Have you went camping and found that the tent you bought is too small for the group.

There is no such thing as the perfect tent,any more then there is a perfect fishing pole.

The type of tent to choose depends on where the camper is going,what time of year,and how long he remains in one place.Styles,sizes and materials of tents vary according to the climate,number in the party and transportation.

The average fixed tent,where camp is not shifted should be made out of plain cotton duck.Cotton duck comes in three general grades.

Single filling duck which is poor material and will not stand up under adverse conditions and hard wear.

Double filling duck,which is of closer texture and suitable for average summer camping.

Army duck is the best grade,made of selected cotton,it will shed water and outwear other tent materials of the same weight.

For a fixed tent a wall tent is the most popular.Make sure the tent is processed for shedding rain or buy one with a fly. There is nothing worse than waking up soaked to the skin on a cold morning.This is my favorite type of tent.

A draw tent is produced in many different sizes and is insect proof with a floor sewed in.It is fully ventilated under any weather condition.Requires no inside pole,stakes or guy ropes.It can be set up in minutes.

Tent sizes are listed according to ground dimensions and weight.The weight of the poles and stakes vary according to size and material.Before selecting a tent,decide how many people will be occuping it.As a rule not more then 4 people should occupy one tent.If more then 4 are going you should have more then one tent to accomodate them.For two people a 9by9 or a 9 by 12 with 3 1/2 foot walls is good.Four persons should have a 12 by 14.You have to add in the personnal gear.Also a stove takes up room,and if you have cots,more room lost

Tents come in all colors .

Materials for light tents inclue Egyptian cotton,nylon,silk,gabardine,and various other fabrics.

Some of these fabrics are so closely woven that they do not need to be processed foor shedding rain,silk being in this catagory.

Other materials are made water resistant so as to shed rain.In a tent of thin material the widths should be narrow to keep the shelter taught when it is set up.The seams should be reiforced to releive the cloth from strain.

Eaves,bottom and corners should be strenghthened with double cloth.These light weight tents excellant for a small party traveling in the back country.

Temporary shelters,

Sometimes a camper will want to stay over night away from the main camp.A good shelter for this is a 7 by 9 foot cloth made of tanalite or other water resistant material and is usually included in camping equipment as a tarpaulin or a wrap for packs.

Pup Tents are commonly used by the scouts.They are compact enough to be carried on the backs and provide sleeping quarters for 2 or 3 people.