Buying a Three-Season Tent

Additional accessories that can make camp living more comfortable are built-in gear pockets where you can stash glasses, watches, and other paraphernalia. Also, check the tent's ventilation system. Mesh windows allow air in, keep out bugs, and provide views, but make sure they seal up tight to prevent the seepage of chilly air on cold nights. Check the floor for durability and waterproofness.

• Always get in a tent and stretch out before you buy. Your best bet is actually to set up a tent and crawl around inside it before making any buying decision. When setting up the tent, check to make sure the pole sleeves are easy to thread (continuous sleeves are the easiest). Some manufacturers make all their tent poles the same length, a real boon when you are setting up in the dark. Clip-type tents are faster than sleeved poles to set up but sacrifice strength in bad weather.

• Consider the gear you'll need to store in the tent at night. Assemble your own, or if you are buying in a shop, make use of their other camping accessories. If you are planning on sleeping two or three campers in a single structure, grab the appropriately sized sleeping bags and foam pads and lay them out inside the tent. Bring along packs (stuffed full, of course), and check to ensure that they fit in the vestibule. If you plan on using a hanging lantern, also check the suitability of the overhead pole configuration.

• Check the stitching and reinforced patches on the corners, stake-out loops, and other stress points. Plastic buckles are easier for stay lines than metal sliders, but if they are awkwardly positioned, they could break underfoot. In order to shed water, a single-walled tent or a rain fly needs to be seam-taped and sealed. Fully taped seams are more waterproof than those that are partially taped. Find out if you need to add a liquid sealant after you buy the tent, and how often it needs to be applied. If you mail order, check to make sure there is a foolproof return policy if the tent does not meet your requirements when it arrives.

• Stuff the tent and poles in the supplied sack, and see how it fits into your pack. Remember: Unless you have already set a tent up, it's not a good idea to bring it on a camping trip. Even if you can read the directions by headlamp, there's always a chance that you got the package with a missing pole.

• Avoid well-meaning advice to buy an"ecologically unobtrusive" tent. Sure, browns, grays, and greens blend into the landscape, but they can be awfully difficult to find after a long day on the trail. If you get lost, a red tent is much easier to spot. Also, dark interiors make for gloomy stormbound days; stick with bright, light colors.

  I would like to express my special thanks to Todd Bibler of Bibler Tents for his assistance in compiling this information.