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Campsites in Alberta | What Is The Best Camping Tent For You Part 2
In part one of our tent series, we discussed the most unique tents to bring with you to campsites in Alberta.
In part two, we will find out the most popular, and best camping tent for you, and why they are so loved. Then campers will be able to decide what tent they should get, and most importantly, plan their next camping trip!
The first and best camping tent on our list is the most popular is the geodesic or semi-geodesic tent. Favored by year-round campers, for their incredibly durable design, these tents feature bendable poles that overlap to create a dome shape. Domes are very stable, even in inclement weather and energy efficient, even in rain, sleet, wind and snow.
However the downside to these tents is that they are very difficult to pitch. Usually it takes two people who know what they are doing, so these are truly for the expert camper who needs to camp through storms, or who are camping on a more long term basis. They come in many different sizes, to fit a wide variety of needs.
Benefits of Weatherproof Tents
Second tent on our list is the inventive tunnel tent! Capturing the strength and efficiency of a dome tent, but adding space, these tents utilize curved poles in a row. This creates a tunnel effect with the tent material. Because of this innovative design, these tents can come in a wide variety of sizes, depending on how many people will be using the tent, and the row of curved poles gives campers great headroom as well. Often, campers like getting a larger size or a unique layout, to be able to store gear inside their tent.
However, sleeping more than six people in a tunnel tent is not comfortable for individual campers. This isn’t because of a lack of room, but because the more people sleeping in a tunnel tent, the more you have to walk or crawl over people in order to get in and out of the tent.
As well, campers will want to run several guy wires to ensure stability of this tent, therefore rocky or sandy campsites in Alberta aren’t great locations for this type of tent. Finally, campers will want to be very mindful of how they position this tent, because if wind blows at the tunnel head-on, the tent can blow away.
Vertical Walls Give Lots Of Headroom
Cabin tents are perhaps one of the most popular styles of tents on our list, especially since they are the best camping tent for campers with large families. They are built with almost vertical walls, giving great space and headroom. When camping in inclement weather, people prefer staying in cabin tents because of their spaciousness, easily accommodating cots and lawn chairs. They also come in a wide variety of sizes, including separate rooms with dividers, giving precious privacy to each camper.
While these might seem like the perfect solution to campers visiting campsites in Alberta, but they do have some downsides as well. Such as being very heavy and bulky, which isn’t ideal for camping equipment. They have a large footprint, and pitching cabin tents can be difficult and often require multiple people for set up.
Campers will want to run several guy wires to ensure the tent doesn’t blow over, as they have a tendency to do because they are not freestanding. While these continue being quite popular, they are preferred by those who are camping in milder weather. If you are only planning on camping in the summer, this may be a fantastic option for your family!
Campsites in Alberta | Why Dome Tents Can Be Considered The Best Camping Tent
Considered by many the best camping tent, our fourth popular tent option is the dome tent. An exceedingly easy structure to set up, this tent has two poles, that criss-cross each other to make the sturdy domed structure. Dome tents are free standing, and only need stakes or guy wires if there is windy or inclement weather, however, this is not strictly necessary, as the dome shape easily allows wind and other weather to easily bypass the tent.
Another benefit to this design, is that it is easy to put up a waterproof layer, or a tent fly, although water is not going to pool on the top of this tent, which is another reason it is a good choice for any weather conditions.
Dome tents do have less headroom, although it’s not as limited as A-frame tents or pyramid shaped tents. And the less headroom makes them seem smaller, combined with the fact that these tents do not have a porch, or vestibule, is the reason why people have bypassed these tents as an option. However, brand new campers just starting to explore various campsites in Alberta may want to start with this type of tent. Durable in many types of weather, easy to assemble, and is freestanding, are all great virtues in a tent for beginner campers.
Improved Design Of Dome Tents
Last but not least, there is the extended or modified dome tent! It takes the benefits of the dome tent – ease of set up, and weather resistant, and improves upon them! Depending on what style, campers can choose a model that ads a curved pole to one, two, three, or all sides of the tent to add valuable space to the innovative design. Some of the most popular extended dome tents that campers purchase make the added space into a vestibule or porch space in the front. This helps keep the tent clean and tidy, as campers can remove their shoes in the vestibule, and still keep the weather off them.
This added space is best used for storage of equipment, since the added curved poles don’t add to the height of the tent. But for families camping with many people, or who have a lot of gear, this design makes a lot of sense. However adding the curved poles removes the freestanding nature of the tent, and staking or guy wires will have to be added. Despite this, extended domes continue to be the most popular style of tent in Canada and throughout campsites in Alberta. In fact, the top five highest rated tents, as tested by Outdoor Gear Lab are all versions of a dome or extended dome tent.
When you are considering your next tent purchase, consider what types of camping you plan on doing, and keep that in mind when making your choice. Don’t be afraid to ask other campers about their opinion on the best camping tent, and read reviews! We can’t wait to see you at Elevated Experience Camping in and around the Drayton Valley area! Happy camping!