How to select a tent: buying advice

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Our comprehensive guide to choose a tent ensures dry and comfortable nights in any weather

If you ask me, the time is well invested in a tent. I am usually most satisfied when I'm under the screen. After I have left the distractions of modern life behind, I think that camping has a detoxifying effect on me. At the end of a day on the trail, I open my tent, eat, drink, sleep. In the morning I finish my tent and then repeat. It's a simple but good life.

Of course it is not so easy to know how to select a tent. There are a lot of options with a suitable glossary with confusing technical language. It can be a confusing matter and possibly an expensive one if you do it wrong. However, if you do it right, you will enjoy comfort, reliability and some of the best views that you can't buy night after night.

To simplify the process, we have put together a comprehensive buying guide to choose a tent.

alt = “tents under a starry sky”> Atlas & Boots Time in a tent is well invested time

How to select a tent

considerations

When choosing a tent, it is worth asking some basic questions first.

  • where are you going?
  • When do you go?
  • How will the weather be?
  • Do you go hiking overnight or trekkken for several days?
  • What other equipment will you wear?
  • What activities will you do?
  • On what terrain will you open?
  • Do you stay on a campsite or game camping?
  • Who do you go with? Can you share equipment?
  • Do you go off the network or do you have access to amenities?

If you know the answers to these questions, you can decide which tent design you need and which functions are important to you. For example, an ultra -light hiker needs a completely different setup on a weekend trip in the middle of summer than a backpack tourist that completes a winter crossing of the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland.

tent designs

Dome: Dome tents are the general camping tent and the most popular design. Although they are not as strong, technical, light or weatherproof as other designs, they are easier to build up and usually more spacious. They have two poles that cross once, usually at the highest point - the tip of the dome. Dome tents are used in a variety of situations, from backpack travel to auto camping to festivals.

geodetically: this is the strongest type of tent design; Ideal for demanding expeditions because they withstand strong winds and rough weather. Geodesic tents have two or more poles with five or more rod crossing points. Less than five crossing points and they become semi-geodetic tents. Backpack tourists sometimes prefer semi-geodentic tents because they are lighter but a little weaker in strength.

geodetic and semi-geodetic designs are usually set up with separate inner tent and outer tent, which makes it difficult to set up in poor conditions.

tunnel: tunnel tents can be set up quickly and easily, since the inner tent and outer tent are connected. For backpackers and cyclists who open their tents in a different place every night, tunnel tents are a popular option because they are quick and protect the inner tent in bad weather. Tunnel tents also offer a high space-weight ratio.

Ultralight/Survals/Planning: Ultra -light tents or shelves are designed for hikers who try to overcome the soil quickly, so they should weigh well below one kilogram (1 kg). They often come without sticks and instead rely on the fact that hikers integrate their trekking sticks - or pole - into the design.

alt = "a shelter with trekking sticks"> Atlas & Boots My shelves set up with trekking sticks

I use an alpkit polestar tent (980 g), which is set up with trekking sticks to save weight and space.

It is not surprising that ultra -light options are not as weatherproof or resistant as other designs. For short hikes, where I can rely on reasonably good weather, I only take a tarp, herring, hip linen and my trekking sticks.

bell: Bell coats are a clear favorite for families or groups that do not intend to lay the warehouse. You usually have a spacious living area that can be adapted to the needs of the group and offers a more cozy camping experience. Bell tents are heavier, take longer to build up and should not be used for backpack travel.

Hybrid: hybrid tents consist of one or more designs. I used a tunnel tent for years, but recently switched to a Jack Wolfskin Exolight II. The Exolight is a hybrid dome tent with several geodetic and tunnel design aspects that make it an excellent choice for multi-day trekking.

The tent has two rod crossing points like a semi-geodetic tent, but the points are connected, which makes it stronger. The inner tent and the outer tent are connected to each other like a tunnel tent and simply attached to the define system, which means that it can be built quickly and easily even in bad weather.

Alt = "My Jack Wolfskin opened at sunset"> Atlas & Boots The Exolight II by Jack Wolfskin is a hybrid dome design

Main features of the tent

Floor tarpaulin: The plane of the floor should be attached to the inner tent and must be absolutely waterproof to prevent water from seeping up from the ground. It is important that all seams are sealed. With the best tent designs, the large seams are increased for better protection from the ground.

inner tent: The inner tent attached to the floor tarpaulin should be light and breathable and consist of a mixture of solid fabric and mesh for ventilation.

Outside tent: The outer tent is the outer shell that protects the inner tent and its occupants from weather influences. An outer tent should be light but hard -wearing and waterproof.

water column: the water column of a tent-sometimes also designated as a water column or polyurethane (PU) coating-is measured in millimeters (mm) and indicates how waterproof the tent is.

In the UK, 1,500 mm is the legal minimum so that a tent can be classified as waterproof. An evaluation of 2,000-3,000 mm is ready with most weather conditions. It is not unusual for expedition tents to have a water column of up to 10,000 mm on the ground tarpaulin and over 5,000 mm on the outer tent.

apse: an apse - or veranda - is a protected area within the outer tent, but outside the inner tent. Priority offers space for equipment, especially dirty boots and wet clothing that you do not want to have in the inner tent. They can also be used as extended living rooms.

alt = "A look from a tent"> Atlas & Boots Such views are unbeatable

Stamks: Stars form the structure of a tent and should be strong and reliable. Avoid fiberglass bars because you do not withstand strong winds. Aluminum is ideal for most situations because it is strong and light. Steel is sometimes used for larger tents, but is much heavier.

poles should collapse into smaller sections that are easier to use. For lighter wrinkles and packaging, they are usually connected by an elastic cord.

Scaning linen: tends linen or mutation ropes serve as additional contact points between the tent and floor and ensure additional stability.

fastening points for clipping lines: the points at which the tends are attached to the tent. These should be reinforced and have strong seams because they are heavily used and tear.

Doors: Fewer doors ensure a lighter tent. However, additional inputs are more practical if there are more than one resident. The inner tent doors usually contain a fine network for additional ventilation, while mosquitoes stay outside.

ventilation: A well -ventilated tent prevents condensation from accumulating and contributes to the fact that the occupants feel comfortable. The inner tent essentially uses a mosquito net or mesh to achieve this, while the fly tent ideally has at least one hooded opening that can be opened and closed.

Storage pockets: Storage pockets are usually mesh compartments in the corners or ends of the inner tent, ideal for storing a headlamp or other objects that you must have on hand.

accessories:

Footprint: Particularly useful for light tents, a footprint is placed under the tent floor and offers an additional protective layer in front of rough terrain and excessive moisture.

Equipment floor: A equipment floor is a storage compartment made of mesh or fabric that is attached to the roof of a tent, usually at the tip.

Light pegs (herring): Herings made of titanium, aluminum or even plastic offer an easy way to save weight without affecting the stability of a tent.

repair sets: It is worth taking a tent repair set to patch out fabric cracks and breaks. A tent angle rail is a temporary solution for a broken or damaged bar. A good tent is delivered with both.

We recommend years we use tents of Jack Wolfskin. At our first circular round, we packed a two-person tunnel tent, which we used on the islands in the South Pacific, the foothills of the Andes and everywhere in between. Nowadays we use a hybrid dome tent Exolight II (picture above), which has proven itself on numerous outdoor tours. Jack Wolfskin also has the Exolight I, a light version for solo backpackers.

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