Four Questions for Choosing a Tent
One of the most common questions I’m getting right now is, “What tent should I get?”
Now, remember that I’m not a retailer or a guide service - I’m an educator. I don’t just want to tell you what tent to get, I want to teach you how to choose a tent for your needs this year and beyond.
Tents vary in many ways: size, weight, fabric and design. Knowing how you plan to use your tent will lead to you selecting the perfect tent for you.
Here are the questions you need to ask to figure out what tent is right for you.
How many people will sleep in it? Tents are designed for a certain number of people. If you do a lot of solo hiking and camping, a 1-person tent may be the right choice. If you do trips mostly with a friend or partner then a 2-person tent is the right choice for you. If you have a family, maybe a 3, 4 or 6 person, depending on how spacious you want it to be.
Is it important to be lightweight and compact? If you’re backpacking with your tent you will want it to be lightweight and compact. This will allow you to carry a smaller pack and/or fit more in your pack. If you’re car camping, weight and size isn’t a priority because you will just be carrying your tent from your car to the tent pad. Canoe tripping and sea kayaking are somewhere in the middle and depends on the size of the boat/length of trip and how much portaging is involved with your trip.
Do I want to use it in the winter? Note that shoulder seasons like October and April can often be wintery! If you want to use it in the winter, you want a 4-season tent. 4-season tents often have more and thicker fabrics, as well as features like bomb-proof vestibules to keep the snow and wind out.
What is my budget? So, bigger tents, lightweight tents, 4-season tents are all more expensive. Once you figure out your ideal, you may need to sacrifice some features depending on budget. Remember that you can often find tents second-hand and look for deals!
Once you figure out what features you are looking for, it’s time to do some research. Search online something like, “best 4-season 2-person tents”. I also find Outdoor Gear Lab a great place to find information.
Lastly, because I know you want to know, here’s what our family has and we like them…
MSR Hubba Hubba 2-person tent (note that this is an affiliate links and if you want to buy these tents, I’d appreciate you using the link so I can make a wee tineee bit of $)
MEC TGV 4-person tent (It’s 4-season and MEC doesn’t seem to be making 4-season tents anymore)
North Face Wawona 6 person tent
So, what tent do you pick? What do you prioritize when choosing? Let me know and have fun out there.
