Comparison Btrace Crank 2 vs Tramp Bike 2

Classic tourist tents are divided into three main varieties: expeditionary, trekking and camping. In addition, on the market you can find tents for the beach, for fishing(including carp tents) and for shower / toilet, models like "umbrella", as well as varieties of tents: camping and tent tents. Here is a more detailed description of each of these varieties:

— Expeditionary. The most advanced type of camping tents. Expeditionary models can be used in any season, including winter, they are distinguished by high strength, reliability and maximum protection against cold, snow, wind, etc., while such properties are often combined with extremely low weight. As the name implies, these tents are designed mainly for long-distance expeditions, winter hiking, high-mountain climbing and other similar applications. But it hardly makes sense to purchase such a model for relatively simple tasks: expeditionary equipment is very expensive.

— Tracking. Tents designed primarily for ease of use on long hiking and cycling trips. Accordingly, the key features of such models are rather high reliability and resistance to adverse conditions (albeit...less than that of expeditionary equipment), a relatively low level of comfort, as well as low weight, in most models not exceeding 6 kg. Heavier tents are usually classified as trekking tents if they have the simplest possible design, and the weight is primarily due to the large capacity and/or increased reliability of the materials. In general, it is worth paying attention to this variety in cases where the equipment is planned to be carried “on oneself” often and for a long time; camping tents are better suited for staying in one place permanently (see below).

— Camping. Tents designed primarily for comfort while staying in one place all the time. They differ from tracking models in more extensive additional features (although a specific set of such features may differ from product to product), seasonality (most of them are not designed for winter), and also, in general, greater weight. So, it is customary to refer to camping tents weighing more than 6 kg; lighter models may also be included in this category if they have the characteristic features of camping equipment: additional features designed to increase comfort levels and/or relatively simple materials that are not designed for particularly adverse conditions. In general, tents of this type are perfect for overnight picnics, outdoor festivals, etc.

— Tent for fishing. Products for winter ice fishing; they are designed for one, maximum two people in a sitting position and most often either do not have a bottom at all, or they have special openings in the bottom so that the structure can be installed directly above the hole.

— Carp tent. Models intended mainly for lovers of carp fishing. Such fishing (especially at competitions) can last for days without interruption, and special equipment is used for it — including the so-called carp folding beds, which are a special kind of tourist furniture. Thus, awnings for carp fishing are large in size, allowing you to easily install one or even several folding beds inside. And by design, most of these products are no longer closer to awnings, but to full-fledged tourist tents: they can be used not only as canopies, but also as full-fledged closed shelters, including for overnight stays.

— For a shower/toilet. Tents designed exclusively for equipping camp showers or toilets; they are not designed for other purposes. Usually they are vertical structures without a bottom — a kind of cabin for one person. The height of such a booth is usually chosen so that an adult can stand inside without much difficulty (in some models, the height exceeds 2 m).

— Beach tent. Tents designed to protect from the sun's rays on the beaches, during picnics, etc. Most of these products are structures that are open on one or even several sides, and are designed for a seated or recumbent placement of a person. There are also models equipped with a valve that allows you to completely close the internal volume; this can be useful, for example, for changing clothes on the beach, or for protection from a short rain. However, even such models are designed mainly for open use — moreover, the valve, being unfastened, fits in front of the entrance and plays the role of an addition to the tent's own bottom.

— Car. The vast majority of tents are mounted on the roof of a vehicle. They provide car tourists with sleeping places on a kind of elevation, which guarantees the almost complete absence of any creeping living creatures during the night. Car tents are attached to the roof rails or crossbars of the roof rack of the car, the entrance to them is usually realized with the help of an attached ladder. There are models exactly in the entire plane of the roof of the vehicle and instances of autotents of an increased “square” with a rigid floor frame. There are also tents that are attached to the trunk of a car or the front door of a van, forming the so-called vestibule space. In the "tambour" you can leave things or put a table, while sleeping is supposed to be directly in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, folding the rear row of seats. Car tents give you the freedom to choose where to spend the night, whether it's a clearing at the edge of a forest, a flat area in a mountainous area, or a parking lot near a supermarket.

— Umbrella tent. Tents, the design of which resembles an oversized umbrella. When unfolded, such a tent consists of a dome, in which a special frame is built, and a canopy hanging from the edges of the dome; while the layout of the "umbrellas" may be different. So, in some models, the dome is located on a rather high vertical leg-support, and in the standard position, the height of the canopy is the same on all sides. In terms of application, such models are closest to awnings-tents (see above), and by turning up the canopy, you can turn the product into a classic beach umbrella. In others, the dome is installed obliquely and rests on the ground with one edge, covering part of the space on the sides, and the remaining space closes the canopy; such designs are more like traditional tents. Anyway, the main advantage of umbrella tents is the ease of installation and folding: such operations are not much more complicated than handling an ordinary umbrella, and even a beginner can handle them without much difficulty. On the other hand, when assembled, such products are rather bulky, and the complexity of the design affects the cost and overall reliability. Therefore, there are few such models nowadays.

