Tents
A tent is one of the most important pieces of camping gear. There are tons of differences between sizes, material, function, weight… Although things will be different for backpacking, for car camping we are most concerned about size, setup, and function.
The size of a tent is somewhat misleading. When a tent is advertised as 4 person tent that usually means 4 average sized people can geometrically fit laying down in a 4 person tent. This does not suggest that you can fit everyone’s bag and extra clothes in the tent as well. It also does not usually accommodate a larger person.
You want to buy the right size tent for your group, but you also want to consider if you are storing everything in your car or if you are planning on putting some things in the tent with everyone. I prefer to keep things in my tent so I can change clothes or possibly do an activity while in bed. With my shoes, pack, blankets, clothes… I tend to use enough space for 1.5 people. So, if I am looking to have a tent for a family of four, I would suggest looking at a 6 person tent. I often times will use my two person tent for just me and my stuff.
You also want to consider how the setup works on the tent. Most modern tents are setup in a similar fashion with long stabilizing poles that curve around the frame to keep its shape. There are also the coleman popup tents which allow you to setup the tent just by tossing it in the air. Be aware of off brand cheap tents that use long weak poles that are set up straight as opposed to curved. In my experience these cheap tents are fairly weak and we have had issues with them withstanding much wind.
The other important piece is the function of the tent. Tents are rated at seasons. The basics of it are the less number of season the less the tent can withstand.
1 season tent is designed for warm, good weather. Not made for rain, wind, or cold.
2 season tent is also designed for warm, good weather. May have a rainfly, but still not made for much rain, wind, or cold.
3 season tent is the most popular rating of tent as most people camp in warmer weather. They are designed for heavy rainstorms and high winds. But, they are not designed for colder temperatures.
4 season tents are designed for the winter. They have extra protection for waterproofing and structural integrity to hold up in the winter. These will be very hot in non-winter months.
5 season tents are high end harsh winter camping tents. They are for expeditions and professional campers.