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Camping Main Page

GEAR TIPS

This page contains a collection of information on both how to buy outdoor gear, and tips for using camping gear. Enjoy!

ALL ABOUT TENTS

The first thing one has to determine is what the tent is going to be used for. The 5 main categories of tents are:

Lightweight 3 season tents intended for backpacking / cycling/climbing/etc. These usually have lots of interior meshing, lightweight fabrics and low interior space, weight conscious,designs.  Ultra-light tents take this idea to the extreme making ridiculously lightweight three season tents with minimalist interior space and design and ultra-light fabrics.

Slightly heavier 3 season tents intended primarily for paddle sports but also fine for car camping and manageable for hiking

Season convertible tents designed to be able to take heavy wind and snow, but with enough breathablity options and lightweight enough such that they can be used for 3 season backpacking as well

4 Season convertible tents designed to be able to take heavy wind and snow, but with enough breathablity options and lightweight enough such that they can be used for 3 season backpacking as well

4 Season Expedition tents. These tents are designed to take the worst that Mother Nature has to offer. They are too heavy (due to their robust design and thick fabrics/poles) and not well enough ventilated to take on a lightweight backpacking summer trip.

Large family tents designed for car camping or base camping offer lots of room and comfortable features.

NUMBER OF PEOPLE & SIZE

From ultralight solo tents to large family tents, each tent is designed to fit a certain number of people. However, depending on how much interior space you feel you want you may want to disregard the claimed number of people. For instance, several “2 man” tents are in fact 5 feet wide. An average self inflating matt is 20” wide so you can in fact just fit three 20” mats in a 2 man tent, thus getting the per person shelter weight under 2 pounds. Likewise one might like to have extra room and thus get a tent that is larger than they need. Also, different models of tents have different amounts of head room and room for gear inside the tent. Obviously, the more room you need inside, the heavier the tent is going to be. Although many tents are cut with a rectangular floor, some tents will have a tapered floor with less foot room than headroom and others will have a hexagonal cut in order to put gear in the sides.

POLES

There are two main materials that poles are made out of: fiberglass and aluminum. Fiberglass poles are usually cheaper; however, they are heavier and much more susceptible to breaking, even under common usage. Aluminum poles are lighter and stronger but more expensive. Different tents have different thicknesses of the poles, which corresponds to their strength and as such a 4 season tent will have thicker poles than a 3 season. Note that not all aluminum is of the same quality, some manufactures are better than others.
The number of poles required in the tents design greatly affects the overall weight of the tent. Extra poles for stability or to hold out the vestibules, while useful, are heavy.

SINGLE WALL vs DOUBLE WALL

A standard tent has two layers of material (double wall). The outermost layer is the waterproof one and generally is not breathable. The inner layer is a lightweight breathable layer comprised of nylon or meshing (usually sections of both). As such, the warm moist air we breath out goes through the breathable layer and then when it comes in contact with the cold waterproof layer condensation forms on the inside of the tent fly. However, it means that the inner layer doesn’t get as damp. Also it allows for some of the air to breathe out through the gaps at the bottom of the tent in between the waterproof fly and the breathable tent body. This allows the inside of the tent to remain dry. A single wall tent however only has the only layer - the waterproof one. The advantage is weight and the disadvantage is worse breathability and condensation. To compensate for the disadvantages, manufactures put pull out sections in the material that one pegs out which has breathable meshing underneath it to allow for decent breathing.

WATERPROOFING

The waterproofing ability of a tent is rated by an objective test. Essentially the fabric is stretched out and a column of water is placed on the fabrics. How much water the fabric can sustain without water dripping through in 60 seconds is referred to as the millimeter rating of the tent. Backcountry standards are 600mm on the fly and 1000 on the floor. Every tent we sell will meet or considerably surpass those numbers. Tents that are less likely to saturate and therefore leak under prolonged exposure to considerable wetness will have a higher millimeter rating.
Any of the main seams in the fly or floor of the tent will be taped with a polyurethane tamping to prevent water from leaking through the seams. There are a bunch of parts that are tricky to seam seal (see the How to use section on tents) that some of the nicer tents will manage to actually tape. If these area’s are not taped one should apply seam seal to them.

