Metateps

Here are some additional factors to consider when choosing a tent home:

Living Area

You want plenty of room for yourself, your roommates, and your stuff. Sixty square feet of floor space per person is about the minimum you'll need to keep from getting claustrophobic. Add some area for a few other amenities (i.e., table and chairs), and if you want to be able to fit a few guests in on occasion, you'd better double the space (120 square feet minimum). Unless you're cooking outside or in a side tent, add another 40 square feet for your kitchen. We're up to 160 square feet.

Do they really make tents that size? Yes. Take the Eureka Copper Canyon 1610. This is a vertical-wall cabin-style tent with an 80-square-foot bedroom and an 80-square-foot screened-in room. The screens have roll-back storm covers, so the entire tent can be kept dry in a storm. It has an extension cord port and lots of loops to hang lights from. It also has a ceiling height of 7 feet. The ceiling height (head space) is important if you're actually going to turn a tent into a home. Not being able to stand up straight in your own home is a real letdown. The cost of this tent: $2 per square foot. Is there anything bigger? Yes. Take, for another example, the Eureka Condo, which is a three-room, 10 1/2 x 20-foot cabin tent with great head space. It goes for about $3.80 per square foot.

Durability

You want a tent with hefty, strong poles that will not allow the tent to collapse or lay down in the wind or under the load of a moderate snowstorm. Seams should be double-sewn and sealed, and the windows and doors should have heavy-duty zippers. A three-season tent is designed for mild climates or for use in spring, summer, and fall. They perform well in windy conditions as long as the poles are sturdy and correctly attached, the tent is staked, all the guy lines are staked, and the fly and guy lines are tensioned correctly. Three-season tents have fewer poles, lighter materials, and less aerodynamic designs than what are called four-season or expedition tents. A good four-season tent is worth the extra expense.

Protection from Water

Many poorly made tents come without a rain fly, relying solely on their waterproof material to keep the rain out. Avoid these. Condensation from breathing and cooking will collect on waterproof ceilings and run onto the floor or onto the occupants. On the other hand, some expensive tents are made from breathable, vapor-barrier material and manage to shed rain and minimize condensation. To be on the safe side, get a tent with a rain fly. Tents that incorporate a rain fly are called "double-walled tents." The fly should cover most of the tent and certainly any windows or skylights that cannot be zippered shut. Look for a tent whose fly has tension adjustments and is shock-corded (the tie downs or stake loops are elasticized). A vestibule is a floorless extension of the tent. The sleeping area of the tent can be sealed off completely from the vestibule. This makes vestibules ideal for changing out of dirty clothes and shoes before going into the main tent.

Protection from Bugs

All openings, including vents, doors, and windows, should have bug screening. If you're in an area that has a continuous problem with particularly nasty invaders (like scorpions or centipedes), use duct tape to seal any holes that are not screened (e.g., the utility port).

There are many reliable tent manufacturers that make and sell tents of similar size and quality. Look at consumer reports on the Internet to get an idea of the tent's quality. Visit your local sporting goods store to actually see and touch the tent before you buy it.