In most cases, a good-quality tent is comfortable straight out of the box. However, we sometimes want to take it that little bit further by making our sleeping experience even better.
In this article, we’ll go over some tips and products that will make your tent sleeping experience perfect.Â
Table of Contents
Tent Camping Must Haves – Use a Quality Tent
Of course, one of the most important factors when tent camping is the tent itself. Our product of choice is The Softshell by SMRT Tent.Â
This tent features a lightweight design of just 128 pounds, has a packed size of 64.5 x 48 x 14 inches, a peak height of 47 inches, and can sleep up to four people.
It is also an item of quality due to materials such as 320 g ripstop polycotton, 420-denier oxford ripstop polyester fabric with PVC waterproof coating for the rainfly, and 650 denier waterproof PVC-coated fabric for the cover.Â
The floor is made from honeycomb/diamond plate coated aluminum and the tent poles have a diameter of 25 millimeters. In other words, this tent is well-made and built to last!
For ease of use and comfort, the windows offer SBS zippers with pull rope ends, and inside, you will find four internal accessory pockets, two large shoe bags, and a base-mounted tent pole storage pocket.
Under the roof of the tent, there is also a heavy-duty cargo net.
The included 7.55 ft. telescopic ladder is adjustable to accommodate everything from shorter trailers to lifted trucks. Its sturdy build gives you the confidence you need to get into and out of your tent no matter the time of day or the conditions.
Finally, the mattress is an ultrahigh-density EPS open-cell foam mattress that is 2.5 inches thick. The mattress is wider than a queen and longer than a king to give you maximum space to stretch out.
Additionally, the mattress is firm to the touch yet adaptive to your body, so you can get a good night’s rest. When it comes to comfort, your choice of tent and mattress will have a significant impact on your ability to make the most of tent camping. Check out The Softshell by SMRT Tent to see if it’s the right fit for your needs!
Tent Camping Must Haves – Use a Heater or AC
For me, the worst time to go camping is during summer. Where I live, temperatures can pass 100 degrees during the day – and that makes for some very hot and humid evenings.Â
Many times, the evening temperatures make it difficult to sleep comfortably.
In such instances, a portable camping AC unit would be a great addition to a tent.
As with all accessories, we have some cheap and expensive options. Our AC of choice is the small and affordable evaporative Air Cooler Fan. This small AC unit can be powered by a power bank, laptop, or a portable solar generator.Â
It takes 300ml of icy water that aids in turning the warm summer air into a cold breeze inside your tent.
At just $26.99, we would not hesitate buying this. After all, staying cool during summer can transform your camping experience!
For winter, you will need something a little different. A diesel heater is perhaps the best choice here as it can do an amazing job of warming up your tent.Â
Our device of choice is the Planar 2D Portable Diesel Heater. This heater can operate at high altitudes of up to more than 8,000 feet, and can heat boats, commercial trucks, campers, and vans. Therefore, a tent should be no issue!
The best thing about a diesel heater is that, unlike propane, there is far less risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The combustion and the hot air coming out are in completely different areas of the machine.
In fact, the Planar heater unit sits outside of your tent, and its warm, dry air is piped into the tent via a duct. That means you can rest easy knowing that all that’s coming in the tent is air to keep you warm.
Additionally, if you get too warm, you can easily adjust the temperature with the included wired remote. There’s no getting out of bed and going out in the cold to turn your heater off – just do it from the comfort of your sleeping bag!Â
If you are planning on undertaking cold-weather camping during the upcoming winter, then this is the device for you!Â
Tent Camping Must Haves – Have a Quality Sleeping Bag
Having a quality sleeping bag is a crucial element of a good night’s sleep. Firstly, you need to consider the temperatures you will be sleeping in and then purchase a sleeping bag accordingly.
For example, if the coldest temperatures you expect are 15 degrees, then get a bag rated to 10 degrees or 0 degrees just to be safe.
Our choice for a sleeping bag comes from Coleman and it is one of the most popular and well-tested products out there.
It features a polyester cover and tricot fiber blend liner to provide warmth and softness, it has Roll Control design and patented no-tie closure for easy one-person packing. It is rated for temperatures as low as 30 degrees.
This is a quality product with thousands of positive reviews; therefore, we can reassure you that you won’t be disappointed!
Tent Camping Must Haves – Get Cover from the Sunrise
Photo by milehightr via iStock
Next up on the how to make camping more comfortable list, we have setting up your tent in a way where the sunrise will not disturb your sleep. If you set up facing the sunrise, your tent will be too bright in the morning while also getting way too hot.Â
This will lead to waking up far earlier than you may have wanted.Â
To avoid this, set up your tent in a way that will provide you with a few more hours of shelter from the sun.Â
You can park your car in a way where it offers shelter, sleep under your awning if you have one, or sleep under some trees or even a small hill that will block the sun in the morning.
You should be careful when sleeping under trees as dead ones can be a hazard during windy conditions.
Tent Camping Must Haves – Final Thoughts
Photo by VisualCommunications via iStock
A good quality tent is usually very comfortable as delivered to you. However, with a few small accessories to help you adapt to the environment your camping experience can become even more comfortable.
If you have any further questions regarding how to make tent camping more comfortable or for anything else off-road or overland-related, head over to the forum section of our page.Â
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