Features to Look For in a Tent

A lot of tents today come with fiberglass poles. Tents come in either aluminum or fiberglass poles. Each type of pole has its own advantages and disadvantages. Aluminum poles may bend, but fiberglass poles may break. Aluminum poles are generally considered more durable, but they may also be less flexible. The type of pole that you receive will depend on the tent that you purchase. Replacement poles are available from tent manufacturers as well as camping supply stores.

The rain fly on your tent is also very important. Tents themselves do not have waterproof roofs. The rain fly is waterproof and you will want one that comes down over the sides of the ten rather than just on top. Tent walls are water repellant only, so they can get soaked easily. An adequate rain fly should help your tent stay dry. When you spend time in your tent, your body releases moisture into the air. Your wet clothes also release moisture. A tent that is completely waterproof can have a rain effect occur because the condensation would build up on the tent's roof. The walls of the tent are breathable for this reason. The rain fly can also protect your tent from harmful ultraviolet rays. The rain fly is cheaper to replace than the roof of your tent.

Most tents will have attached floors at the bottom. This material is also waterproof and there should be no seams. The flooring material should extend up the walls a few inches so that the tent has a "tub" shape. This prevents water from getting into the tent. If there is a seam in the floor then the tent is more prone to leaks as well.

The fabric of most tents is permeable and breathable nylon. There are a few tents on the market that are polyester and these will have better UV resistance. Rain flies are typically nylon and waterproofed with polyurethane. Tent floors may also be waterproofed with polyurethane or made of rip stop nylon. The exceptions to this are cabin tents. These tents have a larger interior volume and are not prone to the condensation build-up discussed earlier. Because of this, many cabin tents are made of waterproof poplin or a polyester/cotton blend. The windows and door screens are usually constructed of a fine mesh material that blocks bugs, like no-see-ums. All fabrics may also be treated to be mildew resistant and fire retardant.

The tent should also have an adequate amount of guy lines. The tent walls and sometimes the rain flies will have loops that are sewn near the middle. The loops are attached to guy lines that pull out of the walls to make the walls nice and taught. This ensures that your wind flapping is kept to a minimal.

The tent should also have good-sized stake loops. These loops are at the base of the ten and in every corner. They should also be in the center of each side. Loops need to be large enough to accommodate the large plastic stakes.

Heavy-duty zippers are also important. All doors and divider will use zippers and you want zippers that will hold up over time and through a lot of use.

Enjoy your camping trip and features to look for in a tent.