META: There are certain aspects that we must consider when buying a tents for camping. The hydrostatic head and the sun protection factor are two really important elements that you must consider before purchasing a tent.
Tents are available in various kinds of material that are suitable for different weather conditions. Canvas, cotton, nylon, polyester and felt are all fabrics that are available. Canvas can take in a lot of water, but this can make it extrremely heavy and bulky. The nylon and polyester types do not take in much water and are therefore lightweight, they can also be completely waterproof if the right kind of coating has been used on them. The fabrics over the years will tend to wear as they are exposed to constant harsh UV rays. It is therefore necessary to see how much resistance each kind of tent fabric has against natural conditions such as the sunlight and rain.
On nylon and polyester tents the common coating used is polyurethane. The coatings are available with different resistance power and the strength of this resistance is generally measured in Hydrostatic Head. The coating and durability of the tent will last longer if the Hydrostatic Head is greater. The fabric is tested to see what force of water it can take. This is done by calculating the resistance of rain in millimetres. A light shower will not harm your tent but a heavy down pour will put more pressure on the tent.
If a fabric indicates a hydrostatic head of 1000mm, it can be classified as good enough for a light shower. A hydrostatic head of 1500mm in a tent fabric is appropriate for summer camps while 2000mm fabrics are durable for more weather types like 4 season tents. Groundheets can exceed the limit of that of a flysheet which can be a good 5000mm or above. If you are going on an expedition you need a tent fabric with a hydrostatic head of 3000mm.
The other aspect that we must take into consideration while selecting a good quality tent is the sun protection factor. The ultraviolet rays of the sun are very harmful to use it is therefore very important to check the sun protection factor or SPF. This will show you how long you can expose yourself for. The greater the SPF number the more protection you have from the sun. Not only are tent fabrics checked for water resistance, they are also marked for the UV protection; this is usually between SPF35 and SPF50. You will pay a little bit extra for tents with higher SPF protection, but this is definitely worth it.
However it is always more sensible to buy a tent that provides you the maximum SPF protection because you are outdoors for several days and need the best safety measures for your skin. Ultraviolet rays can be very harmful to your skin, so make sure that the tent you buy gives you a good amount of safety from the suns rays by blocking the rays from penetrating the tent fabric.
It is equally as important that you take as good as care of your tent as your tent takes care of you. Taking care of your equipment is very important. Great care should be taken after a heavy holiday out in the rain or the sun to store it properly without too many folds and bends. This way it wll last longer. Signs of wear and tear of the tents fabric will be clearly visible at the folds. So make sure it protects you as much as you protect it.
