The idea of tenting for some people sounds like a stressful event. The hassle of pitching their shelter is one of the main drawbacks. When you head out to great outdoors, you don’t want to waste your valuable time reading complicated instructions on how to use the tent poles.
There is a solution to this problem, though, a pop-up tent. Pop up tents are ideal for the minimalist campers who just want to get out and explore their world. The instant tent is just as their name implies; they easily pop up when you release the band that has been holding it in the bag.
There is no other set up required, other than to stake it to the ground. It will take only a minute to have your shelter ready to use, leaving you lots of time to get out and discover the area.
Advantages of the Pop Up Tent
The pop up is not only easy to set up, but it is also lightweight so you can carry it into the backcountry camping. If you like to hike and the tent where ever you find a suitable place to settle in for the evening, the pop up is lightweight enough to strap to your back.
With the compact, lightweight design of these tents, you are left with more room to bring additional supplies. These tents are not only ideal for those get-away campsites, but they also work perfectly for an outing to a festival if you choose these types of events.
The weight and size of the pop up don’t mean it can’t stand up to the elements of weather. Almost all instant tents provide protection from UV rays, which is a real bonus during those blazing, sunny hot summer days.
These tents can also give you protection from the rain if you’ve chosen one that is water-resistant with a thick floor. All tents are subject to wind forces, and all must be secured to the ground with pegs and stakes to help keep them in place.
A popup tent is generally designed to be compact and lightweight, so the space inside one is limited. The ideal number of people who can sleep in a popup tent comfortably is one or two.
If there are more than two people in your tenting group, you may want to upgrade to a hybrid pop up which will come with built-in poles and larger sizes.
Different Tent Styles for Different Situations
Your tent will provide you the most basic needs during camping- shelter. Tents also come in a wide variety of options.
You can find the small, ultra-light, pop up tent designed to handle all weather elements to the multi-room tent considered fit for a king, or a small family.
You can find a tent in all shapes and sizes, and there is no tent that will fit all the solutions. The tent you choose is one unique to how you like to camp, what type of whether you want to prepare for, and how many will be tenting with you.
These are nine different types of tents to choose from:
1. Dome tents
Dome tents are very common and have two poles that cross each other in the center, bend down, and reach into the corner of the tent. These tents have rainfly placed over them for added protection from the weather.
While it is not a ‘pop up’ tent by definition, the dome tent is relatively easy to set up.
2. Wedged tents
Wedge tents are not as popular as they once were and are becoming less and less used by tenters. These tents are shaped like a wedge or a capital A and include poles and ropes to set up. These tents are somewhat simple to pitch and come in all sizes.
3. Multi-room tents
This type of tent is just what they imply, in that they are divided into separate rooms for added privacy. Some multi-room tents have only two individual rooms, while others can have up to five-room separations inside.
The multi-room tent is much larger, making it heavier, and they are somewhat difficult to pitch. It will require more than one person to set up a multi-room tent.
4. Backpacking tents
Backpacking tents are often a form of pop up tents (although there are models that do not pop up) and have been designed to be ultra-lightweight. These tents are typically low profile design made from durable materials, making them ready for almost all weather conditions.
5. Geodesic tents
Geodesic is the next step up from the dome tent as it offers more stability and support. The tent poles on this tent cross over multiple times and intersect to form a triangle.
These tents are more stable in wind and other weather conditions. These tents are not as easy to pitch as the dome tent and much more difficult than the instant tent.
6. Pop up tents
Pop ups are new to the tenting world, but are growing in popularity as they are have spring-loaded poles which ‘pop’ into place within just seconds. They are extremely easy to set up, convenient, and lightweight.
The pop up tent is great for those spur of the moments camping trips or festivals, but if you are a more serious camper, you should consider the geodesic or dome tent.
7. Tunnel tents
Tunnels are much like the dome tent, except they form more of a tunnel shape instead of the dome shape. They are made stable with guy lines, stakes, and it’s pole structure. There are several attachment points with setting up this tent, which can make it a challenge to pitch.
8. Inflatable tents
An inflatable tent is another new idea to come to the camping world. The tent is even constructed with inflatable poles instead of the standard tent poles. You would need an air pump to pitch this tent, and depending on their manufacturer, their durability and how they stand up in weather will vary.
9. TeePee tents
TeePee tents are a cone-shaped tent with central support. The tent material is draped around the center with guy lines used for support. These tents are somewhat easy to pitch but often do not come with any flooring material.
So, the options available for heading out tenting are numerous. How you will camp and who you will camp with greatly influence the type of tent you will need.
The pop up tent is the best choice for one to two people who want to set out on a hiking adventure or who enjoy attending festivals.
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