A tent is a shelter, consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over or attached to a frame of poles. Some tent styles are free-standing, while others are attached to the ground using guy ropes tied to stakes (pegs). Tents were first used as portable homes by nomadic peoples, but today, their main application is for recreational camping. Modern tents are usually made of fire-retardant material.

Tents range in size from those barely large enough for one person to sleep in up to huge (circus) tents capable of seating thousands of people. The bulk of this article is concerned with recreational camping using tents capable of sleeping from 1 up to about 10 people. Larger tents are discussed in a separate section below.

Tents for recreational camping are generally transportable by car. Depending on tent size and the experience of the person or people involved, such tents can usually be assembled (pitched) in between 5 and 25 minutes; disassembly (striking) takes a similar length of time. Smaller tents may be sufficiently light that they can be carried for long distances on a person's back, or on a touring bicycle, a boat, or even a pack animal.

The key to your camping adventure is the camping tent. The type of camping tent you use will depend on the climate, camping activity and your personal taste. There are many different types of tents for every conceivable environment and situation. Diehards or purists might argue that the tent is an unnecessary luxury for all but the most demanding camping. However, for the good majority of us which include families, hikers, bikers and the like, a little comfort is always welcome.

Camping equipment can include ultra-light to larger gear that has to be carried to the campsite via a car.

The number of tents available can be bewildering to the beginner. There are so many different shapes, types, materials and sizes that it can be difficult to choose which one will fit your own requirements. Camping stores generally concentrate on packed weight, dimensions and how many people it will sleep in their descriptions but there are more things to consider if you are to end up with one that is right for you. Three types describe most tents on the market although, as always there are plenty of exceptions and hybrid versions.

Ridge Tents - It sounds like it looks, a ridge tent generally has a ridge at the top and steeply sloping sides, much like a ridged roof and pretty much the shape you tend to think of as a traditional tent. You can get all sizes from a small back-packers tent to a marquee but the majority of ridge tents on the leisure market tend to be of the smaller 1,2 or 3-person variety. They’re generally very simple to erect as they have a simple structure, often a pole at each end, another pole or a rope stretched between the two to support the ‘roof’ and external guy ropes keep it all upright. Simplicity is their key advantage.

Frame Tent - Frame tents tend to be larger, family types. They have a sturdy frame made up of stiff, tubular poles that slot one-into-another to form a frame over which the canvas then hangs. Guy ropes and pegs are then used to stop it blowing away rather than to enable the structure to stand up. Earlier frame tents suffered somewhat from being very heavy, bulky and susceptible to leaks if you touched the fabric. However modern fabrics have lead to great improvements. The key advantages of frame tents are their efficient use of ground area (important if you’re on a crowded campsite) and the usability of the space inside.

Dome Tents - Over recent years, dome tents have become a very popular choice, in all sizes. They have a domed shape (or are made up of several domes), hence the name, and their structural rigidity is dependant on all the tent components (fabric, poles, guy ropes, pegs) working together, rather than on the stiffness of the frame itself. The Poles are generally made of flexible material such as carbon fibre. Dome tents are generally much lighter in weight than the equivalent size frame tent and their low, rounded shape makes them particularly wind resistant. The downside of the dome compared to a frame tent is that there tends to be less usable space (i.e. space you can walk around in or put a kitchen up in say) for the area covered.

Which type? The key factors in buying a tent will the number of people who will be using it, how and where it will be used and cost.

The first consideration, the number of people using it, is your easiest starting point. You need one that’s big enough to sleep everybody in but also try to imagine how much time you’ll be spending in it during the day. If you’re buying it for a hiking holiday then you’ll only need a tent that’s big enough to sleep in and store your stuff. Once the next day comes, you’ll appreciate it being as light as possible once packed. However if you’re spending a week at the beach with the kids you may well find a large living area useful, not just for storing your surfboards but also for sitting in if it rains! At this point it’s useful to note how the various types of tent differ internally. A frame tent is likely to have far more usable area, i.e. an area you can stand up and walk about in, than an equivalent size dome or ridge tent. You may also need to cook in the tent if the weather is bad and it is easier to set up a ‘kitchen’ in a frame tent than a dome tent simply because it has almost vertical sides that you can push tables, chairs, etc up to, rather than have them in the middle of the living space as you often have to in a dome.

