Wenzel North Woods 4-Person Tent

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Marketing language has permeated every facet of outdoor gear, such that we all assume that everything should be made with “state-of-the-art polymers” and have “Double-welded Therma-Vapo? Technology.” But sometimes we all need to take a step back and remember that we go outdoors for the outdoors, not for the features list on our gear.

This tent has some marketing-style features, like a “Large Dutch ‘D’ door. But really, at the end of the day, IT’S A TENT. You want to get this tent if you’re going car camping and don’t want to break the bank. It’s not going to take you to the summit of Denali, and it’s not going to wow your REI-obsessed friends, but it’s going to do the job. It’s a nice tent.

And if we may sound off for a second: This is really important. The gearheads are running the asylum, and people who want to just get outdoors and have fun feel like they need to spend thousands of dollars on the best gear if they are going to consider themselves “serious.” But camping isn’t really serious. It’s fun. High-performance gear has its place if you are a dedicated mountaineer, but if you’re going out with the family for a weekend in the woods, just relax and enjoy your nice tent.

In the box:

(1) Wenzel 36437 North Woods 9′ x 7′ Sport Dome

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