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Why Backpackers Love Their 3 Man Tents

CampingFanatic | Jul 9, 2010 |

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3 man tents have been around for ages. In fact, only recently have the larger tents become more popular. It wasn't many years ago that only the most adventurous went camping. And, they usually camped in places that weren't accessible by roads. You had to backpack in. That means all your gear had to be compact and lightweight. No one wants to lug a 30 pound family tent for miles through the woods.

The most popular kind of 3 man tent is the dome tent. The dome style allows for more headroom inside and can be held up by only two poles. It has a wide base making it more stable. A more stable base means less stakes are needed to hold it down. Fewer poles and fewer stakes make the tent lighter to carry. A lighter tent is always a good thing especially if you are backpacking. You can get lightweight tents that only weigh a few pounds. You can't hardly tell that you have anything extra in your bag.

These camping tents come in other designs as well. You can get a small cabin tent or tents that look like a coffin. In fact, a lot of tents made for cold weather camping really are coffin shaped. They are long and narrow with a very low roof. One end is typically a little wider than the other. This compact design helps keep more heat trapped in the tent. Just don't buy one if you're claustrophobic!

The many benefits of a 3 man tent may sound great. But, when buying a camping tent be sure that you find one that fits your needs. Getting a small lightweight tent isn't helpful if you need to sleep 8 people. And, if you don't need to carry your gear very far, weight really doesn't matter all that much. Oh the other hand, if you do need to carry your gear a long ways and you don't need to sleep many people, a 3 person tent is a fantastic choice.