What shape tents are there?
Domes and Geodesic Tents these days
come in a huge assortment of sizes. You need to choose whether you
will go for a dome style, or a geodesic which adds in strengthening
bars on the sides. These tents generally have good internal space,
allowing two people to sit up at once. They normally take the wind
from any side quite well. The only let down to a simple dome is weighting
the roof much in heavy snow can cause it to push in and potentially
snap.
Expedition Tents tend to be exclusively the modified geodesic dome. Tunnel
Tents These tents have good space, although if one hoop is smaller at
the foot end can cause issues for two people to sit upright. The benefit
is a lot of internal space for a very low pole weight, normally only
2 poles. Although with strong side-on wind, sometimes the inner can touch
the outer and cause leakage.
A Frame Tents - The Blacks or Force Tens are the most well known here.
Great bombproof tents, but the poles can weigh a little extra, and can
be bulky. Much of the strength is dependent on a ridge pole being included.
Unfortunately this design shaped like an A does not give much room inside.
Hoop Tents -These are the lightest of the light, normally found in 1-2
man lightweight tents it is a single hoop pole with the canvas going
down to the ground on either side. Excellent reduction of weight, but
with that comes space!
Tepee Tents - Only 1 single upright pole holds this tent in place, and
many do not have a ground sheet. This is a lightweight design again.
Due to the shape of the side the centre pole must be quite high, and
so this gives a large floor area, so normally these tents are for a group.
Frame Tents -These are normally big family or group tents with vertical
walls. They are sturdy, like mini rooms, and can have different compartments
in them. But these are heavy, you won’t be carrying it far from
the car or truck. What type of tent do I need? First thing you need to do is to
define what you will use your tent for. There are very different style
tents for different uses.
Expedition Tents - These tents are the strongest in the world, and are
constructed to hold the weight of snow, and stay upright in the worst
of winds. Suitable for high mountain work in the Himalaya, Andes, Antarctica
or Alps. They are designed for long spells of being tent-bound with a
bright colour to boost moral, and also help you find it in bad visibility.
Some tents are for base camp usage, and some are stripped down lightweight
summit push tents which have been made to fit on small ledges, some only
single skin gortex. Very few people mountaineers need an expedition tent,
but lots of people own them. Even though their strength comes with weight
the comfort, quality and secure feeling inside make it a choice for many
a standard climber.
4 Season Tents -The seasons depend on where you live! A 4 season tent
generally means it will stand up to snow, and anything you will get on
mountain sides in most of Europe and the lower ranges around the world
(under 4000m). These tents are lighter than most expedition tents and
are suitable for walking into a high camp with it on your back.
3 Season Tents -Most small tents these days are 3 season. A 3 season
tent will stand up to most weather expected in the mountains except for
very strong winds of heavy snowfall. Some 3 season tents are designed
for campsites, and other will be of a plausible weight for hiking in
the mountains.
Lightweight Tents -Lightweight tents can be designed for any conditions,
but they are normally stripped down completely. Some even have the zippers
removed as every gram counts! They are normally very small, have no storage
space and are either for the weight conscious hiker, or mountain racer.
Normally hold no more than 1-2 people and pack down to a tiny size.
Bivvi Tents - Bivvi’s are for the solo climber who wants a waterproof
covering over their sleeping bag to sleep outside in. Some have advanced
tent shapes to give some breathing space around the head, but many are
straightforward bags with zip closure.
Family Tents - Normally large tents combining living areas and sleeping
rooms. Non-techinical designs that are for use in valley floors, in light
rain and low winds. Comfortable to live in, and may come in various designs
with multiple rooms inside.
2 Season Tents -In this category we have both summer tents which may
not have a rain fly or only a section is covered and we also have a tent
type known as the festival tent! These are normally cheap, bendy, and
some are close to disposable! Not suited to any mountain conditions.
The more quality 2 season tents tend to have an open wall and are more
for keeping away the mosquitoes than the weather.
