sharp objects that may damage your tent. If you find some of these objects, you can clear them out.

The second thing you need to consider while assembling the tent. You can set your tent in different ways which depend on the type or model of the tent. You should follow the given instructions to avoid any problem with your tent. These instructions are written on the side of the camping tent or in the manual and labeled. Some tents are just tied on the frame after setting while some have their frames organize through the sheets. You now have your tent after attached it to the structure. But you can not use it that way. You have to adjust it first in the corners to form a perfect square or rectangle. After making some adjustments, you can now go on to the next step.

After the tent is assembled you can fix it at your chosen and cleared area. Keep your tent fixed in there with the help of supports like pegs and ropes. You can place stakes at the corners of the tent and tie these pins and the tent using the rope for support. Now your camping tent is ready for use. You have upright your tent but still you can’t sleep. But there are still so many things that you have to do because you are in a camping tent at camping trip place not at your room.

What To Look For When Buying A New Camping Tent

When you are shopping for a camping tent there are few things to think about.  How big do you need?-How many doors and windows?-What type of construction you prefer?-What type of weather you are going to be in?  These are some of the questions you should answer before you go to buy your tent.  Certainly do not buy the most expensive thinking it is the best or buy the cheapest thinking it is of good quality.

How Big Should Your Camping Tent?

If you are not planning going on a backpacking or canoe trip then the size of your tent should not matter so much.  The size of a tent is measured in sq. ft., and how many standard sleeping bags fit inside of it.  A four person camping tent will hold four people and there sleeping bags, but there will be very little room to store other items and will be tight for sleeping.  I have always added two people to the size of the camping tent that I needed and always have had enough room in the past.  Multi-room camping tents are a good option if you would like a little privacy.  There are a few kinds of multi-room tents to choose from.  There is the kind with a wall in the middle and a zipper door, or the kind where you tie up room dividers to make a one room into a multi-room.  Finally there is the kind that is like the first but with a screen room attached (3 room) or the screen room replaces one of the rooms (2 room).  These are nice for changing out of dirty or wet clothes before getting into the sleeping area.  They also work great for a table and chairs when it is raining, or storing gear.

What Are  Some Things To Look For?

The type of construction-

Dome tents have a lot of space but not a lot of head room and are almost always built with fiberglass poles that break down to make them easier to transport and pack.  You bend these to make the dome, and they are either put into loops, pockets, or there are rings with a metal post that go into the open end  of the fiber glass poles.  These can be tricky sometimes with one person, here is a hint – stake it down first, that will keep it place while you bend the poles to attach to the bottom.

Metal frame tents are nice because they provide a sturdy tent with head room through out the whole camping tent.  These come in more than just camping tents though, they are also screen tents and canopies.  These tend to be kind of bulky when trying to travel light though, these poles are much thicker than the fiberglass poles.  When they bend, they are pretty much done and should be replaced.

Expanding frame tents are the easiest to put up, but they take up they most room and are not practical for carrying for any distance.  They expand out and you put the top on and attach it by Velcro or ties.  Then just extend the legs and it is up.  They come with stakes or weights for the feet to keep it from blowing away, and some have sides you can attach to keep out the wind.

Weather proofing-

You should make sure that the seams are folded and double stitched.  Make sure you use seam sealer on all the seams for extra water prevention.  You can get this at any store that sells tents or camping supplies.  

Make sure it has a proper rain fly, it is the raincoat for your camping tent.  It should come down the sides of the tent to protect the walls of the tent.  Rainflies are water proof and tent walls are water repellant.  

It should have a one piece tub floor.  The floor would ultimately be made out of a water proof material that will wrap up the sides of the tent a few inches before being attached to the walls.  There should be no seam in the floor, if there is you will have water leaking in your camping tent.

Other features to look for-

It should have heavy duty zippers, you are going to be in and out a lot.  You are going to want something that is holds up to frequent use.

A roof vent is nice to get air moving through the tent and help keep the condensation out of the tent.

No-see-um mesh is the best for keeping out all the pests

Stake loops should either be metal grommet rings or material loops

Here Are Some Additional Tips For Prolonging The Life Of Your Tent

You should always use a tarp or mat to protect the bottom of the tent from rocks and sticks, this also prevents moister from penetrating the bottom.  Make sure your tarp is under the camping tent and not sticking out.  If it is sticking out it will collect rain and dew and most likely it will collect under the tent.  This is just a general camping tip, never store food in your tent.  This will keep out ants and other bugs, also this will keep out animals.  You should store food in a screen tent away from your sleeping area.  When done you should sweep out your area to also help prevent pests.  When you get home you should take your camping tent out of its stuff sack and let it air out to prevent that musty mildew smell.  You can store in the sack but never on concrete, it can absorb moisture and mold the tent and destroy the seams.

