Just 25 percent of camp facilities for children use tents, according to a 2006-2007 American Camp Association survey of facilities, sites and programs. While cabins and lodges may make up most of the standard housing for children at summer camps, a tent offers shelter, a sleeping location and a place to store a camper's belongings.
Canvas Tents
Made of canvas or treated, heavy cotton duck fabric, this traditional type of camp tent has flap doors that tie open for ventilation and easy access. Canvas tents are typically set up on a wood floor with sturdy poles, making the structure a fixture of the camp throughout the season. High ceilings can accommodate bunk beds and some styles are designed with roll-up side walls to warm or cool the tent naturally. A fly, or rain-resistant cover, is spread across the roof and tied down to protect campers from wet conditions. Shaped like a simple four-walled cabin with the roof sloping away from a center-beam pole, a canvas tent can house four to 12 children and counselors, depending on the tent's size.
Tepees
Based on Native American tent design, tepees set the tone for adventure at camp. The entire camp program may focus on the traditions of indigenous people. Just a portion of the programming may be held at a tepee village on site, where the children learn crafts and storytelling. Depending on the style, tepees typically house four to eight children. The exterior of the tent can be plain or painted with the symbols of American Indian tribes, a practice used to identify different camper groups for the program's duration.
Dining Tent
An enormous tent held up by tree-size poles and filled with picnic tables, the dining tent is a favorite gathering place at summer camp. Besides being the site for meals, the large-size tent may double as a meeting hall, craft classroom or a dry spot for campwide gatherings in inclement weather. Although they may look rustic from the outside, dining tents can be outfitted with cooling fans for the hottest days of summer and with heaters to chase away an early-morning chill. Several types of dining tents have segmented walls that are rolled up or down and secured to manage air circulation.
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