Family camping tents come in all shapes and sizes. The right one for you will not necessarily be the right one for someone else, hence the wide variety being sold in stores and catalogs. Do not let photos fool you. See the tent in person if possible!

1. How to Choose a Tent
Family camping tents come in all shapes and sizes. The right one for you will not
necessarily be the right one for someone else, hence the wide variety being sold
in stores and catalogs. Do not let photos fool you. See the tent in person if
possible!
Steps
1. Choose your tent size.
• Determine how many people and how much gear you'll be traveling
with. Tents are advertised as two man, four man, six man and so
on. This is the maximum number of persons that can sleep in
closely with no room for personal gear. This rating method makes
sense for backpackers who are traveling light, but is terrible for all
others. Divide the advertised rating by two, and you will have a
more realistic tent capacity. Therefore, most four man tents are
really only comfortable for two adults, or perhaps two adults and
two very small children.
• Plan for a minimum of 30 square feet of floor space per person.
Make this even higher for longer camping trips, unless reducing
weight is important.
• Consider actual length and width. If you are six feet tall, you will
need a space of at least seven feet in order to stretch out and not
be crammed against the tent sides. You will need at least two and
one half feet in width just for sleeping. This equals only 17.5 square
feet. A "two man" tent might be advertised which measures five by
seven feet. A ten by ten foot tent is ideal for two adults. You will
have enough space for cots or a double air mattress, plus space to
stand up when changing clothes. Kids can fit comfortably in smaller
tents. Once they are old enough, about seven or eight, they will
probably want to sleep in a separate tent anyway. Parents will
appreciate the privacy provided by this arrangement too. A five by
seven foot tent is adequate for children. Teenagers should be
considered as adults when fitting a tent.
• Add space for clothing, and a space to stand up without walking on
your tent-mate, which will result in a more livable situation. Think
more like eight by eight feet as a basic two man family camping
tent. This gives you 32 square feet per person. Still not overly
generous.
• Be cautious about tents that are larger than 10'x10', which can
cause problems. First, it will be much more difficult to find a smooth
and level spot large enough to set up the tent. Second, big tents

2. can be heavy and hard to carry to your campsite. Third, bigger
tents are harder to make and keep warm on cold days, though tend
to stay cooler than smaller tents on hot days. Fourth, bigger tents
are less stable in high winds and are harder to set up. Finally,
privacy becomes an issue with the bigger tents. Consider bringing
several smaller ones for large groups.
• Consider peak inside height. For most trips, try to have a tent that is
tall enough for you to stand. Plan for the taller person in your group.
A six or seven foot peak height is necessary for adults, and a four
foot peak is about right for kids. Remember, the tent slopes
downward at a sharp angle, so the actual spot where you can stand
up will be small. Larger spaces will be provided in tents with taller
peaks.
2. Choose your tent's shape.
• Tents come in four basic shapes: A-frame, umbrella, geodesic or
"dome", and wall. The A-frame is the common "pup" tent shape, but
can also be quite large. The umbrella is a very commonly used
family camping tent, as it has lots of standing room, with large
windows and a rain fly over the top. The geodesic comes on many
shapes, but all look like a combination of connected triangles. The
wall tent is like an A-frame tent, but is generally much larger and
has vertical side walls.
3. Two-storied tents are dangerous if set up wrong, require several people to
set up, and usually need a tree around to help tie up and hold the second
level in place.
• Tents with square floor shapes are more efficient when laying out
sleeping and gear arrangements. Because of other factors, it is not
always possible to have a square floor. If you buy a round floor, or
nearly round like with the geodesic dome tents, you should allow
some extra floor area to make up for the less efficient layout.
4. Decide between aluminum or fiberglass poles. Most tents have poles that
are linked together with an elastic shock cord. This helps when setting up
the tent. Poles can bend or break, so many tent manufacturers provide
emergency repair links for you to carry along on the trip.
5. Find a good fabric. Nearly all tents are now made of nylon. Coated nylon
is used for waterproofing. Nylon mesh is used for inner walls. No-see-um
mesh is used for the window screens. Better tents use thicker fabric and
rip-stop fabric.
6. Test the zippers. They should open and close freely, and should not catch
and bind up on the tent fabric. The zippers should not be of a rusting
material.

