see also:

• camping in strong winds
• choosing a tent for Australian conditions
• condensation in tents
• cooling options for your tent
• staying cool while camping in summer
• keeping warm when camping or hiking
• the problem with cold air whilst camping
• choosing a camp site for your tent
• tips for camping in the rain
• photography and camping main index page

• managing tent ventilation vs wind chill vs wind damage is one of the main goals of camping in a tent - and much comes down to tent design as well as camp site selection

• adequate ventilation options are a critical component to tent design as inadequate ventilation is likely to lead to internal condensation in tents or excessively warm environment which is not conducive to sleeping (this is mainly a problem in the warmer months or in the tropics) - see staying cool while camping in summer
• hence nearly all tents have at least some mesh in the internal “inner tent” and some vents on the fly +/- space below the fly so air can enter from under the fly
• some “4 season” tents do not have much ventilation options so they are NOT really 4 season but are really only for winter or cold nights
• a true “4 season” tent will generally have two large doors each with dual layers - a fabric layer to reduce wind chill, and a mesh layer to allow much more ventilation, and you can adjust the amount of ventilation as needed, while the second door allows for cross-flow of air
• a “3 season” tent will generally have a fabric section in the lower third of the inner tent to reduce wind chill at floor level and much of the upper part of the inner tent is mesh to reduce condensation
• a summer tent may be all mesh inner apart from the bathtub floor

• wind chill is one of the major enemies of being outside or camping as it can dramatically impact your ability to keep warm - especially on exposed skin areas such as your face, neck, etc
• for this reason, in cool to cold seasons, inner tents should have a reasonable amount of fabric to protect from wind chill, especially at the level you will be sleeping at (if you sleep on a stretcher bed, you will need a higher level of fabric).

• stronger winds in dusty areas will result in the air near ground level in particular, to be filled with sand or dust which will make for a very uncomfortable night
• this is particularly a problem in coastal areas or in the desert regions
• ANY mesh in the inner tent is likely to allow this dust to enter into your sleeping area and make the night miserable for you, even if the fly is fully closed - it will blow in from under the fly and go up to the top of your inner tent and enter inside your inner tent from there
• thus, you need the ability to fully seal the inner tent and for this, a true “4 season” tent with a full fabric inner and zippable vents is highly beneficial
• you may still need an eye mask and even a face mask

• many tents have a wind rating - usually against the Beaufort wind scale in a wind tunnel test although these may not be accurate ratings
  • if set up correctly, most tents will cope with winds up to 40kph, some will cope with 50kph, much fewer will survive consistently over 60kph, and you will be lucky indeed if you manage to survive without damage in over 80kph winds unless they are expedition level tents
• factors which improve structural integrity against stronger winds:
  • must be adequately pegged down otherwise it will either blow away or parts of the tent not meant to be stressed become stressed
  • must be adequately guyed out to reduce stresses at each point and upon the poles - it is critical that these guy outs do not become loose and they must not be excessively taut
    • for hikers, the guys generally do not need springs as nylon tents stretch a bit anyway, however, polyester fabrics do not stretch much and so may benefit from springs
    • for larger tents, reflective guy ropes with springs are advisable and ensure you have them well pegged out - use larger sand pegs in sand, use stronger steel pegs in harder ground - see tent pegs/stakes and how to stake your tent or tarp
    • for awnings or tarps with vertical poles, consider wrapping the guy rope around the top of the pole to reduce stress on the eyelet
      • avoid segmented awning poles which come apart as they can come apart if a wind gust lifts up the pole
  • aerodynamic design of the tent (usually as long as it is facing the correct direction into the wind although some are aerodynamic from all directions such as tipis)
    • a large wall area face on to the wind creates a lot of wind stress (hence box style or cabin style tents can be problematic) as do overhangs or open doors which can catch the wind
  • for a given design, height of the tent can be important - the taller the tent, the more wind stress it will receive
    • hence swags are generally more wind resistant than tents (but they also tend to be made from stronger, heavier fabrics as well)
  • tautness of the sides of the tent is critical - if the fabric is not taut the structural integrity is severely impacted, it too taut, it may increase tearing at the seams or stress points
  • thickness of the fabric is important, ultralight fabrics are more likely to tear than thicker fabrics with a higher tear rating
  • strength and flexibility of the poles
    • fibreglass poles tend to break when flexed excessively and the broken ends can then tear the tent fly and you and your sleeping gear may get wet and cold
    • alloy poles are lighter, and more flexible and are generally recommended for most camping tents
      • the thicker the pole is, the stronger it will be
    • air pole tents are potentially the most wind resistant as they don't have metal or fibreglass poles which break, but they are very bulky and heavy
  • many tents have plastic joints for the poles such as “Fast Frame” tents and these need to be protected from strong winds
  • ensure poles are properly connected to each other as the joins may break when excessively flexed while not fully joined
  • ensure poles are attached to the fly as per manufacturer's design - there may be velcro tabs to connect
  • some tent designs have the poles passing through tunnel sleeves which distributes stresses better along the length rather than just at clip sites, and also reduces the flex stresses on the poles and maintains tent shape better in the wind - the downside is that they can take longer to set up and pack down with only one person
• minimising the impact of strong winds is also very important - see camping in strong winds