Boyscout Tents



Let's talk about boyscout tents. With so many styles available, there are some questions to consider when deciding on which one to purchase: What type of weather environment will it be used in? Is it humid or dry? Will the tent be carried long distances? How many people does it need to sleep? Will it be used for sleeping in the day so that a sun catcher to prevent heat buildup is needed? How many years do you want it to last? Will boyscout gear be stored inside, or in a separate tent? These are all relevant questions.



First, let's remember that a tent is an outdoor item, so it needs to be durable. But young camping boyscouts are rowdy, so a tent has to be especially durable. Don't expect that an inexpensive item purchased at Wal-Mart, with cheap fabric, cheap poles, and cheap stakes, is going to last as long as a more expensive one that is purchased elsewhere.

So what about boyscout durability? Modern tents are frequently made with "ripstop" fabrics, tear-resistant fabric that has a matrix of interlocking nylon threads. The crosshatched fabric material can be anything, but in the case of tent fabric, it's usually a waterproof or waterproofed material such as nylon, polyester, or polypropylene. The quality of the zippers should be considered as well, with heavy duty #10 being recommended for boyscouts by some outdoors users.

No matter how durable a tent is, the astute boyscout parent should take special precautions regarding protection of the floor. Floor materials are tough, also made with rip-stop material. However, there is only so much that any material can take, and with any lightweight backpacking item, durability is always limited. Even with ripstop fabric, most flooring can't take a direct stab. Therefore, where there are boyscouts who like to use foldable cots for sleeping, take note that the type of cot with straight legs is NOT suitable for a tent. The feet will tear a less durable floor to shreds in not time, and make short shrift of even one with a floor that is considered durable. If a cot is absolutely necessary, use a cot with rounded legs. The rounded legs will not be so quick to poke holes in the floor.