What To Look For In A Cheap Tent
Tents are a cheap means of getting away for a short break or longer holiday. Cheap tents currently are popular for outdoor music festivals and are also a good way of seeing whether or not you like camping.
Not all cheap tents nowadays are useless if you know what to look for, and there are some bargains to be had, especially at the end of the camping season. If you buy the right equipment, you can stay warm and dry on clear, starry nights or in heavy rain. Some of the design features which are good to have are listed here.
Waterproof Fabric
The fabrics used in most cheaper tent construction are nylon and polyester. These are considerably lighter in weight than traditional canvas, which makes them easier to carry in a rucksack or to lift in and out of the car. The nylon/polyester fabrics are sometimes coated inside with polyurethane (PU), to increase the waterproofing of the tent’s fabric.
photo credit: David Vincent Johnson
Sealed Seams
Look inside the outer tent (flysheet) at the stitching which holds the various fabric panels together. Ideally these seams should already be taped, and you will see what looks like a thin strip of adhesive tape along the length of the seams. This will help to keep rain from entering through the seam holes. Some tents will come without taped seams, but with one or more tubes of seam sealer. This looks similar to glue, and must be applied to the seams to seal the stitch holes, and allowed to dry before using the tent. If the tent doesn’t have taped seams and doesn’t come with seam sealer, you should make sure that you buy some.
Tent Poles
Most tents are supported by poles. Steel tent poles are common in larger tents, and are strong but heavy. Cheaper types of small tent often use glass reinforced plastic (GRP) poles. These are quite lightweight, but can be prone to breaking. Alloy poles are both light and strong, but are usually only found on more expensive tents.
Single Skin vs. Flysheet & Inner
Some tents are single-skinned, meaning they only have one layer of fabric between the living area inside and the outside world. This type of tent will not be quite as warm inside as one with an inner tent covered with a flysheet, and can get condensation inside, but will be easier and quicker to erect.
Tents with a flysheet and inner tent are warmer inside in cold weather, and are also less prone to condensation.
Size Of Tent
Usually, tent manufacturers are not too generous when it comes to space inside the tent. Often, tents described as a 4-person tent, there will not be much room inside with 4 people. It’s usually better for comfort reasons to buy a tent which is slightly bigger than you the number of people who are going to be in it. For example, a 5-person tent is likely to be a more realistic size to fit 4 people.
