Gear Guides - Tent Selection
Want to buy a tent?
Selecting the right tent gives you the freedom to escape into the hills; in this article I have tried to detail a number of pointers to consider in your tent selection -:
1) Size: e.g. 4 MAN – This is the number of people the tent houses, it assumes that that many people could lie in sleeping bags within the tent.
2) Design: Tents come in all different shapes and sizes. Geodesic designs are the most stable as the poles cross one another making them ideal for camping in the mountains. Tunnel designs are lower in weight, fairly spacious and therefore a great choice for backpackers’ conscious of carried weight. Domes are very spacious, designed for comfort camping in less demanding environments.
3) The Flysheet offers the wind and wet protection, the fabric decision comes down to polyester or nylon, nylon is less sensitive to UV and generally lasts longer than polyester. Both fabrics are waterproof with a PU layer to stop water ingress; hydrostatic head is a waterproofness test, the higher the head the more waterproof the fabric.
4) Poles offer the tent its’ shape and stability, the majority now have alloy poles with shock cords these are colour coordinated to simplify pitching.
5) Inner tent: This is the sleeping compartment, ensure there is a gap between the inner and the fly sheet; this will stop condensation on the underside of the fly sheet soaking into the inner tent. Single skin tents reduce weight but are more susceptible to condensation problems. Some tents are designed to pitch with the inner in place this feature makes the tent quicker and easier to pitch.
6) Doors and Porches allow entry, control ventilation and act as a windbreak or canopy when cooking. The key benefit of a generous porch is for the storage of all your gear especially if wet!
7) The Groundsheet on most tents is now sewn in and seam sealed to prevent leaking.
8) Key considerations will be, how many people do you want to shelter, will the tent be carried to the site on your back or in the car, how long will you remain in one place, how much do you want to spend?
At North North East we concentrate our range on Vango tents which offer a lifetime guarantee, Vango has spent the last four decades testing and developing innovative designs and fabrics to meet the demands of mountaineers, trekkers and camping enthusiasts alike.
Have a look at the range in store or go to www.vango .co.uk to consider the entire range as we are prepared to buy in tents not selected for sale in store.
Pitching Pointers
1) Check for stones before you pitch.
2) Pitch the tail of your tent into the prevailing wind.
3) Angle the guy lines into the wind keeping a right angle between the peg and the guy.
4) Keep the flysheet under tension
Other Hints
1) Don’t zip the door fully as this will improve ventilation
2) Make sure your tent is dry before you pack it (assuming it’s not raining), a good tip here is to turn the tent inside out and re-fix affording the condensation an opportunity to disappear prior to packing.
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All outdoor activities are potentially dangerous. These article's offer guidelines only, every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions.
If the reader follows any of the advice given then they accept personal responsibility for their actions. North North East LTD.