Congratulations on your decision to invest in a camping tent. Before we learn about the types of tents out there or break out the cash or credit card, let's take a look at some things to consider:

How often will the tent be used?
How many people will the tent need to hold?
Under what conditions will the tent be used - backpacking, biking, colder weather, family camping in August?

Tent Necessities

ALL tents should have the following:
- Collapsible tent poles of aluminum, high-strength aluminum, carbon fiber, or tubular fiberglass
- Storage pockets (inside)
- Nylon or polyester fabric - for durability and lightest weight
- One-piece floors - they add to waterproofness
- Factory seam-sealed seams - they save you time and are more durable
- Steep walls - they 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 - Same length/color-coded poles (each color corresponds to a specific pole sleeve on the tent) - Tent body of yellow, white or beige to let the most light in
- Gear loops inside the tent (for hanging camping items)
- Beefy nylon webbing stake loops at each pole end on the tent body

- Three pole high-strength aluminum construction to stand up to strong winds and heavy rains
- Full coverage rain fly that extends to the ground
- Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the rainfly for tying down the tent should
- Easy 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 that adds extra room
- Two-door or extra-large door for easy easier coming and going
- Three pole construction for maximum durability
- Skylight window in the rainfly for additional light

- Two-pole construction for weight savings
- Generous amounts of mesh in the tent body .
- Rainfly that stops several inches above the ground

All-Season Tents (Convertible Tents)
NOTE: Although these work in all seasons, they but are still not intended for hard-core winter mountaineering.

- A rainfly skylight window 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
- Easy rainfly setup by itself
- Removable parts of the tent
- Generous mesh with zip-out panels for added ventilation or full closure

- Four to five high-grade aluminum poles, freestanding construction
- Full coverage rainfly
- Steep sidewalls to shed wind and snow
- Two doors on opposite ends or sides of the tent with vestibules for maximum gear storage
- Vestibules with their own poles for support
- Sturdy guy-out points sewn to the rainfly for tying down the tent
- Rainfly that pitches separately from tent so you can use it as a roof for a modified snow cave shelter

- High/low ventilation ports for maximum are flow
- 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

- Cheap fiberglass poles - They break, shatter, and disintegrate way too easily.
- Too large a tent footprint with sharply angled walls inward - They may offer strength, but they require a large lot to set up in while offering minimal useable interior space.
- 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.
- Metal zippers
- Tents that are too small

You might want to also buy a ground cloth...or easily make one with nothing more than clear polyethylene sheeting available at most hardware stores by the roll. A trim-to-fit ground cloth that is slightly smaller than the footprint of your tent's floor will take the wear and tear of earth and grit abrasion instead of your harder-to-replace tent floor.