Home > Learning Center > Tents and more highlight the evolution of camping gear
Tents and more highlight the evolution of camping gear
Some of the best — and some of the worst — nights of my life have been spent in tents. There was the night when, camped on a small island in the middle of the New River up in Ashe County, I lay with my head in the open door of my backpacking tent and watched the full moon rise from behind the mountains. The glow crept across the island, making the small purple flowers that carpeted the grassy meadow glow with a surreal iridescence while, in the background, the river gurgled contentedly.
There was another evening, on Ocracoke Island at the other end of the state, which was quite different. My wife and I were cooking supper in the screen vestibule of a large, old canvas cabin tent when a storm roared in off the ocean. The wind started building and within minutes was threatening to take our tent to parts unknown, and us with it. Suddenly, one side started ripping and the whole thing exploded. We found ourselves standing in a pile of crumpled canvas, with rain pouring down on us and all our gear, while lightning crackled over the beach. It was a memorable, if not very enjoyable, experience.
Like a lot of other camping equipment, tents have evolved over the past three decades. In the not-so-good old days, all tents were canvas and tent poles were erected on the inside. Then, the A-frame came along. The new design, along with lighter fabrics, allowed the frame to be put on the outside.
A-frames were a significant innovation but still had certain inherent flaws. One is that the large, unsupported areas of fabric can catch the wind and flap like a crow in a hurricane in the slightest breeze. Another is that usable space in an A-frame is limited. The sharply sloping walls make sitting up difficult except right in the middle, a minor inconvenience unless inclement weather forces the tent’s occupants to spend a lot of time indoors. A third disadvantage of A-frame tents is that they require multiple guy lines and stakes, which are at least an aggravation and can be a real hazard, especially to someone stumbling around in the dark.
The greatest advance in tent design may have been the development of the dome tent. Shaped like a half sphere, a dome offers the greatest interior space of any tent shape except cabin tents, which are heavy and suitable only in places where they can be hauled in on a pack horse or vehicle. In addition, cabin-style tents have the large, loose wall problem common with A-frames.
In a dome tent, the walls are almost as vertical as those of a cabin tent. Unlike that design or an A-frame, however, the dome leaves only small areas of fabric unsupported by poles. As a result, dome tents shed the wind and remain rigid in even the stiffest gusts.
Another major advantage of dome tents is that they are free-standing, which means they can be erected and then moved to a favorable site. This can be a major consideration, especially in spots where tree roots or other factors make picking a sleeping spot difficult. Once situated, dome tents should be staked securely, though. A friend of mine didn’t do this and returned from a short hike to find his new tent, with a cooler that had originally been full of ice and water inside, at the bottom of a large hill.
There are all kinds of variations of dome tents available today. Tunnel or hoop tents are shaped like a half cylinder. Hub tents take every shape imaginable and have the advantage that the poles remain attached to the tent fabric. Regardless of the specific tent that is selected, though, there are two good rules by which to abide. One is to purchase a good quality tent and, if possible, see it pitched before you buy it. Another is to pick the size tent you think is suitable for most of your outings, and then buy one that is twice as large. You’ll be glad you did later.
The only exception to the latter is if you are purchasing a tent that will be used primarily for backpacking trips. In that case, weight is a major factor. A well-built, well-designed, two-man backpacking tent can be found that weighs as little as 4.5 lbs. Every ounce — or lack of ounces — will be appreciated on a extended trek.
Besides a good tent and sleeping bag, the most critical piece of equipment for a camper has to be a stove. In many instances, the bygone days when a campfire could be used for cooking as well as warmth are just that — gone by. A campfire is still a tremendous comfort on the trail, especially in cool weather. There are some places and situations, though, where a fire is not practical or safe. If everyone who camped on the Appalachian Trail built a campfire, the ground in many places would be one giant fire ring. The practical alternative is a gas-fueled stove.
Campers today have two main choices in cook stoves: those fueled by white gas and the ones designed to operate on bottled butane. The white gas models, such as those sold by the Coleman company, have long been the standard. More bacon has been fried on a two-burner Coleman stove than on all other brands combined, and for good reason. Stoves of that design are reliable, efficient and safe — if they’re used carefully.
The safety factor has turned many campers to the other choice. They like the fact that, with bottled butane, all the camper has to do is screw a small tank onto the stove, open a valve and strike a match. They also like the fact that they don’t have to mess with filling a stove with liquid fuel.
The latter factor is one reason that I prefer liquid fuel camp stoves. I like the idea that I can look in a fuel bottle and tell exactly how much gas I have left. I also appreciate the fact that white gas stoves are affected very little by really cold weather, unlike bottled gas models which can get cantankerous when the thermometer dips. (Butane liquefies at 31 degrees F.) In fairness to bottled gas stoves, some new models use cartridges that contain a mixture of butane and propane. Because propane has a much lower condensation level, the temperature problem is at least partly alleviated.
One of my best friends is an old, banged-up Svea backpacking stove I purchased twenty-five years ago. I can pour a little fuel in its tank, strike a match and, in about five minutes, have water boiling for coffee. It has taken care of my needs in the mountainous reaches of Nantahala National Forest, the wind-swept beaches of Hatteras Island, and a lot of places in between. Perhaps equally important, the little stove’s hissing makes me feel warm almost instantly and evokes memories of past evenings under the stars, evenings that are worth remembering. A campfire is hard to beat but, when an open fire isn’t practical, my little stove is an excellent alternative.
The revolution in camping gear has taken other meanders as well. Sleeping pads, rain gear, back packs, freeze-dried food — they’re all a world away from what your dad would recognize; especially if Dad hasn’t been camping much in the last few years. The chances are, with the new materials and designs, he would enjoy it more today than ever before.
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