Hardly any other piece of equipment deserves looking into extensively before buying it, as the tent. That’s because there are so many essential elements to consider; size, comfort, weight and price, to name a few. However, it’s well worth investing your time in selecting the right one – it could well mean the difference between comfort and disaster!
Most important is to factor in the advantages and disadvantages of tent structures and fabrics used. Chiefly to determine if the tent is suitable to where you want to pitch the tent (what type of area) and if it’s in keeping with the season to which you wish to use it – e.g. what time of year you’ll be using the tent or spending time outdoors? What role do bulk and weight play? How spacious does it need to be?
Step 1: How will your new tent be used? – Mountain routes, e.g. an expedition, in tropical, humid regions, arid climate, (winter) trekking etc.
This is, of course, one of the first questions that should be asked, as all this will depend on what type of tent construction you require.
Tents for backpacking and trekking in a wilderness area
Due to their compact nature, dome tents have become increasingly popular as a sleeping quarter while backpacking. With a free-standing structure, they are suitable for stony and uneven terrain.
High-alpine use (e.g. on expeditions)
Heavy snowfall and windy, turbulent weather are the perfect conditions for pitching a stable geodesic tent. Should weight and minimum space play a vital role, a single-walled tent is worth considering.
Tents in warm climates (e.g. Southern Europe)
Lightweight fabrics made with mesh (airy and breathable) and a gap between the outer tent wall and floor base ensure proper ventilation. Practical is a free-standing screen tent, which serves its purpose as insect protection—ideal for combating hot summer nights.
Cool, rainy regions (e.g. Northern Europe)
You are almost always guaranteed to have a dry tent and more dry gear storage with a double-wall tent. Sturdy fabrics, along with a tightly staked out, wrinkle-free floor and a taunt out wall, will let you sit out a downpour and storm without a problem. Large vestibules found in tunnel tents are also practical.
Winter trekking e.g. in Scandinavia …
…is a specific domain for tunnel tents. Extremely sturdy materials, fabrics and pegs are indispensable. Lockable vents and a tightly pegged outer wall, possibly even snow flaps (covering tab toward the bottom), block out drifting snow. Also important is a tent that can be pitched entirely and taken down while wearing gloves (construction, zippers, vents). Large vestibules for cooking are necessary for stormy weather.
Ultralight trekking – single wall, teepees, tarp tents
If you want to reduce weight, you have to resort to unusual structures. Trekking poles often replace tent poles; single walls replace double. The aim being, that experienced backpackers carry the bare minimum weight on challenging hikes without loss of comfort.
Step 2: Different shaped tents – tunnel tents, geodesic tents, tipi tents
You have an essential guide as to which tent construction may come into question for you by now. Below you’ll find these constructions in more detail.
Tunnel Tent
Tunnel tents consist of tent fabric attached to flexible poles, arranged in parallel hoops that form the framework. Higher sides provide an excellent space/weight ratio. Often, these are the only trekking tent type suitable for tall people (approx. 2 metres).
Dome tents and geodesics
The poles cross over at least once in the construction of Dome tents, whereby with Geodesic tents, it’s repeated. This achieves a largely free-standing structure and can be moved even after the tent is set up. One advantage to this is the problem of the rocky underground. In windy conditions, however, these types of structures must be well braced. It’s generally not sufficient to only have the corners secured. These tent structures are particularly suitable for regions with changing winds. Via the crossed pole design, they tolerate significantly higher snow loads, for example, a tunnel tent. A disadvantage of both types is the higher weight due to the higher proportion of poles and more inadequate space utilisation.
Teepee Tents & Group Tents
These tents have recently experienced a rebirth – especially for hikers and campers in search of lighter equipment. The reason is simple: No rods are needed for tipis – only a centre bar, with small ridge tents, even trekking poles will do.
Often, a double wall is omitted with these types of tent structures, reducing the weight even further. Tipi tents can be considered highly stable if there are enough pegs to provide a good base.
- Group Tents & Tipi Tents
Step 3: Spoilt for choice – tent fabrics and their benefits
A tent consists of several coordinated components, which can vary depending on its use. From the outer layer right through to the tent pegs, there is a multitude of possible combinations. It is also essential to know how to repair rods or a hole in the tent wall in an emergency.
Nylon tent walls vs polyester tent walls
Mainly nylon and polyester fabrics are used in the making of outdoor tents.
- Nylon has a high tear and abrasion resistance and high elasticity. Ripstop-Nylon, which has a more substantial thread, is used to reduce the risk of tears. The disadvantage is moisture absorption and a tendency to expand when wet.