TENT MATERIALS

Floor: In general the floor of a tent is made out of nylon. Nylon is very resistant to punctures and is lightweight and as such is ideally suited for the bottom of tents. Some inexpensive car camping tents have tarpaulin polyethylene flooring. This type of flooring is still completely waterproof however it becomes brittle over time and can then tear or puncture easily.
Body: The body of the tent is usually made out of a mixture of breathable lightweight nylon and meshing. The nylon affords excellent strength to weight while being very breathable to eliminate condensation decently. The meshing, however, is far better in terms of breathability and as such one will find less condensation on a tent with lots of meshing. The down side of lots of meshing is that the tent will be colder.  On some tents, particularly 4 season convertible tents, there will be panels which have breathable meshing with a zip up nylon covering. The advantage is that you can control the amount of breathability depending on outside conditions such as temperature and humidity; however, such panels add extra weight.
Fly: Tent flies are made of either nylon or polyester. In general polyester is the better product in terms of being more resistant to ultraviolet damage and stretches less over time. A waterproof coating will be applied to the nylon or polyester.
Waterproofing materials:  There are two main products that are used to waterproof your tent fly: polyurethane and silicone. A polyurethane coasted fly is most common and provides excellent waterproofing, durability and strength. Siliconized nylon on the other hand is considerably lighter. The silicone allows the nylon fibers to run against each other better and thus thinner fibers can be used.  It is decently strong against tearing, but relatively easily punctured.  Some tents such as the Seedhouse/Parkview series by Big Agnes have materials that are siliconized nylon on one side and polyurethane on the other making for an optimal combination of weight and strength.

VESTIBULES

A vestibule is a section of the tent fly which extends beyond the main tent body. It serves as a place to store gear and as an “air lock” where you can take off boots, jackets, etc.. without getting rain or snow inside the tent body. On a large family tent, the vestibule can be large enough to accommodate a few chairs in order to provide a waterproof area to hang out in the rain. Often on the larger tents the doors and sides have mosquito netting so that one can sit inside the vestibule relatively bug proof. In many of the tents designed for paddling, where weight is not too much of an issue, there will be an extra pole to hold out the vestibule to make it decently large. A four season tent will also usually have a small extra pole in the vestibule so that the vestibule is capable of holding snow loads. However, in a backpacking tent, the vestibules usually just stake out in order to give an optimal weight for vestibule space ratio.

CLIPS vs SLEEVES

The poles will be attached to the tent body either via plastic clips or nylon sleeves. Clips are much easier to use and give a faster set up and takedown time. Clips can snap over time although this rarely happens. Sleeves, while more cumbersome, distribute the force of the wind over a large area whereas clips only distribute the weight a couple points. Thus sleeves are less likely to rip under wind or snow loads. Combinations of sleeves and clips try to make the best of both options by distributing weight at the top where it matters most and putting clips for easy set up/take down nearer the bottom.

TENT DESIGN

There are a plethora of different tent designs all of which optimize different things. One large distinction to be made is that of free standing vs non freestanding tents. In the former, the pole system allows the tent to stand without the use of pegging it out. In the latter, the structural support of the tent is dependant on the tent being stakes out and results in weaker response in high wind conditions.
The structural design of a tent varies the amount of interior space, number and size of the doors and vestibules and the tents response to weather. In general, a pole structure that has the poles criss-crossing at multiple points is better capable of sustaining heavy wind or snow loads.

EASE OF SETUP

Some tents are much easier to setup than others. The number of poles, whether they use clips or sleeves and the amount of pegging required all affects the setup time.

