CHOOSING A HIKING TENT

Quathlamba

“A mass of Spears. Named thus by the Zulu warriors before the white man came. Today called the Drakensberg, Mountains of the Dragon, a name given by the Voortrekkers. Evocative names, both equally applicable to South Africa’s mightiest mountain range with its spear-like peaks – reminiscent of the saw-toothed spine of a gigantic dragon.”

Panorama April 1966

“Listen to the streams as they gurgle from their cradles and you will hear the story of the mountains. You will hear fascinating tales if only you listen! Lie next to a stream and listen to the song of the mountains. The smiling faces of the flowers, dancing in the wind. Venture into the remote valleys or stand on a peak at sunrise or sunset, after snow has fallen, and you will hear a song that you will never forget - the Song of the High Mountain".

DRAKENSBERG WILDERNESS PHOTOS © WILLEM PELSER

“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-fibre poles will snap more easily than alloy, particularly in cold weather and strong winds.

Guylines

A set of cords is usually provided to hold the tent stable in high winds. Some tent designs need fewer guylines 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.

The End.

Safe Hiking.