— Tent tent. There are two main types of awnings. The first is an enlarged and lightweight analogue of more traditional tourist tents. The height of such a product, usually, allows you to stand in it, the bottom in the structure may be completely absent, the walls are single-layer, and most of their area is usually occupied by “windows” made of mosquito nets (although in some models it is possible to close these windows with external “curtains”). » made of dense material). Such an awning can be useful, for example, for short trips to nature, or as an overnight stay in warm summer weather.
Another kind of awnings-tents can be conditionally called "household". Such structures are intended primarily for the organization of one or another working space: retail outlets, exhibition and promotional stands, field cafes and canteens, administrative areas at public events, first-aid posts, etc. Among such tents there are quite large structures that can accommodate 10 – 20 people, or even more; such models, usually, have solid walls with inserts-"windows" made of transparent material. In turn, for relatively small household products, the walls are rather symbolic — they are made of mesh material, if necessary, closed with a zipper, and in some models they are completely absent.

— Camping tent. The simplest kind of awnings are products in the form of a piece of dense matter, usually rectangular or close to it in shape. Many camping tents are designed to be secured between trees, poles, or other makeshift supports. Such an installation can be quite difficult, but the awning itself is as light, compact and easy to transport as possible. More advanced models are also produced, equipped with their own supports and guy wires and suitable for installation directly on the ground. Anyway, camping awnings themselves are intended primarily for protection from the sun and, to a much lesser extent, from rain. In addition, such products can be used as additional protection for tents — in heavy rain, an awning can be a real salvation, especially if the tent itself is single-layer and not particularly moisture resistant.

Seasons in which the use of a tent is allowed.

There are three main seasonality options: winter, spring / autumn and summer. At the same time, the design features necessary for comfortable use of the tent in different seasons are as follows:

— In winter, the tent should effectively protect against snow and wind, and its materials and fittings should normally endure a long stay in the cold. Thermal insulation is also desirable, but in general this is a secondary factor — the main insulation is provided primarily by clothing, a sleeping bag and a bed.
— In the off-season — in spring and autumn — protection from rain, which can be accompanied by strong winds, is of particular importance.
— For comfortable use in the summer heat, good ventilation is required, ideally with insect protection, such as mosquito nets.

As you can see, these requirements generally do not contradict each other and may well be combined in one product. Thus, there are very few tents on the market designed strictly for one season — two- or even all-season options are much more common. For example, even among beach tents (see "Purpose") there are models for which the possibility of using in the off-season is claimed — for this, the design provides for a dense awning, or even the ability to completely close the tent. Almost any model from the "spring-autumn" series...additionally has a summer specialization; and most models suitable for winter actually allow year-round use.

In conclusion, we recall that tents with the same seasonality and purpose can at the same time differ significantly in characteristics and design features.

— Hemisphere. Tents with a frame of two (sometimes more) crossed arches. The main advantage of such a case is good resistance to wind. On the other hand, the interior space of the hemispheres is relatively small.

— Half -shell. In cross section, the semi-barrel has the shape of a half circle (or more or less similar), and its frame consists of several semicircular arcs arranged in parallel. This provides a good internal volume, but the wind resistance of this type of hull is lower than that of hemispheres (which, however, is not critical in conditions of plains and low mountains, where there are no storm winds).

— Shatrovaya. In such a case, one rack is used, located in the middle, and the tent itself has the shape of a pyramid or cone. The advantage of tents is their high height, the disadvantage is the inconvenience due to the presence of a rack inside the living space and poor resistance to wind. This form is quite rare.

— Double. The upper part of such a body is a rib, from which two sides of the awning (slopes) diverge at an angle. To create this shape, two internal supports are usually used at the ends of the tent. This design provides additional water resistance, because. the awning is located at a large angle to the drops falling from above; at the same time, due to the inconvenience created by the...supports located inside, and a number of other features, such tents are very rare.

— Cube. A hull shape found only in fishing tents (see "Intended Use"). Almost all such models are intended for winter use and ice fishing. At the same time, some of them do not have a bottom or are equipped with a hole in the bottom, which allows you to install an awning directly above the hole; others are closed from all sides, including from below, and fishing is supposed to be through the opening. However, among the cubic tents there are also demi-season/summer models, including advanced solutions for carp fishing.

The vestibule is a kind of "entrance hall" in front of the entrance to the main compartment (s) of the tent.