TIPS FOR USING TENTS

Pegging: 
Most tents are designed to be pegged out at numerous points. More than just the necessary spots to hold out a vestibule, the pegs at the bottom of the fly on the sides of the tent and the higher guy out points part way up the tent should all be pegged out. The advantages are threefold.
Firstly, keeping the tent fly taught allows water to run down the fly easier, keeping it more waterproof and eliminating spots where water might pool. Furthermore, it keeps the fly completely over the tent body so that rain cannot get to the non waterproofed sections of the tent body.
Secondly, having a space between the tent body and the fly allows air to flow between these two layers to increase ventilation and decrease condensation keeping you drier. Thirdly, pegging out the tent prevents poles from bending and material from stretching under the wind preventing possible damage.
Many tents have a Velcro or tying system underneath the guy out points to attach the tent fly directly to the pole system. This should be done and results that the pole system becomes more rigidly in place as the poles are directly connected to the guy outs going to the ground.
When a tent manufacture puts a guy out point on a tent they intend for it to be used; however, some of the guy out points are only truly needed in higher winds. The most critical guy out points that should be done even in no rain no wind weather are the ones to stake out the fly and the ones at the bottom of the fly in the middle of the sides without doors (this allows for ventilation).  In other situations, the corners, and guy out points half way up the fly along the pole system (and middle of panels) should all be pegged out to optimize water flow, wind protection and ventilation.
When placing a peg, forming a 90 degree angle between the cord and the peg makes the peg least likely to pull out. The cord goes up 45 degrees from the ground and the peg 45 degrees into the ground.  Pegs shaped like a V or T hold better (albeit more expansive and usually don’t come standard with the tents) than round pegs, which also have a tendency to bend under duress.

WATERPROOFING

Any tent you purchase from us will be waterproof. That said, as time (and ultraviolet rays) break down the materials, tents can lose their waterproofing. We sell a silicone based waterproofing spray (or rub in) product that can be applied to increase the waterproofing on the tents fly and floor. If you tent is at the point where the polyurethane or silicone waterproofing it came with no longer holds up, you will have to reapply the silicone spray probably every season.
Any tent we sell will have the seams in the fly and floor covered with a polyethylene taping to provide waterproofing. If this should ever peal off, or if your tent has seams that have not been taped then you should apply a seam sealing product to the seams to prevent water from working its way through the seams. It is very difficult to tape a seam which is at say a 90 degree angle as is sometimes found in the bottom corners of the tent. Sometimes along zippers in the vestibule the seams arn’t taped. Places on the underside of the fly where Velcro or ties have been attached to the main tent body to attach to the pole structure are usually not taped. All of these places should have seam seal applied to prevent leaking. The seam seal should be reapplied consistently as it will wear off over time.

INTERNAL SUPPORT

Near the top of many dome style tents, on the inside, there are small loops to attach cords to. These can be used to put up a gear loft so that one can hang things from the top of the tent. In addition, if one tightly ties two lightweight nylon cords diagonally across the top of the dome, it increases the structural support of the tent, as the poles cannot flex as much in the wind.

UV

Ultraviolet rays break down tent materials and unfortunately there is no easy way to get around it. Polyester flies are better in general for UV than nylon flies, and many manufactures design the waterproof polyurethane coatings to be UV resistant; however, prolonged exposure will still result in damage to the fabrics resulting in weak fabrics that are easily torn and are no longer as waterproof. The best prevention is simply to put a tarp over the tent, or to set it up in a shady area if you are going to be leaving it up for a prolonged period of time.  As the fabrics become worn down, more attention to pegging and re-waterproofing with silicone spray is essential.

GROUND SHEET

Although the floor of any tent we sell is waterproof, it is still definitely recommended to put a ground sheet underneath any tent simply due to longevity. When placed directly on the ground, abrasions from rocks or sticks can puncture or remove the waterproofing from a portion of the tent floor. While many manufactures supply custom fit groundsheets, a cheap blue PE tarpaulin (although not lightweight) will work, or one can cut plastic from our garden center to size as well.  One should always fold or cut the ground sheet so that it doesn’t protrude from underneath the bottom of the tent as, when it rains, this will cause water to potentially pool under the tent.

TENT CARE

After use the tent should be allowed to air dry before being put away to prevent mold from growing in trapped moisture. Especially if used near salt water the tent should be washed down with fresh water so that all dirt and salt is removed before allowed to air dry (hang, not in direct sunlight). When packaging the tent into its bag, one should not try to precisely fold the tent on the exact same lines every time as this will create weak spots in the waterproofing. When packing the tent so that it will not be used for a while it is good practice to put it into a large container than the bag it comes with, so as to prevent permanent wrinkles that degrade the waterproofing and store it in a cool dry place to prevent mold.

