YOUNG HAND
I'm looking for a super emergency bug out tent.
Something that would allow six people to cook and use a portable propane heater within it.
Something that could handle minus 30 degrees temperatures.
We have had a number of blackouts, storms etc etc..
I need something a city boy can put up in a hurry.
Answer
I too, question why a "city boy" needs a tent in an emergency. Any exposed fabric shelter is never going to offer more protection from severe cold than the most basic solid structure, even a shack or garage. I fail to see what low temperature "emergency" would drive you and 6 friends to flee to a tent rather than to stay in place in whatever structure you live or work in.
In fact, the only non-permanent shelter that would be superior in low temperatures would be a snow cave or Inuit style igloo, where the thickness of snow would block wind and insulate. You can learn to build one but it takes several people a few hours to construct one.
I used to winter camp a lot and have slept in tents down to minus 20 dead air temperature. It's a challenge. I have a two-man double walled tent that pitches tautly with a 4" air gap between the attached non-waterproof fly -- it also has a catenary cut so that, properly pitched, it sheds wind well in storm conditions. I used it for Alpine mountaineering and we kept warm in it due to the small volume and having down sleeping bags with about 10 inches of loft. It was a fairly effective arrangement, but not one I would endure given any other options. In fact, a 2-gallon water jug inside the tent froze solid overnight, which tells you how paltry a couple layers of nylon is against sub-zero weather. Unfortunately, that tent model has not been in production for 20 some years (Cannondale Aroostook). There are other competent mountaineering tents, but they are for brute survival and none is "warm" or spacious enough for 6-way partying.
A tent large enough for 6 people doesn't efficiently retain much heat. And I would NEVER use a stove or heating unit of any type in an enclosed tent. The only winter tent arrangement that can safely use a stove for heat is a fireproofed cotton canvas outfitter's wall tent with a built in chimney and unit stove for wood or other combustibles that is designed for safe ventilation. Tentsmith in New England sells these.
http://tentsmiths.com/period-tents-wall-tents.html
But if you are just looking to survive a power outage in weather like we have this week, stay indoors. A tent is better than NO shelter but certainly inferior to any structure with a solid roof and walls. If you have to evacuate to the wilds for some reason in cold weather, take a camper trailer with a propane heater. These are dirt cheap these days since people can no longer afford to pay for the gas to haul them on vacations. We rented a self-contained motorhome for a trip to Arizona last December and there was a freak cold spell where it got down near zero one night. We were toasty warm in the camper with the propane furnace running and all the comforts of home. You can pick up a used camping trailer or motorhome in functional shape that will sleep 6 for under $3,000 these days.
A yurt is a good suggestion for wintering shelter -- my brother has an 18' traditional wood frame and wool felt Mongolian one in his yard as a guest lodge, with a vented pellet stove to warm it. But it took a professional crew an entire day to set it up and it is not really portable. Plus it cost about $10,000. There are some cool geodesic dome tents in virtually every size marketed, but they will still not keep you warm.
Overall you are better off investing in warm sleeping bags and insulated clothing. Plus do some research on safe heating options that won't suffocate or burn you and your crew.
I too, question why a "city boy" needs a tent in an emergency. Any exposed fabric shelter is never going to offer more protection from severe cold than the most basic solid structure, even a shack or garage. I fail to see what low temperature "emergency" would drive you and 6 friends to flee to a tent rather than to stay in place in whatever structure you live or work in.
In fact, the only non-permanent shelter that would be superior in low temperatures would be a snow cave or Inuit style igloo, where the thickness of snow would block wind and insulate. You can learn to build one but it takes several people a few hours to construct one.
I used to winter camp a lot and have slept in tents down to minus 20 dead air temperature. It's a challenge. I have a two-man double walled tent that pitches tautly with a 4" air gap between the attached non-waterproof fly -- it also has a catenary cut so that, properly pitched, it sheds wind well in storm conditions. I used it for Alpine mountaineering and we kept warm in it due to the small volume and having down sleeping bags with about 10 inches of loft. It was a fairly effective arrangement, but not one I would endure given any other options. In fact, a 2-gallon water jug inside the tent froze solid overnight, which tells you how paltry a couple layers of nylon is against sub-zero weather. Unfortunately, that tent model has not been in production for 20 some years (Cannondale Aroostook). There are other competent mountaineering tents, but they are for brute survival and none is "warm" or spacious enough for 6-way partying.
A tent large enough for 6 people doesn't efficiently retain much heat. And I would NEVER use a stove or heating unit of any type in an enclosed tent. The only winter tent arrangement that can safely use a stove for heat is a fireproofed cotton canvas outfitter's wall tent with a built in chimney and unit stove for wood or other combustibles that is designed for safe ventilation. Tentsmith in New England sells these.
http://tentsmiths.com/period-tents-wall-tents.html
But if you are just looking to survive a power outage in weather like we have this week, stay indoors. A tent is better than NO shelter but certainly inferior to any structure with a solid roof and walls. If you have to evacuate to the wilds for some reason in cold weather, take a camper trailer with a propane heater. These are dirt cheap these days since people can no longer afford to pay for the gas to haul them on vacations. We rented a self-contained motorhome for a trip to Arizona last December and there was a freak cold spell where it got down near zero one night. We were toasty warm in the camper with the propane furnace running and all the comforts of home. You can pick up a used camping trailer or motorhome in functional shape that will sleep 6 for under $3,000 these days.
A yurt is a good suggestion for wintering shelter -- my brother has an 18' traditional wood frame and wool felt Mongolian one in his yard as a guest lodge, with a vented pellet stove to warm it. But it took a professional crew an entire day to set it up and it is not really portable. Plus it cost about $10,000. There are some cool geodesic dome tents in virtually every size marketed, but they will still not keep you warm.
Overall you are better off investing in warm sleeping bags and insulated clothing. Plus do some research on safe heating options that won't suffocate or burn you and your crew.
How to choose a camping tent?
Adela
I am planing my first camping trip. I want to know how to choose a suitable camping tent. I will go camping with my family. There are four of us altogether.
Answer
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
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