Shelter from the Storm :
How to Choose a Tent

Tents are crucial for protecting against wind, rain, cold weather, bugs, and other outdoor irritants. Tents also serve to give you some privacy in the great outdoors and offer a cozy sense of security. If you've shopped for a tent recently, though, you may have become overwhelmed by the choices—three-season tents, four-season tents, convertible tents, backpacking tents, bivy sacks, basecamp tents, dome tents, tunnel tents, and the list goes on. How do you choose the one that's right for you? Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Consider what type of camping you are likely to be doing—car camping, backpacking, cold weather camping, and tropical camping all require tents with different features.

Lightweight three-season tents are designed for use in the temperate spring, summer, and fall months. They will protect you against wind and rain, but won't handle a heavy snow load very well. If you're only planning to head out during the warm summer months, a three-season tent is probably the right choice for you.

Four-season tents are fortified by extra poles that enable them bear heavy snow loads or strong winds. While a four-season tent will certainly work in milder months, the extra poles give them additional weight. Choose a four-season tent if you plan to do any snow camping or even if there is a possibility that you might get caught in nasty winter weather on that late fall trip into the backcountry

If you'll be camping in the tropics or in any very warm, humid climate, a specially designed warm-weather tent offers a lightweight shelter with protection from bugs and superb ventilation.

A convertible tent is a four-season model that transforms into a three-season affair by shedding one or two poles from the tent's four-season design. Some models also include zippered panels that can be opened in milder conditions and/or detachable vestibules.

Choose a tent that can withstand the harshest conditions you may encounter, but if you're certain you won't find yourself in winter conditions, don't trouble yourself with the extra weight of a four-season tent.

A bivy sack is a minimalist's dream—a shelter for one that protects just you and your sleeping bag. (If you're a climber and plan to spend nights on steep rock faces where tents would be impractical, a bivy is definitely the way to go.) A bivy sack is really only worth considering if saving weight is your number one priority, otherwise you will probably prefer a shelter with room to move around and store your gear.

If you plan on car camping with the whole family, consider a basecamp tent—an expansive shelter large enough to accommodate as many as six or eight people. Consider how many people will be sleeping in the tent—and remember that each person's gear will also have to fit in the tent.

Size Matters
Before settling on a tent, do some investigating to make sure you'll be comfortable in it. Use the measurements of your sleeping pad to determine how you will fit into the tent in question. To fit two people comfortably inside a tent, you will need one that is at least as wide as the combined widths of both people's sleeping pads—and that's if you don't mind snuggling up together. If you need a few inches of separation, then add a couple of inches to your measurement. If you are a tosser and turner, you may want to add several more inches.