ENDURANCE IS NOT
JUST THE ABILITY TO BEAR A GREAT THING…… BUT TO TURN IT INTO
GLORY”
UNKNOWN
CHOOSING A HIKING
TENT
For
sitting out storms and lounging around you need a decent-sized tent,
but if you want to backpack, weight is a serious consideration.
Choosing the
right tent is far from easy. One weekend you may be backpacking, the
next you may be taking a short walk to a wild area, and the next you
might want to camp from the back of your car. All these uses different
sizes and weights of tent, so deciding what to buy is a tough call.
The key
features for such a wide range of uses are living space and weight. For
comfort in all weathers your tent needs a area to store wet gear and
enough living space to make long stays under the stars comfortable.
But if you intend carrying the tent for any length of time, the lighter the better – even if some space is sacrificed.
Fabrics
The
big choice is between nylon and polyester. Recent tests have shown that
nylon is in fact less sensitive to UV than polyester, so nylon should
last longer. Polyurethane is applied to make the fabrics waterproof. The
level of waterproofness is indicated by a “hydrostatic head” rating. So
a fabric with a rating of 10,000mm is more waterproof, and more
expensive, than a fabric with a rating of only 5,000mm or less. However
it is to be said that differing methods of testing mean that these
figures should not be taken too literally.
Inner or outer pitched first?
Inner-first
pitching saves weight and tends to be stable as the inner and outer
contribute to stability. It should be more water resistant too as there
is less complicated sleeves on the flysheet to seal.
But
when pitched in wet conditions outer-pitched first designs are better
as you can put the outer up, get inside, strip off your wet gear and
then put up the inner in the dry. Then, when striking the tent you can
do the reverse, pack the inner away and get your waterproofs on before
hauling down the outer in the rain and packing it away.
Poles
Poles
are used to give the tent shape and stability. Most tents have alloy
poles with shock-cords down the middle that allow them to be easily
folded and opened. Better tents have color-coded poles so you know which
pole goes in which part of the tent. For the greatest stability, look
for geodesic designs where the poles cross one another at two or more
places. Glass-fiber poles will snap more easily than alloy, particularly
in cold weather and strong winds.
Guy-lines
A
set of cords is usually provided to hold the tent stable in high winds.
Some tent designs need fewer guy-lines than others, as stability can
also be controlled by careful use of the poles.
Pegs
Most
tents come with fairly lightweight basic wire skewer-type designs which
are fine for general use. But more durable pegs are available for
different types of terrain and these can be purchased separately if
needed. Some pegs dig painfully into the hands when pushed into the
ground so you may want to replace them with more “hand friendly” pegs.
Groundsheet
The
groundsheet is the part you lie on inside the inner tent. In modern
tents it is sewn in and seam-sealed to prevent it from leaking.
Porch
This
is the large area that’s outside the inner tent yet still under the
cover of the flysheet. It is ideal for storing wet gear as well as
acting as a kitchen in wet weather.
Weight
The
lighter the tent, the easier it will be to carry. Choosing a tent is a
compromise and only you can decide which model best suit your needs.
Solo backpacking tents can weigh as little as 1,3kg to 2,5kg. Some are
little bigger than a sleeping bag others could even take two people at a
push for one night in an adventure race.
Doors
The
external doors allow entry to the porch and the inner tent. But they
also provide ventilation and act as a windbreak and canopy when cooking.
Ideally all zips should have double pullers so that the top or bottom
of the door can be opened. Finally it is worth checking that the doors
can be rolled back neatly and secured firmly without any fabric dangling
into the porch or inner tent
Headroom
In
some tents you can only sit up at the highest point, which is usually
near the porch and entrance. To be sure you can sit up inside the tent,
get a friend to measure your height when sitting, and then compare this
to the maximum internal height in the specification.
Flysheet
This
forms the outside of the tent, and as its job is to keep the rain away
from the inner tent it has to be waterproof. A polyurethane coating is
usually applied to achieve this. On more expensive tents a coating of
silicone elastomer may be applied; this is more durable and more water
repellent than polyurethane.
Mesh netting
Mesh
netting on the inner tent reduces weight and packed size, and increases
airflow through the tent, which will aid the control of condensation.
However, tents with too much mesh netting are colder at night and so are
really only suitable for mild weather. The mess must be fine enough to
prevent insects getting in.
Inner tent
You
sleep inside the inner tent, so it needs to be dry and spacious. To
ensure you do stay dry, the inner must allow warm air to escape to the
underside of the flysheet where it may form condensation. There must
also be a gap between the inner and the flysheet, so that condensation
on the underside of the flysheet does not soak into the inner tent. A
better quality inner tent may have a light fluorocarbon finish to repel
condensation that falls on to it from the underside of the flysheet.
Single skin tents do not have a separate inner, so the weight savings
can be considerable, but the occupants run the risk of coming into
contact with the inside of the flysheet where condensation will always
collect – which means they could become damp inside the tent. Single
skin tents are generally colder too.
We as hikers, explorers, and
adventurers have the absolute duty to respect and protect our Wildernesses.
Nobody else will do it for us. Take ownership!
The End.
Safe Hiking.
References and Acknowledgements
From the book – The Ultimate Hiking Skills Manual –
A Hinkes / C Bagshaw
Photos – Willem Pelser
Compiled by Willem Pelser