Selecting the right camping tent can be the important factor in whether your next camping trip is packed full of great memories, or a damp disaster that you need to forget. There are such a lot of things to consider when buying your next camping tent , for example size, style, shape, weight, ventilation, fabric, poles, and so on. These are some points to consider before you purchase next camping tent.

Tents come in a selection of classifications, each built to meet categorical weather conditions and camping wants. Two-Season Tents, designed for very nice weather, are reasonable. Made with light fabric, they supply good ventilation, but not very much protection from the elements. Built to provide shelter in heavy weather, the Four-Season tent has a low, curving shape to stop a massive build-up of snow. It frequently has a full coverage fly and foyer, and has more poles, more guy-points and lines for staking. It is made from heavier duty fabric than 2 or 3 season tents so it can bear torrential rain and snowfall. There’s less ventilation with a four-season tent, and these tents weigh more than the 2 or 3 season tents. The four-season tent is excellent for camping in the mountains or in intensely cold weather, but offers poor ventilation for warm or moderate weather camping.

Unless you’re camping on a trailer, camping tents are one of the most critical camping appliances but they might not be as simple as the general public need it to be, at least when it comes to selecting the right tent.

You have to first decide who many individuals you’re going to house with the tent and get the one which homes another extra. Different camping tents are also made for the different seasons and climate. If you’re expecting powerful winds, you may need to get a tent with a robust skeleton yet aerodynamic and have multiple tie-downs.

Camping tents that are fast to set up and keeps you dry would do wonders at a place where it’s cool and known to shower often. A tent with an overhang that keeps away water splashing up from the ground keeps you dry when the rains are heavy. Ensure that the tent also provides ventilation.

You might also encounter robust winds, even thunderstorms in the desert so ensure your camping tent can bear such conditions. Try and avoid zips due to the sand and because there aren’t trees around make you are your tents don’t need trees to other natural still objects to keep your tent upright.

Its rounded, streamlined shape provides sturdiness and strength against wind. They offer good floor space, but not very much headroom. They supply good ventilation, and are freestanding. Screen Homes are really spacious, and supply an excellent place to chill and entertain while giving shelter from the sun, rain, and bugs. Another thing to be considered when purchasing your tent is the quantity of folk that’ll be occupying the tent. There are Solo Camping Tents, which are compact, light, and supply a comfy area for one individual. These tents are also light, sturdy and flexible. Camping Tents come in several sizes, from four to 9 folk. 4 Season / Expedition Tents are comparatively small,They typically sleep two to three folks, they’re made to resist intense weather conditions and be comfy at the same time, superb for mountaineering or expeditions.

It is the first step to know the precise weather conditions before pitching a camping and hiking tent. In this section we will discuss about how to pitch a camping and hiking tents in different weather conditions.

Pitching a Tent in Windy Conditions

Windy weather conditions can make it very challenging to build our camping tent as the tent cover is likely to flutter and lead a life of its personal. Before collecting your camping and backpacking with some stuff, here are some of the tips on how to pitch a Tent in windy conditions:

If the winds and weather conditions are very rough then you might need to wait for some things to settle down a tad before you trying to pitch your tent. You could look for a natural shelter or create makeshift shelter first if the changes of your camping tent being blown away are too great or if you need to look for shelter as quickly as possible.

Find the most sheltered and safety location and get as many campers as possible to help and act as weights.

Ensure that you have some heavy but smooth objects at hand before you discharge your hiking tent. You can use them to weigh down the tent sheets and keep them very secured.

Spread out your Tent sheets as close to the land as possible and place heavy objects on them as you unfold it. You can better use your body weight if no objects are available there.

Depending on the arrangement and pitching method of the tent you can now start pouring in the first pegs. Stick the windward side of your camping tent first. Keep all sheets in flat manner and slanted down. You can easily lift up your camping tent as soon as possible when time arrives.

Once you completed your unpacking your tent, make sure to check all pegs. It is probably that some of them are not very firmly connected in your hurry to get your camping tent upright.

Pitching a Tent in Snowy Conditions

Snowy weather conditions make it harder to find hard and level ground to secure your stake in. In addition; there are some risks of getting snowed in. Here are some of the guidelines to pitching a tent in snowy condition:

Choose your tenting location well to reduce the chances of getting snowed air in or, even worse, getting caught in a flood. Take your binoculars and keep away from steep infertile slopes. Scope out the land above you to ensure that if an avalanche were to happen, your camp site should not be in its path.

