Whether it’s your first time going camping, or you’re a seasoned pro, you know the value of good family camping tents. Who wants to camp when everyone is scattered all over the place? It’s much more fun when you’re all together. That’s why there are so many different tent styles and sizes.
What’s Right for Us?
When choosing a camping tent for your family, consider size, shape and fabric and the conditions you expect to encounter while you’re on your camping trip.
* Size: When calculating how much room you’ll need, figure it at about thirty square feet per person. Take into consideration sleeping space and the space you’ll need for your gear. Also, remember length is important. If you’re six feet tall, you’ll want a tent to be at least seven feet long so you don’t have to sleep all curled up.
* Shape: The four basic shapes of tents are umbrella, A-frame, wall and geodesic. The A-frame is what you might know as a “pup” tent. These can be pretty big. The umbrella is a great family tent because it gives you lots of standing room. It also has large window areas. The wall tent is very similar to the A-frame, but the walls are vertical instead of slanted and they’re usually larger. Geodesic tents are shaped like igloos and provide an advantage in bad weather.
* Fabric: Most tents are made of nylon and nylon mesh. Waterproofing is provided by coated nylon with better tents using thicker fabric.
* Conditions: Keep in mind the time of year, the terrain and the weather when choosing which tent to take with you. If it’s going to be rainy, first and foremost you want to keep the rain out. Then you also want to make sure the tent is big enough if several of you have to ride out a storm inside. If you’re going to a windy place, tent poles, stakes and ropes need to be strong. Geodesic tents reduce the problems that can be caused by wind because their pole placement gives solid strength.
* Also, if you want to have a kid’s tent and an adult’s tent, you might want different types for different groups.
Family camping tents lend to the enjoyment of your outing together. After a long day of hiking, fishing, swimming or exploring, get together for a good meal and enjoy a restful night as a family in your tent.
