Look for a tent in any sporting goods or outdoors store on Main Street, and you’re almost guaranteed to find an incredible variety in the selection. You’ll find tee-pee pyramid tents, minimalist bivies, and traditional backpacking A Frames, all of which are great constructions in their own right, but what you’ll likely see in the majority are dome tents.
Buy a New Dome Tent
Dome tents tend to look exactly like their name entails – they’re shaped like a dome – make sense! This breed of outdoor sleeping structure is ideal for those campers who want a versatile set up. Their versatility is multifaceted. If you don’t already have a good tent, be sure to put a new dome tent on your camping checklist. (Be sure to also purchase a ground cloth larger than the tent, a duffle bag large enough to hold the tent, and ground cloth, and a small whisk broom and dust pan to keep everything neat and tidy.)
Dome tents come in an incredible amount of shapes and sizes. You can find perimeter designs ranging from rectangular to the more traditional six-sided hexagon. The shape is often the reflection of the size, which as mentioned, runs the gamut as well. Dome tents are incredibly popular among families because entire families can fit together in one them. In fact, some of these monsters can hold up to 12 people – giving you lots of storage room inside the tent!
They’re also extremely versatile in regard to their practicality and resilience. Your standard dome tent is rated three-season, meaning it’s built for camping in every period with exception to winter. For a little more money, modified four season tents are available which allow an adventurous camper to sleep almost anywhere, and in any condition. They’re built to withstand heavy moisture and precipitation, low temperatures, and the arc-like design naturally withstands heavy winds (provided the unit is staked properly).
Lastly, they design is incredibly popular because it’s easy to pack as well as assemble. The way they’re constructed today, the material is all lightweight and easily folded into compact packages for simple traveling. In most cases, assembly is a breeze. They make these things so easy to set up, you’d think they assemble themselves. In fact, some do! The renown pop-up tent lands up and ready to go literally by throwing it up in the air. Again, they’re very easy to assemble, but for detailed instructions, here’s a great guide on how to build a backpack dome tent. (Be sure to conduct a practice set up and take down drill on your lawn or nearby park – practice makes perfect!)
Whether you’re by yourself or at a family reunion, employ a dome tent for your camping shelter needs regardless of the conditions.
