In a nutshell, there are three criteria that should determine your choice of camping tent: the size, space, comfort and the time required to pitch/take it down.
Exploring the great outdoors, sleeping under the stars and waking up to fresh air and nature is truly something special, that's why we've put together a handy guide to help you pick out the best camping tent to suit your needs. Whether you're a solo camper, taking your family or trekking in a group. A good night's sleep is the secret to a good day; the right camping tent and equipment will help you achieve that.
There are a few things you should consider before choosing your camping tent, and we'll go through some key factors you should consider before making your decision, such as:
Type of use
The number of people
The type of tent structure
Its weight
If you plan hiking or trekking and carry your tent in your backpack, the best choice is a bivouac or trekking tent. They are light and compact.
You can easily slip them into your backpack or hang them on the straps.
Perfect for a few days’ bivouacking, practical to pitch and dismantle, they are generally around two kilos lighter for a two-person tent.
Several models are available, light and ultra-light, for use in warm temperatures or stormy weather...
You can find models from one to four people depending on the number of trekkers.
These tents (usually) only offer sleeping space and a very small space to store belongings.
If you don't need to carry your tent on your back, you're pitching a "static" camp.
The weight of your equipment will be much less important.
Your best choice would be a camping tent.
Camping tents offer more space and comfort. They generally have a living space or a rest area. You can cook there, eat there, take shelter in the event of rain and sleep there.
It's the optimum choice if you intend to stay in the same place for several days or if you don't have to walk very far with it.
Different models are available: your choice will then be made according to the number of people and the type of structure.
Everything we have discussed so far applies to "classic" ground-based tents.
But it also applies to roof tents, with a few extra adjustments and specific requirements, since you'll be using your vehicle to pitch your tent instead of the ground.
Pop in store to your nearest Decathlon and ask one of our camping experts anything you might be unsure about, especially if this is your first time rooftop camping; you might want to know:
-How do I know if my vehicle is suitable for a roof tent?
-Will my roof bars hold up?
-Can a roof tent be fitted to a van that does not have a roof rack?
If you want to know more, pop into a Decathlon store!
When you're out at a festival, the last thing you need is the stress and hassle of over-complicated pitching; that's why our festival tents are here to take all the stress away with easy-pitching and instant 2-second tents so you can spend more time enjoying the festival and less time worrying about pitching.
Don't forget to check out our camping furniture to make your experience even more comfortable and unforgettable.
Find everything you need to make your festival experience one to remember.
And once you're done with your tent, we've made it super easy to pack away, too, so you can leave the festival campsite with no litter or trace, as our festival tents are made to be used over and over again.
The size and weight of your tent can also depend on the number of people you need to accommodate. Naturally, the more people you need to fit into your tent, the more room you'll need, ultimately making your tent load weigh more. So make sure you check the measurements and specific requirements you may need to fit your other camping sleeping equipment.
Depending on the model, Quechua camping tents can sleep two to eight people in one, two, three or four separate bedrooms. Most people buy a tent that can sleep more than they need for a little flexibility on numbers and extra space to keep belongings or spread out.
We've got a great range of tents to suit everyone's needs, from 1 to 8 people, from comfy camping to compact trekking and everything in between.
A SMALL TENT 1-2 PEOPLE
The one to two-person tent models have a single bedroom without a living room or common area.
These are practical for quick set-up and take-down.
MEDIUM 3 PEOPLE
These tents usually have a small separate area called a porch, where you can store your belongings and shelter them from the dew or heavy rain.
LARGE 4-8 PEOPLE
These camping tents have a living area and one or more separate bedrooms. These models provide more space, and some tents even let you stand up.
Do you want to camp without compromising on your usual home comfort?
Choose a tent with a living space; if you need somewhere sheltered, you can chill out, enjoy your dinner, and, depending on the height of the tent, stand up and stretch your legs. Headed somewhere cold, wet and windy? You’ll be glad of the extra inside space if you can’t go out much.
When we say tent structure, we mean how the tent is put together or pitched. The time required to pitch/take down a tent varies depending on its structure. A classic pole assembly requires more time (and a little patience!), while the 2SECONDS assembly system really does take just two seconds but is only available for tents that can sleep up to three people. The AIR SECONDS tent is the one you need for more than three people, with an all-in-one inflatable structure.
There are three types of tent structures to choose from:
- The 2 Seconds structure
- The pole structure
- The inflatable structure
2 SECONDS TENTS
The 2 Seconds pitches in the blink of an eye. Its folding system is also quick to save you time, even when dismantling your camp.
Advantage: very quick set-up with its pop-up structure. Disadvantage: NONE
The new 2 Second Easy tents are much more compact, still very easy to set up and even easier to take down.
POLE TENTS
A classic, assembling the tent poles is part of the traditional camping experience for many, and our colour-coded models make it much easier.
Advantages: this type of model has a better compactness and lightness ratio. It's also affordable.
Disadvantage: the tent pole can take a little longer to set up than an inflatable tent.
INFLATABLE TENTS
These tents have inflatable beams instead of poles, a few pumps, and voila! The inflation and deflation of these tents are extremely fast.
Advantages: Easy to assemble and dismantle, they offer larger living space.
Disadvantage: they take up more space than other tent models.
Comfort will vary according to the size of your tent – consider 60cm the minimum for a good night’s sleep and enough room to move around in the day. The tent's height will also be a factor in whether or not your tent is comfortable, especially if you want to stand up or have tall campmates.
Take a look at our Air Seconds inflatable tents – they have a bit more living space and are pretty comfortable.
If you don't plan on waking up at the crack of dawn in the stifling heat of your tent in the sun, we advise you to opt for our tents with Fresh&Black technology.
This innovative fabric was developed by the Quechua teams and guarantees you a good night's sleep in your tent. But above all, it ensures that you wake up as late and as fresh as possible!
The Fresh&Black technology consists of several fabrics to make up the tent fabric, each with its own quality:
- The fresh fabric reflects the sun's rays to maintain the correct temperature in your tent (-17 ° C felt compared to a conventional tent). This innovation is practical, especially in the summer when tents can quickly become hot and stuffy.
- The black fabric ensures greater darkness at all times of the day (99% darkness in the bedrooms).
The waterproofness of your tent and its resistance to the wind is essential for a great night's sleep, that's why all of our tents at Quechua are designed to resist bad weather conditions.
Because good tent design is more than just good looks and practical pitching, our tents undergo a set of wind tunnel tests to ensure they can withstand winds of 40km/hr to 90km/hr.
They also go through "a shower" test to ensure that no water drops are left in the tent after 3 hours under 200 litres/hour/sqm of water to ensure that they are waterproof.
Please note: the primary source of moisture inside your tent is condensation. In order to avoid getting wet when you wake up, we recommend that you always choose a tent with a double flysheet and that you ventilate it well.
