How to choose a tent: size, seasons, freestanding designs and waterproof ratings

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A tent is the biggest single purchase for most new campers, and the choice can be overwhelming. It becomes much simpler once you know how you will use it: car camping at a campsite, backpacking where every gram counts, or something in between.

Capacity: how many people?

Tent capacity tells you how many sleeping mats fit side by side, not how comfortably people live in it. A two-person tent often means two people lying close together, with little room for bags.

For comfort, go one size up: a three-person tent for two people, or a four-person tent for a couple with a child.
Check the floor dimensions against your mat sizes, and the length if you are tall.
Look at the porch (vestibule): the covered space outside the inner tent where boots and bags go. A good porch makes a small tent feel much bigger.
Head height matters for car camping: being able to stand, or at least sit up comfortably, makes wet days bearable.

Seasons

Tents are often described by the seasons they suit:

Three-season tents are the most common. They handle spring, summer and autumn weather, including rain and moderate wind, with mesh panels to reduce condensation.
Four-season tents are built for snow and strong wind: stronger poles, less mesh and a stronger shape. They are heavier and can feel stuffy in summer.
Summer or festival tents are lighter and cheaper, fine in fair weather, but they may not cope with a stormy night.

Most beginners are best served by a solid three-season tent.

Freestanding or not

Freestanding tents hold their shape with their poles alone. You can pitch them on hard ground, move them before pegging, and set them up easily. You still need to peg them down in wind.
Non-freestanding tents (many tunnel tents and trekking-pole shelters) need pegs and guy lines to stand up. They can be lighter and very stable in wind when pitched well, but need ground that holds a peg.
Semi-freestanding designs sit in between.

Inner first or outer first?

Some tents pitch the inner tent first, others the flysheet first, with the inner clipped inside. Flysheet-first (or both together) keeps the inner dry when pitching in rain, which is worth a lot in wet climates.

Waterproof ratings

Tent fabrics are often rated by hydrostatic head, given in millimetres. It describes the height of a column of water the fabric can hold back before water comes through in a lab test, so higher numbers mean more water-resistant fabric. Retailers commonly describe around 1,500 mm as a reasonable standard for a flysheet, with higher figures giving extra margin in heavy, prolonged rain. Groundsheets usually have higher ratings because you kneel and lie on them. Keep in mind that the rating covers only the fabric. Seams, zips, design and pitching matter as much. Taped seams, a flysheet that reaches near the ground and a taut, well-pegged pitch keep you drier than a higher number on a badly designed tent. Wind-driven rain can also push through where a static test would not.

Condensation is not a leak

Damp walls inside a tent in the morning are usually condensation from your breath, not rain coming through. Good ventilation and a double-wall design (a separate inner tent and flysheet) reduce it. More on this in our guide to sleeping warm.

Weight and packed size

Car camping: weight hardly matters, so you can have a big, roomy tent.
Backpacking: every gram counts. Look at the packed weight and size, and remember you can split the tent between two people.

Practise pitching

Pitch your new tent in the garden or a park before the first trip.

Check that all the poles, pegs and guy lines are there.
Time yourself, then do it again; it gets much quicker.
Work out which way the door should face and how the guy lines tension.
Pack it away and note how it folds back into its bag.

If a tent gets packed wet, dry it out fully at home within a day or two, or mould will damage the fabric. What tent do you use, and what would you look for next time? Share your experience or ask for advice in the comments.