- Polyester has a lower tensile strength than nylon. The fabrics used are heavier and let in less light. Due to lower water absorption, polyester won’t stretch or give as much as nylon.
The tent wall: coatings for weather protection
Nylon and polyester must be coated to be watertight. With high-quality tents, either polyurethane or silicone coatings are used.
- Polyurethane coatings (PU) reach very high water resistance. 3000-5000 millimetres water values in outdoor fabrics and 5000-10000 millimetres at the lower end of the scale are the rules of thumb. The coating remains flexible at low temperatures and offers sealing by way of tape.
- PU coatings are applied in one layer and weaken the support fabric slightly. The coating is usually found in cheaper tents and as floor covering. It generally ages faster than quality silicone coatings.
- Silicone coatings are very durable, increase the UV resistance and tensile strength significantly. Tear values of up to 18 kg are possible. Disadvantages are the low abrasion resistance and the restrictions that factory seam-sealed taping can have. Water columns are approx. 1500-3000 mm.
Cotton tents are not coated. The fabric allows water vapour to pass through and provides a pleasant climate. In the rain, the cotton swells, the open pores close, and it seals itself. Once again, nature proves how to help.
Rods – the tent’s backbone
Tent rods in trekking tents have come a long way – heavy, susceptible to breaking fibreglass rods, have been replaced with bendable elastic and quick-to-repair aluminium rods. To choose from are a variety of alloy and adjustable rods. The numbering 7006 or 7075 indicate the type of alloy, which is responsible for the strength. The abbreviation T6 or T9 suggests the kind of heat treatment that has been used – this has an enormous influence on the elasticity. Steel rods are found in large family tents that are heavy. Only these tents will guarantee sufficient stability under duress conditions.
Water column; the higher it is, the more rainproof the tent?
A fabric’s water column is a frequently asked question by customers looking for advice on tents. The importance of the tent’s outer wall water column is less relevant than one would expect. Very high-quality silicone coated fabrics have significantly lower values than polyurethane coated fabric. What is important is the quality of the coating, how it lends to the tent’s longevity and sufficient waterproofing of the outer material is essential. Sealing seams or taping of seams is vital at the floor base as here the stress is more significant.
In PU coated tents a tape is also applied from the seam inside, which is water-tight guaranteed. It’s impossible to tape silicone-coated tents, meaning that a few drops of water may get through the seams under certain circumstances. Those wishing to prevent this from happening may do so by using a seam sealer as a preventive, for example, by McNett.
Don’t underestimate condensation.
When drops of water start building up on the inside of the tent from the outer wall, condensation could well be the cause. Was the tent pitched in a meadow, was it a damp, cold night, was there a lot of cooking going on in the tent, and the vents were closed? There are many factors as to the cause and are not always easy to define. An important feature to avoid this from happening is venting. Cotton tents, in which water vapour is naturally transported out via the fabric, have significantly fewer issues with condensation.
Stake your ground
Each tent is supplied with a sufficient number of tent pegs. These are often simple round pegs. Depending on your destination and expected terrain, these pegs may need to be substituted for more suitable pegs.
Universal Y or V-shaped tent pegs: soft to hard ground, offer sufficient surface and grip in quiet meadow or forest soils and are sturdy enough to withstand stones.
Tent nails Rock pins: steel, aluminium, or titanium are ideal for particularly boulder-strewn, alpine terrain where sometimes only hearty hammering of rocks gives stability.
A sand anchor and snow pegs offer the best grip on large areas in the loose subsoil. Ideally, they are buried as a T-anchor.
4. Repairing a tent, being prepared in an emergency
- The adhesives for sealing and patching of holes will depend on the type of coating that has been used on the outer fabric. Being prepared means that there is less chance of having an uncomfortable night.
- In PU coated fabrics, Sil-Net can be used to ensure that leaky seams are easily sealed again. Small holes caused by thorns or stones are enough to seal by applying a small drop where needed. Repair minor tears with round, flat bonded patches.
- For silicone-coated fabrics, Sil-Net, a silicone-based adhesive, is used.
- In pole breakage, it is recommended that a repair sleeve is always taken along on trips: These are pushed over the bent segment, fixed with tape – this splints the component in place.
More on camping and outdoors in the Bergzeit Journal
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- 5 top recipes for cooking outdoors
- Wild camping in Europe: where it’s permitted and where not
- Trekking in Wrangell St.Elias National Park, Alaska
- What’s needed for a bivy? Our packing list helps!