How to Choose the Best Tent for Your Family

Camping is an excellent way to enjoy nature. Children in particular tend to embrace the freedom and opportunity to run around and play in the great outdoors, away from the pollution and dangers of city life.

It is important to consider a few things when deciding to take the whole family on a camping trip, not the least of which is the family tent. It can determine the success or failure of the expedition but mainly it will make the whole trip more comfortable and fun.

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Features of a Good Family Tent

A tent is a shelter formed by draping or attaching sheets of fabric to a frame of poles or supporting rope. The size can vary depending on the number of people it can accommodate.

Tents are used for a variety of reasons, including backpacking and camping. While basically the same, a family tent differs from a backpacking tent in that the former has more features. It is actually meant for car-camping, where the emphasis is on comfort and roominess for the whole family rather than on the weight of the tent.

The sizes of family tents range from one accommodating both parents and a child, to up to eight people inside. There are also tents that resemble portable cabins, with fabric walls that divide them into rooms. This feature is especially appreciated by families with teenage children who may want privacy.

There are other features of family tents, including extra pockets, gear lofts for storage, more durable flooring, reflective stripes outside to make a tent easier to find, and glow-in-the-dark zippers to assure children that they can find the entry/exit even at night. Some are made of lightweight materials.

How to Choose the Best Tent for Your Family

There are a few important things to consider in buying a family tent.

Size: If you are a four-person family, buy a tent that can accommodate five to six people so that you have enough space to move around and store your things. You may want to have something which has extra rooms so you can have an indoor eating area when the weather turns.

Type: Gone are the days of tiny ridge tents which fall apart in the night. Family tents are not uniform in design. There are cabin tents, two-room tents, and three-room tents. Choosing which to use depends on how many people are going to use it and their ages. In general, older children appreciate the privacy of tents with dividers. This is also useful if you have younger children going to bed earlier and then the rest of the party don’t disturb them.

Ease of set-up: Choose a tent which can be set up even by one person only, especially when the children are younger. One parent can set up the tent while the other supervises the children's activities. It is best to set up the tent first in the store before you make your purchase to ensure that you know how and that it can easily be done.

Weather: This is very important to consider, especially if you think you'll get rained out in your campsite. Choose a tent with waterproof seams, bathtub floor, and a rain fly. Make sure as well that there is good ventilation with mesh-covered windows and vents.

Tent material: Get a waterproof rain fly and ground cloth to keep yourselves dry even if it should rain.

The primary thing to consider when buying a tent is comfort for the whole family. A camping trip could be ruined by rain showers, but with a good family tent, you can still ensure a fun and relaxing time with your family members inside it.