Wenzel Tent Tips And Suggestions.

Looking for a Wenzel tent? They are usually low cost, but is there a trade off? What does their 10 year warranty cover?

Wenzel tent is a part of American Recreation Products. American also teams with Eddie Bauer tents to bring you their own line of tents, and it seems some of the same problems (leaks and zipper issues) exist with both brands.

Although they offer a "10-year Manufacturer's Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship for the verified original purchaser only." I think this snippet from the Wenzel tent warranty page sums it up, "This warranty does not cover damage for wear & tear, abuse, weather damage, improper use or alteration..." (wenzelco.com/products/warranty.asp) I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to what "weather damage" is and what is and isn't covered.

A common design issue I've noticed with most Wenzel tents is the small size of their rainfly. It's as if they added it to say the tent has one, as opposed to serving its intended purpose of stopping the elements. A small rainfly may shield the top of the tent from a gentle straight-falling rain, but it will still fall and run down the mid and bottom sidewalls and possibly over the door. The problem has the potential to get worse if wind-driven rain hits the walls higher and then runs down over the doors and windows.

Although there are other tents that require seam sealing as well, if you decide to get a Wenzel tent, make sure that you seal every seam thoroughly as most complaints seem to revolve around leaks. Be aware though that you still might get wet because at least some of the Wenzel tents are designed in such a way that water will fall off the rainfly and stream down the tent wall where it may leak through the zipper.

At this time I don't feel comfortable recommending a Wenzel tent. As I've mentioned before I'm open to changing my mind if and when a tent proves itself. As of yet though, it hasn't happened.

A tent is one of the most important pieces of camping gear or hiking equipment you will invest in. It can literally make or break your trip. If you've looked over this site, you probably already know I speak from first-hand experience... I've gotten soaked on more than one occasion. ;-)

If you're new to camping and holding off investing in a nice tent to see if you like it, save your money and borrow a friends tent or rent one. On the other hand, if you're an experienced camper you already know the value of a high quality camping tent that will last you for several years. If money is a big concern, I recommend taking a look at Eureka tents or Kelty tents they both offer some nice quality tents at a very good price.

Have a look at the camping tents guide for information on how to choose a good quality tent. It offers tent reviews, recommendations and explanations about what's important in a tent, be it a Wenzel tent or otherwise.