Upon arriving at your campsite one of the first things that needs to be done is to set up your sleeping shelter. For many campers this involves getting out your tent, your tent fly, your tent poles and pegs and then figuring out how to put them all together successfully. For most this process just becomes second nature with time and practice. For some campers they never really get used to the process and are always looking for an easier and quicker tent to set up. For the ultimate in quick and easy set up, enter the pop up tent.
A pop up tent is a tent that requires no assembling of parts (with the exception of stakes and sometimes a fly). You simply take the tent out of its bag and it instantly “pops up” into place. This speed and ease of set up is no doubt appealing to many campers.
Are pop up tents any good? Pop up tents are useful for car camping only. You cannot take a pop up tent on a backpacking trip. A descent pop up tent should keep out the rain and provide good ventilation. They are not strong enough for 4 season camping or to be used in harsh conditions.
An example of a descent pop up tent would be the Front Runner Flip Pop Tent. It provides enough room to sleep 2 medium sized people. It has a reputation for keeping people dry in the rain and provides descent ventilation. It is extremely easy to set up. You just take it out of the bag and it instantly sets up. Take down is easy if the steps are done correctly. It is important when collapsing a pop up tent not to force anything if you feel resistance.
Pop up tents are self supporting, they only need minimal staking and guiding out. They are great if you are car camping and just want a quick shelter to set up without any effort. If you arrive at your campsite in the dark, there is no fumbling around such as when trying to set up a regular tent even while using lights. If you arrive and it is raining, a pop up tent is a quick shelter. It is great for going to the beach and needing a quick shelter for changing, getting out of the sun and privacy.
While they are not designed for “serious” camping, a pop up will most certainly get the job done and provide a quick and effective shelter.