Tent Recommendation

The first place I would look to find a tent would be REI.com -
http://www.rei.com/category/4500001_Tents+and+Shelters
They have their tents categorized by weight class and by seasons. Hope this helps!

 

Real tentage

If you think you may be staying in the tent for a while and in an emergency, you probably will be, you may want to go a little heavier.

Check out http://www.mandbmag.com/tents/index.html .

I have lived in this stuff for weeks at a time. It is very versatile and tough.

 

I'd like to find a rugged, reasonably priced tent that didn't take two doctorates to assemble!

I though I had a good one, but a recent camping trip coincided with a wind storm that shredded mine...

 

Get a good canvas one I know it will be heavier but will last 10 times as long as the vinyl/plastic **** and in cold weather will stay warm with just a candle and body heat.Easily repairable and if you take care of it will stay waterproof.Have stayed in these in snow,sleet,rain and hot weather and will not buy any other junk.You will pay good money for a good canvas but will be spending money well.

 

I have been thinking about tents as an option for someone who is forced to live urban but wants to make decent prep for bugging out or getting out of town for a breather.

I really like the Tipi concept, and Kifaru has some interesting stuff, including tough canvas-like material:
KIFARU HUNTING&MILITARY GEAR

Good stuff by Wiggy's:
Wiggys | Manufacturer of the finest outdoor gear in the world | Sleeping bags | Extreme Cold Weather Gear | Fire Retardant Underwear

Military surplus from Sportsman's Guide, Coleman's Surplus, and others might be an option for a durable, heavy duty tent. I saw a "cold weather" tent at Sportsman's Guide, sizable, double layer. They also have a lot of closeout modern camping tents. Should be plenty of online reviews.

 

Buy a tarp to hang over your tent. It'll save your tent from wear and tear and will help keep water out of a cheap tent.

 

A Good Tent

I travel with my job, and am sick and tired of motels. I bought a Seria Designs Clip Flash Lite 2 person tent which has served me well for the last 13 years. I wash it once or twice a season and water proof the rain fly then. It is a good 3 season tent and will cost around $180.00. It has helped keep me dry and warm and can be set up in about 5 minutes. It has 2 shock cord poles and 10 stakes.

 

I can highly recommend the Mountain Hardwear Trango 3.1: Mountain Hardwear: Expedition : Trango 3.1

 

Any of the more up level tents from Mountain Equipment Co-Op are great.

 

HikingForum - A top community, Tent recommendation? 1-person, 3 season I am wondering if you folks may superbly have a recommewndation, have you try this sometimes i think you can find some little information about your topic...






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Pop up canopy

 

Tents are great if part of your strategy is to remain mobile. If you are going to stay in any one place for an extended period of time and do not have a permanent dwelling I would build a shelter and take down the tent so it is ready to go in case you had to go mobile again.

 

Like Canadian also use a tarp over my tent sometimes. I have used a small $20 2-man tent for a few years because it is lightweight and i can put it up in just about 60 seconds. I pull the tarp out from underneath it and throw it over the top when the weather is bad. I stay dry and the tent is still in excellent condition. It might be kind of a give and take decision between getting a heavy-duty tent and have it be light-weight as well.

 

I have found I stay dryer when I put my ground cloth inside the tent instead of under it. I like the idea of putting a tarp over it. Most tents are so bright and don't look like the surroundings, a camo type cover maybe a good idea, you could have a couple different styles depending on the terrain you will be on.:confused:

 

I use the standard Canadian Tire cheap o blue tarp with the brass eyelets and string it up over the tent. I bet you could find a cammo version if you looked.

I also go with a smaller tarp as a ground sheet in case the ground gets wet. I also always set up on slightly high ground in a stand of small trees if possible. If you tarp your tent it'll last forever and you just have to buy a new tarp every now and then.

 

One four person or 2 two person (or whatelse?)

Here's my question as far as tents are concerned: We're a family of four...6 yr old twins in the mix. Do I go for a four person tent (or maybe 6) or split the weight up with mom and get two 2-3 person tents.

I know it'll be twice the work, but I'm not sure if a "4" person tent would be big enough with kids bouncing off the walls all day and night.

Comments?

NoSweat88

 

Do you need 4-season or is a 3-season good enough?

I'm a big fan of the Euruka Timberline 4 tent.
A sample link but shop around for best pricing.
Eureka Timberline 4 Tent - Eureka Timberline 4 Hiking Tent

They've been in the field for probably 25 years and are known for their durability, ease of setup and general function. It's the tent the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts use.

I'd consider a pair of them. It would be tight for 4 people but ample for 2 people + gear.

 

The smaller the tent, the more warmth that stays inside it. I have tried some of those giant tents that take an acre of land to setup and have frozen in the middle of July. I have tried super-mini tents in winter and stayed so warm that I was sweatin' up a storm. The same basic bedding, matress, etc for each sized tent, so, I attribute the warm-factor to the size / material of the tent.

In your case, I would suggest having a least two tents for sleeping and maybe one of those "super-monster-sized" tents for cooking in and having "family-time" inside of. Now, I wouldn't consider leaving my 5yo grandson alone in a tent, for the night, so you and your missus might wish to take one of the twins into the sleeping-tent for the night just to make sure that nothing bad happens, or, if it does - you are prepared for it.

 

I think probably 4...I don't think S H'ing TF will limit itself to Spring Summer and Fall.


But this leads me to a really NOOOOOB question...how do you make a 3 season tent a 4 season tent?

 

The plans are (if we choose the smaller tent) to have Mom with one kid and Me with the other. This is a given. Also, there'll probably be only two tents max.