How To Select A Family Tent

photo credit: kwankwan

Family tents, like the times, have changed. They’ve gotten more expensive of course. But they’re also lighter, stronger, roomier and more weather-proof than those in the past. They’re easier to pitch too. Guy lines  are passe, as are obtrusive center poles and odors.

Ties have been replaced by nylon zippers and Velcro and shock corded aluminum poles have succeeded steel ones. Even the largest family tents can be erected in less than 15 minutes.

Your needs: For comfort, you need at least 21 square feet of floor space per person, more if you use cots. Tents with rectangular floors use space more efficiently than those with square or circular floors which means more room between sleepers.

Weight: 3 -4 pounds per person is the rule for lightweight backpacking tents; 5-6 pounds of canoeing and high altitude expedition tents; and up to 10 pounds for drag-em-out-of-the-car family shelters. Many of the best tents weigh much less than this.

Height: Waiting out a rain in a tent you can’t stand in is no fun. However, low-profile tents with sloping sides spill wind better than high-sided umbrella and wall tents, so you have to make some sacrifices if you camp where are big winds.

Fabrics: Though nylon is the most popular and best fabric for the construction of small tents, lightweight cotton is still a good choice for family tents where weight is less of a concern. It’s impractical to use double-walled (waterproof fly/porous canopy) construction in large tents, so one layer of waterproof nylon is usually used throughout - a design that encourages condensation inside. Big windows and a porous cotton or nylon roof help dispel some moisture, but not enough to prevent these tents from occasionally turning into saunas.

Nonetheless if you confine your trips to areas where high humidity and rain are infrequent, then you may like an all-nylon tent. In any case, be sure the tent has at least 2 rain-protected windows. The best nylon family tents have 4-way ventilation - 3 windows and a door.

Speed of pitching: A tent that requires 10 minutes to pitch in dry windless weather may require twice that long to erect in a rainstorm. It’s faster to assemble poles than to drive stakes and tie guy lines, so choose a tent that is supported mainly by poles.

Modesty curtains: Family tents are commonly used in areas where there are other campers, so they should be designed to provide privacy without sacrificing ventilation. Some tents have a modesty curtain - a short fabric panel that attaches behind the door - in addition to the regular entry flap. On hot days, you can leave the door open for ventilation and close the modesty curtain for privacy.

Clothing loops: Convenience dictates plenty of D rings, loops or brass hooks at the ridge to hang wet towels, clothing, and your battery-powered lantern.

Warning: Mantle lanterns put out enough heat to burn through the roof of flame-retardant tents. And they consume lots of precious oxygen as they produce carbon monoxide. For this reason you should hang only flameless lanterns inside your tent. Heaters, except catalytic ones, are also unsafe in tents.

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