As you begin the fun process of acquiring the proper gear for your 11 month missions trip, here are some things to keep in mind when looking for a tent….
FREE STANDING:
You may need to pitch your tent on concrete or some other hard surface (like the desert) that won’t really take a stake. Therefore, you want a free standing tent. This means you will be able to pitch your tent so it stands without being staked into the ground. The poles will tension themselves against a loop or grommet on the bottom of the tent. Below are pictures one a free standing tent and another picture of the same tent with the rain fly on.
Just as you want a free standing tent, you will also want a rain fly or vestibule that does not need to be staked to the ground. Most tents are going to have a separate rain fly that comes with it, a lot of those will need to be staked out to the ground. That’s doable, you can tie the rain fly out to some bricks or to something, but it’s easier if it can be totally free standing.
SIZE
You will want a 2-person tent. (For married couples, go with a 3 person tent) This should minimize weight while still giving you enough space for you and your pack. I’ve seen people make it work with a 1-person tent, but I wouldn’t be excited about it.
WEIGHT
Pay attention to it. When I was originally shopping for my tent, I would not have thought to look at how much it weighs. You’re going to carry this thing around the world and you’re going to have to make weight on some international flights. The less your tent weighs the more underwear (or souvenirs) you can pack. I would aim for a tent 5 pounds or less.
FOOTPRINT
You’re going to want some sort of tarp to go under your tent. This keeps the tent floor from ripping if you’re on a hard or abrasive surface. You can find a footprint specifically made for whatever tent you buy (sometimes you get it for free depending on who you’re ordering from).
BRANDS
Some common brands that people purchase are: REI, Kelty, and Marmot. Now that the summer season has wrapped up, this is a great time to start looking for a tent on clearance. You can find some great deals on Craig’s List or Ebay as well.
