There’s nothing like sleeping in the great outdoors but you’ve got to have a good camping tent if you want to enjoy your camping trip. While it can be fun to sleep out under the stars it can also be bit buggy and the tent will protect you from bugs and the elements as well as give you a bit of privacy.

Tents are available in all sizes, materials and price ranges and the number of times you plan to go camping really dictates how much you should spend on your tent. If you plan to go once a year, a pup tent may suffice, however if you have a small family and are going every weekend, you might want to spring for one of the larger tents that allow you to stand up inside.

There are basically two types of tents - internal frame and external frame. The internal frames are easier when it comes to setup but the external frames will hold up better in wind. However, if you set your tent up properly using all the stakes and poles you should be fine with either unless you will be camping somewhere where the weather conditions are quite harsh.

A camping tent really comes in hand when it rains so you want to buy one that works well for this purpose. Tents can be made from nylon or canvas and they will all keep the rain out, but the big problem is that if you touch the sides of a wet tent this causes the water to leak in! Some tents come with a rain flap that extents outwards from the tent keeping the rain off the side of the actual tent and eliminating this problem. This could be a wise choice since once you get when on a camping trip it is very difficult to get dry again until it stops raining.

Tents come in different shapes and sizes and, depending on how many people you plan to fit in one you might consider one size or the other. When shopping for tents, it’s important to remember that the manufacturers might stretch the truth a bit on the labels when it comes to how many people can fit. Don’t forget that you will probably have a lot of camping gear and clothing in the tent with you, so a four man tent is really idea for two people and so on.

You can get dome tents that are shaped like a dome and easy to setup, pup tents, or tents that you can stand up in which come in many different configurations. Some even have a little screen room attached to the front which is perfect if you have little kids or run into inclement weather.

Getting a good quality camping tent is well worth the money - it will be durable and easy to set up as well as easy to maneuver in and will pay for itself in convenience after just a few trips.