Take your own time in selecting the camping locations and try to find the most leveled and the warmest surface you can find. The time you spend in finding a better place will almost certainly be less than the time to level the surface of land and work with a soft surface.

Level out the surface where you will pitch your camping tent and perhaps even excavate a site. Make sure the entrance area is digging out well to minimize the chances of the entrance receiving blocked by snow.

Use particular snow pegs or snow anchors to tie down your camping tent. In case of very bad surfaces, try tying down using twigs, skies, snowshoes, or other things at your removal.

Before you purchase a family camping tent, answer these basic questions on how you will be using the tent and what type of camping you will be doing.  By determining what type of camping tent is right for you before you buy, you will save money, time and have the perfect tent for your camping experience.

What Type Of Camping Tent Do You Need?

This all comes down to one question.  What type of camping do you plan on?  If you want to experience the thrills of hiking through the back country, a light weight camping tent for two is the best choice for you.  If you are family camping in one location at a camp site, then you might want to opt for some creature comforts of home!  Such as room camping tents and large family camping tents that will not only comfortably sleep your entire family but will hold all their personal gear as well.

How many people will be using the tent?  And for what purposes?

As this article is geared toward family camping, we’ll stay with the large family style camping tents.  First decide on how you will be using your tent.  Are you just going to sleep in it?  Are you also storing personal items (clothes, entertainment, toiletries) inside?  Will you be using the tent to store other camping gear?  These are all important to consider before you purchase a camping tent, because when a manufacturer states that a tent sleeps four people, what they really mean to say is – this tent will only fit four normal sized sleeping bags with room for little else!  So if your family of four plans to use the tent for more than just sleep, then it’s wise to buy a large family camping tent that sleeps six and quite possibly a tent with more than one room (for those who are planning on camping with pre-teen and/or teenage kids – you know what I mean!).

What Kind Of Camper Are You?  And Why This Affects The Type Of Camping Tent You Buy

Again ask yourself what kind of camping you are planning – gentle backpacking, extreme wilderness trekking or family campsite?  Typically, if you are a family campsite camper, the amount of time or complexity of setting up your tent is less critical.  Obviously, the simpler the better, but for family camping the ease of setting up a large or multiple room family camping tent is not as important of a feature.  That is unless you get to your campsite after dusk, then you had better have packed your camping lanterns last!  These days most large family camping tents can easily be set up in about 15-20 minutes – if you have read the set-up instructions and have all the guy lines, stakes and tarps handy and ready to use.

What Seasons And Typical Weather Are Most Likely To Encounter?

Obviously spring, summer and fall are the seasons we camp during the most.  Yet depending on the geographic area, ask yourself how often could you experience more extreme weather?  We all know that sudden rain storms and high winds do happen, and if you typically camp in areas where the possibility of extreme weather can happen, you want to be prepared.  Every tent is water resistant to some degree, yet if you camp in an area where frequent rain storms occur, you may want to purchase a tent specifically designed to repel rain.  The same thing can be said for high winds, scorching sun and heat and the camping tents that are designed for those types of camping situations, such as stronger poles, sun screens and lots of vents.  Buy the tent with the proper features and your camping experience will be that much more wonderful!

Tent Design And Why It Matters

Camping tents come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors and formations.  Choosing the best one for you again depends on what style of camper you are, where you typically camp and what you will be using your tent for.  When purchasing a tent for family camping, remember you only have to set it up once and take it down once.  So during your camping experience your tent should be comfortable for everyone to use and function for all activities.  Here are several considerations:  Height of tent – if you’re 6’4” and you purchase a dome tent that is 5’6” high at the tallest point, be prepared for lots of stooping, otherwise you may want to purchase a family style camping tent with enough height clearance for the tallest member of the family!  Weather – if you camp in a constantly windy area (like some beaches) a dome style of tent would be better as it’s specifically designed to buffer high and constant winds.  Humidity – camping in high humidity areas can bring lots of wonderful insects to your camping experience!  You may want to purchase a tent with lots of screened vents and possibly a screened eating canopy as well. Personally, I’m not a bug-in-my-food kind of camper!

A Final Note On Family Camping Tents

Before you embark on your fabulous family camping vacation, set up your tent!  Make sure all the guy lines are intact and that you have enough stakes (plus extra just in case) to set up your tent.  Also clean the inside and outside of your tent in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions before you repack, you’ll be thankful you did when you get to your campsite!