Pup Tents

Once upon a time, in the days when all tent poles were as straight and rigid as a drill sergeant's spine, the A-frame or pup tent was the standard American backcountry tent. A-frames usually have two poles at each end in the form of an inverted V, plus a ridge pole forming the tent's backbone. While similar tents have been used for thousands of years, A-frames suffer from several inherent disadvantages. First, the broad, flat areas of unsupported fabric provide a perfect target for the wind, which sets the fabric to flapping loudly like a flag in a hurricane, robbing the beleaguered occupants of sleep. Second, the design uses materials inefficiently. Usable interior space is small in relation to the tent's weight, since the uniformly sloping walls restrict the occupants' ability to sit up anywhere but the middle of the tent. Finally, pitching an A-frame properly usually requires many stakes and guy lines, which are guaranteed to trip you up when you stagger groggily out of the tent at 2 a.m. to relieve yourself.

Next Page: Pyramid Tents

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