Webtogs are very lucky to be able to stock a whole range of tents from a range of amazing brands such as, Rab, Mountain Hardwear, Nemo and Marmot. All of these brands have spend years researching, testing and evolving innovative ideas, technologies and fabrics and integrating them into the finished products you see here on the Webtogs online shop.
If you have any questions, please give us a call on 0117 911 3869 and speak to one of our highly trained customer service team, we are all enthusiasts and we should be able to help you decide which Tent or Tents are best for you.
Tents by Activity
Traditionally, technical tents were split into lightweight tents, backpacking tents, and mountain tents, reflecting the priorities of their users (a further category, base camp tents, could be applied to tents suitable for 4+ persons). However, as tent design has advanced and all tents have become lighter, these boundaries have become more blurred. As such, now we’ve made it possible for you to shop our tents by activity (i.e. backpacking, cycle touring, mountaineering), in the Webtogs Tents category. Here’s a lowdown of what tents for the different multi-day activities entail:
Tents for Ultra-lightweight Backpacking and Cycle Touring
Lightweight tents are generally more expensive than those that weight a little more, and it’s for the same reason that a stripped out Porsche costs more than a standard one. You may be thinking, “that makes no sense”, but there’s method in the madness…
Less weight in the backpack means less weight on the lower joints and spine, reducing the chance of injury, and enabling the user to move further and faster over rough terrain. Lighter weight also means that the wearer is less concerned with lugging about a huge pack, and can concern him/herself with taking in the scenery! Lightweight tents are indispensible for such weight-sensitive pursuits as cycle touring and adventure racing, where every gram matters.
Reducing weight means employing advanced technology and materials in order to ensure that reduced weight doesn’t come at the cost of strength and weatherproofing, and that tech comes at a price. In many ultra-light tents you’ll find carbon fibre poles, and gossamer-thin ripstop fabrics, all developed with two aims in mind; reducing weight and pack size on the trail.
Tents for Backpacking
Backpacking tents can be a little confusing, as they mark a constant battleground between the brands over which can develop the most feature-rich tents, but with the least amount of weight. Ultimately it’s up to you regarding whether you want to carry less weight but lose out on a few features, but in our experience backpacking tents are there to be lived in, so the more handy features the better (within reason). Backpacking is a past time and should be relaxed, comfortable and fun – unless you’re of the ultra-lightweight backpacking school of thought, in which case you should go down the lightweight tents route.
One thing that all the brands have in common is the ability to make the most out of the space available, and they do this by making the tent walls as vertical as possible, increasing the inside space as well as giving water no chance to gather on the flysheet. This makes sleeping and moving about in the tent more comfortable and, keeps the interior moisture-free. Backpacking tents also tend to have one or more porches or vestibules, depending on the number of tent entrances available, which increases the functionality. This means that you can cook inside if the weather is bad, and leave bulky backpacks and gear outside without it getting wet while you sleep.
Tents for Mountaineering and Expedition
Mountaineering and Expedition tents are the highly technical, hard wearing and all-weather tents, designed to withstand the worst conditions. Mountain tents have to shrug off plummeting temperatures, high-speed winds, snow, and rain. Brands toughen up their mountain tents by bulking up the tent poles, increasing the durability of the fabrics used, and in some cases, by adding snow valances (flaps) to prevent spin drift from getting between the fly and inner. Other additions to hardcore mountain tents will be extra guy points, longer pegs and snow stakes in place of traditional pegs. Mountain tents are the barrier between you and the most inhospitable conditions, so are the ones to go for if you have Expedition or Mountaineering use in mind.
Tent Designs
Tents can also be categorized by their pole structure, and this is the factor that has most influence over the structural strength of any tent. The pole structures available in technical outdoor tents are Single Hoop, Tunnel, Dome, Semi-Geodesic, and Geodesic.
Single Hoop
Single hoop tents have only a single pole, relying on pegs and guy lines to maintain structural integrity. This is a tent design best suited to small, lightweight designs, as weight is saved by the use of only a single pole, and interior headroom is minimal. The lightest single hoop tents can weigh in at less than 800 grams!
Nordisk
Telemark 1 LW Aluminium Poles Tent
Tunnel
Tunnel tents have a lot in common with single hoop tents, but have two or more poles. This style can be applied to larger tents, as the greater number of poles affords more support and headroom. However, guy lines are still necessary to maintain structural integrity.
The North Face
Westwind 2 Person Backpacking Tent
Dome
Dome tents have two main poles that cross at one point, or node, usually at the highest point of the tent. This design yields a good combination of stability, weight and quick pitching time; though being neither as light as most hoop or tunnel tents, or as stable as Geodesic designs. Some dome tents will have the addition of a third pole to support a larger vestibule (porch).
The North Face
Phoenix 2 Person Lightweight Tent
Semi-Geodesic
Semi-Geodesic tents have two or more poles, which cross at two or more points (nodes). They can have up to 4 nodes before being classed as geodesic. This is a more structurally strong design than any of the tent designs listed so far, but typically semi-geodesic tents weigh more than dome tents due to additional poles. Semi-geodesic design can be found in backpacking and some mountain tents.
Geodesic
Geodesic tents have at least three poles, which cross at 5 or more points to form a fully geodesic shape. This is the strongest tent structure available, and as such these tents are typically mountain and expedition designs, due to their ability to withstand very high winds and heavy snowfall. Obviously there is a weight penalty with these designs, but this can be minimized through the use of high tech construction materials.
Webtogs Top Tent Tips
Practice pitching before you go camping: this will familiarise you with your new tent, so that you don’t have to spend hours working out which poles go where out on the hill, with light fading and the threat of rain! This will also enable you to locate any faults in a safe environment, and work out if your chosen tent is up to scratch.
Minimise condensation: make the most of tent ventilation when conditions (and midges) allow, as this will prevent the build-up of moisture from condensation inside the tent. With the flysheet (outer) zipped up, you can open vents or doors in the inner to let off some steam! Even if you take measures to minimise condensation, it’s inevitable that some will build up over the course of the night. Don’t worry – your tent is almost certainly not leaking. Shake or wipe away excess moisture from the flysheet if necessary.
Look after your poles: when feeding the poles into their pole sleeves/pole loops on assembly, be sure to push them through, carefully guiding them through as you do so. Do not pull from the end, as this can cause the pole sections to pop apart, and even snap the pole shock cord!remove poles completely from the tent before folding them up after use, and fold them carefully from the centre of each pole. This reduces the likelihood of the cord snapping.
Air your tent after use: when you return from your camping trip, be sure to either hang out the tent inner and flysheet to dry, or, if the weather is fine, pitch the tent in your garden with doors and vents open. This will ensure that your tent doesn’t go into storage in wet condition, to grow mould in time for its next use!
Below is a list of the features you’ll find in the Webtogs tent range, complete with descriptions of each, so you know what’s what.