Buying cheap tents isn’t always as easy as it sounds.  You want to make sure you understand the basic parts of a camping tent and how they affect you.  Here are just a few terms to get you started.

Backpacking Tent-  People who know they will be doing a lot of hiking and backpacking want a lighter tent.  They don’t want to be lugging around a 40 pound tent on long hikes.  So they prefer something ultralight that will provide some privacy and protect them from the elements.  These are usually made smaller than other tents.  So buying only a two man for two people could be very snug!  Unless you don’t mind opting for a three man tent or one higher than the amount of people staying in it might be helpful.  If you are backpacking alone  a 1 man tent is a great option if you don’t need a lot of room.

Bike Tents:  Specifically designed for cyclists looking for a lightweight and compact tent.  One way manufacturers cut the reduce the weigh is by using the front wheel of a bike to act as the foundation of the body.  This eliminates the need for tent poles.

Bivy Tent or Sack-  Bivy tents are ultralight and small 1 man tents.  A sack will be an oversized sleeping back that you will lay out on the ground.  You can get some that have a Mosqitoe net to go over it.  A bivy sack will be a bit confining.  If you need a little more space you can get a bivy tent which still may not be big enough to hold your back too but will give you a little extra breathing room.

Cabin Tent-  A cabin tent is often used for families.  They have more than one room sometimes you can even find a 3 room tent making it feel a little homier and allowing a little more privacyfor all the campers.  With the added space though usually come added weight because of the extra weight of the tent poles and materials it takes to cover the tent.

Campground-  These are designated spots that allow tent camping and sometimes RV’s.  They can be private or publicly owned and usually charge a fee to have a campsite there.  There are numerous different amenities that you will find and not all campgrounds have the same ones.

Flame retardant-  Often times tents are coated with a flame retardant.  Since most of the materials used to build a tent are often flammable.  Most tents are often coated with a flame retardant to add extra protection to the tent so that it doesn’t catch on fire.  This doesn’t mean your tent won’t catch on fire it just means it won’t catch on fire as easily.

Footprints-  Nope, this isn’t referring to those prints you leave behind after going into your tent with your shoes still on.  This is a protective ground covering designed to help protect your tent from rocks, twigs and other sharp materials that your tent isn’t and help your tent last longer.  They are made to be the same size as your tent so that rainwater won’t get under the tent and make you and your things wet.  Here is an interesting video made by Backpacker Magazine on how to make a footprint for your tent, it’s called “Build a Tent Footprint.”

Guy lines-  A guy line is a rope that can attach to something else that is heavy and sturdy and than tie down to the tent making it withstand windy weather better.  It also makes the tents walls sturdier in the wind so that you don’t have to listen to the walls that will whip back in forth in the wind.

Guy Out Points- Guy out points are areas around the outside of the tent that you insert the guy line into.

Rain fly or fly-  A rain fly covers the outside of your tent shielding it from rain and water.  It also provides UV protection.  This is important to have for your tent so that your tent will last longer and you won’t wake up wet if a rain storm comes.

Screen Door-  The door is just like your door at home.  You use this to get in and out of the tent.  It can be one of the vents in your tent.  They are often screened so that they can help get some more light and air into the tent while preventing most bugs from getting in.

Seam Sealer-  Rain flys are always water resistant as well as the floors.  However, the rest of the tent might not be.  In the construction process seams are created can allow water to get in if not properly sealed especially in a lot of inexpensive 3 season tents.  Most of the common brands of tents come with taped seams however make sure you are clear on this point.  If your seams are not sealed you may have to do this yourself.  Manually sealing it may also be necessary as your tent gets older and ages.  You can buy tape to help seal the seams if you need to do so.

Tent Pads-  These aren’t to be confusing with camping pads.  They are little areas that are raised a little higher at campgrounds and cleared of debris so that you have a nice flat surface to pitch your tent on.  Not every campsite will have a tent pad especially primitive ones. When you camp at a place that doesn’t have a tent pad just look for areas that look like other campers have used. You will be able to tell by looking for areas that have been cleared of any sharp rocks and branches.

Tent poles- Tent poles provide the main frame of your tent.  In the easiest of tent pitching they are round tubes that you simply snap into each other.  These are then inserted around various areas of the tent by sliding through little slits on either the inside or the outside of the tent depending on whether or not it is a single wall tent or double wall tent.  In a single wall tent you will get in the tent before inserting the pulls doing this on the inside.  With a double wall you will insert it into seams around the exterior of the tent.  The shape of your tent is generally determined by how the poles snap into each other.  Having a tent that requires many poles will increase the weight of your tent.  Tent poles are generally made out of aluminum or fiberglass.

Tent Stakes-  Tent stakes are anchors that you put into loops around the perimeter of your tent and drive into the ground at a 45 degree angle.  This helps the tent stay put rather than flying off somewhere and it also helps the prevent the tent from getting damaged by constantly being drug across the ground..  There are many different types of stakes that are available depending on where you are pitching your tent.  If your campsite is an average campsite the stakes that come with your tent should be sufficient enough.  This only becomes an issue when pitching your tent on rocky ground, sand, ice, snow or any other similar types of terrain.

Trailer Tents-  These are a great alternative to RV’s or other costly campers.  They are very lightweight and designed to be compact.  However, they are more spacious than a regular camping tent.  A trailer tent can have tables that come out, beds that fold down, and storage capability on top.  The best part is that they are raised up off the ground.

Ventilation: Tent ventilation is a very important thing to consider when purchasing a tent.  Ideally it should have at least two vents.  Lower vents help cool air get inside the tent while higher vents help direct warm are inside the tent back out.  The tent door is also considered as a for of ventilation.  Remember how we talked about different tent materials that make it harder to cool down.  When purchasing cheap tents you want to make sure the tent has sufficient ventilation that will help your tent stay cool, especially if it is made of a material that traps hot air in.

Vestibules- Vestibules are little extensions of your tent that allow you to store some of your extra things without having to worry about them getting wet or muddy.