Group Tents -Group Tents are for Scout Groups or Youth Groups who are
looking for serious toughness and a long lasting tent. They are normally
heavy, canvas tents but will work! Some are group shelters for eating
or planning meetings. What shape tents are there? Domes and Geodesic Tents these days
come in a huge assortment of sizes. You need to choose whether you
will go for a dome style, or a geodesic which adds in strengthening
bars on the sides. These tents generally have good internal space,
allowing two people to sit up at once. They normally take the wind
from any side quite well. The only let down to a simple dome is weighting
the roof much in heavy snow can cause it to push in and potentially
snap.
Expedition tents tend to be exclusively the modified geodesic dome.
Tunnel Tents -These tents have good space, although if one hoop is smaller
at the foot end can cause issues for two people to sit upright. The benefit
is allot of internal space for a very low pole weight, normally only
2 poles. Although with strong side-on wind, sometimes the inner can touch
the outer and cause leakage. A Frame Tents The Blacks or Force Tens are
the most well known here. Great bombproof tents, but the poles can weigh
a little extra, and can be bulky. Much of the strength is dependent on
a ridge pole being included. Unfortunately this design shaped like an
A does not give much room inside.
Hoop Tents - These are the lightest of the light, normally found in 1-2
man lightweight tents it is a single hoop pole with the canvas going
down to the ground on either side. Excellent reduction of weight, but
with that comes space!
Tepee Tents -Only 1 single upright pole holds this tent in place, and
many do not have a ground sheet. This is a lightweight design again.
Due to the shape of the side the centre pole must be quite high, and
so this gives a large floor area, so normally these tents are for a group.
Frame Tents -These are normally big family or group tents with vertical
walls. They are sturdy, like mini rooms, and can have different compartments
in them. But these are heavy, you won’t be carrying it far from
the car or truck.What is the difference in tent poles?Tent poles come with all different
techno babble terms associated to them. Basically you have bendy ones,
and straight ones depending on the tent shape. They are made with the
latest materials these days for lightness and this will affect the
strength of them in both the cold and wind.
Fibreglass - The most economical poles used in summer tents. They do
have a tendency to shatter if bent too much and unfortunately fibre glass
is very sharp and this will rip through your pole sleeve and damage the
canvas. Rigid Steel - Used only in frame
tents, these are heavy robust poles, normally with joints at each end.
Aluminium Alloy - Lighter and stronger than fibre glass. Found in tunnel & dome
tents. Normally shock corded together for a quick setup.
Easton Aluminium 7057 - The lightest and strongest poles currently available.
Essential on a mountain tent. High corrosion resistance, flexible but
strong. Some poles come pre-bent to minimise failure.
DAC Featherlite - Designed with two main objectives: to offer a high
strength-to-weight ratio and to slide easily through tight pole sleeves
typical of expedition tent construction. The result is an expedition
tent pole that has an even higher strength-to-weight ratio than the original
Featherlite pole, and one that works well with the expedition tent sleeve
construction. This new design includes an insert tube with a thinner
wall than the main tube giving added strength to the sleeve joint. This
construction detail eliminates excess weight and is balanced by a small
strengthening tube at the joining position. What types of tent stakes can I
use? Pegs come in many fashions, for
different terrain & weights.
Skewer Pegs -These are straight and cheap, bend on rocks, but are probably
lightest. They have relatively little holding power and would be best
suited to grass.
Bulldog Stakes - These are your industry standard curved or angled stakes.
Hold fast but can be slightly heavier. Good for most ground and don’t
bend easy. Snow stakes Are buried in the snow sideways and a small line
comes up through the snow to attach on.
Snow/Sand Anchors - Are like a mini parachute you fill with snow and
bury in the ground. As the snow becomes compact and solid, so does your
anchorage!
Wooden -Used for group shelters. Have great holding power due to their
thickness and can be bashed into most ground with a big wooden mallet.
Due to their width thick ropes & guys can be tied off.
