Tents From Sierra Trading

The nice thing about car camping compared to waking or biking to your camp site is you can take a spacious, comfy tent – Check out Mountains Plus, Sierra Trading Post and Mountain Gear (You'll find links to these partner sites along the sides of this article.

Car camping allows for more food and beverages, an air mattress and pillows, foldable chairs and much more gear to make your camping adventure fun.

For more on "Car Camping" read our Cool article! "Car Camping Checklist!"

Glamping is for those who want to get into the swing of nature without being dirty and smelly!

With organized glamping trips you get all experience of the great outdoors but with none of the usual discomforts.

Typical glamping trips, for example, have beautiful tents that are often designed with bright colors and lush interiors.

These colorful home-away-from-home-tents often have electrical power providing electricity for appliances, reading lamps, heating and air conditioning.

No smelly sleeping bags or uncomfortable rocky, insect-infested earth for these campers.

Glamping seems to have been conceived by young, rich entertainers and models who enjoyed outdoor events and concerts. But without the hot tents or muddy cornfields.

For more "Glamping Info" read our Cool article and watch the video! "Glamping Anyone"

Canvas tents date back as far as biblical times. We find Roman soldiers and Mediaeval knights, pioneers, explorers and hunters using tents of various shapes and sizes.

If you plan to do some outdoor camping, you too will want a tent to shelter you from the elements. But before you rush to your nearest sporting good store consider the following six recommendations.

THE SIZE OF THE TENT:
Here is a simple, but good rule of thumb when buying a tent - allow thirty square feet per person and even more if you are bringing along children.

All tents should clearly state how many people can fit comfortably in them.

Experienced campers suggest you to take the manufacturers recommended number of people a tent will accommodate and divide it by two. Thus, if the manufacturer says a tent will accommodate 4 people comfortably, the realistic number is really 2!

Another good rule of thumb is buy from a show room where the tents are set up. Walk around in the tent, lie down in it and if standing will be important, stand up in it.

Finally, consider the gear you're planning to take. For example sleeping bags, back packs, clothing, games, food and supplies.

WEIGHT OF THE TENT:
You should decide what type of camping you will be doing. For example, if you are backpacking you'll want as lightweight a tent as you can find as well as one that will withstand unexpected weather conditions.

On the other hand if you are car camping then the weight of the tent may not a problem for you.

CONSIDER THE SEASON:
Always consider where and when you plan to go camping. Depending on the season, you may need a different type of tent. There are tents designed for three seasons, four seasons, and some that are specifically geared toward only one season.

The average 3-season tent is functional in light to moderate weather conditions. While the 4-season tent is suitable for year-round camping.

You may want to look into a warm weather tent or single wall tent if you're camping in summer weather conditions.

TENT AMENITIES:
A few of the amenities you will find being offered are  mesh panels, extra storage with pockets or hangers, and roll down dividers for separated sleeping compartments.

Some  manufacturers include internally adjustable zippered vents with mesh screens, reflective guy line loops, guy lines and glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls.

TENT STYLES:
There are several tent styles you can choose from: pup tents, frame tents, ridge tents, pop-up tents, dome tents, shower tents, geodesic tents, vis-a-vis tents, screen tents, hoop tents, tee-pee tents and touring tents.

We will be discussing each of these styles in a later article. For now you should just be aware that you can find a style that best fits your intended tent camping adventure!

AFTER THE PURCHASE:
Don't forget to practice setting up the tent at home before attempting it at the campground. You'll be glad you did!

Need to know how to pitch a tent? Here are several instructive videos...

Happy Tent Camping and for a large selection of tents from Mountains Plus...

About the Author:
Bob Macek has been an outdoor enthusiast since 1969. He converted a VW bus into a living RV and traveled the country. He left St Louis, MO and ended in Salt Lake City, UT . In 2000, he again decided to opt for the nomad life and purchased an RV. He lived the Gypsy life until September 2004. While traveling in the Panhandle of Florida his RV was destroyed by hurricane Ivan. You can Contact Bob at: bob@probizusa.com