Tent Buying Guide

The Pup Tent Is Not For The Pooch
Michalis 'BIG Mike' Kotzakolios


Defined Tag: Pup Tent.

Although it may sound like it, and even look like it, the pup tent is not for the dog. It is a very basic type of tent intended to house one to three people. The basic shape of the tent is a house-like structure with deeply slanted roof, called a ridge. The pup style of tent is basically two strong stakes about three to five feet tall driven into the ground six to eight feet apart. A strong rope is tied tightly between the tops of the stakes. The tent material is then draped over the rope and anchored on the ground. The resulting tent is a pup-style structure that has a very distinguishable V-structure.

Pup tents have rectangular canvas or waterproof fabric floors that are usually six feet wide by eight feet long (about two meters by three meters). This allows two or three sleeping bags to be laid out on the tent floor. There is not much room for anything else, however.

The name of this style of tent may derive from the fact that it is the first type of tent to which a young boy, or "pup," is exposed. Pup tents are popular in scouting and similar organizations. It is a useful survival skill to be able to assemble a tent in the wilderness. From this skill, a young person can even learn how to construct his or her own pup style of tent from natural materials such as branches and tree trunks.

Before your child leaves on a camping trip, have him practice erecting the tent in the back yard. The tent building mechanics are easy to master, but small hands may require practice or assistance to get them right. Once the tent is erected, allow the "pup" and a friend to spend the night in the tent to acclimate to the experience. It is useful to run a portable light on an electric extension cord out to the tent if the children become fearful.

This type of tent is strictly for keeping the weather off those inside it. There is little room for anything other than sleeping bags. If cots, cooking equipment, luggage, or other gear must be protected, you'll need a much larger tent. For children having their first outdoor sleeping experience, however, a pup tent sleepover is lots of fun.

BIG Mike is a well known author, developer and Adsense expert as well as the owner of Niche Maniacs - a unique Adsense Marketing System designed to build long-term passive income streams from Adsense, Amazon, YPN, Chitika and other PPC services.