BUYING HINT - How To Choose The Best Tent

Finding the best tent for the money is about three things- weight, space and, of course, dollars. There is more to it naturally, but if you can simplify your search by starting with these three parameters the rest is less confusing.

Weight is pretty simple. And it is like bicycles, the lighter you want the more you pay. These days, four and a half to six pounds for a two man tent is a good start ($300-$350), and six and a half to eight pounds is good for a three man tent ($250-$425, the low end price reflects a heavier tent better for car camping). There is a bigger range for one man rigs- from bivvy sacks to mini tents, but in the tent style two and a half to three and a half pounds is just fine ($225-$275). The last few ounces you throw out are the most expensive. In most cases you will pay an extra $100 to throw out a pound or pound and a half. One thing that will save you weight without adding much cost is the amount of netting (often called mosquito netting) used on the tent wall. For three season use, though, it is best to minimize the netting because it does not hold heat in as well. Netting is also not an asset in a windy desert situation- the sand goes right through the netting and settles in your face!

Space is a luxury that costs you both is weight and in dollars; the more space you want the more youÕll have to tolerate both of them. Here again are some rough sizes to look for. In a one man tent average is about 18-20 square feet (a great example here is the MSR Hubba), 29-35 square feet for a typical 2 man (such as the Marmot Aeolus 2P)and 41-48 for a 3 man (check out the Mountain Hardware Hammerhead 3). We often have a tent in the three person category that has lots of room and is correspondingly heavier anticipating that it will be used for car camping. Vestibules (additional areas covered by the fly with no floor, good for the pack or the dog) are almost always part of the modern tent layout.

We almost always put a single wall into the mix in each size category. Single wall tents are lighter than tents with flys. They tend to do better in high altitude of arid conditions because moisture condenses easily on the inside ( just as it does on the fly of your double wall tent). They are generally a little more expensive than double wall tents because of the higher technology fabrics that are used to allow the tent to breathe. But again, the motivation to use one of these more finicky tents is to save weight. A great example here is the Black Diamond Lighthouse.

So these are things to ponder in your quest for the best. Let us know if we can help!
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