The Camping Tent Size Chart - Picking The Right Size for Your Family

Camping with friends or family is one of the best ways to spend a few days outdoors, and you need to be well-prepared for this occasion. This means that you should plan and prepare all your equipment in advance.

There is no doubt that camping tents are the key equipment you should pay attention to first. Factors such as tent capacity, size, material and ease of use play an important role.

This article helps you choose the right camping tent size for camping gear. In addition, you can find tips for choosing the best tent materials and functions.

Tent size and living space

It's not difficult to determine the tent sizes that suit your needs. Consider the average space on the tent floor a person needs and start working from there.

For example, the standard width of a sleeping bag or sleeping pad is about 60 cm. Multiply sleeping bags' size by the number of people and you will be able to get an approximate figure of the total building area. Another measurement to consider is the peak height of the tent body.

Smaller size camping tents (2 and 3 people) may have a maximum height of 125 cm. This may be enough for children to stand up, but adults may have to squat in the backpacking tent because most parts of the tent are shorter than the peak height.

You can prepare a comfortable 2-person tent for you and your camping partners, or an 8-person tent for your extended family. In addition to the size, these backpacking tents also provide different portability, ease of use and additional functions.

Tent layout

After determining the size of your favourite tent from camping tent size charts, you need to check the layout. If you have children, buy a tent with bedrooms adjacent to each other and separated by partitions that are easy to lock and pull apart. In this way, you can gain some privacy, pay attention to your children and ensure that they are not disturbed by others when they sleep. 

Side by side cabin tent layout is most suitable for families with adults and children. You'll sleep in the middle, the girl on one side and the boy on the other. Check that each bedroom is large enough to comfortably accommodate your child.

If you have teenagers, you should find a more private tent. Consider a room with a shared room in the middle and bedrooms at both ends. The partition wall shall not be easy to remove. You can also consider buying separate tents for older girls and boys. However, in some campsites, additional tents may be charged extra. Therefore, consider buying multi-room tents as they provide privacy when on a car camping trip with your family.

Tent shape

Family tents have two shapes; The cabin and dome style tents have their own advantages and disadvantages. The hut tent has more vertical walls and provides higher ceilings for better clearance. Therefore, they have good livability because they can easily accommodate functions such as awning, room partition and vestibule. Because the whole tent has enough headroom, they are the best tent for tall people.

Dome tents with sloping walls; Therefore, they can better resist the wind and make their structure reasonable. However, the sloping walls reduce the ceiling space and make the tent uncomfortable because there may not be enough head space.

Tent weight

You can find tents for 4 to 6 people, weighing 3-6kg and transportable. Depending on where you intend to use the tent, weight may be a key or secondary factor. If your goal is to do a lot of biking, backpacking or hiking while camping, choose a lightweight tent.

Conversely, if you plan to drive and camp in the same place, weight may not be a problem. In this case, please consider the volume of the tent when folding. It should be small enough to fit in the trunk of your car and can be conveniently stored at home.

Tent height

A good size tent should be comfortable even standing. This ensures that you can walk around comfortably without bending over. Most tents are at least one-meter-high, but if you are tall, you may want to consider 1.8-2 meters.

Family camping is a pleasant activity all year round. When purchasing tents for your family, please consider the season you are car camping, the number of your family and where you will camp most of your time.

If you can, experimenting with tents in stores is a good way to determine whether everyone in the family is suitable and how comfortable the tent is. Take time to weigh your options - your family will thank you.