Tent buying tips

Many of us started our outdoor recreational pursuits camping in a tent. I have vague memories of getting an Indian tee pee style tent one birthday as a little tacker that was firmly planted on the front lawn for the holiday period and that was the start of it for me; albeit half a century ago!

I still migrate between caravans, camper trailers and to this day tents as well.

Tents give one the versatility you can’t get when towing a caravan or camper.

With a tent slung up and tied down on a roof rack the towbar might better be occupied with a box trailer carrying other important outdoor toys such as motor or quad bikes, bicycles, fridge, freezer and other supplies as well as all important bulk fresh water storage.

So what should you start looking for when contemplating a canvas roof over your head?

SIZE MATTERS

While the dimensions you require in a sleeping quarter might seem obvious there are a couple of things to take into account when looking at size and manufacturer’s descriptions of a potential purchase.

Generally a tent is given a model number that denotes the amount of people it can house overnight. What most manufacturers will not tell you in their blurbs on their brochures is that it relates to people sleeping on the ground in sleeping bags or similar.

An average camp stretcher will take up the room of around 1.5 people and a pair of large camp stretchers will turn a five man tent into one that has room for two with a thin aisle between and only storage potential under the stretcher.

A five man tent might well handle five men, provided they are all of an average size and are happy to be squeezed in like sardines in a tin. Throw in one oversize person and the nominated potential of the tent is quickly put out of kilter.

Add the need to have some dry storage space for five bags of clothes and straight away you are another berth down.

So, now the five man tent is back to three and it might still be closer than comfortable for the inhabitants therein.

Provided it can fit your budget, you might be better off to work out how many people will normally be required to have a roof over their heads and add another two sleeping spots to give you that comfort zone whilst inside and storage space for clothes and supplies that need to be kept away from wild animals and the elements.

BEEF UP YOUR AWNINGS

Most tents come with an awning of sorts that’s strutted on a couple of telescopic poles held by guy ropes. As the sun moves from dawn to dusk and the wind changes direction due to seasonal vagaries, it pays to be flexible to take advantage of any shade and rain shelter offered by the straight top awning.

It’s all well and good provided you like shifting yourself and gear around but if you’re not home and a rain squall comes through, vital supplies might be drenched.

If your tent is anchored in the position you are happy with, why change it?

Perhaps the addition of some side curtains on the front awning might help to thwart the elements.

That being the case, the time to look into this is at the time of purchase as down the track should the tent model become obsolete, so too will the extra panels that you require.

Many manufacturers have optional side and front panels for awnings and they’re simple to zip into place. Some come with their own set of poles to further extend the original awning roof and the extra shade is often welcome.

The advantages with this system though, is that it allows luggage and perhaps other bodies to be positioned out in the front section, effectively turning a tent into a two room dwelling.

WEIGHTY ISSUE

Canvas is measured in ounces per square yard. The higher the canvas weight the heavier the end manufactured product will be.

Generally though you will find canvas on good quality camper trailers running between 12oz up to 15oz, the latter being the heaviest commonly encountered in the camping arena.

Rather than dive in and decide on the heaviest canvas I would enquire about other aspects of the product such as its tightness of weave, how it stitches up and its waterproofing qualities, before considering whether it should be the heaviest available.

At some stage you need to be able to carry, erect, disassemble and transport this unit without becoming the victim of a hernia.

Pick up the packaged tent at the camping store and test your levels of physical competence with it; and remember that it might have to be lifted high onto a roof rack of a vehicle for its trip to and from the camp site.

EASY SET-UP PLEASE

Over the years I’ve seen some horror shows at camping sites where the uninitiated have done battle with rolls of canvas, a hundred two piece poles and brackets only to admit defeat after realising the scenario was evolving into a battle between the erectors!

There are easy tents to erect and there are others that will give you a migraine thinking about what lays before you.

Get your camping store assistance to run you through setting up the prospective purchase to see it is within your capabilities. Sure, you’ll eventually get it right but you don’t want to come away from the first trip hating the thought of going on the second, just because you were beaten by a user un-friendly tent construction design.

The packaged product also needs to fit into what available space you have in your vehicle, on its roof or in the trailer. It may be that a flat pack will better serve your available storage space than a long round rolled up canvas.

DON’T STOOP

Most tent manufacturers give dimensions of the furthest extremities and in regards height; that is to the apex of the centre of the roof.

You may well wish to lay out your temporary abode in a fashion so that you can walk around the perimeter of the inside of the tent;  in which case you’re under the lowest part of the gable and your head will clash with canvas and cross strut poles as you do so. Then, you’ll be walking stooped most of the time when moving about inside.

Ideally, have a look at a prospective purchase in the erect state and physically walk about inside to ensure its profile suits yours.

WATER-TIGHT FLOOR

Sometime or other we all get a little precipitation when out camping and on occasions you might find you are in the watershed path of rain heading to the nearby catchment.

As water travels downhill it carries debris with it and once washed against the uphill side of your tent it will start to build. Too much is an issue and you might need to relieve the beaver dam with a shovel to prevent a complete wash away but in the meantime comfort is everything until the rain stops and the last thing you need inside on the floor of the tent is more of what is falling on the roof outside.