3. 7. Make sure seams are reinforced with nylon tape. The tape is stitched into
each seam, and will make the seam stronger and more weatherproof. All
waterproof seams in a nylon tent, such as on the fly and floor, must be
waterproofed with a seam sealer. Your new tent should come with a bottle
of seam sealer. Set up the tent in the yard before your trip, and apply the
sealer. Let it dry before packing the tent. You will need to do this yearly.
8. Consider potential weather conditions. Wind, rain, sun, heat and cold all
have different demands on the tent.
• Windy areas require sturdy poles, stakes, and anchor ropes.
Geodesic tents are excellent in wind. Their igloo-like shape reduces
the wind's effect, and their pole arrangement provides great
strength.
• Rain creates two considerations. First, keeping the rain out.
Second, giving you enough room so you will be comfortable if you
have to "weather" the storm by entertaining yourself indoors for a
while.
 Your tent should have a completely waterproof rain fly made
of coated nylon. The fly should wrap around the tent and
reach down the sides nearly to the ground. This will keep out
all types of rain, even if it is windy. The fly should extend far
enough over the door, so it keeps out the rain when you
open the door to enter or leave.
 The floor should also be waterproof coated nylon. This fabric
should cover the floor, and turn up the sides for about six
inches or so. There should be as few seams as possible.
This is called a "tub" floor. It will keep out any water that runs
down and under the tent.
• Sun and heat create the need for shade and airflow. The rain fly will
provide shade for tent. Large screened windows on opposite sides
of the tent, or a screened window opposite a screened door, will
allow air to flow through the tent.
• Cold weather brings special needs. Unless you will be dealing with
snow (when you would need a mountaineering tent), you can use a
"three-season" tent that has good features. The most important
features will be a rain fly that fully covers the top and sides, and an
interior layer made from an open mesh fabric to allow water vapor
to pass through it. In cool weather, warm water vapor inside the
tent, from damp fresh air and moist air you exhale, will condense on
the cooler surface of the tent's exterior. The only way to prevent this
is to allow the excess water vapor to escape from the tent by
passing through the mesh fabric.

4.  The tent size may also be a consideration if you plan to
camp in cool weather. Your body heat will keep a small tent
much warmer than outside. However, some campers will use
a tent heater in their large tent. Heaters are not safe in small
tents due the the closeness of the tent walls.
9. Keep cost in mind.
• In general, the higher priced tents are made with stronger fabric,
stronger poles, and stronger stitching. They will withstand higher
winds and heavier rain. They will last longer. A good tent can last
for many years. However, not everyone needs this strength and
durability. In milder and drier climates and close to home ("just in
case") the least expensive tents are good bargains.
• If you are just beginning your family camping adventures and don't
know if you will really like camping, then you might want to choose
the least expensive tents as many families do. It is very likely that
you will plan your first trips for warm, dry weather and will probably
remain close to "civilization" until you gain some experience. You
can always upgrade to a better tent later, and keep your original
budget tent for when conditions allow.
• Try to borrow a tent if it is your first time camping.
Tips
• Before you take your new tent out for your first trip, set it up in your
backyard. This way, you will be familiar with how to pitch it, and you will
know that you have all the parts. You should also spend a night in it, so
you can see if it really does suit your needs. You don't want to be in the
woods (in the rain) trying to figure out which pole goes where.
Warnings
• This WikiHow is designed for a camper, not a backpacker. If you intend to
backpack long distances, opt for smaller, lighter tents, since space is not a
main concern.
Original Article source: http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-a-Tent
Mats Lundkvist
Passionate hiker and avid backpacker with exceptional field experience.
Lundkvist combines his education and career with his love of nature and being
outdoors. Trekking is his call to fame.

5. See him at http://www.hikinghelp.com/blog/