by Joan H. Young

Created on: October 11, 2010   Last Updated: October 27, 2010

Camping out- one of the joys of summer! You experience a sense of freedom in being close to nature. Home is wherever you put your tent. That tent will keep you dry, provide some protection from insects and other small animals, and give you a feeling of security and privacy in the great outdoors. It can also be your most expensive piece of equipment, so you don’t want to make a mistake in the one you select. Take a logical approach to the difficulty of selecting one tent from the huge array offered, and you will come away with the tent that is right for you.

• The most fundamental question to ask is: “how are you going to use it?”

Tents are designed for specific needs: Backpacking, car camping, family camping, and extreme adventuring are the general categories of use. You want a tent that is designed for your type of trip. This matters because those labels are determined by size, weight, and tenting material. Backpacking tents are going to be as lightweight as possible. This doesn’t matter at all if you are traveling in a van with four children and a dog. Just selecting the right category will narrow your search significantly.

• Choose features you can’t live without.

Do you want a vestibule? Do you want a double-wall tent for extra protection from precipitation? Is extra ventilation (netting) more important, or do you prefer more solid walls to retain heat? If backpacking, do you want a tent that is free-standing (it does not have to be staked out to remain upright).

• When will you use this tent?

If you are going to camp only in the warmest summer months, you can make do with a tent that is lighter weight. You will also want to maximize ventilation, and the ability to see out (screen windows). If you want to do three-season camping, you’ll need a sturdier tent that offers more weather protection.

• Consider the design- does it meet your most important needs?

Don’t just look at total square feet of floor space. A tent that is 6x6 feet will have 36 square feet of floor space, but even one person who is over six feet tall will have trouble sleeping in that tent. Yet a tent that is 5x7 feet has only 35 square feet, but can sleep two people in relative comfort.

What is the head room? A solo tent that you can’t sit up in is little better than a cocoon. These are very uncomfortable to spend long waking hours in, which may be required in bad weather or mosquito season. In a family tent,

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