Tent camping is very versatile. Tents come in many sizes shapes, and seasons. When choosing a tent, consider how many will fit inside. Girls should be comfortable and cozy, but not overcrowded. Overcrowding a tent means that girls’ belongings will press against the tent walls and that there will be more moisture in the air (from exhaled breath) than the tent can realistically wick away. The tents the troop will most likely use will range in size from 2-person to 8-person. The four-person tent is highly recommended. There is plenty of space to accommodate three girls and their belongings and three girls will feel like there is safety in their numbers and can easily get along without leaving someone “out.” From a supervision standpoint, it is also much easier to keep noise levels to a minimum once the all-quiet hour is reached. If there is no inside shelter available at the camping location, bring along one or two 8-person tents for use for group activities but keep sleeping confined to the smaller tents. Tents are either free-standing or pitched using guy-lines. Most tents available today are of the free-standing variety where the tent “hangs” from its poles which are on the outside of the tent. Made of lightweight materials, usually only the sub flooring of the tent is waterproofed and depends on a fly to keep the roof, sides and its inhabitants dry from the rain.
Usually, the tents Girl Scout troops use are:
Specifically purchased by the troop;
Borrowed from the Girl Scout Overseas Committee, Boy Scouts or family members;
Rented from an Outdoor Equipment supplier.
If borrowing tents, it is imperative that they be set up and checked out before leaving for the camping trip. Borrowed tents are notorious for having wrong poles, lost guy-lines and too few stakes! Setting them up during a meeting also give girls time to familiarize themselves with their home away from home and leaves time for finding the correct poles, guy-lines and stakes if any are missing.
Have girls carry the tents to and from the car or storage location. It will give them a chance to find out how much the tent weighs and discover if they can carry it. Part of selecting tents is that girls should be able to carry it to the tent pad. If they can’t, perhaps a smaller tent should be used.
Finally, if there is a choice, select tents which blend in with nature’s surroundings. This helps create the illusion of spaciousness in a crowded campground and enhances the security of the campsite. Use a colorful flag during the day and a light during the night to identify the leader’s tent so girls and emergency personnel can easily find the adults-in-charge if the need should arise.