Next, check the floor and fly seams. Seams protected with a waterproof tape are great because they save you the trouble of applying gooey seam sealer. But taped seams also jack up the price of the tent. Applying your own seam sealer will only take you a couple of hours every few years, which is well worth the savings for us thrifty types. Check that the zipper has a good, secure storm flap so rain won't drizzle in.
Sleeves make for a more stable tent because of the continuous contact with the tent poles.
But clips work fine for three-season use and they promote air flow between the fly and tent canopy. Kristin Hostetter is the equipment editor for Backpacker magazine. She resides in Portland, Ore., but spends most of her time in the wilds testing gear. Sponsored Links GPS Receivers Learn about these hot new gadgets. All rights reserved.