When it comes to camping gear, you have no scarcity of options. Depending on your budget, destination and the type of adventure you want, you can choose from a variety of bed tents, camping tents, standard tents and sleeping bags. Despite all these, an area where most people get confused is choosing between camping bed tents and standard tents.
As it happens, both of them have their own bright and not-so-bright sides. Of course, if you make the wrong choice, that could impact your overall camping experience as well. That’s why it makes sense to understand which one is better before you make the final call. In this article, we’ve done a quick comparison of camping bed tents and standard tents. Let’s get started with the basic introduction to both.
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Standard Tent vs Camping Bed Tent
Standard tents refer to the common type of tents that we have been seeing for quite a few decades. It has been used by campers across the world for quite some time. depending on the purpose, however, the design of the tent may vary a bit. At the core, you are looking at a tent that can house a single person in most of the cases. However, nowadays, you also get tents that can easily be folded and carried around. Portability, like almost every other product in the world, was applicable in the growth of tents as well.
Camping Bed Tents are a result of the need for convenience. Now, we talked about portability as an added feature in most products. Here, however, we are looking at a tent that has been optimized for camping. But the most important part of a camping tent is the included sleeping cot. It means you have a dedicated space that you can use for sleeping, instead of sleeping on the floor or some other material. In most products, the space is given some extra ground support for convenient sleeping as well.
Now that you know the basic things, shall we check out the major differences?
The Advantages of a Camping Bed Tent
As you have noticed, a camping bed tent is an advanced form of standard tent. Now, let’s look at the major reasons why a lot of people prefer a camping bed tent to a normal tent.
- Convenience is one of the major reasons why people recommend camping bed tents over the normal type of tents. As we said earlier, these tents normally have dedicated space for sleeping and storage options. This will be helpful if you are looking for long-term camping needs.
- Camping bed tents are also considered more weather-friendly by design. These tents have a design with sufficient vents and air flow. This means you will have no trouble in using the same tent during winter and summer and on most of the terrains.
- Extended Support is given for the bed-rest and storage. This means the things you keep inside a tent, including yourself, will be safe from the ground. For instance, even if it rains, you will be kept away from the flow of water.
- Added Safety is also another reason why many people go for a camping bed tent instead of the usual tents. This is also one of the reasons why camping bed tents are considered a companion for almost every camper.
In addition, you may have extra features for storage and convenience too. I mean, it’s good to have a camp tent that lets you keep everything you want at a safe yet accessible distance, right?
The Potential Problems
There aren’t any noticeable issues with camping bed tents as such. At least not when you are comparing the major features. However, compared to normal tents, camping bed tents are more expensive. The prices may escalate further if you are looking for additional features and more portable designs. Also, because they have these many features, camping bed tents are bulky in size as well.
The Bottom Line
We hope you were able to make the right pick between camping bed tents and standard tents. If you ask us, we would recommend going for camping bed tents, despite the extra money you have to pay. At the end of the day, you are getting safety, convenience and customizability — which matter a lot when you’re camping.
Choosing a camping tent is tricky. Here’s how to do it right!
Whether you have your mindset on a regular tent or a camping bed tent, you should always take your time when placing your order. If you cannot figure out which will meet your family’s needs the most, we recommend you rent a few kinds and go camping. When faced to choose a camping tent, we advise you to think about the following aspects thoroughly:
How many people will use the tent?
Even if you look at a 4-person tent, you should never stick with it for your family of four—you won’t have enough space. At most, three people will sleep there, but two people will benefit from it the most.
We’re trying to say that a four-person tent will be a tight fit for four persons. They won’t have space for baggage, gear, etc. If you’re a family of four, you should definitely look for a six-person tent. You will have enough room for sleeping, storage space for clothes, gear, etc.
When you decide the size of the tent, you have to consider the number of people using the tent and the gear you will want to store inside. Don’t forget about your height as tall people will need more inches than medium height people.
When and where will you use it?
A summer tent will be made of lightweight material and have excellent ventilation. The chances are it won’t withstand inclement weather. On the other hand, you need a winter tent if you go camping in the winter. The three-season tent won’t do.
If you only go camping in fair weather, you don’t need the toughest tent with the utmost protection against inclement weather. Since the mountains have their weather and a sunny day can quickly become rainy, you should at least have a backup plan for rainy weather.
Take a look at the material
A tent made from canvas is waterproof for some time, but it’s heavy once it becomes wet. It’s a durable option that takes intense hiking. Tents made of polyester and nylon are waterproof, but the sun will decrease their resistance. You should always examine the polyester/nylon tent to see if the seams are sealed—it’s a feature for waterproofness.
Good tents are made with rip-stop fabric and have sturdy tent poles. You can replace the tent poles with some you like better. Don’t forget to check out the zippers on the tent. You want zippers that don’t snag, don’t rust, or break in the middle of the camping trip. As for the fly, seek that it’s made with waterproof nylon or polyurethane with a silicone coating. Look for a fly covering the entire tent, doors, and windows for the best protection against the rain.
Is it easy to pitch out?
Almost all tents look great in the shop and many campers forget about one thing: how long does it take to pitch the tent? Will you need your whole family’s help to set it up?
When you go camping, the last thing you want is to spend more hours than anticipated setting up the tent. The scenario is even worse when your family of four includes two children who won’t help much.
We advise you to pick a tent and look on YouTube for a video showing how to set it up (or at least something similar).
Examine the ventilation inside the tent
Waking up in a damp tent is not great, no matter how comfortable you are in your camping bed tent. If the ventilation inside the tent is poor, you, your clothes, and everything else are damp due to condensation inside.
With ventilation, two aspects are crucial to check out:
- The tent should have available ventilation even with the rain fly on
- The vents should be well-placed to reduce condensation
Take a look at the flooring
You will need a thick solid floor made of durable materials for your tent. It has to protect you and your belongings from moisture that might seep in; use a footprint for best results. The footprint is a piece of fabric/tarp that you place under the tent to protect it from the ground.
When you buy the tent, you might also have the possibility to buy the matching footprint. The footprint is rugged and protects the bottom of the tent against abrasions.
Are there any additional features?
Some people only like camping in style, so they will look for features that improve comfort. Other campers don’t mind the essential comfort, so they’re happy with what they get. Regardless of which direction you want to go, we recommend you examine the following aspects:
- It should have at least two doors
- Seek that it has windows—they’re crucial for ventilation
- Storage pockets are unique as they reduce the clutter inside the tent and help you find what you need quickly
- A good size for the awning as it protects against the elements
- Ability to buy accessories to improve the tent’s abilities
How heavy is it?
Bells and whistles aside, don’t forget to see just how heavy the camping tent is, especially if you need to carry it. Even if a large tent is excellent for your family, it will be cumbersome to carry. The last thing you want is to spend the high dollar on a perfect tent that you cannot fit on the roof rack.
What’s your budget?
Luckily for campers out there, the market is very generous so that you can find excellent camping tents at competitive rates. The prices cover a wide range, so you shouldn’t struggle to find a good camping tent if you’re shopping on a limited budget. Remember, though, that it’s worth paying the extra buck now; you won’t buy a new camping tent any time soon. Cheap tents are cheap for a reason, so don’t sacrifice your family’s comfort and safety for a few bucks.
If you plan to camp in the harshest weather (ice, snow, and high winds), you shouldn’t start by checking the price tag. You should wait until you can afford a tough, long0lasting, weatherproof, and dependable camping tent.
