So it is the time of the year when you go camping with your family/friends, and you are looking for a perfect tent or shelter for the trip. As such, tents are an unavoidable item which you must pack for the camping trip. But if you buy a tent which is not compatible with the trip or cannot hold enough people as you guessed, it could become a serious problem.

Trips are fun and help people bond and enjoy time together, and a strong quality shelter/tent is what makes camping amazing. But people make a lot of mistakes while shopping for the shelter. So, if you are thinking about a camping trip this vacation and haven’t bought a tent yet, you are at the right place. This article will list all the things to look for while shopping for a shelter.

• Number of People on the Trip

The first thing you must consider while looking for a tent is the number of people coming for camping. You must ensure the tent’s capacity is enough to hold all the people attending the camping trip. Meanwhile, the places where people usually go camping don’t have normal climate conditions, and it is very dangerous for people to sleep in the open.

There is a certain capacity for every type of tent, and if people are more than the shelter’s capacity, you either buy a bigger one or buy two of them.

• The Weather Conditions

You don’t go camping trips in the same season, and not at all to the same place on repeat. Hence, the tent you buy must have the ability to withstand the weather conditions of the site you visit.

As such, a summer shelter will be lightweight (fabric) and include many ventilation facilities, hence is usually not designed for harsh weather conditions. But, a three-season tent can survive strong winds, heavy rains, and cold. Besides, the shelter material is crucial if you are vacationing in a territory where the temperature reaches freezing point.

• Ease of Use

It is easy to select a shelter with enough space and good material, but the one thing people miss out on is the ease of setting it up. The tent might be perfect, but if it takes hours to just set it up in the camping area, it is a big negative point. As such, camping trips are sometimes rigorous and challenging, and spending hours setting up a tent is the last thing you want to do.

So, buy one which can be set up in a few minutes and strong enough to stand firm on the ground.

• Material Does Matter

The tents can be made from different materials to suit specific camping locations/weather. So, you can buy the one which can withstand particular weather or an all-weather one.

Meanwhile, shelters made of canvas (cotton) are waterproof but can get heavy when the water is absorbed. They’re long-lasting and don’t deteriorate quickly. On the other hand, shelters made of nylon and polyester are waterproof, but they’re not suitable for summer camping as the sunlight will harm the fabric.

In short, each fabric material has its pros and cons, and it’s up to you to choose the one which suits your requirement.

• Weight of the Shelter

You have a fixed number of items to pack and limited space in the camping car/van/SUV. As such, many tents are huge and can hold enough people, but it makes them heavier. So, ensure that you have enough space to keep the tent in the vehicle, and this way you can carry it everywhere without exerting a lot of strain on your body. Or, you can buy the one you can fold to a smaller size and that weighs less.