Tents

Probably the most important equipment for camping is a tent. Sure, you can sleep under the open sky, but a tent offers some privacy many people would appreciate. There are multiple ways to categorize tents by: number of people, construction type, weight class, weather conditions, or area of application. In this article we want to concentrate on the construction form.

Dome tents

This form could be considered the classic all-rounder and is therefore very popular among campers. By far the biggest advantage is how easy it is to set up. Just two poles crossing at the top, some clips, and voilà - your tent is ready. Due to the way it is constructed, it is freestanding. Even sand or really hard ground are no problem for this kind of shelter.

by Leijona

As the construction of a dome tent is rather simple, they are often in the cheaper price range, and they normally come with a lighter weight. Many models offer the ability to use the inner tent without the outer layer, making it especially comfortable during hot summer nights. That is, if you are willing to give up some privacy.

The downside of a dome tent is its limited space inside. As the tent walls are rather inclined and the height is often lower, there is not much room to move around.

by Leijona

That's a nice tent!

Time to take a photo for your album!

When setting up a tunnel tent it is essential to consider the direction of the wind. You really don't want the wind hitting the long side. Not only is it loud, but it also might cause some serious problems, and you may even have to adjust the guy lines in the middle of the night.

By far the biggest advantage of the tunnel tent is the space it offers while still being relatively lightweight. It is often even tall enough to stand up in. They also normally offer a well-sized aspis.

Of course, not everything is perfect about a tunnel tent. For example, the airflow is not the best, making tunnel tents rather warm in summer. The required space to pitch the tent can also be considered a downside. Nonetheless, it is a good option if you are looking for a tent with a little bit more room that still isn't too expensive or heavy.

A-Frame or Ridge tents

Ridge tents are what most people would draw if asked to draw a tent. Like tunnel tents, they are not freestanding and therefore rather unstable. As the tent walls form a relatively sharp angle, the available space is not particularly generous. If you find an A-frame tent with an aspis, it most likely isn't very spacious either.

The biggest advantages, on the other hand, are the small footprint, the very light weight, and normally a really cheap price. So if you're not too eager for a lot of comfort and don't have a big budget, this might still be a perfectly fine option.

by Leijona

Pyramid tent

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The form of this tent should be pretty obvious. There is only one pole in the middle of the tent, which you can easily substitute with a hiking pole. Which makes the pyramid tent rather convenient for hikers. The light weight is another plus for this type.

The tent requires a lot of guying out, and overall the interior offers only very limited space, both because of the steep slopes and the centrally placed tent pole.

Geodesic tent

The geodesic tent is basically a mutated dome tent. Somebody decided to add more poles to a dome tent, causing it to be more complicated to pitch but at the same time more spacious, often in the form of an aspis. It also led to an increased wind resistant and more stability for the tent. It is, in fact, so stable, that even snow is not a problem at all.

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More material obviously means higher production costs, resulting in a higher price for this kind of tent. At the lower price range we are already talking about a mid-priced dome tent here. So it is not recommended for people who go camping once a year in sunny summer weather.

Biwak tents

by Leijona

Honestly, a biwak tent is not much more then a sleeping bag with a roof. They are one-person minimalist shelters. To even call them tents might be considered an exxageration. As you can surely imagine, these "tents" are very, very light and also extremly simple to pitch. For solo hiking or biking trips, they might be perfect for you if you are willing to forfeit any sheltered space to sit.

As already mentioned, and as you can see in the image, this tent is just for sleeping. Breathability is very poor and there is absolutely no storage space. But combined with a tarp, you can work around both problems. If you find a space to pitch a tarp.

Additional tents

"What about a popup tent or a cabin tent?", you might ask. Those are, more or less, valid tent types, just like the rooftop tent is. Which is a tent that is sitting in a box on the roof of your car. But as campers we don't consider a popup tent a real alternative for hiking or biking trips. Obviously we don't allow cars at Camp Cozy, so a rooftop tent is not suitable for our clientele.

Then there are cabin tents, which are often used by families. Some of them have are even blow up tents, making the pitching really simple. Those tents are big, some might even say huge, and offer several separated rooms. This size is causing them to be heavy, so for hiking and biking trips those are not ideal.

We hope this discussion has shed some light on the subject and clarified the most important questions about the different types of tents. In the next chapter, we will look at the various types of Sleeping bags.