Texsport Cumberland Vestibule Tent

Suitable for six campers, vestibule-style tent accommodates a family during three seasons. An awning over main door adds extra weather protection, and a removable mud flap outside the door helps keep the tent clean. Three D-style doors and three windows with zippered storm flaps and large roof panels let in lots of light and air and are made of fine mesh to screen out insects as small as no-see-ums. Measuring 58 inches high at its tallest point, the 11-feet x 9-feet tent provides 99 square feet of space. It sets up on a hub-cap pole system with shock-corded fiberglass poles. Durable steel clips secure tent to frame. Heavy-duty taffeta walls are flame-retardant. The rainfly is rip-stop press print. The floor is rip-stop polyethylene. Stakes and a carry/storage bag come with the tent. Setup instructions are included.

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Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

The inflating camping tents are the new buzzword among the camping enthusiasts. It is very well known that after a long day out at a countryside location, one is hardly left with any energy to pull up the orthodox tent poles and erect a heavy camp. It is to avoid all such discomfort that inflating camp tents were introduced and now rank alongside the self-erecting versions.

Inflating camping tents are a few seconds affair and require least physical effort to set up as well as dismantle whenever needed. On those tiresome evenings, when you find yourself limping towards your camping destination with fatigue, you can set up your inflating camping tent within seconds, pack up your gear and unwind. Inflating camping tents bear no fragile parts that risk breakage and can be puckered up easily for comfortable storage. Their simplicity also makes them very economical and the most feasible option for all kinds of holidays, from backpacking to beach destinations.

The poles necessary to stable a camping tent are also inflatable in nature. All that you may need is an efficient air source that can fit into the built-in air valve of the inflating camping tent and thus blow it up. Such air source and the camping tent don't occupy much space and can be easily packed into the cars dickey or into your RV. Different air sources available in the market are as follows:

- Air Compressor - anything capable of inflating car tires will do
- An Air tank - can be refilled at an air pump gas station
- Air-Exchanger
- CO2 Dispenser - an expensive choice but has several benefits
- Diving tank - ideal for Scuba Divers

Even a source as simple as a bicycle pump can also be used to blow up your inflating camping tent. However, that may need little more energy and time, which we're trying to conserve here.

All the above-mentioned air-filling means are environment friendly and safe. The valves are designed in a manner that they prevent overfilling once the most optimum pressure level is reached. Once ready, all that you are required to do is to stake it to the surface, just in case the winds turn little harsh.

Deflating your tent is a job as easy as releasing the air valve and seeing it fold, just as it is in the case of airbeds. Once deflated, you can pack it up and store wherever you like.

There are few other essential features to be considered while purchasing your inflating camping tent. It should be lightweight, durable and domed (not walled) for easy set-up. Please ensure that you have an excellent quality sleeping bag and a sleeping mat to complement your tent. You can even choose from sleeping pads or the bag liners for a good relaxed sleep. Your selection of sleeping equipment must be entirely based on the climatic conditions of the terrains you are planning to camp in.

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