Provide the best family camping tents, and your group will sleep well, stay organized and (fairly) tidy, and will be comfortable enough to join you on the next adventure, too. There is a lot that goes into picking the right tent, so do some research and understand exactly what your needs are before your next purchase.
Style and Design
Tents come in various sizes, shapes and designs. They also differ in materials and colors. To determine the best family camping tent for your outings, consider how it will be used:
* Are you hiking in or driving to your camping site?
* How many people will sleep in the tent?
* Do you need to accommodate pets, like the family dog?
* In what type of climate will it be used?
Determine how many people intend to sleep in the tent. Then think about the need for privacy or separate rooms. Many tents come with simple dividers that are easy to put up while others are almost like separate tents that fasten together. Remember to consider not only sleeping space but gear and equipment that will be with each person.
Synthetic fabrics trap heat in and can make conditions very uncomfortable. Canvas/cotton tents provide much more comfort in hot weather. For damp or rainy climates, your tent should have a high level of water resistance or weather proofing. You should also look for one that has weather flaps or canopies, so you can keep your ventilation windows open without getting wet.
Options
After you narrow down the ways your tent will be used, consider any options your family might like, such as dividers and separate rooms; gear pockets and holders; rain flaps and screen windows; separate storage for shoes, clothes, books, etc.
Set Up and Take Down
Do you prefer to set up camp by yourself or does your family pitch in and help get everything set up? Some family camping tents are very simple to set up and take down, requiring only one or two people to put poles together and weave them through guides on the tent, while others are much more complicated and are better handled with several helping hands. Time is also a consideration. Some of the more complicated tents take quite a while to set up and take down, and others with fewer options can be up and down within several minutes.
