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Back packing or camping choosing the right tent can make all the difference between a a good and bad trip, the general rule with tents is the more you pay the better the tent  but you should also pay attention to the features offered and whether you require them or not. There is no point in paying for and ultimately carrying features of little or no use. The right tent for the job? Choosing which of the many different designs and sizes of tents from the many available is a difficult task. To start narrowing down the options, we suggest listing your particular requirements. T Weight: Solo use then you’re really looking for a tent weighing 1-2.5kg Shared weights ranging from 1.75 to 5 kilos At the lower weight range, tent space will be at a maximum for two campers. If your tent will be transported in a car  then weight isn’t so important. When backpacking regularly every gram counts, so an ultralight tent is vital. The size of the porch is important too. In winter it needs to be big enough to store all your spare gear and have room for cooking too. How easy to pitch the tent? For base camp use, this isn’t much of an issue but racing or backpacking your usually tired and want to get shelter as quickly as possible. But the main issue is practice makes perfect erect the tent in your garden a few times before you head out, this de bugging allows you to weed out any bugs or potentially missing items.. Tent Choice Back packing or adventure racing the pros choice is Terra Nova, popular models include the Terra Nova Laser or the ultimate in light weight back packing Terra Nova Photon manufacturers design their tents to the highest standards. These are high quality, high performance tents with a guarantee of quality workmanship and materials. Tent Design Many and varied! Ridge or hoop tents, tunnel tents or geodesic tents, or a dome tent? Choice is very personal depending on your priorities for weight and space. A variety of factors contribute to the performance of the tent in tough conditions: How aerodynamic the tent is; the number and positioning of guy points; the number and configuration of the tent poles. Geodesic tent: This design is the strongest and so is often used as an expedition tent. It uses intersecting tent poles to produce a strong self-supporting structure with great internal volume. The interlocking tent poles easily handle snow load and since there is very little unsupported fabric, the tent has minimum ’sail area’ to catch the wind. Tunnel tents: Sometimes preferred to dome tents as they offer a larger usable space for the foot print. Dome tents: Often lightweight tents they often use just two poles (or three including a porch pole)  They use a simple tent pole structure, which is easily erected, making it a popular tent as a backpacking tent. Tent Materials Tent materials have dramatically improved over the past few years getting lighter and stronger. Ground sheet use Ripstop nylon that is reinforced with a fibrous mesh to prevent tearing. Both flysheets and groundsheets are coated to make them completely waterproof. A variety of coatings are used with silicone elastomer, as used enables even lighter weight nylon to be used without sacrificing any of its strength. All these coatings are non breathable so ventilation is an essential part of any design. Take note of all these points and your tent choice will be easy. So see you in the great out doors and stay safe.

