Choosing a tent

What to look for

• A fly that comes all the way to the ground on every side, not one that stops halfway down the walls
• A floor that turns up the sides a few inches before it meets the wall, so ground water cannot run in at the seams
• Aluminium poles. Fibreglass poles crack in the cold and splinter in the wind.
• Plenty of guy out points on the fly, at least one on each side and each corner
• A vestibule big enough to hold your boots and your pack out of the rain
• Two doors on a tent for two, so nobody climbs over anybody at night
• Taped seams on the fly and the floor

How

1. Decide what it is for first. A tent carried on your back wants to be light. A tent that lives at a car camp or a boat camp can be heavier and roomier.
2. Three season tents are made for spring to fall. A four season tent has stronger poles and less mesh and is made to carry snow and stand in a winter wind.
3. Size up one. A two person tent holds two people snugly with no room for gear. For two people and their packs, look at a three person tent.
4. Freestanding tents stand on their poles alone and are easier on rock and hard ground. They still need pegging and guying out in any wind.
5. Lie down in it in the store if you can, with your sleeping pad, and check that your head and feet do not touch the walls.
6. At home, pitch it in the yard before the first trip. Count the pegs and the poles and learn how it goes up in daylight.
7. Seal the seams if the maker says to, and let the sealer dry fully before you pack it.

Do and don't

Watch for

Notes

The coast and the barrens here are windy almost every day. A low, rounded tent with a full fly and good guy lines will outlast a tall one with a bigger price tag.

See Pitching a tent in wind, and Picking a campsite, for putting it up once you have it.