Choosing The Right Size Tent

My husband's vacation time was fast approaching and deciding how we were going to spend the time was becoming our number one priority until I got this great idea. He was always watching a show about gold prospecting and I remembered a commercial about an outing that was going to take place the same time as our vacation, so I called and signed us up. When I told him about it he was so surprised and excited.

But, herein, lays a problem. We have never been camping before, but I was determined I wasn't going to let that stop us. First purchase was a tent. Did you know there are many different sizes and styles to choose from? There are 2, 4, 6 and 8 man tents, there are square, rectangle, a-frame and dome shaped tents, there are 1 room, 2 room tents, so many choices. Here are the things I've learned.

Tent sizes are actually determined by capacity. A four man tent will accommodate 4 adults to sleep in as long as they have no other gear in the tent but their sleeping bags. If you plan on spending time in the tent for other purposes other than sleeping and will be putting duffle bags or other items in the tent it would be best to take the number advertised and divide by 2. So, it if is advertised as a 4 man tent, divide by 2 then 2 adults or possibly 2 adults and 2 small (and I emphasize the word small) children would be comfortable in that tent.

Some tents are advertised by size. If that is the case then consider a minimum of 30 square feet per person and that's if you are keeping gear at a minimum. 32 square feet, although still not overly generous would be more comfortable. Also, be sure that you can stand up straight while inside the tent, so that you can move around and get dressed. Believe me there is nothing worse than trying to get dressed all hunched up. You should allow a 6-7ft ceiling height for adults and 4-5ft. ceiling height in a kid's tent.

Another thing to keep in mind in size is the bigger the tent the more work involved in setting it up. You also have to consider the ground area, the bigger the tent the bigger the flat area needed. Plus, the bigger the tent the heavier it is to haul around. Not comfortable with the idea of spending it on the ground? There are some great truck tents available now that are actually made so that you can stand up in them. I also recommend practicing setting up and breaking down the tent a few times at home first so that it will go up with a lot more ease and less cursing at the campsite.

Tent shapes are totally your decision. Square tents are going to give you more floor area than a round shape floor.

Tent seams should be reinforced with nylon tape that is stitched into each seam which makes the seam stronger and more weatherproof, All the seams must be waterproofed with a seam sealer that will come with the purchase of your new tent. Trust me when I say that you must use this bottle of seam sealer and be sure to get every seam. It is not fun to get up in the morning to find that the front room of your tent is now an indoor swimming pool because you thought you did that part of the tent.

Since our kids were older and liked the idea of being by themselves we purchased one big tent with 2 rooms and smaller pop-up tents for the kids. We chose the 2 room tent for us so that we could have a room with privacy for us and we used the front room as a family room. Camping should be fun and having the right tent is the first step in making sure it happens.