TENT ADVICE – Camping Tent & Equipment Advice
Going camping is one of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors. Choosing a tent and buying camping equipment that is right for you is fun too, so make sure you know which camping tent is the best suited for you, whether it be a family tent, backpacking tent or group tent. CheapTents.com has the right advice and guidance to help you in this decision.
What type of tent do you need?
Choosing which of the many different designs and sizes of tents from the many available is a difficult task. To start narrowing down the options, we suggest listing your particular requirements. The first question has to be how many people is the tent for? If the tent is for solo use then you’re really looking for a tent weighing 1-2.5kg, which immediately eliminates well over half the tent models available. Most people share tents though, so this is where the greatest choice lie, with weights ranging from 1.75 to 5 kilos, the latter being a sensible upper weight limit for a tent that is being carried.
At the lower weight range, tent space will be at a minimum for two campers whilst the upper-end models of tents will take up to three or even four people in relative comfort. If your tent will be used mostly from the car with only the occasional venture into the wilds then weight isn’t so important. If you go backpacking regularly every gram counts, so an ultralight tent is vital. How much room you need depends on how tidy you are and how well you get on with your companions! Sharing small tents may be fine in the summer, but in winter when the nights are long and cold and often stormy a roomy tent makes camping far more enjoyable. The size of the porch is important too. In winter it needs to be large enough to store all your spare gear and have room for cooking too. In fact two porches are found on many winter or 4 season tents.
When and where you will use the tent should be taken into consideration too. Some designs (’A’ pole, geodesic, well guyed tunnel or single hoop) perform much better than others in strong winds and so are more suited for exposed high levels sites. A necessity for the mountaineer but not for the canoe camper or cycle tourer. Not all tents are four season models. For winter use look for steep walls to shed snow but with some gradient to detract the force for the wind. More important in summer is to have insect netting doors on the inner tent, essential if you are going somewhere like the Scottish Highlands where midges are rampant.
How easy is the tent to pitch? For base camp use, this isn’t too important. If you are moving on everyday however you need a tent you can erect quickly, especially when it is wet and windy. Consider too, whether it is erected inside first or last – as inner tents ideally need to be kept dry. Finally ask yourself if you like the tent. This is important as you’ll be spending a lot of time in it. Choose a colour that appeal to you and a shape you find attractive. And when you get your new tent home take it out and check all the bits are there and then practice pitching it in the garden – the more you practice erecting your tent the more . You don’t want to arrive at your first camp site, when inevitably it will be dark and raining, to discover that you haven’t enough tent pegs and you don’t know which sleeve which pole goes in.
Tent Choice
From Wild Country, Terra Nova, The North Face, Vango, VauDe, MSR, Marmot, Mountain Equipment and more, it’s sometime difficult to choose the best tent for you. These manufacturers design their tents to the highest standards, materials and designs are tested to the limit and quality control is excellent. These are high quality, high performance tents with a guarantee of quality workmanship and materials. Personal requirements vary and priorities are highly individual, from a solo 1kg ultralight tent to a roomy base tent for two guilty gear hounds! Whatever your needs you will find the ideal tent at CheapTents.com.
Tent Design
Many and varied! Ridge or hoop tents, tunnel tents or geodesic tents, or a dome tent? Choice is very personal depending on your priorities for weight and space. A variety of factors contribute to the performance of the tent in tough conditions: How aerodynamic the tent is; the number and positioning of guy points; the number and configuration of the tent poles. Geodesic tent design is the strongest and so is often used as an expedition tent. It uses intersecting tent poles to produce a strong self-supporting structure with great internal volume. The interlocking tent poles easily handle snow load and since there is very little unsupported fabric, the tent has minimum ’sail area’ to catch the wind.
Tunnel tents are sometimes preferred to dome tents as they offer a larger usable space for the area of the pitch that they use, as they have a good usable height along the middle line rather than a single peak as with dome tents.
Dome tents are often lightweight tents as they often use just two poles (or three including a porch pole) that cross at the apex of the tent. They use a simple tent pole structure as can be seen below, which is easily erected, making it a popular tent as a backpacking tent.Family tents and group tents come in a variety of sizes and tent design. They are usually designed with the intent of being used as a base camp tent, where the tent is erected just once or twice for a single trip. This means that they can be bigger and heavier, but at the same time providing more practical and usable space for longer durations and more people.
All tents must be pitched correctly for optimum performance. Care in siting, e.g. tail to the wind or a sheltered place, can make a substantial difference.
Tent Materials
Most flysheets and groundsheets are made from a lightweight nylon fabric or, alternatively, a more durable lightweight polyester. For groundsheets, a slightly heavier fabric is used, since increased abrasion resistance is required. Ripstop nylon is reinforced with a fibrous mesh to prevent tearing.
Both flysheets and groundsheets are coated to make them completely waterproof. A variety of coatings are used. Polyurethane (PU) is probably the most common. Silicone elastomer, as used by The North Face, enables even lighter weight nylon to be used without sacrificing any of its strength. All these coatings are non breathable. Thus condensation may form on the inside of the flysheet. However, this can be reduced by good ventilation. Groundsheet protectors (footprints) are also available and help to protect the tent’s built in groundsheet from getting ripped or dirty.
Tent Repair and Care
It’s important to be prepared. If you’re looking to make an investment in a high quality tent, it’s important to make sure you take good care of it. Make sure you read the section above, but also consider buying tent repair kits and tent cleaner.
Tent Brands
Many camping equipment shops will sell a variety of tents to suit different people’s needs with some companies specialising in a particular range of tents such as lightweight tents, base camp / expedition tents or even group or family tents. Popular tent brands that are sold in many camping shops include Vaude Tents, MSR, Wild Country Tents, Vango, Mountain Equipment Tents, The North Face Tents, Wynnster and Aztec Tents.

