Family Camping: How to Choose the Best Lightweight Tent

When it comes to finding a lightweight tent for camping with family, you will come across different shapes and sizes. What you think is suitable for you, may not necessarily be ideal for someone else. This should explain why there is a huge variety to choose from. Keeping this in mind, it does make it difficult for just about anyone to make an informed decision regarding the best camping tent that will fit their description.

Numerous factors need to be kept in mind, and here are a few important ones to make it easier for you to choose the absolute best family camping tent out there.

1. Quality of Workmanship

When looking for a family camping tent, look for one with quality workmanship. The idea here is to find a tent that is durable in the long run.

Some manufacturers tend to cut corners to offer a cheaper lightweight tent, which may not be that big of a deal for infrequent campers, but it will be something that cannot be overlooked if you are an avid camper visiting regions with the harshest of weather conditions. For this reason, under no circumstance can you take the quality of workmanship lightly, that is unless you much prefer having a frustrating camping experience.

2. Weather Resistance

Speaking of harsh weather conditions, you do not want to risk getting a tent without weather resistance. Ideally, campers would want nothing more than bright sunny days and cool evenings for their camping trips, but the weather can go sideways without warning.

Failing to prepare accordingly and/or having inappropriate or inadequate gear can cause havoc to the tent you got – yes, the one you thought was ‘a steal’ without any research beforehand. Not only will you have ended up wasting money on such a tent, but you may not consider camping ever again due to a horrid experience.

To avoid such a catastrophe, do your homework when looking for tents for sale. Start by assessing the different types of tents that are available and ensure the one you get is adaptable to a variety of landscapes to get real value for your money.

3. Easy Setup

Considering how exciting the prospect of going camping really is, nothing can be more frustrating than finding out that setting up your tent is a real hassle when you get to your campsite.

If you plan to go camping during peak season, the traffic alone will have you flustered beyond belief, so much so setting up your campsite will seem like a chore to you rather than being a pleasurable experience.

There are numerous scenarios and horror stories online, which alone will convince you to spend a little more to get an easy-to-setup tent in no time.

4. Livability

Ultra light campers or a backpacking tent may seem like a great idea, but it will not offer the benefits that camping tents have to offer. Family camping tents are durable, not to mention spacious. The best camping tents provide a lot more than you can possibly imagine, ranging from serving as a portable cabin to a creekside home. Pay close attention to tents that suit your needs, making it easier for you to read, nap and hang out.

On the other hand, if you are camping in warm regions, get a camping tent with enough ventilation to keep you cool when the sun is out in full force in the afternoon. Look for tents with big doors, large windows and more mesh for wind and precipitation to find its way in.

5. Packing Size

A majority of tent manufacturers go overboard with the packing size, especially considering how they know said tents need to be driven to campsites, leaving little to no storage space for other camping essentials.

This does not mean you get the smallest possible lightweight tent, nor does it mean you get 80 pounds of stakes, fabric, and poles for your camping trip.

Even though workmanship, weather resistance, and livability easily trump packing size, it is a factor that should not be undermined especially if you plan to carry your tent from one campsite to another.

6. Headroom

Enough emphasis cannot be placed on the fact that you should get a tent with enough headroom. Cabin style tents have enough headroom, while some styles do not.

Dome style tents deal with strong winds better, but at the expense of headroom space. In the case of a cabin style tent, it is the complete opposite. If you have nothing to fear from the weather, then there is no reason why you should not get a cabin style tent with enough space for you to move around in.

7. Extras

There is really no harm in investing in a couple of extras like a ground cloth and stakes. If you get good stakes, they will ensure your camping tent stays put no matter what. As for ground cloths, these pieces of plastic can be placed on the floor of your tent to prevent moisture from filling your entire canvas.

8. Price

When it comes to selecting the best product from wall tents for sale, most people assume the higher priced ones are the best ones. This may be true to a certain extent, considering how said tents will have stronger poles, quality stitching, and ‘trustworthy’ fabric. They can withstand more torrential rain and winds, all the while lasting longer than your everyday tents. However, not everyone requires this kind of quality and durability, nor can everyone afford it either.

If the weather is dry and mild, and if you are close to home, you do not have to invest in a high-end tent. You can do with less expensive alternatives to have a good time.

9. Sleeping Capacity

To find the best camping tent for your family, you need to start with a model that is equipped to host the number of people in your family. Moreover, if you are expecting friends, there should be enough space for them as well. If not, that extra space can be a real lifesaver as it can be used to store your gear or even a dog for that matter.

When it comes to evaluating sleeping capacity, stick to a close fit. If you think you may need more room, upsize the tent’s capacity by 1 person. This becomes even more of a necessity if the tent houses people that are:

• Claustrophobic
• Large
• Bringing a dog
• Unable to sleep without enough elbow room
• Toss and turn while sleeping

10. Your Camping Style

If you are planning a family camping adventure for the very first time, and are not sure whether you will end up liking it, then it is best to stick to a more affordable lightweight tent, and there is nothing to be ashamed of about it. This won’t be a problem since first-time campers generally plan such a trip when the weather is dry and warm and will stay close to home until they are experienced enough to brave another trip into the wild.

When you are confident you can handle the wilderness and Mother Nature, then you can upgrade to a better tent, while your budget tent can be used when conditions allow.

All in all, you have everything you need to make an informed decision regarding the best family camping tent. Make the best of this information and enjoy your camping experience to the fullest.

P.S this article was first published on our website https://whiteduckoutdoors.com/blogs/blog/family-camping-how-to-choose-the-best-lightweight-tent