Tent advice – Scout Life magazine

How to Buy the Right Tent for Your Next Adventure

Here are features to look for so you can choose the right tent for your trip.

Recommend a Durable Tent That’s Easy to Set Up

Q: I don’t have a tent, and we might need to camp a lot. Do you have some good recommendations?

How to Whittle Your Own Tent Stakes

Q: My troop is going camping, and we lost our tent stakes. Can we use whittled sticks?

3 Tips for Setting Up Your Tent

Q. My friends keep telling me I'm setting up my tent wrong. How should I be setting it up?

How to Buy the Right Backpacking Tent

Tips for choosing a tent that will keep your backcountry nights comfortable.

How to Keep Dirt Out of Your Tent

Q. I hate when the inside of my tent gets filthy. I always track in dirt from my boots. Any tips for keeping it cleaner?

Prevent Tripping Over Tent Guy Lines

Q. How can I keep people from tripping on my tent guy lines at night?

4 Tips to Make Your Tent Last

Q. Hello Gear Guy, I just got a new tent. What can I do to make sure it lasts me the longest amount of time possible?

How to Replace a Broken Tent Pole

Q. Yo Gear Guy! This weekend when I was setting up my two-man tent to air-dry, one of the fiberglass poles broke. Any places that I could go to get a replacement?

Best Tent for a Good Price?

What's the best tent I can buy for a good price?

Keep Smellables Out of Your Tent

A smellable is any object that might attract an animal with a strong sense of smell.

Difference Between Tent’s Trail Weight and Packed Weight?

Q. Most tent labels list two weights, a trail weight and a packed weight. What's the difference?

How to stake out tents on a sandy beach

We went camping on the beach last weekend. The wind blew all night long and made our tents flap like crazy. Any advice?

How to fix a broken zipper on your sleeping bag or tent

Q. My sleeping bag zippers always break off, and I don’t have any extra money to buy a new one. PLEASE HELP!!

How to waterproof an inexpensive tent

I have an 8-person tent I got from Wal-Mart a few years ago. I really don't want to buy a new tent. How do you think it will do if it begins to rain?

How to stop tent leaks

I have a summer pup tent, and whenever it rains, the tent leaks. What do I do?

Waterproof or water-resistant?

Q. Hey Gear Guy, I have a question for you. What’s the difference between waterproof and water-resistant? I see it on lots of outdoor gear but I’m not sure which is which.

How to set up a tent

Before leaving for your trip, be sure you're comfortable setting up -- and taking down -- your tent.

Q. I have a two-person tent that I really like, but when it rains, it leaks badly. I applied seam sealer as you had said in a previous answer, but now it's like the rain is coming through the tent itself, not the seams. I think the rain fly that came with the tent is not big enough. Can I buy another type of rain fly? I was thinking a tarp would not allow air to come through and I will get hot. Do you have any other suggestions?

Best way to waterproof canvas tents

Q. I am a Scout from New Zealand, and we struggle with keeping our Scout group’s canvas tents waterproof — they are pretty old. How can we make them waterproof?

Fix a hole in a tent

Q. Yo Gear Guy, I just got back from summer camp and I had a blast, except for one thing: My tent got a hole in it. I was wondering if you know any good inexpensive ways to fix the holes?

How to keep the tent clean

Q. Hey Gear Guy: On camp-outs, my tent is always so dirty for some reason. Whenever I lay down to go to sleep there’s always dirt and sand and leaves all over my sleeping bag and the bottom of the tent. Please help?

Bivvy or lightweight tent?

Q. What is better to buy: A bivvy or just a lightweight tent?

Waterproof tent fly, but still get wet

Q. Dear Gear Guy, I have a tent with a waterproof fly, but I still get wet. Why is that?

Modular tent systems

Q. I am looking for a type of tent that can zip onto other tents (of the same style) for my friends to use on campouts so we can each have our own living quarters.

Well-ventilated tent to prevent condensation

Q. Gear Guy, I am trying to find a tent that is lightweight, and very well ventilated to prevent condensation, but without being too expensive. Do you have any suggestions?

Lightweight, affordable tent

Q. Please help, Gear Guy! I like to camp and hike but I always get slowed down by my heavy tent. Can you help me find a lightweight AND affordable backpacking tent?