Looking for great deals on quality tents? Great Prices all year long, get a head start on your next camping adventure.
If you are going camping there is no more important purchase than that of a tent. A tent can make or break your camping trip and it’s no great mystery how or why. You’ll be spending all of your “recharge” time in your tent so you’ll want a sturdy structure where you can get a good night’s sleep and sometimes it will be a place of refuge in times of bad weather.
Some people look for discount tents or bargains, and that’s perfectly reasonable but you can also rest assured that most tents are priced pretty accurately. In most cases if you buy an expensive product you will be getting a pretty good tent. Cheap tents will serve their purpose but don’t expect anything terribly fancy. If you are feeling uneasy about spending a lot on a tent, remember that you usually won’t have to buy another one for a really long time. One tent can last the casual camper for years and you might just find that three hundred dollar tent paying for itself over the years after you use it so many times. And anyone who has ever taken their tents camping in rough terrain will know that a solid product is absolutely necessary.
Cheap tents to expensive tents – Tent Tips
3 Season or 4
Before buying your tent, think about what type of landscape and weather that you will be facing. Not all tents are created equal and there are definitely different tents for different seasons. Tents can break down into two categories: 3 season tents and 4 season tents. A casual or first time camper will probably want to try out a lower cost 3 season tent; whereas experienced campers who tackle rough terrain and condition will be looking at higher cost 4 season tents. Cheap tents for summer camping are abundant and easy to find.
A General Rule
No matter what type of tent you get, most of them will comfortably fit less people than they advertise. There’s a big difference between being able to cram 4 people into a tent and having 3 people stay in there with enough room to move. Just keep that in mind when buying your tent, if you can’t test it out before hand, you’re going to want ample room when sleeping at night. Don’t try to stick two people in a one person tent – it isn’t going to be fun!
Where to Buy Tents
There is a great difference in the types of tents available depending on where you choose to shop. A place like Wal-Mart will probably have a decent selection of basic tents that represent most points on the price scale. But for a more dedicated selection or specific products a real camping store would be your best bet. It might not be as cheap, but you will definitely see a bigger variety of tents. Cheap tents can be found everywhere but high quality ones are usually reserved for specialty shops.
Car or no car
Will you be using your car as transportation or will it also be a full-on factor in your camping experience? Some camping purists use their car to get them to the site and backpack the rest of the way. But if your car will be right beside you then that can affect the tent you buy in terms of ease of setup, weight, and size. A car camper will have many more options than someone who only has their own foot power to rely on.
Variables
Sometimes when buying a tent it can get quite exiting since there’s something neat about living in a small structure that we construct ourselves as it harkens back to the days when we would play “fort” as kids. But be careful not forget about the functionality of a tent. All tents look relatively cool in the showroom, but you may be exposed to a variety of real weather conditions when you are actually camping outside. In hot weather, you aren’t going to want that tent that doesn’t have many openings on the side or even the top no matter how neat it looks. So think about how the tent is ventilated; how tall it is, what holds it up, and if it comes with storage space.
The Rain
No other factor can ruin a camping trip more than rain and moisture. This should be a primary consideration when browsing tents. Cheap tents won’t provide much protection in this area so be aware of that fact. You will want to keep an eye on the amount of openings, the strength of zippers, and how well insulated the tent is against the air and the ground. Ask about where water pools, whether it is directed effectively away from the tent, and if the material of the camping tents is conducive to moisture formation. Taking tents camping in wet weather can really backfire if you don’t know what your structure is capable of handling.
Preparation
After you have purchased your tent, do not make the first place you ever set it up be the actual campsite. Test your camping tents out beforehand by both erecting it and maybe even camping in your backyard. See if all the factors you’ve considered before buying your tent hold up in your new purchase. You might also want to time yourself to see how long it takes to set up and take down the tent.
General Rules for Camping Tents
As you can see, you do don’t need the most expensive camping tents to have the best time outdoors. Cheap tents offer a good alternative if you don’t have complicated camping needs. But always keep safety in mind and if it somes down to a matter of being the best protected, then you might consider going for a higher-end camping tent.
Match the tent with the season you go camping and always make sure you have enough room. All tents on the market come with all the supplies you need to pitch them, but consider buying stronger stakes or spikes if you are going out into harsher conditions. And remember that your tent is only as good as the location on which it is built so choose a good campground to serve as your homebase. Feel the ground to make sure it isn’t too wet. And make sure to clear away any pepples or twigs that can poke through the tent at night.
By investing in a good camping tent you may find yourself with a purchase that ends up paying for itself after a year or two of use.
Camping in the Winter
Have you ever thought about camping in the winter? It’s certainly a challenge, but many people love the feeling of the crisp clean air combined with the unmatched scenery of the winter months. You probably don’t want your first camping experience to be during the winter, but after a few camping trips you can certainly explore outdoor adventures towards the end of the year.
You’ll want to make sure you have a four –season tent for winter camping. Three season tents might be fine for some gentler climates, but it’s always better to go with a camping tent that you know is suited for snow. In the summer you’ll be worrying about keeping the heat out, and in the winter you will be concerned with keeping heat in. So you’ll want a tent that will be both sturdy and insulating. Winter camping is a matter of keeping safe and warm at the same time. So take measures to make sure your tent is well sealed, and remember never to cook inside your tent! Have plenty of dry clothes on hand for emergencies, and there are plenty of ways to keep warm such as using hot water bottles, heat packs, and wearing the right clothing. A camping water filter will also come in handy to make sure you have clean drinking water regardless of the conditions.
Please share your thoughts with us……
You also love to read this: Azores Honeymoon, the best of the 7 Portuguese islands.
