What is your home away from home? The question is pretty relative.
The answer may depend on who you ask.
If you ask an executive being sent out of town or out of the country for a business trip, they might prefer to check in a hotel.
Honeymooners on the other hand may prefer a cozy inn situated in the suburbs.
Then ask an outfitter, have an idea what he will say? He would most probably blurt out a single word, "tents"! Most often, a tent is something associated with a camper, a backpacker or simply an outdoor enthusiast.
Our picture of a tent is usually something huge enough to accommodate two up to four people.
It is so big and heavy that we sometimes imagine ourselves hauling it over our backs on our way to the campsite.
Bigger tents are ideal if you have company.
Then again what would you need a big tent for if you want to spend a night alone somewhere to do some soul searching, alone? You know what would be perfect? If the tent that you are planning to take with you is so small and lightweight that it can fit inside your backpack.
Lightweight tents enable backpackers to conveniently carry their home away from home right inside their bags.
The usual weight range of these backpacking tents can start from three to fifteen pounds.
However, their weight is not the only factor that makes these lightweight tents attractive.
These tents are popular also because of its price.
The smaller ones, ideal for one person is pegged at $30 while the bigger ones can have a price range of $70 up to $300.
The price difference would depend on two possible factors.
One, how many can it accommodate and two, the make of the tent.
Basically, the two factors have direct correlation with the price.
Obviously, the larger the tent becomes, the more expensive it gets.
So when you decide to go pick-up your "home" it would be important to consider how many people do you usually take with you in a camping trip.
This may save you from spending more dollars than you are supposed to.
When you finally decide to buy a backpacking tent, would you consider going for a branded or a generic tent? Initially, when you compare the prices, a lightweight tent with no brand may seem so much cheaper that we often find ourselves picking them up from the displays.
In the long run however, tents coming from a reputable company may prove to be a wiser choice.
Why so? It is because more often, a brand is a promise of durability.
This is one way to look at it, branded items cost more because they are made of better raw materials.
They cost more because more care is put into the assembly process.
They cost more because the companies are putting their name on your lightweight tent, assuring you that if something goes wrong or if it gets damaged, they will not let you deal with the problem alone.
They will provide you their warranty for your peace of mind.
To sum it all up, before picking up just anything from the stores, you have to first know exactly what you need.
Buying a more expensive lightweight tent does not mean that you are buying the best one that there is in the market.
It may mean that if you fail to consider a few things, you may end up splurging money for it.