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Tent Classifications

Summer Tents

Using lightweight, inexpensive nylon material and fibreglass poles, these tents are designed for recreational use in calm weather. They benefit from being inexpensive and often have lots of internal space but lack stability and strength in wind.

Ideal for: Fair weather camping, families, and festivals.

Backpacking Tents

If you will be carrying your tent with you and the weight is important, these are the tents to look at as they are usually small enough once packed down to fit into a rucksack. They use lightweight, durable fabrics and alloy poles, giving the tent strength and stability whilst remaining lightweight. Backpacking tents do however offer limited storage space and not much headroom.

Ideal for: Backpacking, motorcycle and cycle touring, travelling. Some models are suitable for mountaineering.

Four Season / Mountain Tents

Built using the strongest, lightest, most durable materials available, these tents are designed to stand up to the harsh conditions of high altitude mountaineering. They are extremely stable, strong and versatile inevitably making them the more expensive choice. Some more durable models may be heavy.

Ideal for: Mountaineering, but many use them as they are so durable.

Family Tents

Designed to sleep four or more in comfort and offering plenty of headroom and living space over long periods of time, these tents are suited to large groups and families.

Convertible Tents Built to use all year round, with windows, porch and rain flies. There are extra poles, zip-down windows and extended rain flies which adjust to provide added ventilation in the summer and greater warmth and stability in winter weather.

Three-Season Tents

These are the most common tents on the market as can be used during most of the year. If you are planning on a great deal of winter camping these tents may not be suitable and you may want to consider a four-season, or mountaineering model.

Three-season tents generally have a rainfly for wet weather, mesh inserts to provide ventilation in hotter temperatures and a porch suitable for storing medium sized packs.