The way you intend using your tent will be important. The hiking example has already been discussed, where minimum weight is a requirement, but how about if you’re travelling by vehicle? A dome tent tends to be much lighter in weight, and pack down to a smaller size, than an equivalent sized frame tent so, if space is an issue you may be best going for a dome. This also applies if you’re going to travel with your tent on a roof rack as even a small weight can change the handling of a vehicle. However, if you have a large trailer, pickup or boot (trunk!) the extra bulk and weight of a frame tent might not be an issue.

Tents on the leisure market are generally designed to withstand the ‘average’ weather conditions in Europe or the US but common sense should be used if you’re planning anything more extreme. Many tents are marketed as being suitable for use in high winds or stormy conditions but you should check suitability with the supplier if you’re at all concerned about the conditions you might encounter. Remember it’ll be too late to regret your choice of tent at 3am on site. If you’re planning a climbing trip to Everest or an expedition to Alaska mid-winter then you’re possibly on the wrong website! Tents for extreme weather use tend to be of the dome type as this is a shape more adept at shrugging off wind and rain than the squarer frame tent. However, if in any doubt, ask the supplier.

Cost is always an issue with any purchase. In my experience Ridge and dome tents tend to be cheaper than frame tents but this is a huge generalisation and I expect to be proved wrong almost immediately. The only way to compare prices is to shop around and the links on this site will allow you to do just that. As concerns the best make to go for, I have used Wynnster tents for several years and can wholeheartedly recommend them for being easy to put up, lightweight and weatherproof. However there are lots of manufacturers and this in itself means that their products must be up to a certain standard to sell at all. Cheap certainly doesn’t have to mean nasty and there are some great bargains out there. Shop around and enjoy the experience. If you’re taking kids with you get them involved too.

Here are some considerations when choosing the right camping tent:

What time of year will you be doing your camping?
As simple as it sounds, your camping tent must keep you dry.
The camping tent should be fairly easy to set up, or "pitch".
There should be adequate ventilation on all sides of the camping tent.
The size and weight of the camping tent should be relative to your camping activity.

Time of Year

There are generally three types of camping tent classifications and each depend on the time of year that they will be utilized:

All-season or convertible - these are used year round but despite the name do not perform well in harsh winter weather. Weight is generally not an issue,
3-season - this type of tent works well for all but the harshest cold weather condition,
4-season - built for extreme cold weather climates.

The all-season camping tent is typically thought of in terms of a family or car tent. Most cabin tents are all-season tents. These are great for relaxed summer camping. The 3-season camping tent is what I would consider the most versatile. Some of the smaller 2 person tents are great for hiking and some of the larger tents are great for family campouts. These are usually always a dome tent.

Staying Dry

You can certainly go to the local army-navy surplus store and pick up two shelter halves to camp in. When I was in the army we hated to bivouac in those canvas tents because once you touched the fabric on the inside, the tent would start to leak, especially when it rained but even from the morning dew.

But wait, you say I could just use an army poncho as a rain fly and stay dry. You're right. You could pick up a poncho as well to drape over your shelter half. But there goes the ventilation!

But what about the floor? You need a groundcloth for the moisture from the ground. Yep, got to buy another poncho at the very least for the ground.

The point is, technology is a wonderful thing. Camping tents can be purchased that have a water-resistant coating that still allow for ventilation. Most camping tents have a waterproof rain fly that attaches to the tent poles and still allows for ventilation. And lastly, many camping tents have floors sewn in to the bottom.

Your camping tent should be reasonably easy to set up. At no time will this be more apparent than when it is raining or when it is dark.

So how do I know if the tent is easy to set up? A-frame and dome camping tents are generally easy to pitch. A cabin tent is not necessarily easy
Conversely, when you are ready to take your tent down, or strike camp, you will want it fold into a neat, compact, easy to store package.

Ventilation

Your camping tent needs to have adequate ventilation. A good camping tent like this will have openings on all sides.
Most camping tents will have mesh screens on each side as well. This is to continue to have air flow though the tent even when you are trying to keep out the bugs or even debris if it is windy.

You'll want to choose a tent that has a large mesh opening if the bugs are annoying where you'll be camping.