How to Buy a Tent

1. Less weight generally doesn't equal less durability. In fact, many lighter fabrics and poles have a test strength that is greater than their heavier counterparts. To shave ounces, manufacturers cut back on features (like interior mesh pockets and large vestibules), but the real savings is in the poles, zippers, and fabric.

2. A good tent should provide a decade (or more) of enjoyment. Our experts caution against buying a tent for a one-time activity—rather, consider how you're liable to use the tent over a long period of time. Will you be spending more time backpacking or camping? If you expect to be car camping the bulk of the time, invest in a roomy, easy-to-set up tent that may be a couple of pounds heavier than a backpacking tent, but has more user-friendly features. As one tent expert said, carry that extra two pounds on your fast-and-light trip backpacking trip—then when you're using the same tent camping in national parks for the next ten years, you'll enjoy the extra space.

3. Beware of the monster "family" camping tents that require wheeled carts to shuttle around. These may be okay for scouting trips (when the goal of the trip is to teach kids how to work together), but a good rule of thumb is that you should be able to pick up your tent and poles without straining your back. Also, these giant big tops command giant footprints. Unless you want to limit your camping to RV sites, you might have difficulty finding a spot big, clear, and flat enough to pitch them.

4. Ask yourself if saving a half a pound is worth a few hundred dollars in price? If the only time you use a tent is for high-level mountaineering or thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail, the answer is "heck yes." But if you are primarily an overnighter or car camper, your budget might dictate that you suck up the extra weight on those rare times you hoof it into the backcountry—so listen to it.

5. To make most of floor space, alternate sleeping bag directions when sharing a tent.

6. Fast set-up time is a plus with any tent. Look for quick-to-attach plastic clips that fasten the tent body to an exterior frame. Many tents have color-coded poles, sleeves, and grommets to attach the pole ends to the tent, taking the guesswork out of what goes where.

7. Tents with glow-in-the-dark zipper togs could make all the difference when nature calls past midnight.

8. The manufacturer's listed weight doesn't include stakes.

9. Before using your tent for the first time, practice setting up your tent at home. Erect it in the living room or yard; don't wait until you stumble into camp an hour past dark, in a howling storm.

10. We love plenty of headroom and enough length to stretch out. If your tent is claustrophobic, chances are you won't be psyched to use it. Unless you are a fan of tent-mate twister, go with a tent that balances sufficient living space (per person) with weight.