CONDENSATION

Warm air is capable of holding more water than cold air, so when we breathe warm moist air out and it hits the cold air on the other side of the tent wall water droplets form on the inside of the tent. The result is that the whole inside of the tent can be wet when you wake up, even if there hasn’t been a drop of rain. The most important thing to do to deal with this is to peg out the fly sheet properly as this allows for a gap between the breathable tent body and the unbreathable fly for air to flow through. The angle at which you peg out the fly controls how much air flow occurs. Pegged to yield a lot of space between the fly and the tent body allows it to breathe well, while pegging it close keeps the tent warmer. If your tent has sections of zip off nylon material with bug netting underneath, open it up. One can open the bottom zipper of the vestibules up a little bit to allow air to enter and leave the vestibule easily. On the flip side, the more open the ventilation panels are the cooler it is inside the tent.

SLEEPING BAGS

Unfortunately, choosing a temperature rating in a bag can be slightly tricky as our psychological perception of being warm when we wake up at 4:00 am has more to do with body weight, metabolism and how much water and food we have in us than it does with the temperature rating of the bag.  A bag that is fine for one person at a given temperature is not necessarily fine for another person at the same temperature. Furthermore, the temperature rating represents an average of the lowest temperature that people remain comfortable at.
As such, we generally recommend getting a bag rated several degrees lower than the coldest temperature rating that you expect to be out in. If you feel you are a cold sleeper, perhaps as a result of low body weight or metabolism, then a lower rated bag then the actual temperature you will be out in is definitely recommended.  Furthermore, the amount of clothes that are expected to be worn in a 0 C bag is different from that of a -10 C bag. In -10 C, long underwear and a toque are minimum requirements for wearing to bed.

SHAPE

There are 3 main shapes that sleeping bags are made in:
Rectangular:
A rectangular bag is  generally large and roomy, providing lots of interior space to move around in. However, the extra space means extra weight for the same temperature rating and usually takes longer to warm up due to the excess bulk that needs to be heated.
Mummy:
A mummy style sleeping bag is much smaller and is contoured to fit close to your body. The result is a bag which doesn’t have any more weight than it needs and keeps you very warm as the insulation is always right next to your body. The intention is that when you roll over or move, the bag moves with you and some people find this claustrophobic. In addition a mummy bag comes with an encompassing hood to keep your head warm. Many mummies are available in ladies and men’s fit to accommodate the different body types.
Tapered or barrel:
A tapered or barrel bag is a compromise between a rectangular and mummy bag. They usually still come with a hood, albeit not as encompassing a hood as a mummy style, and they will still narrow at the feet. However, there is still a lot more internal space to be able to move around in than a mummy. Weight and quickness to warm up is, logically, in between that of a rectangular or mummy style bag.
Size
Different bags have different lengths and girths and as such are ideally suited for different people. For tall people many bags are available in a long version.

FILLS

The insulation in sleeping bags can be made out many different materials all with different properties. It is important to pick a insulation with properties that suit the activities it will be used for.

Regular Synthetics:
Synthetic fill such a Quadratherm or Thinsulite give very respectable weight to warmth ratio and provide excellent warmth for the value. Different synthetic fills are better or worse in terms of weight for warmth and their longevity, but in general synthetics are worse than down fills.
Hyrdophobic Fills:
A hydrophobic fill such as Primaloft or Polarguard Delta are synthetic fills whose fibers naturally repel water. Both of these fills have excellent warmth for weight ratios and tend to maintain their temperature rating even while damp.  Note that damp conditions in a tent can arise from high outside humidity, condensation, respiration and perspiration, therefore resulting in a damp sleeping bag even if it isn’t raining or wet outside. Bags made out of hydrophobic fills are recommended for most usages on the west coast. Longevity is not as good as down. 
Down:
A down fill offers impressive weight for warmth ratios, are long lasting and have lots of loft (or bulk) to the sleeping bag therefore feeling very comfortable. However they are expensive and their response to water -even high humidity- is abysmal. Down fills are rated in terms of their warmth to weight ratio by a rating system refered to as fill power. A 500 fill power bag is at the low end while an 800+ fill power bag is at the high end. Price goes up with the fill power.
Hybrid;
A few innovative companies like Big Agnes make a hybrid fill to combine the best of both worlds. This will consist of lightweight and lofty down surrounded by a water repelling fill such as Primaloft.

