So, you want to go camping. It is a wonderful idea really — camping is an affordable, easy, and extremely enjoyable way to enjoy the great outdoors, your time off, and your family and friends. Indeed, in 2010 alone, approximately 40 million people went camping for a total of 515 million outings.

Once you’ve made your decision to go camping, it’s time to figure out exactly what that means. For some, it means roughing it along the trails, and for others, it means staying at a camp resort with many modern amenities. Most camping — about 70% — is done in public campgrounds, but there is still a lot of freedom when it comes to choosing where and how you will camp. If you forgo cabin camping and instead opt for tent camping, keep these things in mind when looking for your new tent and tent sites for camping!

Sleeping Capacity

How many people are you camping with and what will your sleeping arrangements be? If you have small children, it might be best to get a large tent that can sleep the whole family, whereas with older kids, it might be nice to have a kid tent and an adult tent. Make sure to use this as your guiding standard when looking at the many tent options out there.

Seasonality

Early spring or early fall camping trips are different than camping trips in the middle of the summer. Make sure to note what seasons your tent was designed for, and purchase accordingly. Regardless of when you go camping, it is a good idea to bring sleeping pads or easily inflated air mattress so that you don’t get too much contact with the ground — it can be chilly at night all year long.

Doors

You’ll want a tent with well-designed entrances and exits, especially if you end up doing a lot of going in and out. Make sure that there at least two, so no one has to do complicated maneuvers to get out to go to the bathroom at night.

More than one in 10 adult participants (12%) first went camping with their immediate family. Take the opportunity to teach your children to love the great outdoors and tent camping.