Never? That's probably because once you start loading a tent with all of your gear, it starts to look crowded pretty fast. So how do you find the right size tent for camping? Start with some simple questions. How many people are you camping with? How long are you camping for? Answering these will help you find the right tent size.
Let's take a look at a very common scenario. Four friends are going on a weekend fishing trip and will be car camping. They want to save room in the vehicle for the rest of the gear, so they've decided to buy a four-person tent. Four people = four-person tent. Makes sense, right? One of the friends finds a tent at a great price from Sierra.com and orders it. The new tent arrives a day before the trip and gets packed into the car with the rest of the gear. The group drives to their favorite fishing hole and sets up camp.
With the tent set up, they throw in their sleeping pads and bags and head off for some fishing. Hours later, the friends return to the campsite and discover that there's barely enough room for all of them in the tent. They end up sleeping in very close quarters. So, what should these friends have done differently?
They should have bought a bigger tent! Let's take a look at why four average sized folks didn't fit perfectly into a four-person tent.
On average a single person requires roughly 20 to 25 square feet of living space inside a tent to be comfortable. This is based on the area of a person who is lying flat on their back (not on their side). This seems like a lot of room, but when broken down, it's not as big as you might think. This ends up giving a person a sleeping area that is roughly two and half feet wide and a little over six foot long. A person of average height and average build will have a comfortable night, but if you're taller or require more space, you'd feel super confined. Looking back at the fishing trip example, they would need a camping tent size of anywhere between 80 to 100 square feet of floor space to accommodate four average sized adults. Note: This doesn't take into consideration storage for gear or various personal items.
Most four-person tents have floor space ranging from 55 square feet to 65 square feet. According to our math we're looking at tents that are nearly half the floor space needed to accommodate the four campers lying on their backs. You might think you have a family size camping tent, when in fact, you don't have room for the whole family.
Photo by Samuel GaloobThe fishing companions ordered the tent based on price and because it was listed as a four-person tent. They did not pay attention to the overall dimensions. What should they have done differently? An easy way to make sure you have enough space for everyone is to take the number of people staying in the tent and add one or two spots. That way, you'll have ample room for everyone. Also, keep in mind that the fishing scenario involved four adults. With two adults and two kids, you'll most likely would have enough room for everyone in your four-person tent. But it never hurts to have extra room.
Now that you know how to choose a camping tent for four people, keep these tips in mind:
- Look at the actual dimensions of a tent and not just the number of people listed in the description.
- If weight isn't an issue, size up so you have room for extra items.
For more help in choosing outdoor gear check out these resources:
Family Camping Guide
Tent Buying Tips
10 Camping Essentials Under $10 Each
Family Camping Gear: Bring These Luxury Items
