HH: This means “hydrostatic head” and is an indication of how waterproof a tent’s fabric is. It measures how much water the fabric can hold before it starts to seep through, as well as the water pressure it can withstand before leaking starts. A basic tent’s flysheet is usually around 2000mm and a groundsheet is 5000mm or more. A tent with a 5000mm reading will protect you against heavy rainfall or a constant downpour – phew. How the Hearst Institute tests tents The Hi Gear tent range are winners of the 2020 Best Family Tent award from the Camping and Caravan Club. While they are great for families, they also make great tents for groups of friends, who need a decent festival tent for example. Size, layout, space Season rating: This doesn’t mean how many seasons it can be used in, but is a rating of its ability to deal with different weather conditions. A tent with a 1 season rating is fine in warm conditions and possibly a light rain shower but not much else, whereas a 4 or 5 season tent will keep a person and their gear safe from extreme winter conditions. Fully Fire Retardant – Flysheet, Bedrooms, Mesh and Groundsheet ALL now fully fire retardant to British Standards.

As for the Zenobia 6, the Regatta Karuna 6 family tent seems to be the obvious alternative, although the Regatta Karuna does not have darkened bedrooms and it’s slightly more expensive than the Zenobia 6.The Hi-Gear Zenobia 8 looks more professional with the little rain canopies over the doors. These prevent rain falling inside the tent. Nightfall Bedrooms - With integrated curtains keep the dark out or let the light in as it doesn’t always need to be dark. The Zenobia 6 does not have this over its doors, so get an umbrella ready if you’d like to keep the tent as dry as possible. If you like the Gelert Horizon 6 or want to a different colour, then this tent is actually the same as the Gelert Horizon (both Hi Gear and Gelert have the same manufacturer).

Now you know, we've rounded up some tents for different purposes so you can be confident you're getting the right tent for you. Here's what you need to know – and the best tents for every trip.Size: All tents will say how many people can fit, but we'd recommend going up a size so there's also room for all your stuff. Saying that, plenty of the featured tents have a porch for muddy shoes, and some bigger ones have central areas where you can sit and chat or eat dinner together.

As for ventilation, there are various air vents, I do like te window vents that help a lot keeping a steady airflow across the living area and the bedrooms. Weather Protection Extensive Venting System – Low and mid-level venting which is adjustable to suit your camping and weather needs. Weight: Obviously, the heavier the tent, the less portable it is. If you're going to a festival, you'll want to go for something 5kg or under. Bigger than that, you'll need a car and more people around to help you pitch it. Deluxe Peg Sets – Massively improved Peg Sets with coded location guide designed not to let you down.

Side door can also double up as a sunshade, and doors both side can be opened to help cool the tent down if it is very hot. Electric cable access point, which is ideal if you need to run a heater (see our guide to Electric Hookup Units). Our round-up of tents includes products tested by experts at the Hearst Institute for Cosmopolitan as well as recommendations from the Cosmo team. Hearst Institute tested: