Sunday, April 19, 2009

A Little Info About Camping Tents

In this tough economy, people still need to get out and relax but they're trying to do it closer to home and without spending a lot of money on a fancy vacation. Because of this trend, lots of folks are rediscovering the simple joys of camping. It's true that camping requires an initial investment in gear, but the equipment will last for years. All that money spent on a Caribbean cruise will simply evaporate into thin air! Here's a little info on the kinds of tents you can choose from.

-- Most casual campers opt to buy three-season tents. They are perfectly adequate for use during the spring, summer, and autumn months. They usually come with windows, meshed ventilation ceiling panels that can be covered in inclement weather, and rain flies for those unexpected downpours. Three-season tents require only the minimum number of poles, so they are lightweight and easy to transport and carry.

-- If you are a hardy family who likes to ice fish, snowmobile, cross country ski, and go camping in the winter months, you'll need to get a four-season tent. These are dome-shaped to allow snow to slide off and come with extra poles for additional resistance to strong winds. Although these are perfectly adequate for use during other seasons, they weigh considerably more and may not have all of the ventilation options you will definitely need during the summer.

-- Dome-shaped tents have become the most popular option over the years. Their design allows for easy set up and takes down, and they are extremely lightweight. The genius of these tents is that they have aluminum or bent glass poles that run across the top of the tent to support the fabric. The result is that there is a lot more head room in these than there is in old-fashioned A-frames. Dome tents come in sizes ranging from small to huge.

-- If you have very small children who shouldn't sleep in their own tents, you may want to opt for a family tent. These tents usually sleep between 6 and 8 people, but certain "condominium" tents with added zip-on rooms can fit a few more. They come in dome designs, and there are also frame models.

It should be noted that these tents are extremely heavy to carry and require lots of help to set up quickly. If you plan on hiking over any considerable distance to your camp site, carrying a family tent may prove to be quite an inconvenience!

Whatever type of tent you choose, make sure to remember that food must never be stored in them! You will not be the only creatures in the woods, and nothing ruins a camping trip faster than having unwanted animals intrude where they are not wanted. Have fun!. by Art Gib

No comments:

Post a Comment