4 Must Knows Before Buy A Tent
It’s You Time, Yeah!
It’s time to go camping. Yeah! You’ve scheduled “you time” off from work. You’ve decided where you want to go and how long it will take you to get there. And what you’re going to do when you get there. You might lay in your hammock and read that book you’ve always wanted to finish. You might try your hand at late night fishing. Maybe hike to the top of that mountain to watch the sun set or just sit by the fire and enjoy an early cup of coffee while watching the sun rise across the morning sky. Either way it “you time.”
Then you find yourself in the garage dragging out “old faithful,” the camping tent you spend many days and night feeling secure from the rain, snow or bugs only to find that it stained, ripped or has missing parts and then you remember how long it took to put it up. What to do? It’s been a long time since you decided to invest in a camping tent.
And now you find yourself reading this article on Pop Up Camping Tents. So, let’s get started.
What are Pop Up Camping Tents?
And why should I buy one instead of a regular old camping tent?
1-Easy Up, Easy Down
Setting up a large family tent or a two-man tent used to be a nightmare. Especially if you get to the site late and are running out of daylight.
What makes Pop Up Camping Tents so easy to set up is their design. Typical framed camping tents usually come with way too many things that have to be used in order to set them up like rods, clips, brackets, poles and you will need tools and someone to help. They take a lot of time. In other words, “some assembly required.” That’s work to me and not why I go camping.
Pop Up Camping Tents do not need any of these. Usually one person can put up one in about 10 minutes or less even if you’ve never put up a tent before. The tent engineers have you in mind when they design these. Easy, simple and intuitive.
2-Test Run
It’s still a good idea to read the instructions and put your new tent up in the back yard or living room for practice, just to get the hang of it and impress the kids. The few steps it takes for you and the kids to set one up will be fresh in your mind which will be handy if you get to your site late and are in a hurry to get your tent up before dark.
Here are a few other things to consider when deciding on which Pop Up Camping Tent to purchase.
3-Size Matters
This first thing to think about is the size of your tent footprint and then add about three extra feet on each side. If you do it will also give you room to walk around it without having to duck under tree branches or other close objects. This is handy to know before you pick your camp site.
Next, how many people are going to sleep in it as well as how much gear you will take. It only takes about 3 minutes to write it down and figure this out. If you are going to the beach for the day you just may need a Canopy Tent. They do make Pop Up Canopy Tents as well. They are quick to set up and provide a lot of room, but you typically would not be sleeping overnight in them and they can have a very large footprint which for the beach is not a problem.
But if you are camping in a wilderness location and have to carry a lot of sleeping bags and other gear, then just get a 6 man pop up tent. You’ll have plenty of room to keep you, your family and all your gear dry and protected.
4-Use it or lose it?
Here’s a couple of reasons for these questions. First is price and second is portability and storage.
Pop Up Tents can range from $58 to shelter your baby from the sun while at the beach to $270 for a 9 Person Camping Tent. Buying a tent will not break your bank but every dollar is important. If you camp a lot, then it’s worth it. If you don’t then borrow a friend’s tent or buy a really nice one together and share it. I’m personally very frugal so I like the last option a lot.
Depending upon where you live and how easy it is to have access to beautiful camping sites could also affect which tent you buy and how you use. If you are weekender and like to drive out to a state park and camp, then there are truck tentsfor camping sites that you just back up to throw in your thick soft comfy air mattress and you are done. No sleeping on the hard ground with Rocky the Raccoon.
But if you are hard core and more adventurous and want to go where no man (or very few) has gone before then backpack tents are perfect for you and give you the freedom to camp in a mountain cave or in the desert with a million stars all around to quote the Eagles (rock group).
Where will you store your tent while it’s not in use. Even though most are small when in their bags, they can get in the way in a crowded closet or garage.
The point is you get to choose. Regardless of your choice, Pop Up Tents are the way to go.
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