One of the most basic parts of camping is having a good shelter. Luckily, thanks to the magic of polyester and lightweight aluminum, we can carry these shelters on our backs. There are many different kinds of tents. In this post I will review some of them and their pros and cons.
The first kind of tent is an A-frame tent. These types of tents are the generic tent that you might get if you asked a kid to draw a tent. Usually these tents are generally suited to about two people (However on a class trip I managed to squeeze about 18 people in a large version of an A-frame tent). These tents are generally pretty sturdy and stand well against the rain, as there is no pooling of water at the top. However, they are generally not comfortable to live in as there is little room inside. Additionally, they can be difficult to set up well.
The second tent is a Dome tent. This is one of the most common tents and I happen to own a 2- person dome tent. They have two poles that cross over from one corner to the opposite side which makes a dome shape. These tents can be pretty big and can fit a few people, but the larger they get, the less stable they become. I would personally recommend a 2-3 person dome tent, no larger. They are relatively cheap and easy to put up and tear down. Sadly, they can be less stable than other tents.
This tent is called a Geodesic tent. Everything about it, from the name to the construction of the tent, will make people think you know what you are doing. The geodesic tent is similar to the dome tent, only this one has more poles, thus it is more stable, thus it is more expensive. These tents are very stable, useful in snow camping and durable. The only downside is that they are very expensive.
This fourth tent is called a pyramid tent. They have a single-pole that supports the nylon in the center of the tent. The lack of more poles requires more stakes. As with most other tents, the larger the tent, the less stable. This is true for the pyramid tent. These tents are very simple to set up and are very lightweight (great for backpacking!). On the downside, they have little to no headspace.
This last bonus tent is not actually a tent! It is a $1 tarp that you can buy at your local department store!! I was first introduced to the tarp tent by a friend. Some pros of having a tarp in lieu of a tent, is you save so much money on buying this, you can probably afford a whole quarter at Walla Walla University!! This tent also helps you make cool friends; because the first thing I think when I see someone sleeping in a tarp in the woods is: “Wow, they must be really cool!” In all seriousness, having a tarp as either a backup tent or as a mat to sleep on in clear nights, is not a bad idea.
-Wils Haffner