How to Pick the Best Family Tent

You might be someone who has camped their whole life and how have more than just one person to consider, or you might already have a family and want to get the kids out of the couch and into the great outdoors. However, whether you’re a veteran camper or someone relatively new to the game, you might have difficulty deciding on a family tent.

After all, there are tons of options to choose from. Do you get the awnings? What about a multi-room tent with a porch? What about size and setting it up? This article will tell you the most important things to consider when buying a family tent and how to pick the best one.

Size and Weight

First, family tents are by nature bigger—and therefore bulkier and heavier than single-user tents. Special considerations to take into account are whether the tent will be able to fit into your car and whether once pitched, it will fit in your area of the campsite. Next, decide if a large family tent is right for the needs of your family. Are you going to take a quick weekend getaway? Then you might be better served with a smaller tent. However, if you want to spend a week or more camping, then a family tent is probably the way to go.

User Friendliness

When purchasing a family-sized tent, an important factor is the ease of use and setting it up. With a bigger tent comes a more complicated set-up. Many family tents need at least two people to set it up, sometimes more. This can be good if you have teenagers, but if you have young children, who will supervise them when erecting the tent and campsite?

Having an easy-to-use tent will come in handy, especially with younger children. If you decide on a family tent, then they will probably take longer to set up. It might be worth spending a little extra on a tent that won’t have you throwing the poles into the woods.

Space and number of sleeping compartments

The rule of thumb when planning out how much space is needed for a camping trip is the number of people who will go, then increasing the headcount by two. So for instance, if you have a family of four, choose a tent that says “Fits 6” on the package. Tent companies tend to adhere to snug camping standards, so if you choose a tent with the exact number of heads, then you will probably find it pretty cramped.

Next, think about how many bedrooms you will need. This will depend on the age and gender of your children. If you have very young children, you might get a family tent that has only a small divider between your bedroom and theirs that you can access easily by zipping down the divider.

However, if you have older children or teens, you might consider getting a three-section tent with the bedrooms on opposite sides with a “living room” in the middle. Many tents offer flexible sleeping compartments that have the option of keeping the bedroom open or putting up a divider. This will give everyone their needed privacy. Finally, your family tent should have enough space that everyone can comfortably stand up in, or, in the case of rainy days, be sufficient to bring a couple of chairs inside.

Storage and Extras

Storage becomes more important when considering a tent for a family—especially if pets come along too. Everyone will need a place to put their own personal belongings, so getting a tent with plenty of storage space is a wise choice for the savvy buyer.

Other “extras” to consider are tent awnings, extensions, and the number of doors to a tent. An awning is a great way to have a little more protection from the sun and a nice, shady place to stay if your campsite is particularly treeless. Extensions are essentially a good idea for the family that might grow in the future, and they provide versatility. You wouldn’t want to purchase a tent, then outgrow it in the same year. Finally, consider a tent with two doors.

There are many advantages to having a two-door tent. First, in rainy weather, or in areas with muddy conditions in general, having an extra door will help keep the tent clean by having an area to keep muddy shoes before entering. Second, an extra door can provide flexibility for campers who need to use the restroom in the middle of the night—no need to clamber over everyone.

Third, an extra door can provide well-needed ventilation, so the tent is not stuffy. Having a tent with windows (plus insect netting!) is also a way to increase the ventilation, not to mention natural light, of the tent as well.

Final thoughts on choosing a good family tent

There you go! These are the most important factors when deciding to pick the best family tent. It will depend on your family’s size, what you’re willing to spend, and the quality of the tent that you want. Remember—you get what you pay for. There are a lot of cheap tents on the market, but chances are, if you’re going camping with your family, you’re going to want to invest in something that will last. Do your research beforehand by using this guide to find the perfect fit for you and your family.

 

Originally posted 2020-04-22 11:59:35.