Pigtails - These are for holding in the sand or soft snow and look like
a wide open spiral corkscrew. The twist in and out, and look like a normal
peg on the surface. USING YOUR
NEW TENT
Before using your new purchase... Very occasionally, new tents are delivered
with parts such as guy lines, runners, pegs or even a pole missing. There
could even be a manufacturing fault such as a tear or incorrect stitching
lines. For this reason, we recommend that before taking your new tent
anywhere, particularly abroad, you take the whole item out of its package
and erect it at home (preferably inside). By doing this you will immediately
be able to see if there is indeed anything missing or incorrect with
the tent. This should be done allowing plenty of time to obtain replacement
parts, as necessary. It will also give you a chance to practise erecting
your tent quickly and easily before embarking on your holiday.
Pitching and using your tent... Double skin tents can be pitched in one
of two ways, either the fly-sheet or outer tent first or the inner tent
first. The great advantage of pitching the flysheet or outer first is
that it is the waterproof part of the tent that is erected first so that
the inner can be pitched without the worry of it getting wet. Having
erected and secured the outer tent, the inner part is then attached which
can require a little crawling around inside.
The alternative system requires the inner tent to be erected first. These
type of tents are quick and easy to put up and as the flysheet is thrown
over the already erected inner it requires no crawling around inside.
One disadvantage is though that the inner has no protection during pitching
and may be soaked before the flysheet is added, if you had to pitch in
bad weather. There are a few tents that can be stored and pitched with
the inner attached to the outer tent. This makes them very quick to pitch
and keeps the inner tent dry during wet weather pitching. However if
the outer tent is damp it is advisable to separate the inner from the
outer before packing and storing.
When choosing a place to pitch your tent, a flat, dry sheltered spot
is the best. Clear the site of sharp stones or debris. If possible tent
should be pitched facing away from the wind. If camping in windy weather,
try not to pitch down wind of trees. You will find that the noise of
the wind through the branches or even twigs blown from the tree will
make for a very disturbed night. When pitching a tent where the flysheet
pitches first, make sure that all the poles are threaded through the
correct sleeves before you attempt to secure the poles in the eyelets
or ring and pins of the flysheet. This is especially important if the
tent is a large one. Most of the large dome tents require two people
for ease of erection. For some it is useful to have an extra person,
possibly a child, to go under the flysheet, to take the weight of the
fabric and it then becomes an easy job to make the fabric taut and so
to connect the pole ends to the eyelets or ring and pins of the flysheet.
Dome tents are self-supporting and so can be moved to the most favourable
position before pegging out. Always ensure that you have an adequate
amount of pegs and secure the tent with guy lines, especially if the
weather conditions are adverse. When striking camp you may find that
the outer is damp through condensation or rain. If possible separate
the inner and the outer and spread them to dry in a suitable place while
you continue with other tasks. The inner should be dry on all areas except
perhaps the groundsheet base and should be packed carefully to ensure
that it does not come into contact with a damp or dirty flysheet or dirty
pegs.
If you are packing in a rucksack make sure you pack the items in the
order that you can quickly retrieve them to pitch the next time, without
having to unpack your whole bag. If you must pack the tent when wet or
damp then at the earliest opportunity spread out both the inner and outer
to dry thoroughly before repacking or storing. At the end of your holiday,
make sure that your tent is clean and dry. Use only recommended tent
cleaners. Always store in dry conditions and your tent will be ready
for your next camping trip. STORAGE
Be sure the tent is thoroughly dry before storing, especially the seams.
If not, mould and mildew are likely to grow, which will damaged the
tent and its waterproof coating. Clean the poles and pegs of any
dirt and store the tent away in a cool, dry place.
CARE & CLEANING
Clean the tent by setting it up and wiping with a damp sponge and mild,
non-detergent soap. A light coat of silicone lubricant on coil zips
will keep them free-sliding and will avoid freezing. Keep the aluminium
poles clean, dry and scratch-free. They have a protective coating
to prevent corrosion, but a light coat of silicone lubricant will
protect poles from corrosion and help the sections to engage more
easily.