The pop-up tent has become very popular. That makes perfect sense. No one wants to deal with a mass of guy ropes and tent pegs unless it’s absolutely necessary. A pop-up tent can be erected in less than a minute, or even with a flick of the wrist with some models. That convenience and simplicity is extremely attractive.
Types Of Pop-Up Tent
There are two basic types of pop-up tents. The first has the nylon skin of the tent, with ribs that slide in specially sewn pockets in the tent. These open up in very much the same way as the ribs on an umbrella. The entire thing is in a single package. You pick your camping spot, press down in the centre of the tent and the ribs expand. With just a small amount of effort you have a tent waiting for you. All that remains is to use tent pegs to hold it in place.
The other type of pop-up tent goes by the nickname of a coiled tent. These come in circular bags, so they’re not ideal for hiking, but the frames are made of carbon so they’re exceptionally lightweight. To erect, simply remove the tent from the bag, unclip a strap, and the tent will either pull out by itself or take a small tug to expand to its full size. It literally couldn’t be simpler. Be aware, however, that collapsing this particular style of pop-up tent and putting it away isn’t quite as easy; there’s a technique that has to be learned. As a general rule, coiled tents won’t hold more than two people, where the umbrella style of pop-up tent comes in different sizes, able to hold up to six people.
Cost
Pop-up tents cost a little more than other tents. In part this is because of the more elaborate design and the convenience. That said, the cost isn’t exceptionally high. If you truly want to save time and effort on erecting a tent, they can be just the item. They’re as secure as any other tent. Anchored properly they won’t blow away, and the design keeps them safe from the wind.
The type of construction inevitably means that there’s more to possibly go wrong with them, but this is just in the area of the poles and springs. But if something does go wrong, the chances of being able to fix it are slim. The usual course of action is simply to replace the tent. Problems do tend to be few and far between, however. The pop-up tent can be ideal for festival camping where the space to put up a tent is at a premium and there are many other distractions all around. In situations like that being able to put up your tent in seconds offers many advantages.
Serious Campers
Those who take their camping quite seriously might be less inclined to use pop-up tents. They do their job well enough, but so do other tents with fibreglass poles. Those go up quickly and smoothly enough and offer a variety of designs that give more comfort. Also, having spent money on a perfectly serviceable tent there’s no real incentive to replace with something newer.
The main appeal of the pop-up tent is to those who want their camping experience to be as painless as possible, and for whom convenience is of prime importance. Pop-up tents are useful, without any doubt, and they have their place. But it’s unlikely they’ll ever take over the market.