After seeing others experience with tents at AirVenture '05, I am going
to write an article to post prior to AirVenture '06 about what to look
for in a tent that will keep you dry and stay where you place it.

However, since you are asking now, here are a few quick suggestions so
you may seek and purchase a tent at a discount this Fall when stores are
discounting this Summer's merchandise.

o Three season tent with full rain fly. Single wall tents are lighter,
but do not breath because they are coated to seal out the water. As I
have told others, in 25 years the only weather I have not yet seen at
OSH is snow.

o Look for a tent that has a full rain fly, not those little umbrella
sun shade things that some tents have. You want a rain fly that goes
almost all the way to the ground, completely covering the inner tent.
You want a fly that is factory seam sealed.

o Bathtub floor. The waterproof tent bottom that comes up the sides of
the tent six to eight inches.

o Ground cloth. I use TYVEK, the vapor barrior material that is wrapped
around new house construction. Find a scrap in the dumpster or ask the
construction crew to save you a piece. (Check with a local Boy Scout
troop to see if they have a roll that they will sell you a piece from.)
Cut it to the shape of your tent's footprint so it is two-inches from
the edge all around. If it is the same dimension or larger than your
tent's footprint, water draining off the fly can be caught on top of the
ground cloth and flow under your tent. Although the bathtub is
waterproof, water will still seep through microscopic holes and make the
inside of your tent wet.

How many people will be sleeping in the tent?

Do you need/want a stand-up size or a crawl-into size?

Metal poles vice fiberglass poles? I prefer metal, but the most
important feature of the tent will be multiple lash points for guying.
If you have sufficient guys/tie-down points, it will withstand very
strong wind.

Domes/A-frame/rectangular shape. Think airflow. How will the surface of
the tent deflect the wind and rain? Domes generally allow the greatest
interior volume and best wind/rain shedding.

Visit a backpacking store or good sporting goods store and try out the
different models. Read BACKPACKER magazine. Google "backpacking+gear
reviews" for websites and read what users have to say.

Onlines websites:
www.campmor.com
www.rei.com
www.northernmountain.com
www.sierratradingpost.com
(these are the ones I commonly check for sales)
there are many others, including the manufacturers websites.

Remember, this is a brief overview, there is lots to discuss.