Why use lightweight and ultralight tents? Because a heavy tent
is one of the biggest obstacles to lightweight backpacking. You
have to cut the weight of the “big three” (shelter, backpack and
sleeping bag) to really go light. How do you choose one, though?
Start by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Are you claustrophobic? Some ultralight tent designs are
really just fancy bivy sacks. For those who hate tight squeezes,
it will be like sleeping in a coffin.

2. How tall are you? If the length of the tent is only a few
inches more than your height, you’ll be touching the walls. This
probably means getting wet from the condensation on them.

3. What do you do in a tent? If you just sleep, total floor and
head space are not important. If you normally play cards with
friends for hours, you’ll need a design that allows for that.

4. Do you backpack in bad weather often? If all you plan to do
is camp on nice summer nights, you can just look at the cheapest
lightweight tents, and worry less about quality.

5. How much have you budgetted for a tent? More money equals a
lighter tent, but if you can’t get it light enough on your
budget, you may want to consider going even lighter – and
cheaper – with a tarp shelter.

6. Which is more important to you, fast set-up or lightest
weight? Hopefully you’ll find a tent with the right balance, but
keep your preference in mind when shopping.

More About Lightweight Tents

Single-layer tents (without a rain-fly) will usually have more
condensation inside. This is true of even those that claim to be
waterproof and breathable. It is less of a problem with the
newer designs that have a lot of screen/ventilation area,
because air circulation is as important as “breathable”
material. These materials just don’t breath that well anyhow.

Test your tent. It’s no fun spending 20 minutes setting up a
complicated tent in the rain. Also, it can be worse than
inconvenient to tear seams because of a design that stretches
everything so tight you have to fight with it. Try the tent in
your yard or living room, before you head into the wilderness.
That way you can return it if it won’t work for you.

There is only one totally enclosed 2-person ultralight tent that
I know of under 3 pounds. It’s a single layer, but the forward
sloping door allows for a large screen area, to keep air-flow at
a maximum. This keeps condensation to a minimum.

There are “floorless” tents, which are specially cut tarps which
typically use your trekking poles for support. One of the
lightest of these is a three-person design that weighs less than
2 pounds. I haven’t tried it, but it gets good reviews, and it
is in the weight range I like for ultralight tents. You have to
bring a groundsheet with this type, so figure that weight into
the decision.

Unfortunately, I’ve discovered the hard way – four tents and
counting – that you tend to get what you pay for with
lightweight tents. That’s one of the reasons I backpack with a
tarp.

