The Different Styles Of Tents Available Today
By Ian Wide, Fri Dec 9th

The dictionary defines a tent as 'a portable shelter usually ofcanvas or other cloth stretched over poles or supports andfastened to the ground with pegs and ropes'. That definitioncovers a wide variety of structures in many sizes, shapes andstyles. Whether you're looking for family shelter on a campingtrip, a pavilion for a wedding or a beach canopy, there's a tentto suit your needs.

When choosing a tent for camping, you'll need to consider how itwill be used, how it will be carried, how many people will besleeping in it, and how easy it will be to set up. The followingdescriptions of broad styles of tents should help you decidewhat kind of tent is best for your trip.

FRAME TENTS - Frame tents aregenerally regarded as an older style of tent. They use aluminumor steel poles to form a frame over which the tent cloth,usually canvas, is draped. The newer styles are often made ofcotton or a synthetic fabric with fiberglass frames. Frame tentscan be elaborately designed and offer a great deal of room andstructure inside. The biggest disadvantage is that they areoften difficult to erect.

DOME TENTS - Dome tents are among the most popular styles. Domeconstruction is used in tents as simple as children's bed tents.They generally consist of a fabric tent and flexible fiberglassor plastic tent 'poles' that slip through sleeves in the fabric.The poles are shaped by the fabric and give the tent itsrigidity. They're easy to set up and collapse, lightweight, andoften offer a great deal of head room and comfort. Their majordisadvantage

is that they may be unstable in high winds.

GEODESIC TENTS - Geodesic tents are a variation of dome tents,modified for improved stability. They are framed and set up thesame way, but the framing poles cross and interconnect atvarious points for strength and stability. The advantages arethe same as those offered by dome tents, though they may be abit more difficult to set up.

EXPEDITION TENTS - Also known as touring tents, these tentsgenerally combine a ridge and dome tent into one. They are ideal'settling in' tents, and often include a large 'porch' area forshade and shelter. They will often have windows as well.Expedition tents are roomy and comfortable, and designed toallow easy standing inside.

FAMILY TENTS - family tentsare composite tents that usually include sleeping compartmentson either side of a central living area. The main tent area maybe either ridge construction or dome construction. The sideareas allow privacy for sleeping.

FESTIVAL TENTS - For special occasions like a wedding or largeparty, festival tents can provide shelter from the weather forguests. Generally, they are rented by the day for the event, andare often assembled by the rental company. They're available ina wide variety of colors and styles to fit any event and mostbudgets.

BEACH TENTS - Beach tents come in almost as many varieties astents themselves. Most are lightweight, of ripstop nylon andfiberglass pole construction. The newest are 'pop-up' tents thatstore flat and open out in seconds to a full size shelter fromthe sun and weather.

About the author:Ian Wide contributes to several leisure and habby sitesincluding tents and campingequipment.