Tent Guide
What Size Tent?
Bivy, Dome, A-frame, Umbrella, or Cabin Style Tent?
What Kind of Tent Poles?
What Type of Material?
Are All Tents Waterproof?
What Size Tent: This is a fairly easy
question to address. In car camping tent weight and bulk are of little
importance. Of course one should remember that some canvas tents tend to weigh as
much as eighty pounds. But those tents are the exception and not the rule. So,
in buying a car camping tent one can afford to be generous with space more so than with
backpacking ones. Also think in terms of the number of sleeping bags and not persons
using the tent. Sleeping bags take more room than people do.
In the backpacking tent category, tables turn. Bulk and
weight is of utmost importance. In the backcountry rarely does one have the
opportunity to reduce the weight of the pack so greatly as with a lighter tent.
Meaning that, with little effort you can cut two or three pounds off the weight of your
tent, but it may take you much shopping to alter the weight of your stove by so much as a
few ounces. Buy in terms of the number of people you usually backpack with.
If you still want to retain the option of solo trips, remember that you are no longer
sharing the weight of your tent, stove, cooking gear, ground cloth, etc..
In the case of tents, oftentimes size is directly proportionate
to weight. You may easily find yourself sacrificing space for a lighter tent.
Bivy, Dome, A-frame, Umbrella, or Cabin Style Tent:
In this segment I will touch on the different tent styles, and the advantages and the
disadvantages of each. These designs are each unique and do certain functions
well. By having a better understanding of each design and its features one can
narrow down his choices quite easily.
Bivy Style Tents are perhaps the lightest and
most compact tent designs in the industry. Bivy style tents minimize their weight
and bulk simply by reducing the number of poles and the amount of fabric used in the tent
body. This unavoidably results in a very small living space that will only appeal to
the few hardy backpackers who put weight and bulk before everything else. Of course,
there are times when one must make sacrifices in order to keep the weight of one's pack
down. Multi-week trips for example. But if you like your space, or enjoy
hanging out in your tent during a rainy day, Bivy style tents are not for you.
Dome Tents: Since the introduction of
flexible drawn aluminum and fiberglass tent frames into the market, manufacturers have
become more creative with the shape of tents. It also has allowed them to make
roomier but lighter and more compact tents by using the dome construction.
The problem is that the flexibility of drawn aluminum and
fiberglass poles make tents using these frames less stable, especially the larger and
taller family tents. Companies try to compensate for this weakness by using more
poles to make tents more stable, which in turn makes some tents less than fun to set up.
However manufacturers have come up with creative ways of easing this pain.
The second issue with dome tents has always been that the simpler
and more standard tents are either the hexagonal three hoop or the geodesic four hoop
designs. The geometrical names always refer to the shape of the floor.
Although such shapes are interesting to look at, one should keep in mind that neither
people nor their sleeping bags are hexagonal or geodesic. So, once sleeping bags are
laid down, one is left with six or so corner areas that are difficult to use
efficiently. Backpackers should also be reminded that finding a rectangular opening
in the woods is always easier than a circular one, as well as the fact that one can always
wedge a rectangular floor dome tent between trees easier. There are of course,
manufacturers who produce rectangular floor dome tents.
A-frame Tents have been around the longest of
any tent design. A-frame tents are those with two sloping side walls meeting in an
angle.
Before the age of fiberglass and flexible aluminum tent poles,
strait and stiff aluminum tent poles were widely used for their strength and the fact that
they did not rust like steel. A-frame designs allowed manufacturers to use the only
available frame material at the time and put together a functional, light, compact, and
inexpensive structure. Although such structures were quite functional as three
season tents, they failed to give adequate protection in winter conditions.
Also, most people consider the slope in the walls of such designs
drastic and quite confining, hence the popularity of dome style tents. Although a
well constructed A-frame tent can still be quite functional, there are many well made dome
style tents on the market that are as functional, much roomier, and more stable.
Umbrella Style Tents involve a number of poles of
equal length that start from each floor corner and meet at the center of the roof of the
tent. There are many ways of connecting the poles at the center but the most popular
and commonly used design is by means of a hub or a junction plate.
The introduction of drawn seamless aluminum and the better
understanding of its properties contributed greatly to the design and manufacturing of
umbrella style tents. We will reserve further discussion of the usage of aluminum
until the following segment when we will compare all available frame components, their
properties, and their usage in the tent market.
Although one may see a few umbrella style tents within the
backpacking market, it is safe say that most umbrella designs are used for larger
family-style tents. The difference that this category tent made to the family
camping tent market was that is allowed manufacturers not only to use shock-corded
aluminum poles of equal length, which in turn made the setting up process a much simpler
task, also it became easier to design tents with taller walls and center height
without compromising stability. When you compare these tents to the cabin style
category, which we will discuss next, the popularity of umbrella style will become
apparent rather quickly.
