Should You Choose A Frame Tent Or A Modern Dome Version?
Frame Tent
Frame tent installations were once the backbone of camping, but they have now been largely superseded by the modern dome tent. These modern tents use materials which are lighter, making them easier to carry, and easier to pack away at the end of the trip. They are also designed to fit together more compactly, meaning that they take up less room when they need to be transported. In some cases, they will even be easier to erect, although that is certainly not true in every case. Despite this fundamental change, the old style tents are still being made today, so you have a choice to make.
The people who are most likely to opt for frame tents are the ones who have been camping for a long time, and who know how to quickly put up this type of tent. An experienced camper may well have many happy memories from the old tent, and may not be willing to give it up just yet. If this is you, by all means carry on and get the most use you can out of something which will be easy for you to use due to familiarity.
It is the campers who need to buy a new tent who have the hardest choice to make. Do you stick with the tried and trusted system which has served you well for so many years, or do you try the new, without really knowing whether or not you will like it? Well, it really depends on your circumstances. If you have a vehicle to transport the tent, and you have always been perfectly happy with the old style, there is every reason to continue with it. The materials which are used in tent manufacture are lighter now anyway, whichever design you choose.
It is the people who carry a tent with them while hiking who have the most to gain from switching to a different design of tent. The lighter dome tent structures will provide a noticeable difference in weight when compared to the old pole tents. You also get more room in a dome tent, thanks to the curvature of the frame structure. It may sound like a small difference, but room in a tent is so short it will definitely be noticeable.
People who are buying a tent for the first time really have no reason to start with a frame tent, as they will need to learn how to put the tent up from scratch whichever they choose. Dome tents are the tents of the future, so this is the obvious choice for anyone who is new to camping. People are demanding quick and easy solutions to every problem today, and the dome tent will often be quicker to erect and easier to put away after use. This is not true in every case, so don’t be put off if you really like the look of a well designed and well made frame tent.
