Come scegliere una tenda

Anyone who has faced the need to buy a tent, inevitably asked the question: which one to choose? After all, we are given a huge scope for choice. It may seem that it is enough to ask advice from experienced campers or fishermen, then the choice will happen by itself. But is it so? After all, we are all different, respectively, we need a tent that meets individually our needs. Maybe you decided to diversify your summer vacation camping? Or maybe you want to rush to conquer the local hills or indulge in solitude on the lake, sitting above the hole … Here it is worth thinking for yourself and understand everything, of course, having the necessary information.

What do we need a tent for?

Camping tent

Are you and your family or friends planning a trip to the countryside on a nice summer day? If you have a car, a camping tent is a good solution. Such models have large dimensions. This determines their increased comfort. However, the same parameter determines their high weight and low ability to retain heat. When sleeping in a camping tent, you need to use additional ways of heating, as it is unlikely to be heated by breathing alone.

Trekking tent

Are you looking forward to a hiking or biking trip for a few days without extreme weather? It’s worth considering a trekking tent or a slightly more advanced expedition tent. They differ only in the materials used. Both are well suited for overnight stays in the forest zone, on paved hiking trails or, for example, on the shore of a body of water. They are quite light, compact, mobile, well protected from bad weather and various small animals.

Assault tents

Are you attracted to the mountains with their harsh icy winds and overnight stays on rocky slopes? Then assault tents are your choice. They can withstand any weather and are as lightweight as possible. Plus these models have the most elaborate design for different extreme situations. For example, the materials of assault tents allow you to quickly warm them inside even with the breath of one person. However, their size is such that you should forget about the special convenience – took cover, slept and go ahead, on the exploits!

Winter tents

But for ice fishing in case of snowfall and wind there are special tents for winter fishing. In fact, they are a tent on the frame, protecting the fisherman from the vicissitudes of the weather during your favorite activity. They are quickly put up, mobile, light, but … very specialized, and therefore hardly suitable for other types of recreation.

Design

To begin with, there are models with or without a frame.

1. frameless

Frameless tents are set up with the help of ties and one or more poles. They are gable (lodge) or in the form of a tent. Their installation is far from ideal. And the wind resistance of gable tents is not outstanding. But such models are lighter than frame models, they will serve well as a temporary shelter in simple outings to nature.

2. Frame

Frame tents, as is clear from the name, are equipped with a frame. It is made of aluminum or plastic. In terms of shape, frame tents are divided into hemisphere, half barrel and their combined versions.

Frame models are single-layer and double-layer (consisting of a tent and an inner compartment).

A two-layer tent in the form of a hemisphere can have an external or internal frame. The position of the frame in the structure determines the assembly process. In an external-frame tent, the tent and inner compartment are connected and attached to the frame in one step. A tent with an internal frame is assembled in two steps. First, you need to attach the inner compartment to the frame, and then put the tent on.

Capacity

Ideally, the size of the tent is measured so that it comfortably accommodates an adult man with his equipment, if it is a single-seater model. In a two-seater – two men and so on. However, you should not rely on the manufacturer’s assurances, as he takes into account the average height and weight of a person. You need to keep in mind the individual characteristics of your physique. When buying in an online store, it is good to study the overall dimensions of the selected shelter yourself. For clarity, it is better to recreate them at home, for example, on the floor. If you can comfortably fit in the resulting space, then the model is suitable. But if there are difficulties, it may be worth choosing a bigger option.

If the choice is made in the store, it is better to ask the seller to assemble the tent – so you can not only pick the right size, but also check the particular model for possible defects.

If we are talking about a winter tent, then it is necessary to focus on a diameter of at least 2 meters for one angler and on your own growth.

I materiali

When making tents, two types of fabrics are used: nylon (Nylon, polyamide) and polyester (Polyester, polyester). Both types of fabrics have high strength, abrasion resistance, hygroscopicity and light weight. However, nylon fabrics are cheaper than polyester fabrics. This is due to the fact that nylon stretches when exposed to moisture and also loses much of its strength when exposed to UV light. Polyester will not stretch when wet, it is resistant to ultraviolet light.

Materials differ in the way the threads are woven into Taffeta, Oxford and Rip Stop. The first is the most popular method for tent materials, the second is more often used in fabrics used for the manufacture of the bottom. And for the third method is used to strengthen the weave with reinforced yarns, which gives the material greater strength without increasing the weight. In addition to the method, the density of the weave is important. It is measured in tex and expressed as a numerical value, for example 210T. Sometimes you can see a numerical value labeled D – this is the thickness of the threads. The higher these values, the stronger the material, but also the more it weighs.

To make the tent and the bottom of your shelter resistant to getting wet, they are treated with special water-repellent impregnations: polyurethane (PU) or silicone (SI). Water repellent properties are measured in mm per square centimeter. For the tent, the normal average will be 3000 mm of water column, and for the bottom – at least 5000.

The material used in the manufacture of the tent is fully described by special markings. For example, Poly Taffeta 210T R/S PU 7000.

Poly – polyester fabric

Taffeta – the way of weaving the thread.

210T – weave density in tex.

R/S – Rip Stop weave.

PU – water resistant impregnation in mm of water column.

The information in this article is intended to make choosing a tent easier, but buying one is only half the battle. At home before the outing it is worth to make a trial assembly. For reliability, it is good to go over the seams of the aerosol water-repellent impregnation. And after use it is necessary to make sure that your tent was well dried and properly folded. Then it will please you with faithful service for a long time.

Conclusione

Let’s summarize the material of the article:

• When choosing, pay attention to the actual size, not the stated capacity;
• Nylon stretches under the influence of moisture, so tents made of it are cheaper;
• Before camping make a test assembly.

Autore: Bob Nudd è un esperto pescatore con oltre 20 anni di esperienza e vincitore di numerose competizioni.