It is important to note that since most family tents of umbrella
style design almost exclusively use basic, drawn seamless aluminum, it is safe to say that
these tents, although stronger than fiberglass frame dome tents under most conditions, are
not known for their over-all strength and stability in the wind. Of course the seven
to eight foot center height does not help this matter much either.
Cabin Style Tents appear to be the easiest on
the eyes, partially because people are familiar with their design and shape, and because
most people's parents went camping in this type of tent.
Although the composition of the components of this style tent has
changed greatly over the years, the style and the setting up process of this type of
design has remained relatively unchanged. It is possible that the greatest reason
for the drop in popularity of such tents has been the simple fact that shock-corded
aluminum or even fiberglass frame tents were so much easier to deal with than the jigsaw
puzzle like approach to finding the right pieces of poles and installing them in the right
places.
It is also important to note that there is still call for cabin
style frames in the market, for these frames have been proven to work quite well in
supporting the weight of cotton canvas tents which can exceed sixty pounds.
There are companies that import entry level cabin tents.
One can easily recognize such tents by the inexpensive steel or rolled aluminum poles that
have a seem running down them.
What Kind of Tent Poles? This question has
been an important one ever since the introduction of fiberglass and aircraft aluminum
poles to the market. Before that time rolled aluminum and steel were the most widely
used frame component available.
There are good reasons why companies use different kinds of poles
in different tents, but the biggest reason is the cost factor.
Steel poles are the stiffest and oftentimes the strongest poles
money can buy. But there is the problem of rust, weight, and corrosion. Unless a company
chooses to add to the manufacturing cost by using stainless steel frames in the construction
of their tents the average steel tent pole and will last one storage season before rust
becomes visible on the poles and, of course, manufacturing light weight tents using such
poles would be out of the question. Non-stainless steel poles are used primarily in
the construction of inexpensive cabin style tents.
The use of fiberglass in the production of tent poles simply
revolutionized the tent market. Not too many people will argue that fact that fiberglass
tent poles, and their flexibility, brought more interesting tent designs to the market,
and by doing so gave life to a complacent tent design market.
Not often is the chemical composition of fiberglass poles
discussed, but more often than not reputable companies will note the outside diameter and
the country of origin of their fiberglass tent poles.
Now, regarding the diameter of fiberglass poles, the thicker
these poles are, the stronger but less flexible they become. For this reason most of the
two to three person tents will use poles with smaller diameters. As the size and the
height of the tent increase, so should the diameter of its poles.
Problem with fiberglass frames arise because of the lack of their
tensile strength. This leads to issue of breakage, especially when setting up a tent.
While erecting the first set of poles one hoop needs to be able to withstand the entire
weight of the tent. This becomes a problem in larger tents since they are much heavier
than smaller tents and fiberglass pole are not that strong. This problem can be solved by
having two people help set up a tent. That way, one person can take some of the pressure
off of the poles by lifting the center of the structure. (Before going any further it is
appropriate to say that there has been a new form of fiberglass pole introduced to the
market. Magnum Halix poles are multi-layered fiberglass forms designed for flexibility.
The horizontal fibers wrapped with layers of fiberglass prevents the poles from shattering
like conventional fiberglass poles. These poles are not commonly used in the construction
of tents but there are companies that do use Magnum Halix poles.)
It is important to understand that there is room in this market
for fiberglass frames. They have helped almost eliminate the old steel frame cabin tents
that were so very difficult to deal with, with their many pieces, heavy weight, and the
good possibility of loosing a pole section nearly impossible replace. Now days one can
spend the price on an expensive steel framed cabin tent to purchase an intermediate level
dome tent. The advantages over the old style tents will become apparent after first use.
Aluminum tent poles have for many years been used in strong tent
constructions. Although there have been many changes in the chemical make up of these tent
poles the fact remains that aluminum is the best material tent poles are made of at this
time.
Many years ago, before the process of drawing and tempering had
made its way into the construction of tent poles, manufacturers used to roll aluminum
sheet, weld or crimp the two ends to make a tent pole. The problem with this process soon
became obvious. The weld or crimped line on the face of the pole became a permanent weak
point and that was not all. There also needed to be some improvements in the chemical
composition of these aluminum poles in order to guarantee their durability.
Manufacturers needed to produce an aluminum tubing that was
strong and flexible. At this time there were a number of companies that manufactured
aluminum tubing for tents. But there are still weaknesses in the composition of these
poles, such as a lack of flexibility that may result in permanent curving, susceptibility
to corrosion which will result in the weakening of the poles, and lack of the overall
structural strength that forces commercially available aluminum poles to be large in
diameter in order to make the poles more stable.
