Comparison Vango Mistral 200 vs Terra Incognita TopRock 2

Classic tourist tents are divided into three main types: expedition tents, trekking tents and camping tents. In addition, you can find tents for beach, for fishing(including carp tents) and for showers/toilets, umbrella-type models, as well as types of awnings: hiking tents and awning-tents. Here is a more detailed description of each of these types:

— Expedition. The most advanced type of camping tents. Expeditionary models can be used in any season, including winter, they are highly durable, reliable and provide maximum protection from cold, snow, wind, etc., while such properties are often combined with extremely low weight. As the name suggests, such tents are designed mainly for long expeditions, winter hikes, high-mountain ascents and other similar applications. But buying such a model for relatively simple tasks hardly makes sense: expeditionary equipment is expensive.

— Trekking. Tents designed primarily for ease of use on long hiking and cycling trips. Accordingly, the key features of such models are fairly high reliability and resistance to adverse conditions (although less than that of expedition equipment), a rela...tively low level of comfort, as well as light weight, in most models not exceeding 6 kg. Heavier tents are usually classified as trekking tents if they have the simplest design, and the weight is determined primarily by their large capacity and/or increased reliability of the materials. In general, this type should be considered if the equipment is planned to be carried frequently and for a long time "on you"; camping tents are better suited for permanent stays in one place (see below).

— Camping. Tents designed primarily for comfort during a permanent stay in one place. They differ from trekking models by more extensive additional features (although the specific set of such features may differ from product to product), seasonality (most are not designed for winter), and generally greater weight. Thus, camping tents are usually tech weighing more than 6 kg; lighter models can also be included in this category if they have the characteristic features of camping equipment: additional functions designed to increase the level of comfort, and/or relatively simple materials not designed for particularly adverse conditions. In general, tents of this type are perfect for overnight picnics, outdoor festivals, etc.

— Fishing tent. Products for winter ice fishing; they are designed for one, maximum two people in a sitting position and most often either have no bottom at all, or have special openings in the bottom so that the structure can be installed directly over the ice hole.

— Carp tent. Models designed primarily for carp fishing enthusiasts. Such fishing (especially at competitions) can last for days without breaks, and special equipment is used for it — including the so-called carp folding beds, which are a special type of tourist furniture. In light of this, awnings for carp fishing are large in size, allowing you to easily install one or even several folding beds inside. And in terms of design, most of these products are closer not to awnings, but to full-fledged tourist tents: they can be used not only as awnings, but also as full-fledged closed shelters, including for overnight stays.

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

— Beach tent. Tents designed to provide protection from the sun on beaches, during picnics, etc. Most of these products are structures open on one or more sides, and are designed for sitting or lying down. There are also models equipped with a valve that allows you to completely close the interior; this can be useful, for example, for changing clothes on the beach, or for protection from short-term rain. However, even such models are designed mainly for use in the open form - and the valve, when unzipped, is placed in front of the input and plays the role of an addition to the tent's own bottom.

— Car. In the vast majority of cases, tents are installed 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 creatures during the night. Car tents are attached to the roof rails or crossbars of the luggage rack on the roof of the car, the input to them is usually realized with the help of an attached ladder. There are models exactly the entire plane of the roof of the vehicle and examples of car tents of increased "squareness" 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 "vestibule" you can leave things or put a table, but you are supposed to sleep directly in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, folding the back row of seats. Car tents give the freedom to choose a place to spend the night, be it a clearing on 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 umbrella of increased size. When unfolded, such a tent consists of a dome with a special frame built into it, and a canopy hanging from the edges of the dome; the layout of the “umbrellas” may vary. So, in some models, the dome is located on a fairly high vertical support leg, and in the standard position, the height of the canopy on all sides is the same. In terms of application, such models are closest to awnings (see above), and by tucking in the canopy, you can turn the product into a classic beach umbrella. In others, the dome is installed at an angle and rests on the ground with one edge, covering part of the space on the sides, and the remaining space is covered by the canopy; such designs are more like traditional tents. Be that as it may, the main advantage of umbrella tents is the ease of installation and folding: such operations are not much more difficult than handling a regular umbrella, and even a beginner can handle them without much difficulty. On the other hand, such products are quite bulky when assembled, and the complexity of the design affects the cost and overall reliability. Therefore, such models are not produced in large numbers these days.

— Awning-tent. Among awning-tents, there are two main varieties. The first is an enlarged and lightweight analogue of more traditional tourist tents. The height of such a product, as a rule, 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 netting (although in some models it is possible to close these windows with external "curtains" made of thick material). Such an awning can be useful, for example, for short trips to nature, or as an overnight stay in warm summer weather.
Another type of awnings can be conventionally called "utility". Such structures are intended primarily for organizing a particular work space: retail outlets, exhibition and propaganda stands, field cafes and canteens, administrative areas at mass events, medical centers, etc. Among such awnings, there are quite large structures that can accommodate 10-20 people, or even more; such models, as a rule, have solid walls with inserts-"windows" made of transparent material. In turn, relatively small products for utility purposes have rather symbolic walls - they are made of mesh material, if necessary, closed with a zipper, and in some models they are completely absent.

— Camping awning. The simplest type of awning — a product in the form of a piece of dense material, usually rectangular or close to it in shape. Many camping awnings are designed to be secured between trees, poles or other improvised supports. Such installation can be quite difficult, but the awning itself is extremely light, compact and easy to transport. More advanced models are also produced, equipped with their own supports and stretchers and suitable for installation directly on the ground. In any case, camping awnings themselves are intended primarily to protect from the sun and, to a much lesser extent, from rain. In addition, such products can be used as additional protection for tents — in pouring 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.

