Choosing A Tent Design
Tents come in many different designs depending on the size of the tent, its intended use and the build quality. The design which you choose will depend on the number of people sleeping in the tent, and where you intend to camp. Some of the different designs are:
Dome Tents
As can be seen in the photo here, dome tents are very popular. They are usually cheap, lightweight, and fairly stable in winds. They do not take long to put up (pitch), but some have a limited amount of internal space and don’t have enough room to stand up.
Pop Up Tents
These are relatively new, and take very little time to pitch. Take the tent out of the carry bag, let go and the tent expands to full size. Peg the tent out and if it’s single-skin you’re done. Double-skin are slightly different, usually the inner pops up, then the outer fixes over it before pegging out.
photo credit: russelljsmith
Tunnel Tents
These tents have a tunnel shape due to the semi-circular hoops forming the tent shape. They are available from small sizes up to large family tunnel tents, and are quite good at resisting wind forces.
Frame Tents
These consisit of a steel frame which holds the outer tent. The inner tent normally hangs from this frame to form the sleeping compartments. These tents are strong and have good headroom and space, but are heavy to transport and can be slow to erect.
Lightweight Tents
Lightweight tents are often used for backpacking, where the tent and other camping gear is carried in your rucksack. They normally sleep only one or two people, and do not have much headroom. Stronger versions can be used for camping in the mountains.
There are many designs of tent and not all will fit into these categories, in fact some will be a combination of more than one of these designs. Whichever design you choose, make sure that it is big enough to be comfortable for the number of people sleeping in it, and not too heavy to transport. Larger tents are generally best for sheltered camp sites where the wind is not too strong. In exposed or mountainous places, smaller, stronger tents are best. If you aren’t sure which type of tent to choose, there are several places where you can hire a tent and try it out before deciding if the design is right for your needs.
