Best Camping Tent in India

Which is the Best Camping Tent in India? I am trekking since 1998 (in India & specifically Maharashtra), during long treks, I did stay inside caves & temples or even without shelter ! That time there was no provision of trekking tents which you can get today easily & at cheap price too. [updated 2021]

So couple of years back I bought first branded 2 persons tent Quechua Arpenaz and used it many times, however felt that space inside is not sufficient for 2 persons as said in the name of tent. Its slightly crunchy inside for two persons stay, also I was not able to accommodate my trekking sack, shoes inside the tent.

So I thought of going for bigger sized tent, however the branded 4 person tents were too costly for me to buy ! and hence I decided to search and buy cheap Chinese 4 person or 6 person tent ! I thought to give it a try, knowing that it will be of inferior quality than branded tents.

Branded vs non branded tent?

Finally after some research on customer reviews last month I bought non branded China made 4 persons tent from Gadgetbucket, surely that is not upto the mark of branded ones, in terms of function, quality etc. but after use I can say that it serves the main purpose, that is it is specious from inside and we two are able to sleep well plus accommodate camping gears, sack, shoes, etc. So I am happy with it.

Looking at experience that I have jotted down above I thought of giving you a comparison guide on tent selection basically for India (Europe or USA environment is totally different)

At the end of this post you will be able to decide on which tent will be suitable for you during camping in Sahyadri mountain ranges or other part of India where there is no snowfall.

Best Camping Tent India, Selection Guide

Firstly in Sahyadris we do not camp during rainy season due to fear of snakes & leaches. So I do not insist to have fully waterproof tent (not to waste money on that)

Quencha tent is having thick base which protects it from puncturing due to stones below, where as Gadgetbucket tent have thin sheet.

For beginners, This tent selection guide shall help 🙂

My recommendation is to go with budget tent from Gadgetbucket best 4 person camping tent (~950 to 1200 Rs for 4 person) with the following additional information

• Remember to use a Tarp Sheet below the tent :
  This protect it from puncturing, easy for cleaning after use

  Buy a Tarp sheet  of 6 x 9 feet for @??? Rs which you can put under your tent (since the base is thin), now this have two fold advantage. [prices changes day to day basis, but generally you can get tarp sheet for around 200 to 300 Rs so please check latest price by clicking link]

  1. It protects tent base from tearing due to sharp stones
  2. You can wash it independent of tent
  3. You can change it w.o changing tent in case of damage
  4. You can use it separately for lunch or evening sitouts during trek
  5. The load gets divided, you carry tent and your friend can carry the tarp 🙂

• Branded Quechua arpenaz 2 tent is Very good quality, Durable & the Best, but not for me!

  With Quechua tent, which has very good thick base I face following issues

  1. Difficult to wrap down due to thick base
  2. I can not wash the tent (base gets dirty during camping & I have to wipe it carefully), Vs this a tarp sheet can be separately washed
  3. Weight of tent is more & must be carried by single person
  4. if the base is damaged, the total tent is useless
• Although it says 4 person tent, the size practically permits 3 persons comfortably, so remember this before buying. Also note that it can’t accommodate 6 feet person comfortably due to size limits.

For beginners you have to keep in mind the following things before buying tent

• To begin with Buy cheap camping tents

  Don’t buy expensive tent, I bought my first tent and used it for camping after one year (in spite of active trekking group doing at least one trek per month!) Its not that we do camping each week, hence why to spend more amount of money of the cheap camping tent is working for me, surely it will last for over couple of years for 8-10 campings, I think that is more than sufficient for you.

• Do not forgot to buy and Put a Tarp sheet below tent

  As said firstly buy a cheap tent, use tarp sheet below the tent to protect the base from stones etc. also its easy to wash the tarp sheet keeping the tent base always clean. Surely if you get branded tent like Quechua or Coleman, and put is somewhere in Sahyadri mountains, it will get dirty due to dust or mud, and its extremely difficult to wash the complete tent !! practically impossible thing to do.

• Go for buying a Branded tent after couple of years

  Once you are used to tent camping, and now do it frequently then think of going for costly and high quality tents like quechua arpenaz 2 tent or coleman sundome tent 4 person tent. They are surely more specious, waterproof, weatherproof as compared to cheap Chinese tents like Gadgetbucket but you need to graduate to that level before spending your hard earned money 🙂

Which is the Best Camping Tent in India?

Few questions more frequently asked to me by fellow trekkers

How to deal with condensation in a tent? 

Condensation is mainly caused due to your breath. (Single person exhale @ 1 liter water in night)

Storing Wet clothes, Wet gear will also contribute to condensation, even sleeping near a stream, lake or other wet area when it’s humid and there’s no wind at night.

So what is the best way ? Simply leave your rain fly open at night to allow ventilation. As the water vapors escape out, condensation will get significantly reduced.

What is use of rainfly ? Does the Flysheet protects you from condensation?

Now if you want to avoid condensation, we saw that you have to allow ventilation, however during rainy season it is not possible to keep vent open. In such case if you have rainfly, you get space in between rainfly and inner walls where you can keep the vent open. (Gadgetbucket tent do not have rainfly, but as said earlier we do not do camping in rainy season due to snake bites & leaches)

What is Tarp sheet & why I need it for my tent ?

Before you lay down tent, you have to find out a flat space. Clean it our from rocks, sticks, bumps and lumps and possible ants nests etc.
After that also there are chances of tent base getting damaged, making the tent useless. Simple solution is use of plastic sheet (tarp) below tent, which is easily replaceable and washable

Also your tent base remains dry and easy to pack. Tarp can be separately dried/cleaned.
Most important thing is that Replacing a tarp is a lot cheaper than replacing your tent.

You can get Tarp sheet of 6 x 9 feet on Amazon

Read my latest guide based on my practical experience

Bought Cloth Changing Tent cum Portable Toilet tent last month Review on the same

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