best value tents for camping image
Mrs.Fine
I love to camp, but my poor old tent has worn out and it is time to purchase a new one. There are alot more features available now, and I want to know which ones are worth the extra money, and which ones just add more weight to my gear. It was a little overwhelming shopping at the Bass Pro shop last weekend.
Also, where is the best place to find a good deal on these tents? I only have a family of four, so an extra large tent is not needed. Just one that is relativley simple to set up.
Thanks for your input!
Answer
First, get a name brand tent. Almost everyone I know who has purchased a tent from a discount store has had problems with it very soon. Not only is this bad economics but can ruin a camping trip.
The tent that is right for you will depend on your own use and priorities. If you are car camping, you will likely accept weight and volume to have a comfortable tent. If you are bike touring, you probably want as small a tent as you can get.
Here's a few things to consider:
Self supporting - The more self supporting a tent is, the less you have to rely on stakes, but the more likely it is to have more poles and more weight. A classic pup-tent for example is simple, has only basic center poles, but needs good ground to steak it down.
Ventilation - Very important if you will be in warm weather especially. I find that having cross ventilation (two opposite doors for example) give much better ventilation than the percent of the tent body that is netting. ( I find that if the netting is completely surrounded by the fly, you won't get much wind movement anyways)
Mosquito netting - get the smaller no seeum netting. It's helpful if you can adjust this and the door rainflies without having to open the tent door (thus letting all the bugs in)
Zipper - get one with a substantial zipper on the doors. This is a point of failure on many bargain brand tents.
In my outdoor program I purchase Eureka Timberline Tents which are the mainstays of many outdoor programs. I think they are one of the best values you will find in a tent. They are well built, have good zippers, have excellent cross ventilation and are easy to set up with poles that are unlikely to break. You can adjust the ventilation from inside the tent. They are great for most general needs, but would not be my choice for activities where light weight is needed such as bike touring or light-weight backpacking. They will make more noise than a dome tent in a wind. A good source is Campmore. They also stock spare parts such as poles should you ever need them. Personally, I find myself using this tent most of the time unless I'm in the wind or snow I use a Eureka dome tent, and if I want to go light, I use a small
Sierra Designs hoop tent instead.
Help preserve your tent by shaking or sweeping out all the debris each morning when you take it down. This will make the floor last much longer. If you are not overly concerned about weight, cut a plastic ground cloth to fit, which you can always leave out if you don't want it. (Campmore sells these very cheaply to fit the timberline)
P.S. - the Timberline has a 4-person version, but it is room for sleeping only. If you are car camping for long periods of time, you may want something more roomy for a family of four.
First, get a name brand tent. Almost everyone I know who has purchased a tent from a discount store has had problems with it very soon. Not only is this bad economics but can ruin a camping trip.
The tent that is right for you will depend on your own use and priorities. If you are car camping, you will likely accept weight and volume to have a comfortable tent. If you are bike touring, you probably want as small a tent as you can get.
Here's a few things to consider:
Self supporting - The more self supporting a tent is, the less you have to rely on stakes, but the more likely it is to have more poles and more weight. A classic pup-tent for example is simple, has only basic center poles, but needs good ground to steak it down.
Ventilation - Very important if you will be in warm weather especially. I find that having cross ventilation (two opposite doors for example) give much better ventilation than the percent of the tent body that is netting. ( I find that if the netting is completely surrounded by the fly, you won't get much wind movement anyways)
Mosquito netting - get the smaller no seeum netting. It's helpful if you can adjust this and the door rainflies without having to open the tent door (thus letting all the bugs in)
Zipper - get one with a substantial zipper on the doors. This is a point of failure on many bargain brand tents.
In my outdoor program I purchase Eureka Timberline Tents which are the mainstays of many outdoor programs. I think they are one of the best values you will find in a tent. They are well built, have good zippers, have excellent cross ventilation and are easy to set up with poles that are unlikely to break. You can adjust the ventilation from inside the tent. They are great for most general needs, but would not be my choice for activities where light weight is needed such as bike touring or light-weight backpacking. They will make more noise than a dome tent in a wind. A good source is Campmore. They also stock spare parts such as poles should you ever need them. Personally, I find myself using this tent most of the time unless I'm in the wind or snow I use a Eureka dome tent, and if I want to go light, I use a small
Sierra Designs hoop tent instead.
Help preserve your tent by shaking or sweeping out all the debris each morning when you take it down. This will make the floor last much longer. If you are not overly concerned about weight, cut a plastic ground cloth to fit, which you can always leave out if you don't want it. (Campmore sells these very cheaply to fit the timberline)
P.S. - the Timberline has a 4-person version, but it is room for sleeping only. If you are car camping for long periods of time, you may want something more roomy for a family of four.
Any tips on staying warm in a camping tent?
Ivy
We have prepared very thing well for this weekend camping trip but the weather seems won't be fine by then. We don want to change our plan so does anyone know how to keep warm in a camping tent?
Answer
Stay warm, dry, hydrated and well-fed.
Each human body puts out between 70 and 500 BTU/hr of heat (depending on activity level and available calories). A decent tent will trap some of this heat, to take some of the edge off the cold, but not enough to substitute for the insulation provided by clothing and/or a sleeping bag. The use of type of heater inside a tent is discouraged for safety reasons. So to stay warm, you need an appropriated-rated sleeping and clothing system.
