Texsport Cumberland Vestibule Tent

Suitable for six campers, vestibule-style tent accommodates a family during three seasons. An awning over main door adds extra weather protection, and a removable mud flap outside the door helps keep the tent clean. Three D-style doors and three windows with zippered storm flaps and large roof panels let in lots of light and air and are made of fine mesh to screen out insects as small as no-see-ums. Measuring 58 inches high at its tallest point, the 11-feet x 9-feet tent provides 99 square feet of space. It sets up on a hub-cap pole system with shock-corded fiberglass poles. Durable steel clips secure tent to frame. Heavy-duty taffeta walls are flame-retardant. The rainfly is rip-stop press print. The floor is rip-stop polyethylene. Stakes and a carry/storage bag come with the tent. Setup instructions are included.

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

One of the most frightening experiences you can ever imagine is waking up to the sound of elephant footsteps right outside your tent. This was my wake up call on my first Botswana safari expedition.

During the autumn month of April, me and my close friend Michelle went on our usual yearly escapade. We were like two girls seeking a little adventure, camping in the heart of the Botswana wilderness. We were staying in bush camps in the Moremi Wildlife Reserve in the Okavango Delta. A place filled with promise of adventure, but I dont think elephants creating havoc in our campsite was something either of us expected.

Big bullies
It was a breezy cool early morning. The signs that winter were approaching was becoming clear. Michelle woke me up. Alarmed we sat in our safari tent listening to the sound of something approaching. It didnt take long before we realized that it was a small group of elephants moving in on our campsite. The small group turned out to be two young bulls travelling together, looking for an easy meal.

We unzipped our window as softly and as wide open as we dared, for it is a common fact that young bulls, like these two, can show quite aggressive behaviour. We sat there for what felt like an eternity watching them sniffing around, pushing over and shoving around the camp. I can tell you that luck was on our side that morning, because they never showed any real interest in our tents. A good thing that our safari tents are also situated on raised teak platforms, which also provided some kind of sense of security. I breathed a sigh of relief when the two continued on their merry way.

The Moremi Wildlife Reserve
As soon as our two uninvited guests were gone, everybody came out of their tents, adrenalin pumping; the atmosphere was filled with excitement. During our hearty breakfast our guides informed us that the occurrence was not unusual. We were after all in their territory now. This was just the beginning of five days filled with Africas wildlife set in what is most certainly nature at its most beautiful.

The reserve is set in the north-eastern corner of the Okavango Delta and has stunning varied scenery. I cant remember in any of my previous safaris ever seeing this amount of wildlife in such a short amount of time. As usual there was the big five: elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and hippos. But we also had the privilege of seeing the unique sitatunga antelope.

Game for a little drive
We had a game drive every morning and evening on the back of an open 4x4 Land Rover. On one of our night drives we struck gold! A pride of lions were hunting and their victim was a feisty zebra. Although most people see this as horrible and cruel, the fact remains that it is still amazing to see nature in action. It took two lionesses to pin the zebra to the ground for what seemed like seconds to happen. The power lions possess is exhilarating. With panache they won a most difficult battle. I did feel sadness for the zebra, but this is the circle of life, even though its so cruel.

I dont think Ill ever grow tired of being so up-close and personal with Africas wildlife. Ive been privileged enough to have gone on a couple of safaris, but this being my first safari in Botswana I couldnt really understand why I hadnt travelled there previously.

Heading back to camp
After our game drive we headed back to camp. The guides set up a campfire and Michelle and I soon joined the rest of tourists to around the fire. Discussions involved the days sight-seeing and mainly about the lions hunting tactics. I think some of the tourists would take a long time to get over the initial shock of seeing something like that, for most of them found the experience simply horrible. The only thing everybody could agree on was how beautiful Botswana and specifically the Moremi Wildlife Reserve were.

After dinner and a relaxing nightcap, everybody set off to their tents with our armed guards, to what would be our last night of our safari. I think this trip was more than what Michelle and I could have hoped for and definitely set our expectations higher for our next wildlife adventure.

Author Bio:
Whether you seek five star accommodations or a real wildlife camping experience, Giltedge offers a variety of holiday getaways including lavish safaris to Botswana.