How To Choose A Family Tent?

Most family tents are not suitable for backpacking because they're too heavy. Weight is not a very important consideration when it comes to choosing family tents because you're usually only going to carry it from your car to the campsite and back when you're done.

A family tent needs to have a lot of space for the whole family. A 4-person tent is usually good for 2 adults and 2 children but a bigger tent is much more comfortable.

You might also want to check out the amount of headroom the tent has. Dome tents have a lot of headroom but not as much as cabin tents because the walls slope a little bit more towards the center. Large mesh windows and moonroofs add a sense of space to a tent. Awnings also add to the perception of roominess.

For additional space, a vestibule helps. Keeping you gear in the vestibule gives you more sleeping space. Some family tents have a vestibule but some come at an extra cost.

In case the weather turns bad, a family tent needs to be able to keep you dry. This is what separates cheap dome tents from a high quality family tent. Cheap tents may still keep you dry if you add waterproofing but it's still a gamble. Look for tents with sealed seams, bathtub floors and rainfly.

Another important thing to consider is breathable fabrics and ventilation. A sleeping camper emits about 1 pint of water per night so if the tent is not well ventilated you might wake up to a pool of water due to condensation.

Packed size is something that you might want to consider too especially if there's not much space in car. A small packed size is especially important for motorcycle campers.

Most family tents are freestanding which may or may not be useful for you. It allows the tent to be moved around without having to disassemble the tent. You have to be careful though because if it's not staked or if there is not enough weight to hold down the tent, it can be blown away be the wind.

Setting up a tent can be fun be it can also be frustrating if the design is too complicated. Some tents are easier to set up than others. Ask for a demonstration and try it out yourself. Some tents like the Turbo Tent are fast to set up and almost handsfree. If you choose a tent that is a bit more complicated I recommend that you practice pitching up your tent at home to avoid frustration of the campground.

Price is a thing to consider as well. You can easily find family tents at discount stores everywhere which are far cheaper than the ones you'll at camping stores. They might look the same but the real difference lies in its ability to withstand bad weather. Once it rains or after a few uses you'll know why the tent is so cheap. If you're going to camp in fine weather all the time and not very often a cheap tent may be a good idea.