How to choose a camping tent for your first trips

The best tent for a beginner is the one that stays dry, stays up and goes up in ten minutes. The size, the seasons and the weather cover decide that. Nothing else matters as much.

Here is how to choose a camping tent without reading forty spec sheets.

Step one: pick the size

Tent sizes are optimistic. A "2 person" tent often fits two sleeping pads edge to edge and nothing else. Use this rule:

Buy one size up from your group. Two adults, a 3 person tent. Two adults and a child, a 4 person tent.

That gives room for bags and boots. If you will also sit inside during rain, add more.

What goes wrong first. The bags. With a tight tent, bags end up outside or pressed against wet walls. Fix: buy larger, or plan a gear tarp.

Step two: match the seasons

Makers label tents by season. A 3 season tent is for spring, summer and autumn. A 4 season tent is for snow and strong wind. Most beginners need a 3 season tent. If you plan to camp in real cold or strong wind, read stay warm in a tent in winter first.

Step three: check how it handles rain

Look for three things on the spec sheet or product page:

• A rainfly that covers the top and comes down near the ground.
• Taped seams, so water does not come through the stitching.
• A floor that curls up at the edges like a tub.

The maker may list a water rating in millimeters. A higher number means more water resistance, but the design of the fly matters as much.

Step four: think about setup

You will put it up tired, in a breeze, maybe in the dark. So choose a tent with:

• Colored or clipped poles, instead of a pile of sleeves.
• A design you can build alone.
• Doors you can reach without climbing over bags.

Put it up once at home. It takes ten minutes, and it saves a bad hour at the campsite.

Step five: buy the extras that matter

• A footprint or ground sheet under the floor. It protects the tent and keeps water out.
• Better stakes. The ones in the bag are often thin. For sand, see tent stakes for sand and loose ground.
• A mallet. A shoe is a poor hammer.

What goes wrong first. Wind on a tall, flat-sided tent. Fix: face the low side into the wind, use every guy line and pitch behind a windbreak where you can.

Where the answer changes

If you will carry the tent on your back, weight matters more than space. Light tents cost more in comfort. For car camping, comfort and room should win.

If you are unsure, hire or borrow a tent for the first trip. The beginner camping gear checklist lists what else to borrow.