Table of Contents

choosing a tent for Australian conditions

see also:

  • I don't sell any of these nor do I receive any remuneration if you buy them, and I have not personally reviewed all of them, they are listed here to give you perspective
  • any prices are indicative and are subject to change by the retailers
  • Some tents and swags will take a lot longer and need more space to dry out before storage - if you live in a flat or unit then this needs to be a strong consideration
    • even in dry weather, the floor of a tent is likely to get wet - tents without floors may be part of your solution perhaps combined with a 2P hike tent inside it
    • a freestanding 2P hiking tent will be the easiest to dry out - can be turned upside down in the sun before packing up and takes little room at home if it is still wet
    • touring tents and large tents, especially if they have floors will generally require a lot of space to dry out and usually can't be dried out at camp
    • if this is a major problem and you need more than a 2P hike tent then an option may be to sleeping in your car for camping and vehicles designed for this
  • if all you need is a quick small tent to set up next to your car for 1-2 nights before moving on - an affordable, well made aluminium pole 2P or 3P two door tent may be your best bet
    • this will be fast to set up and pack up
    • this will not need much space to dry out when you get home and you can usually dry it out in the morning sun and wind by lying it on it's side to air the floor
    • two doors allows much greater ventilation options and more versatility if wind directions change, and of course allows second camper to have their own door
    • aim for a tent with two long poles and a crossbar as this will generally provide more strength than a single spine tent and more internal space than a two pole tent without a crossbar
    • most would prefer a tent where the fly goes over the poles - this means you can remove the fly on hot nights and possibly see the stars, but for those who don't need this, an external pole system allows setting up so the inner tent does not get wet in the rain during set up as essentially the whole tent just clips under the poles
    • unless you plan to do overnight hiking, you don't need a more flimsy ultralight style tent so you can avoid the 15D or 20D fabrics and choose a more durable 65D silnylon or a 210T poly
    • check the size of the doors and the types of zippers (YKK are generally best)
    • then you just need to decide on how much fabric vs mesh you want in the inner tent (warm nights go for full mesh, cold nights you want more fabric)
    • take a foam mat or foam squares to place under the tent floor for extra floor protection, less condensation on top of the floor, more warmth and more comfort
    • take a tarp to set up over the tent if you find it starts leaking in the rain, or you want extra wind protection or sun protection
    • by having the above, you can get by with a more affordable tent for $AU80-300 - check out tents on Aliexpress or Temu direct from China - ensure it is seam sealed!
      • eg. GeerTop TopRoad tents - although these do not have a crossbar, they have mesh windows in the two doors for extra ventilation / warmth options
    • if you regularly stay more than 2-3 nights at one spot then a larger “touring tent” in which you can stand up in may be worth the extra hastle of setting up, packing up and more difficult drying

Introduction

Quick summary

  • if strong winds > 60kph are likely
    • ensure your tent design and pitching is adequate to cope with the winds (aerodynamic designs with low height and strong alloy poles are generally needed)
      • swags, tipi tents and geodesic domes are generally strong wind tolerant as are low profile alpine tunnel hiking tents, next best are the high quality 4 season hiking 1-2P dome tents
    • ensure you have strong enough tent pegs which will not be pulled out of the ground or sand or will twist and release the guy rope
      • for larger tents on sand, you should use heavy duty sand pegs or angle iron pegs and hit them in with a sledge hammer!
    • ensure you have all the guy rope points guyed out - consider springs on your guys for larger tents and regularly check them
    • if in doubt, pack up the tent and wait out until the strong winds pass
    • very few tents will survive winds > 80-100kph!
    • a budget fibreglass pole 2-4P tent is unikely to survive strong wind gusts of 50-60kph! - the poles will snap then puncture the fly and let the rain in and soak your sleeping gear - you have been warned!

Factors to consider in choosing a tent

2P freestanding tents with mainly nylon inners for most weather conditions in southern parts of Australia in 2021

2P ultralight freestanding mainly mesh inner 3 season hiking tent under 2kg

lightest alpine snow 2P tents

4 season winter HOT tent

the Australian tropical coast

Central Australian desert in winter