They advise doing things themselves if you want them done well. We couldn't agree more, which is why we use our own special methods to evaluate our tents firsthand.
We never recommend anything we wouldn't personally buy at The Wise Adventurer in order to give our readers honest, original evaluations. After completing our own independent research and evaluation both online and in person, we choose and pay for each tent we want to use for hands-on reviews.
Our objective is to offer the kind of in-depth, meticulous reviews that we ourselves would enjoy reading before parting with our hard-earned cash to get the greatest camping tent. The user is at the center of all we do, and we work hard to be a trustworthy resource for other outdoor enthusiasts so they may venture out and explore the great outdoors with confidence.
1. Our Method
Much like your process, our approach to choosing and evaluating camping tents begins with: We spend more time than we like to admit reading customer reviews, sifting through spec sheets, studying special features, and researching products online. Throughout the process, we seek out items that, in our opinion, address a variety of use cases, taking into account crucial factors like weather protection, seasonality, usability, and affordability.
We order each of our selections and personally go out into the field when we have cut down our prospects. Six persons are usually assigned to the testing process, and each tester uses a uniform testing sheet to rate each tent and record their individual opinions. Following testing, each tester analyzes their notes on each model to look for recurring themes, advantages, and disadvantages in each of the categories listed below. By employing this technique, we make certain that every review we write considers a variety of viewpoints in order to provide the most accurate assessment possible.
2. Why Do Our Reviews Not "Grade" The Tents?
You may have noticed that we don't give any of the tents we test a precise grade or score. We do this on purpose because, despite the fact that all of the tents we assess are generally designed for the same application (sleeping outside), the tents we choose have various unique use cases, and we think each should be judged on its own merits.
We find no need to compare a hybrid tent that can be used for backpacking to a 10-person, 25-pound automobile camping palace. Yes, we consider each of the metrics listed in the article below for each model, but each one has a distinct meaning depending on the situation.
You'll notice that we always take care to describe a tent's strong qualities and drawbacks side by side since we believe this paints a more accurate picture of how well a tent will fit your particular needs. We'd hate for someone to pass up the $200 tent of their dreams because a $700 model works better for them subjectively, and the opposite is also true.
3. After testing, what do we do with the tents?
Camping tents can be a particularly pricey purchase in outdoor equipment. Our staff is small, and while we'd want to keep almost every tent we review, our passion for the great outdoors much outweighs our financial resources. In order to do this, the majority of the shelters we evaluate are ultimately sold back to the outdoor community so that they can spend the remainder of their lives in the wild, where they belong.
Two factors drive our actions: First off, as we already stated, these items are pricey, and in order to reinvest in new equipment for our readers, we need to recoup a portion of our out-of-pocket expenses. Second, we simply can't stand to see excellent things gather dust on a shelf at work. These types of tents, as well as quality outdoor equipment in general, are meant to be used frequently. We make it possible for more people to get outside and enjoy nature at a substantially reduced cost with the assurance that each component has previously been tried and true in the field by reselling these tents to like-minded enthusiasts in our communities.
Let's get into the specifics of our testing now, all right?
4. Space and Comfort
Any decent camping tent should offer plenty of room and comfort, but there are many other factors that contribute to a tent's comfort beyond its floor area.
We begin by reviewing the tent's specification sheet, paying close attention to the floor's size, shape, and square footage as well as the claimed peak ceiling height. A tent you can stand up in is a major plus, and higher ceilings and floor plans with more room for storage and sleeping arrangements are always better. We seek tents with adequate ventilation in addition to internal dimensions because this feature is crucial for maintaining a comfortable interior environment in a variety of weather conditions.
From there, we consider the tent's other features that improve overall livability. A tent's performance in this category is greatly improved by exterior vestibules, which keep the interior tidy and have ample room for people to hang around in. The same holds true for interior elements like windows, headlight diffusers, and storage pockets.
After deciding on a tent and having it in our possession, we begin the field testing phase of our process, examining each of the promises stated by the manufacturer in actual environments. We check the tent's measurements twice to make sure the interior space is accurate, use any available vestibules to assess their practical usefulness, and—most importantly—live inside it for at least one full day and night to assess its ideal capacity, discover the boundaries of its ventilation, and gain a broad perspective on the idea of "livability."
5. Weather Resistance
Even while we all enjoy spending time outdoors while the sky is clear and blue, we are all aware that mother nature occasionally has other plans. A decent camping tent ought to be resilient enough to withstand temperature changes, inclement weather, and a significant bit of wind.
In this regard, we assess a few different variables. In order to determine how well a tent should perform, we study its rainfly's shape and area of coverage, the quality and structure of its pole system, and the arrangement of its guylines. When they are available, we also look to the hydrostatic head test ratings since although not all manufacturers reveal them, they offer us an excellent sense of how the tent is likely to function.
We begin our weather testing by taking a detailed look at the tent's construction once it has been set up in the field. How does the seam taping on the tent appear? Does it cover the tent's body and fly? Are there any openings in the rainfly's protection that would let water get inside the tent? Are the zippers impervious to entry?
