Camping equipment: what type of tent to buy?

Published on : 02 June 20204 min reading time

When you want to go camping, in the wilderness or at a campsite, you must make sure that you are well equipped and have the right equipment. So, to find the tent that best suits your needs, here is all our advice concerning its use (camping or bivouac), its conditions of use according to the place of stay (exposure to cold, rain…), the material of its canvas (polyester, polycotton or cotton) and its ease of assembly (presence or not of hoops).

Choose your tent according to its use

If you want to spend several days at a campsite in the middle of summer, you must first get a comfortable tent. You will find single and compartmentalized tents (with a living and sleeping area) in a very large number of choices. You should also think about the weather you are likely to encounter. If you have to stay sheltered for a whole day, your tent will have to be perfectly waterproof and comfortable. Furthermore, if you have to go on a bivouac (open-air camp and in a group) to explore faraway places, you should know that there are tents specially designed for this purpose. They are especially light and compact for easy transport and assembly. To give you an idea, you will find igloo tents (dome-shaped tents, still the most used since the 1970s), tunnel tents (they can accommodate 5 to 6 people and offer great comfort) and pyramid tents (they are becoming more and more popular and are appearing a lot in campsites offering unusual accommodation experiences).

Choose your tent according to the location of your stay

If you plan to go to a bivouac in the mountains, you will need a camping tent specially adapted to the wind and cool temperatures. Be aware that the small worries of camping (humidity, light, noise and rain) are always possible to counter. If it rains, just choose a waterproof tent. This is the basis for good equipment. For noise and light, there are tents with 4 layers of insulation to spend peaceful nights, without hearing any noise or perceiving light from outside. For humidity, the latest generation of tents are equipped with ventilation to promote air circulation inside the cabin. Keeping the vents open is the ideal way to limit condensation in the tent. And to avoid getting wet when you wake up, it is best to choose a tent with a double roof.

Choosing the right tent according to material and assembly

You will also choose your camping tent according to the material of its canvas, which will also vary in price. The cheapest tents for small budgets are polyester tents. This fabric is strong and waterproof, but it is not UV-resistant and does not provide any insulation (noise, light). Polycotton tents are mid-range tents that are a good compromise between polyester and cotton. They have good insulation against cold and heat and are waterproof and resistant. As for cotton tents, they are the best tents because they are top of the range. They are very well insulated and resistant to UV rays and the weather, the only drawback is that they are often quite heavy. Your destination and your budget are therefore very important criteria when choosing your tent. But don’t forget to check how easy it is to put up. A hooped tent is the most complicated to set up but the most compact to store (and therefore very interesting for hiking). And there are nowadays self-erecting tents (which can be set up in a jetty) which are very practical but rather bulky.

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