How waterproof is waterproof?
The first thing most people are concerned about is waterproofing. To measure waterproofness, the boffins take a plastic column, put it onto the fabric they want to test and tip water into it. However much water the fabric can take is a measure of the fabric's hydrostatic head. So 3000mmHH means the material can withstand 3000mm of water on top of it before it leaks. For a fabric to be classified as waterproof it needs to be more than 800mmHH. Tents range from 1500mmHH to 6000mmHH depending on how much you want to pay.
Tent Size v Sleep
I went online and picked a random tent specification for a five person tent. At the end of the description it said 'easily fits two double airbeds or 4 single airbeds' - so that's a four person tent then. If you want to sleep comfortably and are taking arirbeds then you are going to have to increase the size of your tent. A family of four should buy a five person tent, six if you can afford it.
The Tent Porch
An added bonus of a bigger tent is a bigger porch. For family campers, enjoying the fresh air for a weekend, get a tent with a porch big enough to play Cranium in.
Groundsheets - Sewn-in or not?
I would recommend getting a tent with a sewn-in ground sheet. It keeps the insects out and the rain and the wind, so that's worth a little bit extra. I would also recommend a footprint that goes under the tent. This protects the tent and keeps the bottom of the tent clean.
Types of tent pole
Tent poles snap. This is a fact of life when camping. I've never had a tent completely blow down yet, a couple of poles might have snapped but the structure of the tent always remained sound, if a little bashed up. You typically have 3 choices: fibre glass, carbon fibre, or aluminium. Fibreglass seems to be the most common because it's the cheapest to manufacture. Carbon fibre is mostly used in costly lightweight tents used for hiking, and aluminium can be found in expensive family tents. For family tents aluminium is the best, but aluminium poles don't come cheap.
Other stuff
When you're supposed to be communing with nature, at one with the elements, why do you need a load of accessories? Blinds that roll-up, forty-five convenient places to tie your lantern, glow in the dark guy-ropes, electrical points - I don't think you need them but that's up to you.
The first thing most people are concerned about is waterproofing. To measure waterproofness, the boffins take a plastic column, put it onto the fabric they want to test and tip water into it. However much water the fabric can take is a measure of the fabric's hydrostatic head. So 3000mmHH means the material can withstand 3000mm of water on top of it before it leaks. For a fabric to be classified as waterproof it needs to be more than 800mmHH. Tents range from 1500mmHH to 6000mmHH depending on how much you want to pay.
Tent Size v Sleep
I went online and picked a random tent specification for a five person tent. At the end of the description it said 'easily fits two double airbeds or 4 single airbeds' - so that's a four person tent then. If you want to sleep comfortably and are taking arirbeds then you are going to have to increase the size of your tent. A family of four should buy a five person tent, six if you can afford it.
The Tent Porch
An added bonus of a bigger tent is a bigger porch. For family campers, enjoying the fresh air for a weekend, get a tent with a porch big enough to play Cranium in.
Groundsheets - Sewn-in or not?
I would recommend getting a tent with a sewn-in ground sheet. It keeps the insects out and the rain and the wind, so that's worth a little bit extra. I would also recommend a footprint that goes under the tent. This protects the tent and keeps the bottom of the tent clean.
Types of tent pole
Tent poles snap. This is a fact of life when camping. I've never had a tent completely blow down yet, a couple of poles might have snapped but the structure of the tent always remained sound, if a little bashed up. You typically have 3 choices: fibre glass, carbon fibre, or aluminium. Fibreglass seems to be the most common because it's the cheapest to manufacture. Carbon fibre is mostly used in costly lightweight tents used for hiking, and aluminium can be found in expensive family tents. For family tents aluminium is the best, but aluminium poles don't come cheap.
Other stuff
When you're supposed to be communing with nature, at one with the elements, why do you need a load of accessories? Blinds that roll-up, forty-five convenient places to tie your lantern, glow in the dark guy-ropes, electrical points - I don't think you need them but that's up to you.
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Are you buying a tent and not sure which one is best, have a look at these tent reviews , it might save you some time. If you want outdoor gear reviews, in general, these pages should be informative.
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