Fishing, Hunting and Camping

Family camping trips are the best way to spend some quality time with your loving ones. For a successful family camping trip, selecting a perfect tent shelter is a very important step. If you are looking for a complete detailed guide on how to choose the best family tent then you have landed on the right article. Below, we have a detailed discussion on how to select the best family tent.

Your perfect tent selection will give the best comfort to your family on a camping weekend. Below, we have discussed the important points to consider while choosing a family tent for camping. Before that let’s begin with the types of tents for family camping.

Types of Tents

Mainly, two types of tents are good for family camping. They are Cabin style tents and dome style tents.

Cabin Style Tents: These types of tents have straight vertical walls. They are quite boxy in shape. Therefore, cabin style tents provide more space inside and good standing space for taller members of the family. There are several good cabin style family tents available from manufacturers.

However, there is a downside with a cabin-style tent. Their vertical walls and boxy structure are not good in high winds. Their high walls act as a restriction against the high flow of wind. If you are selecting a cabin style tent then make sure to also invest in best quality tent poles and long stakes. Perfectly staking your tent to the ground will increase the stability of your tent.

Dome Style Tents: You can say the best alternative of cabin style tents is the dome style tents. These tents have aerodynamic structure and they have sloping curves. Therefore, they are quieter than cabin style tents in a high winds environment. Keep in mind that they provide less interior space than cabin style tents but they are lightweight and easier to transport to the camping site.

It is worthy to mention that the height of the dome-style tents are at peak in the center and decline when you move to the sides. Therefore, you will need to bend your knees at the sides of the tent. Those who need a tent primarily for sleeping, dome-style tents can be a good choice.

1. Size of the Tent:

The size of your tent matters a lot especially when you are on a family camping trip. Make sure to consider a tent which completely fits the size of the tent. Those who need a tent primarily for sleeping, 20 sq. ft. area per each person is recommended. Because you are looking for a family camping tent then there will be lots of bags, camping equipment, and other essentials. You will need to store them inside the tent. Therefore, consider a tent with more area than standard because your camping equipment will be with you.

As per our vast camping experience and many forums, it has been found that 30 to 40 sq. ft. area per person is a good measurement for the best family camping tents. You can also look for a tent that offers multiple rooms. It will be a good option for privacy. Those who want to go with cabin-style tents can take bunking cots for kids as it will save some space inside. 

2. Vestibules:

Vestibules become an important feature when it comes to a family camping tent. The vestibules provide a good area to store your camping equipment and bags when you have more people to sleep inside. If it is raining outside then you can use the vestibule as a mudroom. You can leave your dirty shoes here when you come from a walk. It will help you to keep your tent interior clean and adequate for sleeping.

Most of the family camping tents come with vestibules for convenience. Some of the tents provide overhead protection while some tents also come with a floor extension.

3. Ventilation:

While selecting a family tent, make sure that your tent offers a good number of windows and doors. A large number of windows will contribute to excellent ventilation throughout the tent. Also, the mesh windows will keep the mosquitoes and flies outside the tent. The large tent doors will allow campers to get easily in and out of the tent.

It will be a suspicious advantage if your tent has air intake vents. You can close your zippered windows and doors while keeping the vents open to maintain the ventilation. These openings will also prevent the condensation build up inside the tent. Most of the cabin style family tents also come with a mesh roof allowing proper airflow inside and they are also good for stargazing.

4. Ease of Setup:

While on a family camping trip, we don’t want to waste lots of tents just pitching the tent. Therefore, it becomes very important to select a tent with less tent setup time. Most of the larger tents consume more time for tent setup. Tents like the Ozark Trail 6P instant cabin tent take less than a minute for setup completion.

The Ozark Trail 12 person 3 room instant cabin tent with screen room takes not more than two minutes for setup. It is recommended to practice the tent setup in the backyard before heading to the camping site. Your family members and kids will also help you in pitching the tent completely.

5. Additional Features:

There are several additional features that come with most of the family tents. It is always better if your family tent has lots of mesh storage pockets. You can use these to store flashlights, keys, smartphone, and other small equipment. A gear loft is also recommended for a family camping tent that enhances the storage capability of your tent. A lantern hanging loop is a good option that will allow you to take the lantern and use it when it’s dark outside.

A screen room stands as a good option for enjoying the wilderness of nature without leaving your tent. Also, make sure that high-quality material is used in your tent. It will work in weather resistance. Your family tent must have good waterproof ratings to keep your family and your camping equipment dry.

You can find a good list of tents over at camperlists.

Family Camping is Fun

Here, we discussed some important points that you must consider while selecting the best family tent for camping. Family camping is full of fun and learning. Don’t restrict your kids to have fun but make sure to prepare completely because you are getting outside of your home. Don’t forget to carry lots of nutritious food and water. You can share your valuable thoughts with us in the comments section below. Have fun!

The early years of firearms history can be an interesting topic to explore. I would look into what was available at the time and would sometimes be a little surprised at what was available. I will look at the time of the mid 1930s and see what was advertised.

One very interesting item would be a new Colt handgun released in 1934. It would be a new 22 single shot called the Camp Perry model. It would come with a 8 inch barrel and was designed as a target handgun. It was based on the Colt Officer Model Frame and converted into a single shot handgun. Had a flat single shot chamber with the model name on the side. It would eventually be available in a 10 inch barrel version.

 I have been in the firearms business since the early 70s and have never seen one of those Colt models. Just a very unique firearm and a great piece to have in your collection. Only made this model till 1941 and only 2488 were made.

 Another interesting firearm that was advertised that year would be the Marlin model 39. They would advertise 2 model variations in 1934. One would be for the standard ammunition of that time and the other would be for the high velocity ammo. (Model 39 H.S.) The Marlin 39 high velocity model would have the letters H S marked at the beginning of the serial number . It would be advertised to sell for $18.95 for the H.S. model at the time. The Marlin 39 would sell for 16.95. Great firearms and very desirable today and in the 1930s.

 Winchester would be advertising the new lever action rifles released in the 1930s. They would be the Model 64 and Model 65. A smooth and fast action is what they would advertise. The Model 64 would come in the 25-35, 30-30 and 32 special. The Model 65 would be the deluxe model and come in 30-30 or 32 special. Great guns of the 30s.

 The premiere big game ammo of the time would be just a handful of cartridges. The Winchester 54 and other custom bolt rifles of the time would advertise the 30-06, 270, 7mm, 250-3000, and the 25 Roderts or 257 Roberts By the end of the 1930s. These cartridges would be heavily advertised at this time and if you had the money, these were the best of that time.

 I was a little surprised at the amount of rifle scopes at the time. I think the only reason that scopes were not popular at this time was because of the money. A good rifle scope at the time would take the average worker 2 weeks pay to buy one. Weaver scopes would come on the market in the early 30s and were reasonably priced. Lyman and Mossberg would also be advertising scopes in the 30s. Hensolt, Zeiss,Unertl and Fecker would have quality scopes of that time. A scope of the period that I had never heard of is the Wollensak scope. No shortage to choose from in the 1930s.

 Another big advertiser in the firearms market at that time would be the micrometer or peep sights. Several companies would advertise their sights in the 1930s. Redfield and Lyman would be advertised in 1934. Marbles and the Pacific Gun Sight Co. would also have micrometer sights in the 1930s. These were very popular at the time and many would be installed.

 My main focus over the years are the 1950s and 60s era of classic firearms. I do enjoy the 1930s era and have an article about many more firearms of the 1930s era. You may visit that article at this link to Classic US Firearms. Enjoy the 1950s and 60s articles also.