Aircraft aluminum to the rescue. Although the words
"aircraft aluminum" are used somewhat generically to make a point, however
vague, about the strength of such poles, it is fair t say that such poles have made a
great contribution to the improvement of the quality of tent tubing.
Aircraft aluminum generally have the same chemical make up. For
example, all 7000 series aircraft aluminum poles have the same family of alloys in their
make up. The difference is that a 7001 tube incorporates a higher magnesium and zinc mix
that a 7075. The higher magnesium and zinc mix will make a pole stiffer.
The advantage of 7000 series aluminum tent tubing over fiberglass
poles and other commercial aluminum tubing are its strength, rigidity and lighter weight.
These features allow tent manufacturers to create a lighter, yet stronger and more rigid
tent.
In some of the more classic tent styles where one does not see
uniform curves and the design features are more or less limited to straight lines, it is
acceptable to use standard high quality seamless aluminum poles. As long as the pressure
points of such poles are reinforced, they will serve you and your tent for many years. You
may notice a permanent bend or two along the poles but the tent will still be functional.
What Type of Material? There are only
a few different kinds of fabrics currently used in tent bodies: cotton, nylon, polyester,
and very rarely, polyethylene.
Often cotton tents are also referred to as canvas tents but in
fact any time a fabric incorporates an 'over/under' or a square weave such weave is called
'canvas'. Most people relate to cotton/canvas tents because their parents used to own such
tents. In fact, army wall tents and most quality tents of many years ago and present as
well, are made with cotton. Such tents, once wetted down and dried, are naturally water
proof, quite breathable and show the most resiliency to the ultraviolet rays of the Sun
which can easily destroy nylon fabrics if left exposed for long periods. For this reason
cotton has always been the choice of those who use their tents as semi-permanent
structures and who leave their tents standing for months at a time. No other material
could withstand such use. Unfortunately cotton/canvas tents are not without their
problems. Cotton, being organic material, if stored wet or in a damp area can mildew or
rot. Such damage is irreversible. The best that one can do to prevent any further spread
of mildew to the rest of the fabric is to give it a sponge bath with an anti-fungus
solution.
The other problem with cotton/canvas tents is their weight. Tents
of respectable quality use 7oz (7ox per square yard) fabric in their construction. This
translates into a tent that can weigh as much as fifty to eighty pounds for an average
size tent. You can see the difficulty that a family will have in handling such a monster
for mere weekend use. But again, if the use requires one to set up a tent and leave it up
for weeks and months, this is the best way to go.
The last issue with cotton/canvas tents is their high cost of
manufacturing. This is in fact one reason why the number of companies that produce such
tents has swindled to only a few. At between six and nine hundred dollars per tent,
combined with their bulk and weight, it is easy to see why more and more people are buying
nylon tents.
Polyester, which is a synthetic resin, has taken
the burden of weight somewhat off the shoulders of cotton tents. Polyester blended with
cotton allows manufacturers to create tents that retain most of the properties of
cotton/canvas tents without all the weight, all that bulk and the high price tag. But of
course there is a catch. Since synthetics don't allow for the same amount of swelling that
one gets in cotton tents, poly/cotton blends tents will not be as naturally water tight a
construction as an all cotton tent. They will require a coating in order to enhance their
water proofing.
The only thing that all polyester tents have in common with the
tents discussed previously is their comparative longevity to nylon ones. A fabric can
incorporate a canvas weave with the use of polyester alone and therefore still be called a
'canvas tent'. For long term use, polyester fabric is still a good alternative to nylon
fabrics for it will resist UV much better. But polyester fabric is generally heavier than
average nylon fabrics used in the construction of tents and it seldom shows the ability to
be coated properly and to stay as waterproof.
Polyethylene, or the "blue noisy plastic
stuff" as it is known to most people, is actually hardly ever used in the
construction of tents. However, very often you will find it used in the construction of
less expensive tent floors. Although highly water proof, this synthetic fabric is not
known for its strength.
Nylon is the fabric that most people are
familiar with. It is very widely used in tents ranging from family camping to backpacking
to expedition quality structures. Taffeta, which is a tightly woven nylon cloth that is
characterized by a dense uniform appearance, is the most common type of nylon used in the
tent market today. The use of taffeta has allowed the market to introduce structures that
provide excellent durability and very low total tent weight. There was a time when ten
pounds was an average weight for a two person tent. These days six or seven pounds is
considered almost too heavy. Much of that is due to the use of nylon in today's tents.
Taffeta is available in different weights usually measured by a
given weight per square yard (1.9oz, 2.1oz, etc..). Most tents combine a lighter fabric
for the upper body of the tent with heavier fabric for the floor since the floor goes
through more abuse than the rest of the tent. 1.9 to 2.1oz. taffeta are the most commonly
used fabric weights in today's tents combined with a floor fabric weight of 1.9 to 4oz.
