Tent Types

So you've decided on a type of tent.  Maybe you plan to stay in Georgia and have opted for the three season.  Perhaps you know you'll be doing some winter camping in Kentucky and have decided on the convertible instead.  Whatever you have decided on, you have only just begun.  Tents come in a myriad of shapes and sizes and each has its advantages and drawbacks.

Dome - The classic nylon dome has been around in the backpacking world since the mid-seventies and has really changed little since that time.  As the name suggests, these are dome-shaped tents that use 2 to 4 poles for rigidity.  The dome provides ample interior space and easily sheds rain, snow, and wind.  The circular footprint is not the most efficient in terms of weight verses usability, but usually allows for gear storage during inclement weather.  Dome tents are most often round, but can also be rectangular, hexagonal, or any of a number of other geometric shapes.

A Frame - If you're old enough, you remember this tent as the classic.  It was most popular in the 60's and was usually made of canvas or nylon.  The tent gets its name from the two poles that frame the triangular tent on either end, giving the tent the shape of an A.  Occasionally, there would be another pole along the ridgeline.  This design however, has the downsides of minimal headroom and sagging walls in the middle.  Because of these reasons, this tent has largely been replaced my other designs such as the Modified A Frame.

Modified A Frame - Similar to the A Frame design, this type of tent usually features curved poles and an additional pole along or across the ridgeline.  This design modification adds significantly to the internal volume and overall stability of the tent.

Hoop - The hoop tent design is the child of strong and flexible poles.  Also known as a tunnel tent, this type of tent basically takes the A Frame design and rounds out the poles.  This design yields a dramatic increase in internal volume with a minimal increase in fabric and weight.  It does have some of the fabric sagging problems as you would see with the A frame tent, depending on the particular design.  Hoop tents that are designed for winter use usually have additional poles in the middle to add strength and stability.  The hoop tent is generally among the lightest, but must generally be staked down.  

Tepee/ Pyramid - The tepee tents are generally very light and simple, but unfortunately they tend not to hold up too well in harsh weather.  Most tepee tents consist of a tall single center pole and a single wall cone shaped wall that drapes down to the ground and is staked.  They also may or may not have a detachable floor.

Single Wall - In the golden days of backpacking when canvas was the way to go, single wall tents dominated.  As the name suggests, these tents have a single wall that is breathable to minimize condensation but also waterproof to keep the elements at bay.  The modern single wall tents may be of almost any design, but use high tech fabrics to provide waterproof breathability similar to that found in your parka.  Because they are single wall, they are lighter than their rain fly using counterparts .  However, these tents do have a tendency for condensation to occur on the inside.