The moral of this part of the story is to look for a tent that has a sealed tub floor that comes up the sides at least 100mm or four inches.

Usually tent floors are constructed of heavy waterproof vinyl and provided it’s stitched, folded then stitched again it will prevent seepage unless water laps over the top.

Ideally the corners of the waterproof tub floor should be vinyl welded but these types of floors are not found as often as those stitched.

SCREEN YOUR SCREEN

Midges, midgees, sandflies, mites, mozzies and just general bugs!

They all make your camping life miserable if you let them and the only sanctuary for you when the sun settles over the horizon is often inside your tent behind effective insect screens. Unless of course you daub yourself with suspect DEET.

Just how effective the screens are is up to you and this should be addressed before the time of purchase.

There is a ‘catch 22’ here. That is, some of the most miniscule bities can crawl through very fine mesh insect screens and you may opt for mesh of a grade that’s so fine it will not let any breeze through; the sleeping quarters on a balmy summer night then becomes a proverbial sauna.

Mosquitoes are the main culprit I prefer to keep at bay. Having endured viral meningitis and Ross River virus, I’m not lining up for denghi fever or the many other encephalitis strains that circulate around this country, mosquito borne.

Other small bities may be warded off with some personal insect repellent and various other smoke generating devices placed at strategic points. Ventilation is all important here so choose carefully on this point.

It’s important that the quality of the screen is such that it will have a good serviceable life span before wear and tear sets in rendering it useless. The adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ definitely applies to many components in a tent and this is definitely one of them.

ZIP ‘EM RIGHT!

The quality of zips on your tent will dictate how much you spend after purchase keeping it in a usable condition, bearing in mind that a canvas repairer could charge a small fortune to strip and re-fit a new zip to your tent.

Big chunky zips such as those seen on diver’s wet suits are my preferred option. They can handle salt and sand from a wind-swept beach with the least wear and tear.

Also those in your group that are a little rough with gear will have a hard time damaging such a zip as they’re made for heavy duty use.

It’s handy to have a spray can of food quality silicone in your camp box to lubricate sticky zips to prevent them wearing out prematurely.

FLY PROTECTION

The addition of a fly sheet over the top of your tent will often cool the inside during the heat of the day. The fly takes the brunt of the sun and the breeze flowing between it and the tent top exhausts the hot air.

Taking a nap in the middle of the day is now much easier and more comfortable. Manufacturers often fly sheets as options on their tents.

A fly also adds more waterproofing to canvas that may be strained at the stitching when erected hence letting moisture through during a rain event.

They also protect your canvas roof from bird and bat droppings and stains from native fruits falling from limbs above.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR TENT

I ran fishing charters in the Northern Territory for more than a decade and spent eight months of every year living in tents in some of the most inhospitable country imaginable.

Crocodiles, flies, sand flies, bugs, snakes and all manner of bities often called my camp home. Throw in wet season storms, rain of the volume drought stricken farmers only dream about, searing sun and black mud; you can see what I am getting at!

Here are a few hints that will make life a little more comfortable and they’re things that can be addressed before you head off into the wilderness.

BIG TENT PEGS

Many tents come supplied with inferior tent pegs. Too short, too flimsy, and not up to the rigours of holding a big canvas tent to the ground during windy periods.

I prefer pegs for general use to be nearly 30cm long and 8mm or more in thickness. If beach camping I use a set of large hard plastic pegs that are around 50cm in length to get deep down into soft sand.

Rather than mess around with a flimsy hammer trying to belt steel pegs into hard ground, pick up a cheap 3lb hammer from your hardware shop as this will serve the purpose better.

INSECT UNFRIENDLY LIGHTING

Light intensity is measured in temperature rated in ‘Kelvins’. Some lights attract more insects than others and while it’s common to see yellow lighting in use to ward off insects, there are many white lights in LED style that do a better job.

Check out some of the better insect unfriendly lights for camping at the GoLED.com.au website.

BURNING COILS

As soon as something is lit it has the potential to burn something else such as tent canvas and vinyl floor tubs.

If you can find some old metal camping dinner plates at the disposal store grab a few of them on which you can mount and light your mosquito coils. This will be much more stable than having a red hot coil swinging on a flimsy frame.

ZIPPING UP

Make a habit of closing your zips so they meet half way up or at the top of the doorway. Providing everyone else occupying the same abode does the same, there will be less chance of serpents finding their way into your swag should someone leave a zip partially undone. And trust me; they will at some stage!

CLEANING CANVAS

Never wash your tent with detergent. Simply hose it off to maintain the original flax that gives it a natural seal.

Once that has worn off with age there are aftermarket waterproofing agents that effectively tighten the weave of the canvas to make it more waterproof.

If you opted for a fly over the top of your tent, that will be holding you in good stead here.

GROUND SHEETS

Always use a groundsheet under the tent floor. It helps protect the original floor from punctures from sticks and prickles.

I always use a section of heavy shade cloth which is hemmed with eyelets and this allows accumulated moisture to wick away into the ground below and the drying process of the tent much faster when packing away.

The whole outdoor experience is supposed to be enjoyable and on many occasions Mother Nature will try to intervene.
Some judicious decisions at the point of sale on the type and features of a tent and what you can do with it at a later stage might well hold you in good stead.

Then, all that is left to do is enjoy!