5 tent buying tips
If you are going camping for the first time in the next couple of weeks you will need to start thinking about buying a tent. Borrowing a tent from a friend is always an option, but if you think you will want to go camping again at some point in the future, it will be well worth your time to get your own one.
The only problem with this is that, if you are new to camping, you probably won't know which tent you need to buy. If this is the case, refer to these five handy hints for tent buying:
1) There are a number of different tent sizes available, with everything from one man to family tents. Remember that having too much space is always better than having too little, so if you aren't sure exactly how big a tent you need, opt for a larger one. If you are sleeping in your tent alone though, a one man tent will be fine.
2) If you know you will have a lot of equipment, get a tent with lots of space that will allow you to store your belongings safely. You can get tents with a separate compartment that can be used as a living room, which would be ideal, as well as tents with special storage pockets on the inside.
3) If you haven't put a tent up before and you don't really want to have to fiddle about with anything, a pop up tent is probably the best option. If you do fancy learning how to put up a tent though, you can still get tents that require an amount of self-assembly, although they are considerably less tricky than in the past.
4) Make sure that you buy a tent that offers maximum protection from the elements. The last thing you want is for the rain to get into your tent, so pick one that is properly waterproof, is well insulated and has mosquito netting to stop insects from getting in. You can find out how waterproof a tent is by checking the hydrostatic head (HH) level. This will be followed by a number and the higher this figure is the more waterproof the tent will be. In terms of insulation, a double skinned tent will give you the most warmth while out camping.
5) Consider buying a tent pack rather than just a tent €" you can buy these from good outdoor shops and they will usually consist of a decent tent with a carry bag, sleeping bags and camping mats, which is the ideal for a first-time tent buyer.
The only problem with this is that, if you are new to camping, you probably won't know which tent you need to buy. If this is the case, refer to these five handy hints for tent buying:
1) There are a number of different tent sizes available, with everything from one man to family tents. Remember that having too much space is always better than having too little, so if you aren't sure exactly how big a tent you need, opt for a larger one. If you are sleeping in your tent alone though, a one man tent will be fine.
2) If you know you will have a lot of equipment, get a tent with lots of space that will allow you to store your belongings safely. You can get tents with a separate compartment that can be used as a living room, which would be ideal, as well as tents with special storage pockets on the inside.
3) If you haven't put a tent up before and you don't really want to have to fiddle about with anything, a pop up tent is probably the best option. If you do fancy learning how to put up a tent though, you can still get tents that require an amount of self-assembly, although they are considerably less tricky than in the past.
4) Make sure that you buy a tent that offers maximum protection from the elements. The last thing you want is for the rain to get into your tent, so pick one that is properly waterproof, is well insulated and has mosquito netting to stop insects from getting in. You can find out how waterproof a tent is by checking the hydrostatic head (HH) level. This will be followed by a number and the higher this figure is the more waterproof the tent will be. In terms of insulation, a double skinned tent will give you the most warmth while out camping.
5) Consider buying a tent pack rather than just a tent €" you can buy these from good outdoor shops and they will usually consist of a decent tent with a carry bag, sleeping bags and camping mats, which is the ideal for a first-time tent buyer.