Discount Tents

Cheap, discount tents made in China are so cheap and nasty they're practically disposable. I mean, like to use them once and throw them away.

The Chinese, who manufacture almost everything for everybody in this global economy, turn out these cheap little discount tents for next to no money at all, and I guess they do have their place.

The design for these cheap tents is dome-shape, which is excellent. But to save money on these bargain tents, they make the discount tents as a single-layer tent - without a breathable inner tent of insect netting.

Instead the cheap and nasty tents are all plastic or PVC except for a tiny ventilation square at the very top which is insect-proofed with mesh to keep the bugs out. They then place a small square of waterproof material over this to keep out the rain.

So the tent does keep the mosquitoes out, and hopefully, the rain as well. The problem is that these 'el cheapo' bargain-basement tents don't have enough ventilation to get rid of your body moisture effectively. This moisture comes from every time you breathe out, and also from your body's natural sweating - even when it's quite cold around you.

These cheap tents also lack any vestibule area over the door which might have let you to enter or leave the tent without the rain pouring straight inside. Having a vestibule area in your tent is also a good area because it lets you store your backpack and boots under cover, but they don't take up precious space inside your tent's sleeping area.

Lastly, the glass-fiber or plastic poles used in these discount Chinese-made tents are nasty and flimsy. I've had them break on me the first time I bent it to put up one of these cheapie tents, and it was a Coleman! (However, I am glad to say the camping store replaced it when I went back to them.)

Aluminium or alloy poles are far better, and well worth the extra investment. Trust me on this one.