How to select a tent
If you, traveling in the Himalayas, decided to climb Everest and took with you a beautiful tent for $30, then it is best to insure your life for a large amount. Relatives will say “thank you.” Well, if the tent costs $300, and you’re lucky with the weather, and your health doesn’t let you down, then, I dare to hope, you will get great pleasure from this event. Such a large difference in price is explained, first of all, by the materials used, as well as the technologies used to produce tents. The purpose of our article is to show in general terms what you pay for when buying this or that tent.
First of all, you need to decide for what purpose you are buying a tent – for winter high-mountain and summer Carpathian hikes you need to take different tents. Winter conditions are more demanding – additional snow skirts are added to the tent, the frame is strengthened, and more wind guy lines are added. You also need to decide on the number of places in the tent, and there is a large selection of them – from a single tent to 5-6 people. Now let’s look at the main characteristics of the tent.
The bottom is the base. It is this that is in the most severe operating mode, because the tent has to be pitched on sharp stones, and on ice, snow, water, sand… If the bottom is not wet, then the sleeping bag and other things remain dry, and this, in turn, , comfort. The bottom of expensive tents is made of expensive materials such as Oxford Nylon or Nylon Taffeta with a high degree of strength. The seams must be sealed using a special tape. Water enters a tent with such a bottom only if its level rises above the level of the bottom trough. The bottom of cheaper tent options is made of reinforced polyethylene, which itself does not get wet. If you glue the seams well and regularly, then such a tent will hold water well. The service life of the polyethylene bottom will still be significantly shorter.
Inner tent. The usual material for it in expensive designs is nylon with a special structure. It is quite durable, very light, well permeable to air and water vapor, which condenses on the inner surface of the outer awning and flows in drops to the ground.
Tent. The main category by which the quality of an awning is primarily judged is the height of the water column, which it is guaranteed to withstand. Indicators close to 10 meters are very good (most often written 10,000 mm). Of course, they try not to set up tents at such a depth, but a heavy drop of water flying from the sky with great speed plops onto the tent and presses very hard. For high-quality sealing, the seams of the awning are also well taped.
Frame or stands. What is primarily required of them is lightness, strength and the absence of residual deformation. These requirements are well met by racks made of various aluminum alloys. Fiberglass or plastic is often used, but they are considered less durable.
Construction. Tent constructions vary depending on the purpose of the tent.
The number of arcs – from 1 to 6, affects the weight and wind resistance of the tent.
There are several ways to attach poles to a tent – fastening to the inner tent, fastening to the awning from the inside, fastening to the awning from the outside using special sleeves.
The thoughtfulness of the entrance closing system and the quality of the zippers are very important, as well as the quality of the awning tension and the accuracy of the frame.
It’s for all these little things listed above that we pay our money.
Manufacturers of quality tents: Marmot, North Face, MSR, Terra Incognita, Bask, Normal, Husky, Camp, Pinguin, Black Diamond and others.