Are All Tents Waterproof? Absolutely
not! In fact it is safe to say that most tents are not but before getting into the
standards of tent water repellency, it is helpful to know the different reasons for
leakage in a tent since it is common misinformation that provides consumers with the
notion that the coating on a tent fabric, or lack thereof, is solely responsible for water
penetrating the structure of a tent when in fact there are many reasons for this
occurrence such as:
Coating: As mentioned in the previous section on
the properties of different fabrics, cotton/canvas and Gore-Tex fabrics are the only
naturally waterproof tent fabrics available. This means that other tent fabrics will
require an additional coating to help keep moisture out.
A fabric will resist the penetration of moisture by two means.
One is a layer of silicone applied to the surface of a fabric in order to create a smooth
texture over which moisture will slide instead of penetrating. This process, although
somewhat functional is only effective in very light rain. In other words a tent relying on
the surface tension of silicone to achieve its water resistance will be water resistant at
best. In the tent business calling a tent water resistant instead of water proof is a
polite way of saying that the tent will leak.
The most effective way to waterproof a fabric is to apply layers
of polyurethane coating to the back of the tent fabric. This will provide the structure
with a thick waterproof shield that will stop water short of coming through and applied
properly it will make a tent fabric water proof. The operative phrase in the above
sentence is 'applied properly' because like any other aspect of this business there are
manufacturers that will choose to cut corners during the process of waterproofing a tent
in order to save a buck. This will lead to a tent that is coated inadequately which in turn
will result a less than enjoyable camping experience.
So, how does one know if the tent he or she is buying is
waterproof? Easy!! All reputable companies that are at least those companies that are not
reluctant about informing customers, will test and note the water resistance of their tent
fabric and inform customers of the results in their consumer guides. If they don't, there
is a good reason for it, they probably don't want you to have this information.
The standards of a water proof fabric are discussed in two terms:
Pressure per square inch (PSI) or a simple but unique Waterfall Test.
The US Army's standard of waterproofing is 25PSI. Any fabric that
tests lower than 30PSI is water resistant and not waterproof. By the same token a good
quality tent will test at about 70 to 100PSI.
The Waterfall Test is a simple yet effective way of testing the
ability of a fabric to resist moisture penetration. In this test a sample of the fabric is
placed under a long tube marked in millimeter increments on its surface. Water is pored
down the tube slowly. As the column of water increases in height water pressure is also
increased. At the first sign of leakage the water flow is stopped and the height of the
water tube is measured. A coating that tests to 1000mm water height should be the minimum
standard for a water proof fabric. A quality tent will incorporate a 1200 to 1800mm
coating.
Water proofing test results should be available to all consumers.
Such information is necessary for us to make an informed decision. Ask for them and if you
are not provided this information someone doesn't want you to have it!
Stitching: Most people are under the
impression that all tents regardless of their quality need to be seam sealed, the process
of applying a layer of coverage to prevent moisture form penetrating into the needle
holes. This assumption is not entirely correct. It is true that less expensive
or entry level tents may require seam sealing since these tents will use less expensive
threads to sew fabrics together. Such threads are usually made of cotton which tend
to be more vulnerable to the elements and the seams will erode more quickly which in turn
will result in falling apart. Secondly cotton will function like a wick. It
will suck the moisture though its body and transfer it to the inner part of the tent.
Some manufactures have tried to address this problem by using
polyester threads wrapped with a cotton sheath. This way fabric is protected from
polyester and the cotton is strengthened by its polyester core.
The other issue in stitching tent fabrics is the process by which
two pieces of fabrics are brought together and then sewn. Logic would dictate that the
easiest way to accomplish this is to overlap the two pieces of fabric and then sew. But
this process will leave water with only two layers of fabric to travel though. In such
cases leakage is likely to take place since often times needle holes are larger than the
thread that go through them.
Manufacturers with a reputation for attention to detail will
address this problem by folding each fabric once before starting to stitch. This more time
consuming process will strengthen the stitching areas and leave water with four layers of
fabric to travel through. Tents following this simple pattern will be more water proof and
stronger in the long run.
Design: Understanding the simple fact that
it is the property of fabrics, especially nylon, to stretch when wet, it is common for
water to pool on top of poorly designed tents. Pooling will result in eventual moisture
penetration or, in some cases, the collapse of the structure under the weight of water. To
avoid this problem, try to purchase tents with the least amount of horizontal unsupported
fabric. This is the fabric with no poles running though or near it. Also tents should have
some means for one to be able to adjust the tension on the rain fly. This way, when the
fabric sags, one can simply re-stake the tent and create the necessary tension in order to
create a tight structure.