Well.. this is the first post here on Tentbook.com’s blog, so let me introduce myself. 

I’m Steve and I have worked in the camping trade providing information to campers both new and experienced in the hope that they might find the perfect gear for them. I have been collecting my thoughts and knowledge over the past few months and gradually feeding my computer with them. Through this time consuming relationship a series of books have been emerging that I plan to release as and when possible. To supplement these books I am going to push a few keys from time to time and aim them at this blog. Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Branding!

A question I have received time and time again is ‘what is the difference between the brands?’

The answer depends on what kind of tent you’re after. If we’re talking cotton canvas frame and trailer tents then the difference in quality, price, style and longevity can be huge depending on brand. There are some brands here who stick exclusively to the lower end of the market and some who do quite the opposite. A classic example is french brand Cabanon who provide top quality cotton canvas and everything required to keep it suspended with a long life and a price to match. At the other end of the scale we have Sunncamp who are a European brand preying invariably on the lower end of the market, sourcing their materials from Asia in order to lower costs. Of course quality and lifespan take a dive with the price, the canvas degrading beyond saviour in as little as half the time it takes the french prince of cotton. The trick with it is to pay attention to detail when choosing a brand, unlike polyester, the spec of cotton is rarely advertised, especially if it’s bad. Go and feel the quality with your hands if you can get to a display or alternatively do your homework online.

Polyester tents are a different animal when it comes to brands. Many of the brands span the quality spectrum, so it’s up to you to look at specs. In general all the materials that make up your typical polyester tent are coming from the same places no matter what brand you’re looking at. China has completely monopolised this sector of the industry and many of the brands are booking time at the same factories to get their seasons range made in time for summer. So branding wise it is very hard to say who is generally better quality or longer lasting and so on, we need to look deeper. Your biggest clue to overall quality is the hydrostatic head value as the industry has adopted it as it’s ‘message to consumers’, i.e the thing you are supposed to all desire.

To be honest HH is not the be all and end all but it does give you some idea of whether a tent is kitted out with economy parts or higher end stuff. Your other two weapons are your hands and the price. You get what you pay for and that’s a fact and if you don’t believe it have a feel of some tents at a display, low quality will stick out like a sore thumb. What I say is when it comes to polyester, you can almost forget brand loyalty and reputation, just pick a budget and try to judge the quality of your options whilst placing more importance on how the tent’s features suit your needs. You’ll regret taking the tent you heard was the best quality over the one that gave you good vents, storage, living space, headroom etc.