The specific design and purpose of such a "hallway" may be different. So, in small two-layer tents, the space between the inner and outer layers in front of the entrance plays the role of a vestibule (for this, the outer canopy is stretched at a greater angle relative to the vertical than the inner one). The dimensions of such a compartment are small, it is designed mainly for storing individual items, such as shoes. In larger models, the vestibule is made in the form of a full-fledged compartment, which differs from the main compartment only in the absence of a bottom (although there are exceptions). Such a compartment can be located between two sleeping compartments; and in some tents two vestibules are provided at once.

Anyway, such equipment increases the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe tent and provides additional comfort when using it. Tambour can be used to store equipment, often quite bulky; with an open entrance, it provides additional protection for the main volume of the tent from rain, sun and wind; and in a large vestibule(150 cm long or more), you can even organize additional sleeping places (if the weather permits) or even an auxiliary room such as a kitchen, dining room, administrative area, etc. " below.

— External. The outer frame is considered more convenient to set up, especially in the case of double-layer tents (see "Inner tent"), because. both the inner tent and the outer awning are put on the frame at once. On the other hand, such a frame is more susceptible to the negative influence of natural conditions and does not allow you to put the inner tent separately.

- Internal. The inner frame is somewhat more difficult to install than the outer; at the same time, it is less affected by adverse external conditions, and in two-layer tents (see "Inner tent") with an inner frame, it is usually possible to install only an inner tent, without an awning.

Note that only tents in the form of a hemisphere or half-barrel have a classic frame (see "Hull Shape"); in the case of gable tents, the “outer/inner” characteristic refers primarily to the location of the supports, and the term “frame” does not apply to tent models at all.

- Inflatable. In such tents, the role of the frame is played by sealed hollow tubes made of flexible material (rubber or polymers), usually arc-shaped. When folded, they can be folded quite compactly, and when the tent is set up, they inflate (usually with the help of a special pump), acquiring the desired shape and sufficient rigidity to support the awning. The advantages of inflatable frames are their low weight and ease of installation, they are usually r...eferred to as quick installation systems (see above for the latter). On the other hand, inflatable elements are very sensitive to damage: a small crack or hole, which is not critical for a conventional frame element, breaks the tightness and makes the tent unusable.

— Pop up. Automatic type of arc frame - independently unfolds when removing the tent from the cover. Often, this type of frame is used in small budget tents, addressed to fans of camping, outings and visiting music festivals. Such tents are packed in a small round bag, which takes up a minimum of space in a car trunk or among the hand luggage of vacationers.

— PU (polyurethane). A polyurethane (PU) coating is applied to the inside of the outer tent. The protective layer of polyurethane increases the moisture resistance of the tent, at the same time, the strength of the awning fabric also increases. The main advantage of polyurethane is the ability to reliably protect seam joints. However, polyurethane protection is not the most effective, besides, the presence increases the weight of the tent. The use of polyurethane protection alone is more typical for entry-level (low-cost) class tents. In good quality tents, PU coating is complemented by other types of protection, often polyurethane is used together with silicone (Si).

— Si (silicone). The outer tent fabric is impregnated with silicone (Si). Silicone significantly increases the moisture resistance of the tent. The fabric impregnated with silicone acquires elasticity, its strength characteristics increase. This type of protection is considered the most technologically advanced and functional. The tent itself is impregnated with silicone (from the outside), and sometimes a PU coating is additionally made from the inside for better water resistance. The main disadvantage is the inability to protect seam joints. For this reason, the seams in silicone impregnated tents are glued separately.

— Reflective elements. The outer surface of the tent is equipped with special reflective inserts. Thanks to this, the location of the tent will be visible from afar, which allows users to quickly navigate in the dark, easily determining the location of the tent city / tent. Often, reflective fibers are woven into wind braces so that at night they do not catch on.

— Mosquito net. Fine-mesh mesh covering the openings in the tent: entrances, windows, ventilation openings. Its presence is highly recommended if you plan to use the tent in the warm season: it allows you to ventilate the interior without letting mosquitoes and other unpleasant flying insects inside.

— Lantern loop. A special mount (loop, hook or carabiner), usually under the ceiling, designed to secure the lantern inside the tent. It will allow you to easily organize indoor lighting and eliminate the need to hold a flashlight in your hands or independently find a place for its best location.

— Internal pockets. Pockets located on the inside of the tent. They facilitate the organization of the internal space, allowing you to conveniently place relatively small items — glasses, watches, some tools, etc. It also reduces the risk of accidentally crushing fragile items.

— Shelf for small items. The purpose of t...he hanging shelf is generally similar to the inside pockets (see above): to organize the space inside the tent so that small items are not lost and are not accidentally crushed. In some tents, there may be several such shelves. Shelves are usually located in the upper part of the tent, which allows them to also be used as a stand for a lantern if there are no loops for it (see above) or it is impossible to use it for some reason.