Selecting a Tent for a Small Group of Campers
4 man tents are probably one of the most common tent sizes. The name can be a little deceiving though. You would think 4 people could easily fit inside of a 4 man tent but, unfortunately this just isn’t the case. When you add all of your gear and an air mattress for camping you run out of room pretty quick.
However, it’s the perfect size for 2 or 3 campers after you take into account how much you are bringing and how much breathing room each camper wants. Tent manufacturers often say their tents will fit more than they do, which is a little ironic since bigger ones usually cost more. You would think that they would tell you to get one much larger than you really need so they could earn more money. Maybe they just want you to buy one and find out it is too small and then go and get another one for your next camping trip.
One of your choices is by Sierra Designs Tents and is their Lightning XT tent. It isn’t the cheapest model you will find but, it is one of the best made tents. It has won numerous awards and even from the likes of Backpacker magazine, one of the authorities on the subject. The reason this tent is so well loved is due to the fact that it can stand up to the roughest weather you can face. This is an extremely important factor, or at least should be, when you decide what to buy.
You need a tent that comes equipped with a rain fly that covers the whole tent and not just parts of it. You also need one that is going to come with some sort of ground cover or footprint to put under the tent so water doesn’t seep in from the ground. The Lightning XT 4 is able to do this and is built very sturdy so that you don’t need to worry when the skies turn dark and the winds start picking up. It will be a great pick for campers looking for a smaller tent to accommodate them.
