How to Pick a Tent

By Jessica Marie

Picking a tent to use is not as simple as going to the store and picking anything off the shelf. There is a lot to consider not only for your current trip, but for future camping trips and expeditions as well. Here is a check list for how to pick a tent.

Weight

Are you backpacking, mountaineering, climbing, or driving to your site? If you are driving everything to your camp site, weight is less of an issue. But if you are carrying it on your back or in a pack (carried by you or a pack animal) weight makes a great deal of difference. If you are carrying all of your food, sleeping bag, and more, you want things to be light. That is why we design some of the lightest tents in the world and have since 1957, so that you don't have to trade comfort for weight.

Ease of Set Up

Depending on the conditions of your trip you will have different considerations to take into account. If you are driving to your location and staying in one place for a long period of time, you can afford a difficult to set up tent. But if you are hiking, climbing, or riding all day you need an easy to use tent. As you will be setting up and tearing down every day, you need a tent that can be assembled and disassembled in minutes. Warmlite tents use 2 tent poles and 3-4 tent stakes, they can be made and unmade in minutes. Rain, snow, wind, we have set them up in every condition and it takes less than 5 minutes to set up and tear down.

Longevity

Finally, cost and longevity. Sure, you can go to a store and get a fairly cheap tent and that may work for a casual weekend camper. But I can personally attest to the fact that those tents are both difficult to set up and do not endure inclement weather. I've gotten lost in a maze of 10 tent poles and no sleeves, only those little plastic hooks. And had my tent blow over in minor wind.

These tents can break, blow away, and generally do not last very long. Warmlite is built to last. Every week we hear stories of Warmlite customers having used their tents since the 1960's and 1970's, are passing those tents onto their children or grandchildren. Those cheap tents are great for the short term, but they won't last you more than a year or two. And even minor damage can render them trash as they cannot be repaired. Warmlite tents can be repaired if they ever become damaged.

Conclusion

Make sure you know what your plans are. What is your budget? What type of camping will you be doing? How much time will you have/want to spend setting up and tearing down each day? How much weight do you want to carry? How long do you want the tent to last? Answer these questions honestly, then pick a tent that best checks those boxes.