Go Drive & Camp May 2019

102 |May2019go! Drive&Camp

Atentfor

everytaste

What arethe pros andcons ofnylonand canvas tents?

What is awatercolumn?We answer your ques tions.

TextCyril Klopper

M

anhasbeen

campingintents

forthousandsof

years.TheBible,for

example,mentionsinGenesis

thatJabalistheprogenitor

ofherdsmenlivingintents.

WealsoknowthattheRoman

armycampedinleathertents,

andthatthefirst

expeditionthatreachedthe

SouthPole–ledbyRoald

Amundsen –tookhemptents.

Butwhatkindof tentisbest

foryou?Arooftentoroneonthe

ground?Nylonorcanvas?

Nylon

Nylontentscanbedividedinto

twocategories: lifestyl eand

expedition.Lifestyletentswill

keepyouwarmanddr yin

moderateweatherconditions,

butexpeditiontentskeepyou

aliveine xtremeconditions.

Nylontentspolesar eusually

madeoffibreglass.Itw eighslittle

andcanbendquitealotbefore

itbreaks.Butifthewindblows

hard,yo uhavetousegu yropes,

becauseotherwisethosepoles

willbreakasiftheywere matches.

Expeditiontentpolesareoften

madeofamixtur eofa luminium

andcarbonfibre–considerably

strongerthanfibreglassand

weighsless-buteventheycan

crackinverystrongwinds.

Alifestyle tentisusuallyhigh

enoughthatyoucan stand

uprigh twhilean expedit iontent

isflatterandoftenstrea mlined

sostor mwindscanblowover

it.Thelatteralsoha smorethan

twopolesandano versupplyof

guyline s.

CAMP BOFFIN