(Note that each body also exhales about 8 ounces of water each day, and without adequate ventilation and tent design, this moisture will condense on cold tent surfaces and possibly run down walls to get sleeping bags and other gear wet.)
On the sleeping end, your first concern should be a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the lowest temperature expected, with an additional 20*F margin. I.e., if you expect 20*F, your sleeping bag should be rated for 0*F. There's a few reasons for this: 1.) most sleeping bag ratings are optimistic, and are seldom truly comfortable down at their minimum rating; 2.) it might get colder than predicted during your trip. If you don't have and can't afford a properly-rated bag, it is possible to improve a bag's cold weather performance by using a thermal sleeping bag liner, by doubling-up on sleeping bags (i.e., one inside the other), or by using additional blankets on top of the sleeping bag. In addition to the sleeping bag you will need a foam or insulating air/self-inflating mattress to protect you from the cold, hard ground.
As for clothing, use layers of clothing that you can remove or add according to the temperature and activities. It is important to stay warm, but crucial to stay dry. Wet clothing does not insulate as well as dry clothing, although wool, silk and many synthetic materials still provide insulation value when wet. Cotton should be avoided as it becomes a heat conductor (rather than insulator) when wet, and takes a long time to dry. The basic layers are:
1. On-Skin (underwear top & bottom)
2. Base Layer (long johns)
3. Outer Layer (thick to thin, depending on activity & conditions)
4. Wind/Rain shell
Don't forget essentials such as a hat and gloves. If the weather will be wet or you will be very active if would be worthwhile to bring an extra set of underwear, socks and base layer.
Aside from the insulation, there are some things you should do to keep warm:
1. Drink lots of fluids, particularly warm fluids. But avoid sweetened and/or caffeinated beverages. If your body gets dehydrated it will affect its ability to regulate temperature. Warm beverages help keep your body core temperature high without consuming calories.
2. Eat extra calories, particularly fats. Your body will need extra calories to generate heat. Fat provides the ideal fuel for your internal furnace. In particular it is beneficial to eat a hot, high fat meal close to bedtime.
3. Stay active. The more you move the more heat your body generates. Be cautious not to overheat and sweat.
Finally, if additional heat is needed you can fill water bottles with hot water, wrap in extra clothing and stuff them inside your sleeping bag. These will need to be refilled every 4 hours or so. You can also use chemical hand warmers that will last 8 to 12 hours.
Stay warm, dry, hydrated and well-fed.
Each human body puts out between 70 and 500 BTU/hr of heat (depending on activity level and available calories). A decent tent will trap some of this heat, to take some of the edge off the cold, but not enough to substitute for the insulation provided by clothing and/or a sleeping bag. The use of type of heater inside a tent is discouraged for safety reasons. So to stay warm, you need an appropriated-rated sleeping and clothing system.
(Note that each body also exhales about 8 ounces of water each day, and without adequate ventilation and tent design, this moisture will condense on cold tent surfaces and possibly run down walls to get sleeping bags and other gear wet.)
On the sleeping end, your first concern should be a sleeping bag rated appropriately for the lowest temperature expected, with an additional 20*F margin. I.e., if you expect 20*F, your sleeping bag should be rated for 0*F. There's a few reasons for this: 1.) most sleeping bag ratings are optimistic, and are seldom truly comfortable down at their minimum rating; 2.) it might get colder than predicted during your trip. If you don't have and can't afford a properly-rated bag, it is possible to improve a bag's cold weather performance by using a thermal sleeping bag liner, by doubling-up on sleeping bags (i.e., one inside the other), or by using additional blankets on top of the sleeping bag. In addition to the sleeping bag you will need a foam or insulating air/self-inflating mattress to protect you from the cold, hard ground.
As for clothing, use layers of clothing that you can remove or add according to the temperature and activities. It is important to stay warm, but crucial to stay dry. Wet clothing does not insulate as well as dry clothing, although wool, silk and many synthetic materials still provide insulation value when wet. Cotton should be avoided as it becomes a heat conductor (rather than insulator) when wet, and takes a long time to dry. The basic layers are:
1. On-Skin (underwear top & bottom)
2. Base Layer (long johns)
3. Outer Layer (thick to thin, depending on activity & conditions)
4. Wind/Rain shell
Don't forget essentials such as a hat and gloves. If the weather will be wet or you will be very active if would be worthwhile to bring an extra set of underwear, socks and base layer.
Aside from the insulation, there are some things you should do to keep warm:
1. Drink lots of fluids, particularly warm fluids. But avoid sweetened and/or caffeinated beverages. If your body gets dehydrated it will affect its ability to regulate temperature. Warm beverages help keep your body core temperature high without consuming calories.
2. Eat extra calories, particularly fats. Your body will need extra calories to generate heat. Fat provides the ideal fuel for your internal furnace. In particular it is beneficial to eat a hot, high fat meal close to bedtime.
3. Stay active. The more you move the more heat your body generates. Be cautious not to overheat and sweat.
Finally, if additional heat is needed you can fill water bottles with hot water, wrap in extra clothing and stuff them inside your sleeping bag. These will need to be refilled every 4 hours or so. You can also use chemical hand warmers that will last 8 to 12 hours.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment