What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word "vacation"? Maybe it's something you're missing or something you've wanted to do for a long time but didn't have the strength or self-confidence. In today's world, when time is constantly running out, you need to find time for yourself and spend it to the maximum with benefit. We work to live, not live to work, so it is essential to maintain a reasonable balance between daily worries and favorite activities. There is only one life, so you must choose yourself, not only the material goods that currently rule the world.

Everyone understands rest differently. For some, it is an ordinary walk in the park and reading exciting adventure literature; for others, it is extreme sports or horse riding. Everyone has their interests and preferences in choosing an extracurricular activity. However, when you meet new people, you notice that most of them have one common desire - to travel, see the world, get to know new cultures and values, and develop as a person. And indeed, spanning the world is an invaluable experience, an opportunity to learn more about human existence and each country's history and get many new impressions. People travel for various reasons – from business necessity to their pleasure. Some travel by hitchhiking, some by plane, and some like to travel to exciting locations and want to stay closer to nature. Before starting a new adventure, you should consider everything in detail, find the route, choose the places you would like to visit, and stock up on the appropriate equipment. Unforeseen situations can arise during travel, so emergency supplies should always be at hand.

Recreation in nature, as one of the types of trips in the area, requires special training and skills from a person. It is necessary to understand certain types of poisonous plants that are not available for consumption, to be able to behave with animals, and to know elementary rules of self-defense. However, the first thing you need to buy for such purposes is a tent since it can become your home for the next couple of days or weeks. Therefore, you should approach its choice responsibly and familiarize yourself with the possible types, advantages, and disadvantages. That is why the following will discuss particular kinds of tents, which tent is better to choose for specific purposes, and which one will last the user longer.

Types of tents

Many types of tents are taken with you on vacation, hiking, traveling, etc. When choosing a tent, you need to decide on the area where it will be placed, the time of year, and understand its properties and purpose. In particular, the following types of tents are distinguished, which are used for traveling in flat areas, some tents are taken with them on a hike in the mountains, and others are used for other purposes fishing, hunting, etc.

First, let's find out the types of tents according to their purpose. There are camping, unique, expedition, high-altitude, plain, etc. tents.

Camping tents explain their purpose by the name itself. The peculiarity of this tent is that it is pretty compact and takes up little space in a backpack or suitcase. No family trip is complete without such a tent. It protects well from weather conditions, resembles an ordinary residence, and has everything necessary for life. Such tents are usually quite spacious, have several openings for windows, and you can comfortably stay in them for an extended period. However, they are often expensive and inaccessible to the average person. At the same time, having such a thing in your arsenal, you can forget about constantly booking hotels and apartments and take your "home" with you everywhere.

The next type of tent is those taken with them when traveling flat areas. In general, their functionality does not differ from the previous ones. Inside such a tent, there is enough space to place several sleeping bags and individual belongings of travelers. On the other hand, they are not entirely practical because they are not designed for adverse weather conditions and are unlikely to withstand a strong thunderstorm or lightning strike.

Unlike the previous tents, the tents taken with them on a mountain trip are much stronger and more well thought out. The climate in the mountains is quite unstable, as it can be sunny and rainless at the foot of the hill, but on the way up, there is precipitation in the form of snow and strong wind. Therefore, a rather important characteristic of such a tent should be resistance to any weather conditions. They are also relatively compact and easy to install and disassemble. Inside, they are standard except for their size, as most tents of this type are slightly smaller than others due to their location in the mountainous terrain.

There are also separate tents with a specialized purpose, and they are used by fishermen, hunters, children, etc. Each of these tents corresponds to either a type of human activity or age. Yes, children's tents are smaller but durable and often come in different colors, which appeals to younger travelers. The main feature of military tents is camouflage. They are made either camouflage or swamp green for security purposes. Similarly, tents for hunters it is essential for they to remain unnoticed and not attract the attention of animals.

In addition to the differentiation of tents by purpose, their classification by the number of layers and time of year is quite common. Both criteria are interrelated, as the number of layers also varies depending on whether the trip is in winter or summer. It is logical that the colder the season, the more layers should be in the tent to provide warmth and comfort to the people inside. According to this criterion, tents are divided into those that have one layer, as well as those that have two layers and consist of outer and inner parts. The most popular tent is the double-layer one since it is better for the ventilation system and retains more heat. The disadvantage of such a tent is its larger size and weight. However, it comes with its functions ideally and is quite affordable. Single-layer tents consist only of the outer part, so they have a sound ventilation system. At the same time, this feature gives them an advantage for use during hikes with unstable and sometimes adverse weather conditions. The tents, which have only one layer, are blown less. Therefore they retain more heat and are more stable after installation. Therefore, before choosing a tent based on the number of layers it contains, you need to understand the purpose of its use and possible weather conditions.

Tents, as mentioned earlier, are classified by type and depending on the time of year when it is advisable to use them. Some are used only in the warm season and, accordingly, are designed for high temperatures. Some are more insulated and can last a long time during the cold season or simply at a time when the air temperature is relatively lower. Thus, there are seasonal tents, off-season, i.e., for several seasons (usually summer, early autumn, and spring), and all-season, i.e., which allow use in the cold season. Therefore, after finding out what time of the year to have a vacation, you can safely choose the type of tent that best reflects your needs.

Tents also differ in external shape. I think everyone has seen both round and oblong tents. However, what is their difference? The classic shape of the tent is a semicircle. Such a tent is easy to set up and is one of the most popular and practical. It is compact, does not require additional equipment for its installation on the surface, and can accommodate enough people. Extendable tents are very similar in their characteristics to the previous ones; they are also reasonably practical and have much space inside. However, their main drawback is less stability on the surface. Therefore, it is unlikely to be a good idea to take such a tent on an extreme hike, where there may be various adverse weather conditions. Another type of shape is in the form of a cone. This is one of the oldest types of tents. They can often be seen in films about ancient Egypt when the tent was a place for the emperor to spend the night on a campaign. Such a tent is quite roomy and the easiest to set up because it does not have a lower installation. It should be taken with you when there is not enough time to prepare a shelter for the night and if many people must spend the night in it. There are also tents in the form of a house. They are quite popular; they are not difficult to set up and disassemble, and they accommodate five or more people, so they are practical. However, a significant disadvantage is that they cannot be placed anywhere due to their shape. They need a strong pallet that will restrain it from gusts of wind. Such tents are comparatively cheaper than the previous ones but protect less from various natural phenomena.

What to look at when choosing a tent?

Given that different types of tents are used for various needs, you need to decide on several characteristics that should be in the one you choose. First, you should understand the number of people living in the tent, because it is essential to choose the right size. It is also necessary to know the specific time of the year in which the trip is planned. The type of tent will depend on this - to choose a seasonal or all-season one, for example, and whether to take a tent with insulation or not. Another criterion for choosing a tent is the purpose of its use. Yes, if you want to engage in extreme sports or, for example, understand that the weather may be bad, it is better to choose a single-layer tent, which is specially designed not to allow wind and rain to pass through. Therefore, in each specific case, you must carefully weigh all the pros and cons and choose the tent that will help you when necessary.

Therefore, choosing a tent for traveling is a somewhat responsible mission. Its implementation should be approached with special responsibility and consider all the characteristics of the chosen tent because a properly selected tent is an excellent place to spend a couple of days and a guarantee of your safe night's rest.