Tents, what type?

[Eagle732]

Our troop needs to buy new tents so I'd like some input on what type, brand and size tent you use. What do you consider when buying tents? I'm thinking a tent big enough for 2 and maybe 3 if we have an odd number of Scouts would be a good size. Price is a consideration but I'm willing to spend as much as is needed for quality tents. Weight is also a consideration since we have 2 backpacking trips planned this year. At least a 3 season tent is needed since we camp all year and it gets cold here in MD during the winter. So what type of tent do you use and why?

[packsaddle]

This unit has gone with the old standard Eureka two-man Timberline model because of the nearly universal use, utility, price, and spare parts. It is a little heavy for backpacking but manageable, and far better than the stuff we had when I was a boy. Two guys can share it and the cooking stuff so it works out.

[Beavah]

Just depends, eh?

 

I usually advise two-man tents over bigger. Kids go to sleep faster that way, and the tents are too small to "hang out in" rather than get up and about. Also easier and lighter for backpackin'.

 

After that, depends on kids' skills and where you live. I know of one troop that just goes the lightweight tarp route. That can be great except where there's lots of bugs. Temperature shouldn't matter, because tents don't really add much insulation (and when you try to use 'em that way, all you do is trap moisture and make things worse).

 

More important is bein' tough enough for kid use. Extra-strong zippers, solid attachment points and strong stitching. Relative ease of setup is important, since kids will try to "force" things that don't fit, with the usual consequences. And never, ever buy a tent with a fly that you have to seam-seal yourself these days. Look for da factory-done seam tape!

 

Last one is that troops that use tents a lot sometimes make out better when they pay a bit more for a tent from a manufacturer that offers a "lifetime warranty."

 

B

 

[Gold Winger]

I spent a good bit of time last year in an REI half-dome tent. Total weight is about 5.5 bls. The really great thing is that it has two doors, one on each side so when you have to get up at 3 AM to water a rock, you don't have to crawl over your tentmate. :-) I'm going to buy one for myself.

 

 

[hops_scout]

Troop has Timberline 4 Outfitters. Yes, they are expensive, but they are a good tent. I don't know about backpacking weight on them though. The troop just bought 2-person backpacking tents last summer.

 

You also may want to look at Alps Mountaineering. I just got one of their tents for Christmas and I set it up last week. I like it a lot. It's pretty light (4 pounds 12 ounces) and has lots of space. The one I got is a 2 person tent and it's got two vestibules and two doors. Was able to set it up by myself so with 2 people, it should only take a minute or two. They also offer a Scout discount!

[Oak Tree]

I'll echo some of the above comments. Our troop has a mixture of Kelty and Eureka tents. They have the advantage of being relatively cheap and, I suspect, being sturdier because they haven't shaved off every last ounce.

 

I personally would only consider two-man tents, with two doors and two vestibules. I'd stick with the backpacking style - it's good for both front-country and back-country camping. I would not get the smallest sizes - some of our larger Scouts need a roomier two-man tent.

[scoutmomma]

Our troop uses 2-man REI Halfdomes, lightweight and easily divided between two boys for backpacking, with interchangeable parts that can be replaced. In three years, we have had to replace parts, but not tents. We did add several new ones this year to accommodate growing troop interest in backpacking, though -- we used to have about 12-15 Scouts per trip, now it's more like 20-25.

[Eagle732]

Does BSA have a square footage per Scout standard for tents?

Gotta love that REI warrenty. I've bought from them for years and never had a problem with them taking care of a problem.

[hops_scout]

Eagle, I believe it's 30 square feet per Scout, but I'm pretty sure it's only for trips 6 days or longer. Weekend campouts would be okay with smaller tents.

[dan]

Troop uses Eureka 4-man Timberline tents with a vestibule.

 

The 2 man Timberline are pretty small tents.

 

There are different models of the same tent. The one that Gander Mountain carry the 4 man timberline, but the floor are not as thick as fabric and they only have one door on them.

 

We will use the timberlines for backpacking on the less strenuous trips.

With the 2 men timberlines it would be tight for a couple of the bigger scouts to fit in them.

 

Campmor has the 4 man tent for 160.00 dollars the vestibule is extra. it is 8'9" x 7'2"

 

The 2 man tent is 110.00 dollar 7'2" x 5'3".

 

Usually 2 scouts are in a tent, but sometimes they put 3 in when they have an odd numbers or it is cold out.

 

 

 

[Eagle732]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I've decided on the standard Timberline 4 man tent. At 7lbs. 13 oz. it averages to 2 lbs. 8ozs if the weight is divided by three. I plan on 3 Scouts per tent during backpacking trips only, the rest of the time they will sleep 2 per tent. This seems to be the best compromise. The 2 man Timberline would average almost 3 lbs. when divided by two Scouts for backpacking and would be too small for our older Scouts. Thanks again!

[frank10]

We had a few of the 2 man Timberline's... they should have come with a belt as they fit just right on the average scouter.

 

We love the heavy duty 4 man Timberline (the outfitter)Well worth the extra bucks but too heavy for backpacking.