Camping Tents

Camping Tents

Camping Tents – The time for selecting what you need has arrived. You need the correct information to select the right one for your next outdoor adventure.

Camping tents can be anything from a tarp being used as a lean-to, to being carried on your back, to family sized, to the larger ones used in the military.  Many styles are used in the construction of camping tents. Everywhere from a single layer (watch out for holes – they leak in the rain), to 2 layers – this has the 2nd layer that is like a cap over the top (it does not touch the top) that helps keep the weather off (you still want to watch out for holes even if they don’t leak), and those camping tents that have a fly or a vestibule.

Small camping tents used for backpacking are generally designed for 1 Person or 2 People. They can be very lightweight due to the modern materials used for the fabric. This type can be free-standing using flexible poles – your body weight holds it in place.  Many of the camping tents used in backpacking come with a small flap on the outside used to make a vestibule for storing your gear outside but still out of the weather instead of having to have your gear inside with you.

Camping tents of medium size are used for family outings with 3 or more people. These are generally made of heavier materials so they usually weigh more. Many still use the traditional poles, guy ropes, and stakes to hold them in place.  The family camping tents usually come with windows that have screens on them to keep the bugs out. This also allows for ventilation that helps depending on the weather. A flap on the outside can be rolled down during bad weather to keep the water and wind out.

Almost all versions of camping tents use stakes and poles (sectional or single-piece).  Single-piece poles can cause a space/storage issue when traveling. The sectional poles, especially the newer flexible ones are lightweight and do not take up much space which is nice when you are out backpacking.

Many of the larger family-style camping tents still use guy ropes. The guy ropes are usually made from the newer polymer types of material that are very strong and lightweight.  If you have ropes then you need Tent Stakes. These are needed to hold the camping tents in place. They can still be the traditional wood or metal, or the newer polymer types that are very strong and lightweight.

The history of camping tents is as long as man has been moving around the planet. Various styles, shapes, and sizes continue to be used by nomadic people and militaries of the world. They are easier and quicker to set up and take down vs. hard structures. Camping tents are now also used for recreational purposes because they are easy to transport set up and take down. The smaller camping tents are quick and easy and the larger ones will take more time and possibly 2 or more people to set up and take down.

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