Family tent camping is all about sharing unique, and sometimes challenging, experiences in the great outdoors. Somehow, roughing it has a way of bringing out each family member’s unique strengths and weaknesses. But great memories are often made from the experiences, the kind of memories that last a lifetime.
Trekking into wild requires some sort of roof over your head. And, no great family camping experience would be complete without a great tent. But, before you shell out those hard earned dollars, you need to know a few things about tents and more importantly – what tents work best for your family camping adventure.
A crash course in Camping Tents for Families
Tents come in a large variety of sizes, shapes and styles. However, only some are well suited for family camping. Let’s take a closer look.
Tent sizes are given in terms like 2 man, 4 person, or sometimes 6 berth or 1 bivy. All of these descriptions are an approximation of the number of average adult people the tent can comfortably sleep. But, by the time you add sleeping bags and extra gear, those numbers are almost always too small. And families camping with kids usually have even more extras like toys, games, and additional clothing.
The shape of a tent will influence the inside “roominess factor” greatly. Camping families should look at either Dome or Cabin shape tents. These offer the greatest amount of interior room, both in floor space and standing headroom. And they often have additional interior walls that act as room dividers when needed. This is perfect for families when privacy is needed.
Dome style tents achieve their shape by using three crossed flexible poles to form a six-sided structure. The combination of rectangular sleeping bags and a hexagonal shaped tent creates extra areas for storage of all those little extras we just had to bring on the family adventure.
Cabin style tents are the roomiest of them all and work well for family camping. Their nearly vertical walls, ample height and boxy shape provide great headroom for standing or sitting and are very appreciated when standing to change clothes. They often come with rigid metal poles making them heavy and more complex to setup. But hey, that just adds to the camping fun.
Tent components – Manufacturers use a unique set of terms for the various components of their tents. Here is what you need to know before you go shopping.
- Poles – Cabin tents typically use color-coded rigid metal poles. Family sized dome tents normally come with flexible fiberglass types.
- Canopy – The shell or canopy is made of either cotton canvas or nylon/polyester material. Nearly all Dome tents are made of lightweight nylon and polyester fabrics that are often treated with a waterproofing substance. Cabin tents can be made of cotton canvas or synthetic fabrics. Both Dome and Cabin tents use a see through screen material for doors, windows and top portions to allow airflow. Floors are made of polyethylene plastic or waterproof nylon and polyester fabric on higher end tents.
- Rainfly – An outer waterproof covering designed to block rain from getting into the tent while still allowing air to flow in or out through the open screen top. To prevent it from coming into contact with the canopy, the rainfly is held away from the tent canopy using built in or additional poles.
- Vestibule – An additional covering added onto and extending out from the tent door area and typically without a floor. Designed to keep rain off of shoes and other gear, some are very roomy and can accommodate chairs and cots. I highly recommend buying a tent with this option.
- Footprint – Just a fancy term for ground tarp, a footprint prevents rain from pooling under the tent floor. It also helps keep rocks, sticks and other debris from damaging the tent floor. Always use a footprint!
- Guy lines – Are used with plastic or metal stakes to stabilize the tent wall during windy conditions. Cabin tents often use guy lines to hold the tent walls out and prevent them from collapsing inward.
- Gear loops & pockets – Gear loops are common on all tents and are great for hanging small items like flashlights, portable lamps and other lightweight pieces of gear. Most tents also come with built in interior pockets for storage of small items.
How, Where and When will your Family Use the Tent?
Knowing something about tent design and jargon is helpful when shopping. But wait, there’s more. You need to ask yourself how, where and when you plan on taking your camping adventure.
How will your family use the tent?
- Will your tent be used primarily as a home base? Many families spend much of their day in and around the tent. This seems more true when the camping location is a destination in itself – like at a lake resort. The activities are campsite focused. If this is what you and your family enjoy, then consider a large, roomy cabin tent. Although they are heavy to transport and take more time to setup, you won’t regret the extra space and comfort. And a cabin tent, with its taller door, is great when frequently going in and out of.
- Will you use your tent for mostly just for sleeping? Many families love exploring, hiking and taking small day trips when camping. The tent is really just a place to sleep at night and store a few things during the day. Family sized four-person or larger Dome tents are a great choice here.
Where does your family enjoy camping? Do you frequently camp at the beach? Maybe the desert? Perhaps the mountains? Manufactures make tents suited for all those types of environments.
Beach camping tents are really just over-sized sun shades, and come in a variety of sizes. They generally are for good weather conditions only and often have built-in pockets which, when filled with sand, act as anchors to keep from blowing away.
Desert campers tend to like cotton canvas tents because they can be completely closed up during a sand storm and still remain breathable. This is because cotton canvas naturally breathes whereas synthetic nylon and polyester fabrics do not. Modern cotton canvas tents do not need a rainfly to stay dry inside and are usually cabin style.
Mountain campers need a tent that can withstand sun, wind, rain and snow. But, most families with kids camp during the summer months when school is out. Snow and heavy rain is often not a consideration. Almost any tent will work for mild weather mountain camping. If this is how you mostly camp, then buy a tent based more on size and use.
When does your family camp? Tents are rated by seasonal use. So knowing what season you normally camp is important.
- 2-season tents – ideal for mild weather conditions in spring and summer.
- 3-season tents – probably the most popular choice for campers. Tents in this category offer good protection against wind, rain and pesky bugs. Ideal for all seasons except winter. They should not be used in snowy conditions.
- 4-season tents – often called all-season or mountaineering, these tents are the absolute toughest of the group. This type of tent can survive the harsh winter conditions of snow, wind and rain.
Narrow down your choices based on usage. This way you are sure to get the best one for your needs. Next, let’s go shopping.
Shopping for Family Camping Tents
No doubt, the first thing you will notice when shopping for camping tents is the wide range of prices. From under $30.00 to well over $500.00, it seems odd that prices for seemingly similar items can be so extreme. There are many factors that influence price including quality, brand name, tent size, options, and when you buy your tent.
According to local dealers in my area (Southern California), the best time to shop for a tent is either May or November. So late spring, just before the big summer camping season or late fall, at the end of the season. This is because manufacturers will often put their newest tent models on sale in May to prime the Summer season. Where as Retail stores will often have a sale (after Thanksgiving) to deplete stock at the end of the season anticipating next years new models.
Membership stores like Costco or Sam’s Club have some of the best prices around. We bought our last tent at one of these stores and couldn’t be happier. Of course, you do have to pay an annual membership fee, but if you shop there frequently, the prices are very competitive. They always carry name brand tents of good quality.
The Internet has several great camping supply stores. SierraTradingPost.com, Campmor.com and REI.com carry expensive high end to more affordable lines of tents. They seem to always have a sale going and they often offer returned and older model tents at even more of a discount.
Major discount department stores like Target and Walmart are a great place to buy average quality tents. They usually carry inexpensive store brands like Ozark Trails or American Trails as well as brand names such as Coleman. My first few years of family camping were in an Ozark Trails Cabin tent. It served our needs well.
Many first-time campers are unsure if roughing it in the outdoors is really their thing. A great option is to rent before you buy. Lowergear.com and REI are two of the most well known outdoor equipment rental companies. LowerGear will ship directly to you (they have only one store). Just use it and then you return it back to them with the provided shipping label when you are done. REI rents directly from their hundreds of stores throughout the U.S. This is a great way to test out a high-end tent without spending hundreds of dollars.
Now that you know some tent basics, how you will use your tent, and where and when to buy, it’s time to purchase your tent and get the family out camping. If you are looking for even more detailed information about tents, you’ll enjoy reading my article Choosing the Best Camping Tent – a Complete Guide.