Anatomy of a tent

Tents used to be a basic animal skin or cloth supported by a pair of logs. Today’s tents have all sorts of useful features. This is particularly true when it comes to higher quality tents. They tend to have more features. Without knowledge of these features, you may not know how to compare tents other than price.

1. Poles – Most poles are made of aluminum or fiberglass. In general, aluminum tends to be stronger and doesn’t break as easily, but it depends on the amount of material used. There is also the ferrule issue. The ferrule is the piece that goes between the poles to help them stay together. When using a fiberglass post, the ferrule is on the outside. When placing the pole through the tent, the ferrule can often get caught. With aluminum style posts, the ferrule is on the inside. Makes it easier to slide the pole through the tent.

2. Rain Fly: Most tents have a hole for ventilation at the top of the tent. This hole is used to help prevent condensation inside the tent. Of course, if it starts to rain, you will get quite wet. That is why a cover is used over the top of the tent. The cover is called a rain fly and can be removed and put on.

3. Pockets: These are used in tents to keep important things that need to stay dry or easily accessible from the ground. You can think of these as dressers for your store.

4. Tent Material: Most materials are graded in mm or millimeters of thickness. 2000 to 5000 is standard for 3 season tents. Tents that are not as thick may not be able to repel rain and snow as effectively. Some tents come pre-sealed and coated from the factory. Sealing is like waxing your car. Instead of doing this process initially, some tents already come with a sealant over the material and seams.

5. Bathtub: This is the lower part of the tent. The best tents will use a more durable material on the bottom of the tent. This is to help prevent rainwater from seeping in, as well as to protect the tent from roots or rocks that could tear the bottom of softer material.

The above features are not always discussed in the typical marketing literature. However, they could make a big difference in how long your tent lasts depending on where and how you use it.