You can't just walk into any old store, pick the first tent you see, and expect it to be a good hiking tent. The same thing goes for buying a tent online. Hiking tents are highly specialized. If you plan to carry your tent on a hiking and backpacking trip, you need to think carefully about your purchase and evaluate each tent on many different criteria.

Ventilation is one of the first things you need to consider in a hiking tent. This is where you want to look for a double-walled tent instead of a single-walled one. A double-walled tent is a tent with a separate waterproof rainfly that completely covers the tent. This way, the tent itself can have lots of breathable mesh on the walls, to ensure adequate ventilation. (Note that the rainfly should extend all the way to the ground once your tent is pitched.) If you get a single-walled tent, your body heat and breath will create condensation that gets trapped inside the waterproof walls of the tent, and you'll get wet even though your tent is waterproof.

Waterproofing is another important area to pay attention to. Inspect the floor of the hiking tent. It should be all one piece of material, with no seams touching the ground. What you want in a hiking tent is a "bathtub configuration," where the bottom is all one piece of material and the seams are at least a few inches off the ground. Any seam, even if it's sealed and waterproofed, may be a place where water could leak into the tent.

Weight is the most obvious criteria on choosing your tent. If you're going to be carrying everything you need in a pack on your back for several hours or days, having a lightweight hiking tent is absolutely essential. For a single-person tent, a weight of about 4 pounds is reasonable. Select lightweight materials and poles made out of sturdy but light metals like aluminum or fiberglass.

Size is the final consideration you should make about your tent. Know that tent manufacturers are very, very generous when it comes to how they label the size of a tent. A one person tent will provide cramped sleeping arrangements for one person, and nothing else. If you want to make sure that there is room for your gear inside the tent, get a two-person hiking tent and you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Also realize that if you're taller than average, you may not even fit inside a one-person tent.

Don't buy a hiking tent before you read this important guide. Know what's important in a hiking tent and how to pick the right one!

The most essential piece of camping gear are tents like North Face tents. There are endless variations on style, material, size, shape, and construction. Not all tents are created equal, so when you look at North Face tents make sure that you are getting exactly what you need for your next camping trip.

North Face offers a full range of sportswear and sporting equipment products. Odds are that you’ve seen the North Face logo with three lines that stoop downward at the end on a fleece pullover or jacket before. North Face carries coats, jackets, pants, shorts, shirts, and sport undergarments for men, women, boys, and girls. They can be worn as casual wear or for hiking, running, biking, and sporting. North Face also offers sporting equipment like backpacks, daypacks, sleeping bags, running shoes, and sport eyewear.

North Face tents stand for quality. Of course you could find cheaper no-name tents online, but they will not stand up to the elements or regular use like North Face tents will. North Face is a high-end brand known for quality tents that are often used and endorsed by serious and experienced hikers and campers.

Depending on how you will be using your North Face tent, there are a few different characteristics that you are going to be looking for. One is size. Tent manufacturers are not very generous in their size labeling, so when in doubt, round up. It is better to have too much space in your tent than not enough. Also remember that you will have gear and other items that will need floor space in your tent, as well. The listed tent size does not factor in any space for your gear.

What time of year you will be hiking also makes a difference. Check the product information of a tent. Most North Face tents are 3-season tents. Finding a 4-season tent will mean that you pay more, but you’re paying for premium materials and the flexibility to do extreme camping at any time of the year.

Features included on each tent vary by model, but in general, most North Face tents come with a few standard features. Each tent is waterproof, and all major seams are factory sealed to keep moisture out. Most tents are color coded for quick set up.

North Face tents aren’t cheap, but remember that you are paying for guaranteed tents with a proven reputation for quality and customer satisfaction. If you are looking at a 2-person tent, you can expect to see prices in the $150 to $450 range.