Before you buy a tent, you need to understand what you are buying and for what purposes. The choice of tents on the modern market is very large, so you can not do without a preliminary educational program
Such tents are suitable for both simple trips to nature, and for complex hikes, they are easy to install and stable. The framework is usually based on two intersecting arcs.
Very comfortable and roomy shape, but there is a minus-reduced stability
It has good stability, compact and lightweight. The arcs of such a tent are placed parallel to each other, but they are crossed and the crosshairs are tied to the tent.
According to the purpose, there are tourist tents:
• for the highlands;
• for the middle mountains;
• for the plain.
In each of the three categories above, there is a conditional division into "upper", "medium" and "low" tents. This gradation depends on the materials used for arcs and awnings, technologies, impregnations, and construction.
High-altitude tents are divided into expedition and assault tents. Tents for the highlands are designed specifically for extreme conditions: strong storm wind, high altitude, frost, etc.
Expedition tents are tents for, so to speak, the "Himalayan" style of climbing, when several base camps are created in the process of climbing. The expedition tent is designed to stand in one place for a long time, so it must be wind - and moisture - resistant, and its design is rigid enough to withstand the pressure of wind and snow.
Assault-tents for the "alpine" style, when the base camps are not broken up, and the tent, throughout the entire ascent, is carried with them (which is why it should also be as light as possible). A good assault tent will withstand any weather conditions. Assault tents are light, moderately roomy, and quickly assembled.
Tents for the middle mountains combine the qualities of expedition and assault tents: they are more comfortable, therefore, heavier than assault tents, although they are lighter than expedition tents.
Plain tents are simple small tents for easy hikes and overnight stays along hiking trails, in the woods and on the plains. Not very resistant to heavy rain and wind. Most often, the company's catalogs indicate the recommended purpose of the tent (for example, for mountain tourism, mountaineering, auto tourism).
The difference between tents by season of use
Summer tents. They are used in summer in good climatic conditions. The design of the tent for summer use is very simple, and does not provide for its use in stormy winds and thunderstorms. The main advantage is good ventilation, compactness, light weight and low price.
Three-season tents. They provide reliable protection even in heavy rain and cold. Designed for spring, summer and autumn. The price is significantly more expensive than the summer ones.
All-season tents. Designed for any weather, including cold, storm, rain and heat. You can use it all year round. Main advantages: high water resistance, wind resistance, the presence of a snow-proof skirt. The price of such tents, respectively, is high.
1. To make the tent last longer, it is desirable to treat it at least once a year with impregnating substances.
2. If the floor in the tent is made of polyethylene, try to put it a little differently each time, avoiding rubbing along the fold lines.
3. After you bring the tent from the trip, be sure to dry it well, even if it was not installed.
4. It is not recommended to leave fiberglass or plastic arcs in direct sunlight.
5. Do not store the tent in a compression bag or in open sunlight. The compression bag is only intended to facilitate transport.
6. When choosing a tent, pay attention not only to its cost. This choice may depend not only on the amount of money spent, but also on your health and even life.
7. You can not ignore the rules of fire safety (this applies to bonfires, cigarettes). The tent burns down in 3-4 seconds, leaving behind only arcs and a floor.