LINING & SHELL MATERIALS

The exterior lining of a bag is usually made of nylon or polyester. Polyester is the stronger of the two materials, and thus if the bag is made out of a nylon shell it is recommended to make sure it is a rip stop nylon. Both materials will feel quite slippery, but respond well in wet conditions and are very lightweight. For car campers, cotton shelled bags are also available. Note that cotton is very hydrophilic and absorbs moisture cooling you.  Some bags have their nylon or polyester shells impregnated with polyurethane or other waterproofing material to create a water resistant or waterproof exterior. This usually adds to price and weight.
The interior lining is what is directly against the skin and as such different materials will feel more or less comfortable. 100% nylon or polyester has excellent water response and weight, however can feel clammy when you perspire. 100% cotton bags have abysmal water response and will actually cool you down in damp conditions (from humidity, perspiration etc..) and are heavier to boot. However, they feel like the cotton sheets you are probably used to. Cotton/Polyester blends try to make the best of both worlds by feeling nice, but not having enough cotton in them to absorb too much moisture from the air. Pongee is an alternative synthetic used in many bags that has the same water response as polyester, however feels nicer to the touch and as such makes an ideal choice for many people.

WEIGHT

Most of the other things mentioned above directly affects the packaged weight of the bag. For example, different fills and variations on the size of the bag directly affect the weight. With sleeping bags there seams to be a triangle of weight, warmth and price. It is usually quite easy to get 2 of those 3, but getting a cheap light warm bag can be difficult. We at Capital Iron try to provide good compromises at each of the various temperature ratings.

OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FOR

Extra insulation along the zipper to prevent heat from seeping out the zipper
A draft collar to prevent heat from escaping where your shoulders narrow to your neck.
A hood with a draw cord to cinch it around your head
A compression sack so that the bag can be compressed smaller than just a normal stuff bag
As the insulation underneath you often will simply compress down and be relatively ineffective, Big Agnes has come out with a series of sleeping bags that instead of insulation along the bottom, they provide a sleeve from which one slides a Big Agnes insulated Air Core pad to provide the bottom insulation.

TIPS FOR USING YOUR SLEEPING BAG

·        Cleaning:
Most standard space filling insulations suffer poorly when placed in a washing machine with an agitator. Many of them however are fine by themselves in a large front loading washing machine on a cold cycle, and hung to dry.  Washing a bag in the bath tub with cold water is often better. Read the specific washing instructions of your bag to see what is best. For down bags, there are wash in products available to rejuvenate the loft of the down.

·        Storing
To maintain the loft, and therefore warmth, of your bag it is important to not store the bag compressed. Either hang it in a closet or put it in a large bag such as a garbage bag, but don’t leave it compressed. Make sure after use that it is left to air dry before being put away as moisture trapped in the bag will grow mold and bacteria cultures that will break down the insulation. Store in a cool, dry area out of reach of rodents.

·        Liners
To prevent you from having to wash your bag every time you use it but to keep it clean, people will use a liner that can be washed separately. Made out of Cotton, Pongee or Silk, the liners are lightweight and comfortable against the skin. Note that Cotton will absorb moisture out the air or from perspiration and therefore actually makes you colder than without it. Liners usually only add a degree or two to the temperature rating.

·        Bivy Sacks
Bivy sacks can be used to provide a waterproof/breathable shell for the sleeping bag. They are often used in conjunction with a tent in wet conditions such as snow camping, but can also be used in place of a tent. For the latter use, a bivy sack with a small pole structure at the head for breathability is an excellent way to shave pack weight.

·        Emergancy Blanket
Throwing an emergency blanket underneath your sleeping pad serves the dual purpose of reflecting your bodies radiation back upwards and preventing moisture from coming up through the bottom of a less than waterproof tent. Incredibly lightweight and cheep they are also perfect to stick in a day bag for emergency use.

·        Keeping Clothes Warm/Dry
Even in a mummy bag, many people have a little bit of extra room near the bottom of their sleeping bag. One can put the shirts and socks and other clothes that might be worn the next day in the bottom of the sleeping bag to make sure they will be warm and dry in the morning. Be mindful that if you put something that is wet down there, although it will probably dry out, that moisture will largely remain in the sleeping bag and cool you down. Lining the inside of the bag with things like fleece also increases the temperature rating