Before getting a tent wet, we examine every aspect to look for any potential issues. A tent has a large number of functions that contribute to keeping it dry. Nothing more has to be done after this but to wait for the rain to fall and observe how the tent responds to it. Ideally, each tent spends some time during testing in inclement weather, but occasionally the sky is clear. In our cutting-edge testing lab, we can create rain when the weather doesn't want to cooperate by using a combination of hoses and sprinklers (aka, our backyards).
In terms of wind resistance, many of the same guidelines apply. We assess the durability of a tent's poles, the shape's aerodynamics with the fly attached, the standard of the guylines, and the potency of the tent pegs. For many days, we pitch our tents outside in the windy conditions we can find, and we note any strengths or flaws we notice.
6. Ease of Set-up
Another element that significantly affects overall livability is setup ease. Even if your tent is the largest and coziest in the world, if it's challenging to set up or take down, your camping trip will be less enjoyable.
When we undertake research, we keep a few different things in mind: Instant cabins with pre-attached poles are easier to live with than other designs, but for the majority of designs, ease of setup is primarily determined by how the poles attach to the canopy and how the rainfly and/or vestibule factor into the equation.
Tents with more poles often take a little more effort to set up, while those with fewer poles and linked/hubbed designs help eliminate a lot of the guessing. The same is true for tents that have intelligent color coding to show you what belongs where. This is especially useful when erecting a tent in less-than-ideal circumstances, such as during a downpour or in low light.
No of the size of the tent, we always try to pitch it on the field with just one person. We take note of any challenges caused by height, restricted or tense fittings, or intricate layouts. We also keep track of any special characteristics that make a tent particularly simple to set up. The Kelty "fast corners" system, which holds tent poles in place while you set them up, or the excellent color coding on Mountain Hardwear's climbing tents serve as excellent examples in this regard.
7. Durability
We spend a lot of time testing tents in the field because we think durability is the one factor that most significantly affects a tent's worth. It takes a lot of work to create a shelter that will stand up to the demands of outdoor life year after year, yet all it takes is one shoddy design decision or subpar construction material to ruin a tent.
To assess the caliber of the components and structure, we begin our investigation by delving deeply into the specifications. We examine the fabric type, thickness, and pole configuration, as well as all the tiny load-bearing particulars like the tent's fasteners, stitching, and guylines. When they are available, we also spend hours poring over past customer reviews to look for any potential flaws mentioned by other campers.
Once on location, we start carefully inspecting each of these elements firsthand. In addition to noting the general appearance and texture of each of the materials used, we test any issues or worries that have been reported ourselves. To identify any potential areas of failure that could reduce the life of the tent, special attention is paid to the feel and functionality of heavy-wear components such as zippers, seams, floors, poles, and mounting hardware.
8. Weight and Package Dimensions
Weight and packed size are the characteristics that have the least bearing on our evaluation because the majority of tents are solely designed for usage while automobile camping. They nevertheless contribute to a tent's overall livability, so we make it a point to take both into account when doing our research.
We check a tent's packed weight and dimensions against what the manufacturer claims when examining it in the field. We also closely monitor a tent's size after it has been set up and stowed away into its carry bag because most of them have an odd tendency to expand by several inches in either direction after their initial use.
To determine how each tent in our tests compares to the competition, we compare it to tents of similar sizes (four-person, six-person, etc.). Despite having equal dimensions when pitched, some tents are lighter and smaller when packed than others, giving them an advantage by freeing up more space in your vehicle for the rest of your camping gear.
Hybrid models, which may be used for both camping and backpacking, are an exception to this rule. Here, we confirm that these tents are sufficiently small and light to fit in two backpacks and be transported over long distances.
9. Value
Over the past few years, we've discovered that while some camping tents are more expensive than others, quality isn't always a direct correlation to price. The utility of any particular tent is highly debatable. In order to determine where a tent fits into the overall scheme, we look at its current pricing and compare it to those of other tents with comparable sizes and characteristics.
All the additional elements mentioned above, along with the final tent pricing, will be taken into consideration once we have a tent for field testing. The majority of camping tents offer the essentials, such as internal space and water resistance, but some do so for a lot less money than others. We spend our time in the field assessing whether or not we think each tent's special characteristics warrant its increase in price as its price goes up.
Certain items are always worth the price: Any shelter will always be worth more if it has solid weatherproofing, premium building materials, and manufacturer warranties that are trustworthy. Others rely far more on certain use cases. Hardcore mountaineering tents, for instance, are often several hundred dollars more expensive than the average three-season shelter, but if you enjoy camping year-round in harsh conditions, the added expense is justified. On the other hand, your occasional clear-weather camper won't benefit significantly more from the newest high-tech materials and designs than they would from a budget-conscious choice with a big interior and an easy setup.
The printing industry's leader is Nanjing Foerstine. We offer a variety of supplies so that our clients can create printed goods of the highest caliber. HUIDA values its employees and takes pride in their work in a lucrative field. Contact us right away.