History of Tents
Whenever spending time outdoor is cited, a tent is sure to be included. Tents have become a crucial piece for outdoor living to shelter us from the bugs and rain. For centuries, nomadic tribes from different time periods used tents to settle down on lands they found to sustain their basic needs.
Take for example the Native Americans. The Great Plains all over the United States were not at all times permanent grounds for the animals the Indians hunted to survive. Moving the tribe was necessary and Indian tents called tipis served as their homes.
Indian tipis were made from everyday resources the Indians used such as tree barks and skins of animals. Indian tipi huts were simple to assemble and disassemble. It was put together by a number of poles and ropes and gave enough space for dwellers to put other things in. Perhaps the best qualities of an Indian tent is its durability, ability to shield people from rain, and give insulation by retaining coolness during hot days and warmth during cold nights.
The yurt is another good example of a large tent and was/is used by ancient and present Mongolians. Yurts are almost certainly the most intricate of all kinds of tents because of the way they are built. Compared to other tents, yurts are much bigger and can give shelter to dozens of people together with furniture. The infamous Mongol leader Temujin was born, grew up, lived and died in a yurt tent.
Modern tents nowadays come in several forms and dimensions and most distinctively, made from modern materials. A simple 1 man tent consists of poles, a fabric, stakes and guy lines. The shape of this variety of tent kind of looks like the roof of a house.
Manufactured tents come in a variety of features and uses. Tents that can be carried on a person’s back are known as backpack tents. Carry-on tents are common among hikers who trek on wilderness and mountains for days. Backpacking tents also come in different forms. Among them are one-person tents, dome tents, family tents and tarp shelters.
One-person tents are popular among individual campers and hikers because they can be assembled quickly and easily carried.
Dome tents are alternatives for triangular tents and they come with more bendable poles made of modern composite materials and their doorflaps are usually closed by zippers. It could house 1-2 persons depending on its size.
Family tents are bigger and more popular to big sets of campers spending their nights outside. These tents can come with a single skin and some have double skins. Inner and outer skins can be made from natural and synthetic fabrics such as polyester and microfiber. Just like the tipis made from hides of the Native Americans, modern tents made from these materials are also breathable.
Tents are the shelter of choice to most people who spend their time outdoors. For the rugged outdoorsman, tents will always be an vital piece to achieve shelter, privacy, and portability.
