Facing the great outdoors, sleeping under the stars in a sleeping bag or in a tent with the smell of campfire is my idea of a fun camping trip!

Deciding on the right type of tent will depend on the size of your family and whether you will be backpacking or biking; driving to your destination in a car or on a Harley; or possibly hiking, rock climbing or kayaking.Deciding on the right type of tent will depend on the size of your family and whether you will be backpacking or biking; driving to your destination in a car or on a Harley; or possibly hiking, rock climbing or kayaking.
Some families prefer everyone to be in one big tent while others like to have a main tent for the adults with smaller pup tents for the kids.
Tents come in all sizes from the 2-man tent all the way up to the 20 man tent. The pop-up tents are the lightest weight and are also the quickest and the easiest to put up.
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. Regardless of what the weather predictions are, it is always best to have a waterproof tent.

Another precaution is to buy extra waterproofing to spray over every tent seam prior to leaving for your camping trip.
If you are planning a summer in a car, or a camper, in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family, all purpose tent, or 3-season tent, will probably do the trick.

If you're a backpacker, mountain climber, kayaker, biker or bicycle explorer, you'll want to have something a little more light-weight and able to handle more adverse conditions, in which case a 4-seasoned tent would be the better choice. I prefer a 4-man, 4-seasoned dome for myself and a partner.