And here they are:

1-The Geodesic (dome): Toogh 3-4 Person Camping Tent

2-The A-Frame: 4 Person Backpacking Tent, Trekker Tent 4

3-The Square or Cabin: Coleman Cabin 4 Person Tent with Instant Setup

1-The Geodesic Dome Tent

The term “Geodesic” came from R. Buckminster Fuller over 20 years after the actual structural design of Walther Bauserfeld and Carl Zeiss, German engineers after World War I. Because the geodesic dome is very strong it can be constructed of lightweight materials. A 4 Man Tent with this design is stable structurally and can resist winds because of its lower exterior surface area than its interior causing less wind lift. I’m not an engineer, but I’ve always liked these types of tent designs.

Here’s my recommendation for a 4 Man Geodesic Dome Tent.

Toogh 3-4 Person Camping Tent

This 4 man tent is a great camping tent for backpacking or a sun shelter. It qualifies as a Pop Up Tent (Automatic Tent) because you lift the top of the tent and Boom it stands up almost like magic. The 3000mm fabric with its Silicone Coating qualifies is waterproof. Its floor has a 10000mm fabric which will help keep out ground surface water. It has 2 doors with mosquito nets. It's geodesic (hexagon) shape makes it strong and very wind resistant. And for less than $100 it’s one of the Best 4 Man Tents for the money.

2-The A-Frame Tent

A-Frame Tents are what I grew up using while camping with my dad and uncle during Christmas breaks. What I like about an A-Frame Tent is the room. They are long which allows you to stretch out and not crap your head or feet up against the end of the tent. I remember my son and I went on a fishing trip one fall in a 3 Man Dome Tent and my head was tight up again the turn of the corner of the tent. It wasn’t a problem until shortly after midnight when the north wind picked up and my head kept getting cold. I switched ends of the tent then my feet were too cold to sleep. Not a good night. If we had had a larger 4 Person A-Frame Tent, then it would not have happened. Depending on the size you get, the A-Frame Tent gives you lots of room for Tent Cots or Long Sleeping Bags. The A-Frame Tents are not Pop Up Camping Tents and usually take a little longer to set up. You typically can’t stand up in these tents because they are usually less than 4 feet tall, but the one I like gives you 6 feet of height and for us tall guys that awesome sauce.

To set up an A-Frame Tent you will need two trees. You simply fasten the tent cords to a tree at each end of the tent. Then stake the tent sides down and there you have it. These tents are lightweight and easy to use for hiking since you have only a couple of tent poles to carry if you decide to buy them with a tent. For the 4 man tent, I've recommended the poles are optional. Anywhere you can find two trees to set it up between will work. When flyfishing in Canada these tents make a lot of sense to use there in the bush.

Here’s my recommendation for an A-Frame 4 Man Tent

4 Person Backpacking Tent, Trekker Tent 4

She’s not a pretty thing to look at but she will get the job done. This 4 person tent is over 6 feet at the peak. Did say I like tall tents. I love walking out of my tent instead of crawling. It has 11 aluminum stakes and guylines. You can take it camping, fishing or hiking. It’s a simple no-frills tent and at about $80 it, not a bad buy. You'll use this tent for a long time.

3-The Square or Cabin 4 Person Tent

Like the A-Frame tent Square or Cabin, Tents have been around for a long time. The older versions were not Pop Up Camping Tents. They were structurally supported by aluminum poles that had to be assembled and took a lot of time. They were also very heavy and were difficult to take on a camping trip that required a long distance to hike to get to your site. With today's Pop Up Camping Tent technology that has changed making Square or Cabin tents very easy to transport and very lightweight. You get the best of both worlds with a Cabin Pop Up Tent not only because they are easy and quick tents to set up, but also because they are square, and setting up your tent seems to be much easier. Laying out your sleeping bags or sleeping cots make more sense without being confined to a bunch of corners like a geodesic tent has. I like these tents a lot, especially if you have a family. They are roomy and usually have a lot of headroom for tent lights.

Here my recommendation for a really good 4 Person Pop Up Cabin Tent.

Coleman Cabin 4 Person Tent with Instant Setup

This is a pretty solid tent for $150. It sets up pretty fast and even though its height is just under 5 feet you can put a queen-size air mattress in it and the older I get the less I like to sleep on the ground even inside of a tent. The fabric is double-thick which keeps out rain and is very resistant to tears. It has a vented top when you are not using the rainfly cover, however, with the rainfly, it does allow air to circulate because the rainfly sits on top of the fiberglass structural ribs. Great little tent from Coleman who has been in the camping supply business for a very long time with a trusted name. Enjoy it, it's a good tent.

I hope this helps! Until the next article…do yourself a favor and take a kid camping, it will change your life.

All the best, Alex