Lightweight Tents & Camping Equipment Advice
CheapTents.com specialises in selling top quality tents and camping equipment at discount prices. We have operated in this industry for almost 20 years, and 7 years of that online, so when it comes to giving outdoor gear advice, we know our stuff!
Being specialists in selling lightweight and ultralight outdoor clothing and camping equipment, here is some very helpful advice for outdoor sports people interested in backpacking, adventure racing, lightweight expeditions and a variety of other lightweight outdoor and camping activities.
Why is lightweight camping and outdoor gear so important?
Lightweight gear is amongst the most technologically advanced outdoor clothing and camping equipment available. This is because it uses the specially advanced technologies which serve the same core purposes as ‘regular weight’ outdoor gear, but at a reduced weight.
Outdoor Sports: Outdoor sports enthusiasts and athletes have come to value lightweight camping and sports equipment because of the way it enhances their performance, hence the increasingly popular manufacture of ultralight tents, clothing and equipment. Adventure runners, backpackers and mountain bikers are amongst those looking to shave every gram off their pack weight.
Lightweight Backpacking and Travel: It’s important to realise that whilst you’re traveling around the world, taking a gap year, or backpacking for a weekend in the fells, you will greatly appreciate good quality, lightweight clothing and equipment, as no one else is going to offer to carry your backpack for you!
Reduced pack weight: By reducing the weight of the gear you are carrying with you, it means that you are putting less strain on your legs, making yourself less top heavy and more than likely reducing your pack size which means you can squeeze through more crevasses!
Reduced clothing weight: Agility is helped by reduced friction against key areas of your body’s movement. By having less weight, you are reducing the gravitational pull of your gear towards the ground, when most people want to be moving forward. Importantly, lightweight and ultralight equipment often means less bulk, which too helps to reduce the friction of clothing against your body and make it easier to conquer another mountain!
Packing Your Backpack
Prioritise. When packing your backpack, like many people I bet you think of an occasion (however remote) where you might actually need the melon baller. Well, the chances are you won’t, so don’t pack it. The rule is, when your lightweight packing, is to focus on absolute need and emergency need, which includes at the very least: water, food, shelter, warmth and safety.
Ask yourself these questions when packing your rucksack:
1. Do I need it? Throw out luxury items. ‘Luxury’ means different things to different people but try and stretch yourself with removing these items, as it makes a huge difference to the way you enjoy the outdoors.
2. How many times will I use it? Just the once – is it worth it?
3. Can something else replace it? Can it double-up as something else?
4. Can I share the weight with someone else (e.g. backpackers often share the weight of a tent)
5. If I was caught-out without it, would I be in a safe and secure situation?
Note: Don’t make any cut-back where it might compromise your safety or others.
“Make sure you have the best lightweight outdoor gear”
Providing lightweight equipment to campers and outdoor sports enthusiasts is a speciality in the outdoor industry who are keen to buy top brands at discount prices. If you’re new to specialist lightweight gear, then here are a few items of very lightweight outdoor gear that you might consider investing in…
Ultralight and Lightweight Camping Equipment:Ultralight tents and lightweight tents – a very popular piece of outdoor kit, these spectacularly clever and technologically advanced lightweight tents and ultralight tents are one of CheapTents.com’s top sellers. Adventure racers and backpackers find that these tents are more than adequate and can weigh less than 1-2kg. The Terra Nova Laser Comp tent is a great example of an ultralight tent, weighing in at a mere 900g – officially regarded as the world’s lightest two-skin tent.
Bivi Bags – if you’re looking for a truly ultralight camping experience, consider a bivi bag. Simply climb into your sleeping bag and bivi bag, and sleep under the stars in a very minimalist and lightweight form of camping.Ultralight down sleeping bags – although you can get lightweight synthetic sleeping bags, the real gains are to be found in the high-loft, warm, ultralight down sleeping bags – a superb investment as getting a good night sleep is vital to enjoying the outdoors.
Lightweight camping mat – some hardcore minimalist campers may see any sort of camping mat as a luxury, whereas others see lightweight camp mats as more about getting a good night sleep to aid their recovery and performance the next day.
