You want to go camping. You want a weekend like the commercials. You want the dog running through the water, the pretty girl or boy at your side, and your buddies sharing stories around the campfire. You better have the right tent. A 2 man tent is too small, and even though you think you’re close to your friends. You’re not that close. You might love your significant other, but two days spent in extremely close quarters can wear on any relationship. Halitosis is no joke, especially in the woods. To be comfortable and happy, 4 man tents are the way to go.
Tent manufacturers are notorious about over estimating a tents capacity. 4 man tents are perfect for two average sized people. 4 man tents generally have four to five feet of headroom and at least an 80 square foot footprint. That’s plenty of room for two people and all their gear.
Bigger means harder to put together, right? Not necessarily. Tent technology has come a long way since your Grandfather’s day. Gone are the cumbersome A-frames with their aluminum frames that came with an easily lost and complicated set of instructions. Instead, most 4 man tents are the modern dome style tent. The dome style has many advantages over the older A-Frame tents. Its unique and innovative geometric footprint prevents excess noise from howling winds in the middle of the night, a problem with A-Frames and Tunnel and Hoop tents. A good night’s sleep makes for a happy tent partner.
Improvements in frame technology have made even larger tents a breeze to put together. No more searching for slot a and tab b. Now, carbon fiber poles are shock corded together for ease of installation. You literally snap them together and stick them through the easy to find hoops. Bend them, connect them to the keys, and your tent magically rises. Taking it down is just as easy.
4 man tents are ideal for the weekend camper. They might be a little on the heavy side for the serious hiker and backpacker, but for your average weekender, they more than meet their needs. Your typical 4 man tent can run anywhere from $50 on the lower end to $600 for the top of the line carbon fiber ultralight model. With tents you get what you pay for and you should determine exactly what you are going to be doing with your tent as well as how much you want to invest in your outdoor adventures. For the occasional lakeside camper, a good $150 model would be just fine. If you plan on an extended stay in the woods several times a year in varying terrain and climate, buy the best you can afford.
Notable manufacturers are: Coleman, ALPS, Sierra, Kelty, Osprey, MSR, Chinook, and Eureka.