Adela
I am planing my first camping trip. I want to know how to choose a suitable camping tent. I will go camping with my family. There are four of us altogether.
Answer
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
cheap and quality family tent?
my family wanna go camping in several days in Georgia National Park,we need a camping tent and some cooking supplies.pls kindly recommend cheap and quality ones.thx 4 ur kindness.
Answer
As long as the weather is fair you can make almost any tent work for you. The Coleman Instant Tent 6 or 8 person models are preferred by many because they are easy to set-up and take down, but run in the $150-200 range. The Coleman Sundome Chris recommends is a good, low-priced tent, but is not as spacious or easy to setup as the Instant Tent, thought it would probably do better in the rain. Choose the one that makes the most sense based on your family size, allowing extra capacity so you can keep your clothing inside without being cramped.
You can use blankets from home or buy sleeping bags to make your bed. If choosing sleeping bags, pick a model that is rated at least 20*F lower than the coldest temperature you expect to encounter. You can always unzip the bag if it gets too warm, or sleep on top. Again, Coleman makes some decent fair-weather sleeping bags, also look at Kelty and Slumberjack. Expect to pay $50 and up for a decent sleeping bag, typically the more money you spend the smaller the bag will be when packed away.
Whether you use blankets or a sleeping bag you will want to have some padding underneath you. Some use cots, which cost around $100 each. Some are ok with foam pads, costing from $8 to $50. Then there's self-inflating mattresses, $50-150, which use expandable foam and air for padding and insulation. Finally you can use regular blow-up air mattresses, which range from $20 to over $100 and are available in single, double, queen and king sizes. In colder weather, foam and self-inflating mattresses are the best choice, as cots and air mattresses provide no insulation value.
In terms of cooking, a two-burner Coleman propane stove costs around $50, and disposable 16oz propane canisters cost between $2.50 and $3.50, each will last about 2 days. You can bring pots, pans and cooking utensils from home. You might need to bring one or two folding tables (1 to cook at, the other to eat at, about $45 each) and folding chairs ($15 to 75 each, depending on model). And a battery-operated lantern ($40-75). Use disposable plates, bowls and eating utensils to save money and time cleaning. You will also need coolers to keep your food and beverages cold. The Coleman Xtreme coolers are the best available for the money, and I recommend you get two: one for food and the other for beverages.
Don't forget some trash bags, napkins, paper towels, dish soap and hand soap. And a collapsible trash can is convenient. Also, a first aid kit is a good idea.
All this stuff is available at most WalMart stores.
As long as the weather is fair you can make almost any tent work for you. The Coleman Instant Tent 6 or 8 person models are preferred by many because they are easy to set-up and take down, but run in the $150-200 range. The Coleman Sundome Chris recommends is a good, low-priced tent, but is not as spacious or easy to setup as the Instant Tent, thought it would probably do better in the rain. Choose the one that makes the most sense based on your family size, allowing extra capacity so you can keep your clothing inside without being cramped.
You can use blankets from home or buy sleeping bags to make your bed. If choosing sleeping bags, pick a model that is rated at least 20*F lower than the coldest temperature you expect to encounter. You can always unzip the bag if it gets too warm, or sleep on top. Again, Coleman makes some decent fair-weather sleeping bags, also look at Kelty and Slumberjack. Expect to pay $50 and up for a decent sleeping bag, typically the more money you spend the smaller the bag will be when packed away.
Whether you use blankets or a sleeping bag you will want to have some padding underneath you. Some use cots, which cost around $100 each. Some are ok with foam pads, costing from $8 to $50. Then there's self-inflating mattresses, $50-150, which use expandable foam and air for padding and insulation. Finally you can use regular blow-up air mattresses, which range from $20 to over $100 and are available in single, double, queen and king sizes. In colder weather, foam and self-inflating mattresses are the best choice, as cots and air mattresses provide no insulation value.
In terms of cooking, a two-burner Coleman propane stove costs around $50, and disposable 16oz propane canisters cost between $2.50 and $3.50, each will last about 2 days. You can bring pots, pans and cooking utensils from home. You might need to bring one or two folding tables (1 to cook at, the other to eat at, about $45 each) and folding chairs ($15 to 75 each, depending on model). And a battery-operated lantern ($40-75). Use disposable plates, bowls and eating utensils to save money and time cleaning. You will also need coolers to keep your food and beverages cold. The Coleman Xtreme coolers are the best available for the money, and I recommend you get two: one for food and the other for beverages.
Don't forget some trash bags, napkins, paper towels, dish soap and hand soap. And a collapsible trash can is convenient. Also, a first aid kit is a good idea.
All this stuff is available at most WalMart stores.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers
No comments:
Post a Comment