Lightweight rucksack / backpack – many outdoor people, regardless of whether they are fell runners or backpackers value the weight savings in having a strong yet lightweight rucksack or backpack. Your comfort, speed and agility often correlate with the style of pack that you use. Always choose a specialist, lightweight rucksack or backpack if at all possible.
Lightweight camping stoves – camping stoves have come along way with ultralight versions being available with little, if any, loss to burning and boiling time. Many ultralight camping stoves weigh less than 150-200g making eating a warm, nutritious meal on the hill easy and lightweight.
Titanium pan set – you can eat out of the bowl and the lid also doubles up as a plate. The titanium pan set is ultra lightweight, strong and versatile.
Titanium cutlery – Tired of carrying around cheap cutlery only to break it half way through your Wayfayrer meal? Try titanium cutlery – ultralight weight and incredibly strong.
Ultralight and Lightweight Clothing & Footwear:
Lightweight waterproof jackets – lightweight jackets that are waterproof have been developed by manufacturers for outdoor sports enthusiasts and for stuffing away in your backpack for those ‘just in case’ occasions. CheapTents.com has a great selection of lightweight waterproof jackets and trousers available from some of the very best outdoor brands.
Softshell jackets – for a warm layer, consider a softshell / windproof fleece. Softshell jackets provide the warmth of a fleece, water repellency, breathability and endurance with toughened wear-areas, and promote agility for outdoor sports enthusiasts.
Lightweight trekking trousers – important piece of kit for those trekkers, looking to stay warm, and take advantage of lightweight hard-wearing trousers that can be used for a variety of outdoor activities.
Running shorts – handy to wear whilst your washing your trousers, or simply for running or walking in warmer weather. Running shorts are a great way to save space, weight and stay comfortable in warmer conditions. Even in the rain, runners and walkers often wear them as it means they are not carrying around excess mud and water in their clothing.
Baselayers – baselayers, or base layer tops and bottoms, are quick drying, fast wicking and reduce odour. Avoid cotton t-shirts as they loose insulative properties and gain weight when wet. baselayers are a very important of anyones layering system and is highly recommended! Baselayer underwear – outdoor clothing manufacturers have even gone to effort of keeping people comfortable by designing baselayer boxers and pants.
Weight saving tips:
1. A decent cooking pan can work as a eating bowl, and, you guessed it, a cooking pan! Do you really need a plate and a bowl?
2. How many tent pegs do you need for the weather? You can now get ultralight tent pegs?
3. Many baselayers are quick drying, wicking, low odour and so can be worn again and again, and dry quickly after a quick wash.
4. Share the weight of your tent – is a two man lightweight tent lighter than two ultralight one man tents?
5. Down sleeping bags are far lighter (weight to warmth ratio is better).
6. Toiletries – shaving gel is heavy and bulky, consider shaving oil or go without. Don’t go over board and throw-away your deodorant – going lightweight isn’t worth losing your friends over! Empty your toothpaste and other liquids into smaller containers – taking just what you need. Consider taking a mini toothbrush too, and leaving the hairdryer.
7. Take a single lightweight camping stove rather than a double-hob camping stove, just cook one thing at a time and eat it as it comes off the hob
8. Stainless steel or titanium cutlery and a multi-tool pen-knife will be the only utensils and tools you’ll need
9. Food – sauce sachets help to make any meal interesting! Tins are heavy – try Wayfayrer meals as these are very popular with lightweight enthusiasts.
10. Drinks – decant drinks from glass and plastic bottles into a Platypus or Camelbak bladder.
11. Money – always spend your lose change before you break into a note.
12. First aid kit – take everything you need, or might need – don’t make any cutbacks.
Items to avoid:
1. Camping chairs and tables – just find a couple of rocks, or sit on the floor.
2. Synthetic sleeping bags (down sleeping bags are much lighter for the same comfort temperature).
3. Too many clothes – buy quick drying clothing and wash it before you go to bed.
4. Heavy-duty inflatable mattresses – ridiculously heavy!
5. Camping stoves that are bulky and require bulky gas canisters – mini lightweight stoves are available.
Importantly, use your common sense when packing your lightweight gear. It’s too easy to get carrried away with taking everything, including the kitchen sink, oven and juicer. Don’t go heavy, be a lightweight.