What Is The Right Tent For You!

There are a few different types of tents that people typically use when they go camping. There is dome, cabin, a-frame/ridge, and tunnel/loop. They each have their own benefits and down falls. I have been using dome tent for the majority of my life because that’s just what I am used too. Here is a list of the tents with benefits and downside to them:

· Dome

o The rounded canopy means that these are stronger and more weather resistance than most of the other choices. The rain/snows can just slide off the arced roof of the tent instead of pooling in certain spots. The down fall to the domed roof to the tent is that it limits the amount of space inside of the tent. This is a good tent the backpacking or just car camping because it is light weight and easy to set up.

· Cabin

o 4 vertical walls that will create a larger living space then most of the other 4 options. Some larger cabin tent will even have dividers in them that can also make for separate rooms. Tents like these are typically good for families for larger group of people since they are able to accommodate more people.

· A-Frame/Ride

o These are the tent you see back in old war movies or boy scouts. There aren’t many people I see still use these a-frame tent anymore. A-frame tents are good for a simple shelter for sleeping but the low height to the tent doesn’t allow for much else.

· Tunnel/Loop

o The design of these tents uses 1 to 3 hoops to create a rounded rooftop. Tunnel/loop tents come in many different sizes, some of the larger sizes can fit up to 8 people in them. It is also used for backpackers because it is lightweight and sturdy.

Now you might be asking yourself how do I know which of these tents to use still? Where there a few questions you can ask yourself to determine that.

How big should my tent be?

One size doesn’t fit all when we are talking about tent sizes unfortunately. When I look at tent sizes I don’t look at the 2 or 3 people size that put on the tents. But instead I look at the square feet that are actually inside of the tent. It could say that it is 2 person tent, but that could mean 2 people with room to move tent also. Some articles suggest that each person usually uses about 25 square feet in the tent, which that include sleeping bag and whatever else you bring in the tent with you. But that also depends are you a bigger over packer or do you like to spread out when you sleep.

When am I going to be camping?

Getting into different season tents can be a whole blog post on its own. But just know the basics can help you make the decision. Two-season tents are usually good for camping from late spring to early fall, when it isn’t really cold yet. Three-season tent is the most popular option (spring, summer, and fall). It typically has ample mesh panels for air flow as well as good protection from rain. Four-season is a tough tent designed to handle extreme weather. It has durable fabrics and more poles to withstand serious conditions.

If you are still not sure which tent to use, I always recommend potentially trying a few different types of tents out before buying one. If you are in college most universities have an outdoor adventure center where you can rent camping gear from, borrow a tent from a friend, or some companies also have rental programs for gear as well.

I’d love to hear from y’all on how you decide what the right tent is for you. Right a comment below or email me at advintexas@gmail.com and I would love to share your advice with other. If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. We also have the second episode of Adventures in Texas Podcast coming out this week so make sure to stay tuned for that. You can find the podcast on our SoundCloud account!