Horse Camping Tents

Here are some considerations to account for when choosing a horse camping tent.

As I’ve written before, one of the biggest challenges when camping is getting a good night’s sleep. As much as I’d love to tell you all that you can sleep your very best if you do one trick, that’s probably not the case. However, just because you likely won’t get your best night’s sleep doesn’t mean you can’t do better. There are, in fact, a few things you can do to get more and better sleep at night. One thing you can do is choose the right tent. Although you could argue that a tent is a tent, I’d argue that some tents allow for a better night's sleep. Maybe that’s because I’ve lost sleep due to bad tents. You can do better.

Although tents are tents, I’d argue that horse camping tents have a different set of rules. After camping next to the pickup, and both backpacking and horse packing in the wilderness, my experience has shown this to be true. The reason is that horses do allow you to take more with you into the woods.

That being said, here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting your next horse camping tent.

Material

One consideration to make when picking a good tent is choosing the material. These days, the most common materials are going to be canvas, polyester, and nylon.

A canvas tent offers a unique and traditional camping experience.

Canvas tents are the traditional option, and they have a few good attributes. First, they are much more resilient than other tents. Canvas, of course, is heavier and able to withstand bumps, scraps, stabs, and scuffing that would tear lighter fabrics. Personally, I also think canvas tents make you feel more protected. It’s purely psychological, but a good canvas wall tent feels almost more like a cabin than a tent. Another reason canvas tents are popular is because of their traditional appeal. I mean, canvas tents, who doesn’t like them?

Attractive as they are, the problems with canvas tents are real. First, they are heavy. This is where camping with horses is a big advantage. Of course, horses allow you to take a heavier tent than if you were walking. In that same vein, tents do make a good top pack. In addition to being heavy, canvas tents will mold if they get put away wet. Although you can do the same thing with modern materials, canvas tents really have to be thoroughly dried. Finally, these tents are expensive. Like many things, you often get what you pay for, and manufacturers aren’t going to give them away.

Another more modern option is polyester. Polyester is a synthetic material that is popular in lots of tents. There are a few reasons for this. One reason polyester is so popular is because of its good weight-to-durability ratio. Although not as light as nylon, polyester is much lighter than canvas. Polyester is also generally regarded as being better than nylon at turning back wind and rain. Additionally, it is also the material that many of the most affordable tents are made out of. They can be pretty good tents.

Probably the biggest drawback of polyester has to do with breathability. Simply put, traditional polyester doesn’t breathe. This might be a significant drawback if you plan on camping in hot weather. The lack of breathability also creates conditions for lots of condensation to build up. I remember one night I slept in a one-man polyester tent, and the condensation was so bad I thought it was pouring rain and my tent was leaky. It was bad.

As bad as polyester can be, there are some modern blends that claim they are overcoming the poor breathability.

The last material we’ll take a look at is nylon. Nylon tents are very popular for a few reasons. Perhaps their best draw is that they are very lightweight. This makes them particularly popular with the backpacking crowd. They are also very breathable tents, which makes them a good option if you expect decent weather.

The downside of nylon tents is that their lightweight material doesn’t always offer the greatest durability. They don’t do as well in the rain, and over time UV rays can break the material down. If you do a lot of camping, in a variety of elements, and want a tent that lasts a long time, they might not be your best choice. Nylon tents also have a reputation for soaking up the rain more than polyester. This can cause them to sag in a storm.

Weight

As mentioned, one of the big benefits when camping with horses is that you don’t have to be as cutthroat about the weight of your tent. In the backpacking world, weight is everything. In the horse-packing world, there is room for more luxuries. Of course, you don’t want to overload your horse, but a 50-pound tent is only 5% of a 1,000-pound horse’s body weight. Certainly not too heavy in even the broadest sense.

Although horses allow you to carry more weight, you have to ask yourself if you want to handle a heavy tent. Whether you are just carrying it to and from the car or putting it on a horse every day, you’ve still got to handle it. Many people won’t be deterred by a little extra weight, while others will just try to make things easier. It’s really a matter of personal preference.

