Buying a tent is like buying a home -- you have to decide what you must have and what you are willing to give up in order to be the most happy. I've divided the buying guides into six categories -- The Basics (features any tent should have); Summer Tents (if you only camp in hot climates); Three-Season Tents (to weather light snow plus work in hot climates); All-Season (commonly called convertible tents, these work in all seasons but are still not intended for hard-core winter mountaineering); Winter Camping / Mountaineering (the bomb-shelters of the portable domicile world for harsh conditions only); and Single Wall (a category unto itself for those who desire minimalist features and ultralight shelter).
Features to Covet - The Basics
What any tent should have:
Collapsible tent poles of aluminum, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber or tubular fiberglass.
Freestanding tents set up easily on sand, rocks, snow or anywhere it is difficult to get a stake into the ground. You still need to stake a tent down though unless you want to risk turning it into a very expensive and disposable kite.
Storage pockets inside for organizing.
Nylon or polyester fabric for durability and lightest weight.
One-piece floors add to waterproofness.
Factory seam-sealed seams save you time and are more durable.
Steep walls increase useable interior room, shed precipitation better and help vent out humidity.
Waterproof rainfly that clips to poles and requires only minimal additional stakes.
Mesh windows and doors with zippered closures for battening down the hatches when things get blustery and damp.
Same length poles or color-coded poles (each color corresponds to a specific pole sleeve on the tent) makes it easier to set-up the tent in less than ideal conditions.
Tent body of yellow, white or beige to let the most light in.
Gear loops inside the tent to hang flashlights and more from.
Beefy nylon webbing stake loops at each pole end on the tent body.
GearTrends® suggests you consider looking at:
Ventana tent by MSR
Lightweight, mesh tent features a full-coverage rainfly with two pull-out vestibules.
Venus by Exped
Lightweight, light on price, and admits lots of light through two large entrances with ventilation windows.
Hypno by Marmot When a good night's sleep is important, but weight is paramount, this is the tent. Double door entry provides easy access.
Features to Covet - Summer Tents
If you only camp in hot climates.
Generous amounts of mesh in the tent body--the breezier the tent the better it will ventilate.
Rainfly that stops several inches above the ground allowing for maximum protection combined with maximum ventilation.
Two pole construction for weight savings.
Features to Covet - Three-Season Tents
To weather light snow plus work in hot climates.
Three pole high-strength aluminum construction to stand up to strong winds and heavy rains.
Full coverage rain fly the extends to the ground.
Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the rainfly for tying down the tent should things get downright blustery.
Allows set up of the rainfly by itself for the ultimate in weight-savings and go-light travel.
Inside gear loft attaches to roof for additional gear storage.
Large vestibule adds room for wet boots and damp dogs.
Two-door or extra-large door means easier entrance and egress without risking stepping on your partner's face.
Three pole construction for maximum durability.
Skylight window in the rainfly for additional light.
Features to Covet - All-Season Tents
Commonly called convertible tents, these work in all seasons but are still not intended for hard-core winter mountaineering.
Skylight window in the rainfly for additional light.
Four high-grade aluminum poles, freestanding construction. One pole removable option for weight-conservation versatility.
Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the rainfly for tying down the tent should things get downright blustery.
Allows set up of the rainfly by itself for the ultimate in weight-savings and go-light travel.
Removable parts of the tent, including poles for addition weight savings.
Generous mesh with zip-out panels for added ventilation when needed or full closure when maximum protection is required.
Features to Covet - Winter Camping/ Mountaineering
The bomb-shelters of the portable domicile world for harsh conditions only.
Four to five high-grade aluminum poles, freestanding construction.
Full coverage rain fly.
Steep sidewalls to shed wind and snow.
Two doors on opposite ends or sides of the tent with vestibules for maximum gear storage and entrance/egress versatility in the face of anything Mother Nature tosses your way.
Vestibules have their own poles for support.
Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the rainfly for tying down the tent should things get downright blustery.
Rain fly pitches separately from tent so you can use it as a roof for a modified snow cave shelter to save weight and space.
Features to Covet - Single Wall Tents
A category unto itself for those who desire minimalist features and ultralight shelter and don't mind engaging in meticulous seam sealing.
Stick with name-brands that include Black Diamond, Marmot, Integral Designs, Exped, Hilleberg, and Mountain Hardwear.
High/low ventilation ports for maximum flow-through of air even when the hatches are battened down.
Vertical sidewalls for maximum interior space and shedding precipitation.
Freestanding design.
Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the tent body for tying down the tent should things get downright blustery.
A GearTrends® Buying Truth from Michael Hodgson. Just because a manufacturer says a tent will sleep three doesn't make it so. How much space you require inside a tent is a personal thing that needs to take into account how tall you are, how wide you are, how much "toss and turn" room you need, and how much extra sitting-up room you desire. I've seen two person tents that won't even accommodate two full-sized Thermarest sleeping pads side-by-side without overlapping -- a savings in weight that will be most realized when one partner beats the other to death.
Features To Avoid
Cheap fiberglass poles--these are the poles that discount stores and cheap tents rely on and these are the poles that break, shatter and disintegrate with alarming frequency.
Too large a tent footprint with sharply angled walls inward may offer strength but require a large lot to set up in while offering minimal useable interior space.
Metal zippers of any kind.
Tents that require fully staking out to set up if you are planning on camping on terrain that is rocky, icy, or sandy, unless you are very skilled at making alternative anchors for your tent.
Tents so small you feel as if you're the filling in a nylon burrito.
Other Considerations
Add a ground cloth to your purchase. While you can buy a custom-made tent footprint from many manufacturers, with nothing more than clear polyethylene sheeting available at most hardware stores by the roll, you can make a trim-to-fit ground cloth that is slightly smaller than the footprint of your tent's floor. Now it will take the wear and tear of earth and grit abrasion instead of your harder-to-replace tent floor.
