What To Look For
Get the tent that matches your needs. Cabin tents, designed for family car camping, have steep walls, offering superior interior space and headroom. Dome tents are easier to set up, lighter and more resistant to wind and precipitation than cabin tents. They come in various sizes and configurations. Backpacking and ultralight tents minimize materials and space to save weight.
In terms of weather resistance, three-season tents, which are designed for use in spring, summer and fall, make up most of the market. Four-season tents are reinforced for use in cold weather and snow.
Look for a tent with sturdy, metal or carbon fiber poles, a quick, straightforward set-up procedure and enough room for you and your group. A double-walled tent that incorporates "no-see-um" mesh into the body and uses a separate waterproof rain fly will offer the best ventilation, while tents that use a single, waterproof, breathable exterior wall will typically be lighter. Features that add comfort and convenience include vestibules for gear storage, interior storage pockets and multiple entries.
Common Pitfalls
When determining size, don't go strictly by the capacity figure. Tents offer capacity in terms of how many people can sleep in them. This is usually given as "solo," "two person," "three person," etc. The number is often included in the model name of the tent. While this number provides a general guideline, many tents, particularly those designed for backpacking, will be cramped if used at capacity. Instead of relying on the figure, compare the interior space of tents and pitch them before buying whenever possible.
Where To Buy
Tents for casual family camping are the most widely available and can be found at big-box retailers, sporting good shops and outdoor sporting good stores. Tents designed for more advanced activities like backpacking and mountaineering should be shopped for at name-brand outdoor sporting goods stores like REI or EMS.
Cost
Before considering the cost of a tent, you need to identify what type of tent you're buying. Car camping tents are heavier but much cheaper than lightweight backpacking tents. You can find car camping tents for under $100. Backpacking and ultralight tents are more expensive, typically ranging between $200 and $500 for two-person models. Four-season tents are more expensive than three-season tents, retailing from $300 to $600 for smaller, two- and three-person models on up to several thousand dollars for large, base camp models.
Comparison Shopping
When shopping for tents, make sure to compare identical statistics. Manufacturers use several different weight specifications like "packed weight," "trail weight" and "minimum weight." Compare apples to apples. Always read tent reviews from industry publications like Backpacker and Outside magazines and websites like Trailspace.com and GearJunkie.com. Some of the most important aspects of a tent---like how well it keeps out water and holds up in high winds---are impossible to know just by comparing specs and materials.
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