Private Island Camping: What to Look for in a Tent
Although many islands are purchased with the intent of building a home or resort on them, others are purchased and left in their natural state making them ideal for island camping. For most individuals tents provide an ideal temporary shelter on their island. Here are some tips to consider when looking for a tent for your island.
When and where it will be used: Before purchasing a tent determine when you will be spending time on your island. Will you be staying on your island during the rainy season? Do you plan on winter camping on your island? The weather conditions you will be camping in are the biggest consideration when choosing a tent. For island owners there are essentially three types of tents to choose from, summer, three-season and all season.
Good summer tents have a great deal of ventilation, sunshade and bug protection and are ideal for summertime camping and in tropical locations. This class of tent is designed for stable, moderate warm-weather conditions and offer waterproofing for occasional rain showers. A good summer tent is usually light-coloured in order to reflect sunlight and consequently keep the temperature bearable.
Three season tents are ideal for island camping during rainy seasons. They provide adequate storm shelter protection from heavy rain and moderate winds.
All-season tents are reinforced with a greater number of, and stronger poles. All season tents are good at keeping out snow and high winds. This kind of tent is ideal for the winter camper or the island owner who plans on staying on their island during hurricane season.
Choose a Fabric: Having a tent that is waterproof is usually the first thing people look for when choosing a tent. Waterproofing varies depending on the fabric that is used to construct the tent. Cotton has been traditionally used as it can absorb a great deal of water and actually becomes more waterproof when wet. However, nylon and polyester are the most common materials given that they are much lighter, which is important when the tent needs to be carried long distances. These materials repel water and with waterproof coatings they can be very waterproof. The main disadvantage of nylon and polyester over cotton is the materials tend to breakdown in UV light over time. Finally when examining a tent ensures that the seams are sealed to ensure that no water can seep in through tiny holes in the stitching.
Choose a size: Before purchasing a tent think about how many people will be sleeping on your island. This will help you determine how big of a tent you are going to need. Tent manufactures indicate the capacity of a tent using phrases such as 3 “berth” or “2 person”. These numbers are an indication of how many people they believe will fit into a tent with a 
sleeping bag. It is important to remember that these numbers do not account for personal space for items such as luggage or camping supplies. The rule-of-thumb is to buy a tent that has a capacity rated for two people higher than the number that will actually be using it. Many families purchase a multi-room tent, which provide extra space and privacy.
Choose the right features: Ensure that your tent has aluminum poles versus fiberglass poles which tend to be fragile. If bugs are a problem on the island you will want a tent that uses noseeum meshing which is the best material for keeping bugs out. Furthermore, choose a tent with heavy duty zippers that will stand up to frequent uses. Finally purchase a tent with an adequate rainfly. The rainfly acts as the tents umbrella and the bigger the rainfly is, the better. When purchasing a tent look for a rainfly that comes well down the sides of the tent.
Choose a Location: When setting up a tent on your island look for a flat and clear area to avoid damaging the tent. Look for a well drained spot that does not sit in a low lying area as to avoid water collection. Look for natural windbreaks such as thick brush or trees and pitch your tent with the lower-rear-end facing the prevailing wind. Before driving the stakes too far into the ground ensure that you are lying level and that there are no sticks or stones directly under you. Make the adjustments than finalize your set-up
Finally, when camping on your island do not store food items in or around your tent as this will attract animals. Do not store your tent in the sack, store it in a dry, well ventilated area to prevent the growth of mold and mildew. Only use the sack when carrying it to and from your island.
Source: http://www.backpacking.net/geartent-tips.html