The total weight of the tent is including the frame and other accessories.

This parameter depends primarily on the purpose (see above), and after that — on seasonality, capacity, and additional functions. For example, in trekking and expedition models, the weight usually does not exceed 5 – 7.5 kg, and the lightest of these products can weigh 2 – 3 kg or even less, while being full-fledged tents for 2 people or even more. However, for a trekking tent, such a small weight with a capacity of more than 2 people usually means that this model is designed exclusively for the summer. For most camping tents, the weight starts at 6 kg, although among them there are also quite light products — by 4 – 5 kg, 3 – 4 kg, or even less (in such cases, light weight can also mean a purely summer specialization). And the most capacious and/or multifunctional models can have a weight of 10 – 15 kg, 15 – 20 kg and even more; in this weight category, you can mainly find tents, camping tents for many people and fishing tents for carp fishing (see "Destination").

When choosing a tent according to this indicator, it is worth considering that it does not always make sense to chase the maximum weight reduction. Yes, the...light tent is the most convenient to carry; on the other hand, weight reduction inevitably affects one or several other characteristics at once. So, most often, lighter models are either more expensive or smaller in size and less roomy and functional than their heavier counterparts. And sometimes weight reduction also negatively affects the security (including moisture resistance) and the overall reliability of the product. Therefore, it makes sense to specifically look for the lightest tent possible in cases where weight reduction is of key importance; a typical example is long trips, in which all the equipment has to be carried “on oneself” for a long time. And even in such cases, it is worth remembering other important characteristics. For example, for use in late autumn, when frosts are likely, it is better to choose a heavier tent with winter seasonality than a light model that is not designed for winter conditions.

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.

The length of the vestibule provided in the tent.

See above for more details on the vestibule. As for its dimensions, the length of the vestibule is measured along the same side along which the length of the entire tent is measured; and the width of this compartment usually corresponds to the overall width of the tent, and it does not need to be specified separately in the specifications. At the same time, we note that due to such measurement rules, the length of the vestibule is often less than its width; this is quite normal in this case.

The specific ratio between the dimensions of this compartment in different tents may be different. However, in general, a longer vestibule is usually larger and more capacious than a shorter one. When choosing, it should be taken into account that a large and spacious additional compartment increases overall comfort, but it significantly affects the price and weight of the tent (not to mention its overall dimensions). So when choosing for this parameter, it is worth considering the real conditions and features of the operation of the tent. We only note that in order to organize additional beds, it is worth paying attention to vestibules with a length of at least 150 cm — usually, they can accommodate additional places at least across, and often along the tent.

This item refers to the total number of entrances to the tent. In most cases, their number also describes the possibility of entering the sleeping area. However, there are models with a large vestibule, in which the input is provided from different sides. Such abundant entry/exit options allow you to use the tent in various situations. For example, focusing on the position of the sun, it will be relevant to open the western or eastern side; landscape conditions will not interfere with the installation of the tent, since one of the exits will remain accessible in any case. Well, for a large company at a campsite, vacationers will not interfere with each other.

The number of bedroom entrances provided in tent design.

It is worth clarifying that if there are several bedrooms in the structure (see "Sleeping areas"), then in this case it is not the total number of entrances that is taken into account, but the number of entrances per bedroom. For example, if the tent has 2 sleeping areas, each with 1 input, then the characteristics will indicate 1 input to the bedroom.

In other words, if the design states 2 entrances to the bedroom, this means that each bedroom has two exits (regardless of the total number of bedrooms). Such a design is convenient primarily because you can leave the sleeping slot in the most convenient way, if necessary, without disturbing your sleeping neighbors. On the other hand, a design with one input provides a higher degree of thermal and moisture insulation; such tents are better suited for particularly unfavorable conditions.

Number of windowsprovided by the design of the tent. Windows provide the penetration of natural light and relieve you of the need to use additional sources of lighting during daylight hours; in addition, when properly positioned, they allow you to inspect the area without leaving the tent.

— External. The external frame is considered more convenient to set up, especially in the case of double-layer tents (see "Inner tent"), since 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 the inner tent to be set up separately.

— Internal. The internal frame is somewhat more difficult to install than the external one; at the same time, it is less susceptible to the influence of unfavorable external conditions, and in double-layer tents (see "Inner tent") with an internal frame, it is usually possible to install only the inner tent, without an awning.

It should be noted that only tents in the shape of a hemisphere or half-barrel have a classic frame (see "Body shape"); in the case of gable tents, the characteristic "external/internal" refers primarily to the location of the supports, and the term "frame" is not applied at all to tent models.

— Inflatable. In such tents, the role of the frame is played by sealed hollow tubes made of flexible material (rubber or polymers), usually arched. When folded, they can be rolled up quite compactly, and when the tent is set up, they are inflated (usually with a special pump), acquiring the desired shape and sufficient rigidity to support the awning. The advantages of inflatable frames are their...light weight and ease of installation; they usually belong to quick-setup systems (see above for the latter). On the other hand, inflatable elements are very sensitive to damage: a small crack or hole, not critical for an element of a regular frame, disrupts the seal and makes the tent unusable.

— Pop-up. An automatic type of arc frame — it unfolds automatically when the tent is removed from the cover. This type of frame is often used in small budget tents, intended for those who prefer camping, nature trips and 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.