About Tent Review (UK)
Hi
I'm Ian Ford. I have loved camping since my days as a Cub Scout and have probably spent more than a year's worth of nights sleeping in tents of various kinds over the past 30 years; I've never actually counted.
My various experiences date back to the days of big, canvas patrol tents. Heavy and not totally waterproof. Over the years tent materials and designs have improved considerably. I have seen the benefit of this. Better protection from the elements, lighter more portable tents and greater ease at all stages of camping.
I travelled extensively from my early twenties and have camped in rain forests, deserts and on mountains. I have been leader of four expeditions (three in India and one in Borneo) and regional manager for a tour operator. In the latter role I made decisions about the suitability of tents and other camping equipment, amongst many other things. Along the way I have collected various bits of paper including my Summer Mountain Leader's award.
In the early days I either owned or borrowed a range of tents. Different designs, different qualities and different results. Once I had a paying job I did my research and ended up buying a North Face Tadpole tent: lightweight, quite strong, easy to pitch (for those days) and only just big enough for one with equipment, not the two it was rated for.
I became attached to that tent - it was the mainstay of so many of my travels - and it is still in a functional state even now. That's nearly twenty years of heavy use. The Camping Advice category will include tips on tent maintenance to ensure you get as much benefit from your purchase as I have.
I have used many updated versions of this basic model and though there are benefits (easier pitching for one) there has not been any major technological leap as big as that from canvas Patrol tents to a rip-stop nylon geodesic design.
I want to pass on my experience, and hope that by doing so I can save you from some of the more miserable aspects of making a bad tent selection. Wasting money is never nice, especially when doing so gets you cold and wet - or worse.
Make sure you get the tent that suits you by reading the various articles that are relevant to your needs. The articles are categorized to help you find relevant information fast.
Tent-Review.co.uk has the following categories:
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Camping Advice: general tips that may loosely affect your decision but which will certainly ensure that you have a better camping experience.
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Tent Qualities: there are many factors that constitute each tent's design. No one tent can be optimal for every situation. I will help you understand these factors and how they relate to each other so that you can identify what is most appropriate to you. I will explain technical jargon here where it seems necessary.
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Camping Styles: you will have a reason (perhaps several reasons) for buying your tent in the first place. By looking at common reasons I can help you prioritize the qualities you identified above.
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Tent Suppliers: this is where I review your options, the big brand names as well as the cheaper alternatives. I'll also look at related issues such as after sales support.
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Best Tents: Decision time . This is where we can look at the relative merits of the short-listed candidates. By this stage you should have a much clearer idea what it is that you are looking for and be able to make a final, wise choice.