Size

Keep in mind that weight and size are not the same things. Large tents can actually be lighter than small tents depending on a few factors. It’s all about how they are made. When talking about the size of a tent, we mean the available space for sleeping and living. The amount of available space a tent creates is all about the design. Tents with the same floor size can have significant differences in living space.

Over the years, I’ve camped in a bunch of different tent styles. From teepees to domes, to pup tents and wall tents. Each has its own place. That being said, I can say with certainty that a wall tent creates noticeably more room. The biggest advantage is that you can access all the space right up to the seam. It’s really amazing how a good wall tent opens up the space inside.

Our family has done a lot of camping in teepee tents, and aside from pup tents, they are the worst when it comes to useful space. Unlike the wall tent, the teepee doesn’t allow you to use the last foot or so next to the wall. However, teepees are pretty easy to set up and are a nice piece of tradition. Once in a while, the teepee tent still gets brought out.

Pup tents like this are very easy to setup and takedown. However, they don’t offer much room for anything other than sleeping.

Pup tents are ok if you are one person trying to stay super light, and you don’t plan on spending much time in the tent. I’ve camped plenty of nights in a single-man pup tent. They get the job done. One thing I really like about these tents is that it is common to have them torn down and packed up in about 5 minutes. If you just want something quick and easy, the pup tent is the horse camping tent for you. However, on a more extended trip, you might get tired of sleeping like you’re in a cocoon. They don’t allow space for anything other than sleeping. Like I said, there is a time and place for these spartan tents.

Although manufacturers create all these styles and more, probably the most popular design is what I’d call a dome. These are your standard tents at the big box stores. Manufacturers have made huge strides over the years in improving these tents. Depending on the specific design, a dome tent can offer a good amount of usable space, without a bunch of extra weight. Currently, we have a Coleman 8-person dome tent that has been our “go-to” when the family goes camping. It was a good value and has been a good addition for a growing family.

At this point, it also might be worth remembering that tent design impacts living space, but it also impacts what we’ll call “vulnerability to severe weather events.” I bring this up, only because poor tent design was the reason for one of the craziest nights I’ve spent in a tent. Long story short, try to think about how your tent will stand up to strong winds and rain before you find yourself in the middle of a storm.

Extras

Another thing to consider when buying a horse camping tent is any extras that you might appreciate. These days it seems like screened porches are becoming popular. Our tent has one, and I can say it does come in handy. Mostly, I like being able to keep food away from raccoons but not having to bring them all the way inside with us.

Other extras are things like shade canopies, a stove jack, or similar ideas. In the end, you’ll have to decide what you want, what you can live without, and what might make your stay in the woods a little bit better.

Setup Ease

One final thing you might want to pay attention to is the ease of setup. As I’ve mentioned, pup tents can be up and down in a matter of just a few minutes. Large canvas wall tents on the other hand can take an hour or more to completely set up. Most common dome tents take between 10 and 15 minutes to be up and ready. You’ll want to select one that best suits the type of camping you want to do. Although you might want the luxury of a massive wall tent, you will probably grow tired of setting it up and tearing it down if your standard camping trip is only 2 nights. However, if you generally stay in one area for long periods of time, it might be right for you.

You’ll also probably want to consider how close to the vehicle you normally camp. Camping at the trailer is a totally different animal than camping deep in the wilderness. Your tent selection should likely reflect what you want to do.

In the end, selecting the right horse camping tent is all about you finding the right fit for you, your situation, and your budget. Also, be realistic about what you will actually do. I doubt I’m the only person who has bought outdoor gear with big plans, only to have life spoil them. If you have the money, frivolous purchases like these might not be a big deal. On the other hand, if you’re on a budget, you’ll want to be wise with your money. If you select the right horse camping tent, you may find that you get a little better sleep. It’s a little thing that certainly can make a big difference in how much you enjoy your trip.