A camping glossary of termsHere we have detailed an extensive camping glossary of terms. A-Frame: A traditional tent with a central pole or support through the middle of the tent forming an "A" shape.
Bathtub Groundsheet: A groundsheet that curves upward at the edges as it joins the walls of the tent preventing draughts and insects from accessing the tent. Bathtub groundsheets are best used in the sleeping areas only. If they are used in the communal hall areas any damage to the groundsheet caused by general usage is difficult to repair. Berths: The number of people a tent can sleep.
Butane: A gas which usually comes in blue cylinders. Most commonly used in the UK, although propane should be used in colder temperatures as propane has a lower boiling point (conversion from liquid to gas)than butane.
Calor: A commercial supplier of propane (red and green) gas cylinders and butane (blue) gas cylinders.
Camp Stove portable and lightweight stoves used for camping which can burn gas-fuel (eg propane), liquid-fuel (eg paraffin) or solid-fuel (eg hexamine tablets).
Camping and Caravanning Club, The world's oldest (over 100 years old) and largest (over 400,000 members) club for all forms of camping and caravanning. Contact: 0845 130 7631
Denier: A term used to indicate the size or number of filaments or yarn. The higher the number the heavier the yarn, the lower the denier number, the finer or sheerer the yarn.
Dining Shelter: A shelter designed to dine and cook under.
Family tent: A sufficiently large tent that can accommodate many people, usually with a numerous bedrooms and a central communal hall area.
Flyscreens: Mesh used to cover windows, doors and roof vents to keep out the bugs.
Flysheet: A layer of waterproof material forming the roof of a tent and which acts as a barrier against the elements. It provides a cover for the inner tent structure creating a double walled tent.
Foam Sleeping Mat: A thin camping mattress which can usually be rolled up for easy transportation.
Full hookup: Sewer, electricity and water available at the campsite.
Gear loft: A mesh or net structure connected to the tent ceiling to provide additional storage or a drying area for lightweight items.
Gore-Tex: A durable waterproof, breathable material permitting body vapor to pass through whilst keeping the rain out.
GPS: Global Positioning System uses satellite triangulation to determine the longitude and latitude position of an object allowing land, sea, and airborne users to determine their exact location.
Grommet: A metal eyelet used to reinforce holes, eg in the groundsheet where the tent pegs are pushed through.
Groundsheet: A water resistant sheet placed on the tent floor to provide a barrier against moisture.
Guy rope: ropes used to securely attach the tent to the ground.
Hoop and Tunnel Tents A tent built around a 2 or 3 hoop structure providing good interior space. They are usually lightweight tents favoured by hikers.
Hydrostatic Head (HH): A measure of the waterproof qualities of fabric. The fabric is tested to determine its ability to withstand the pressure of a column of water without leaking. For European use it is advisable to purchase a tent with a HH or PU rating of at least 3000.
LPG: LPG, either butane or propane, is a colourless liquid stored in a pressurised cylinder to keep it liquefied. When vaporised and mixed with the right amount of air, it burns with a blue flame and emits carbon dioxide and water vapour. Stored and used correctly, LPG cylinders offer an extremely safe and efficient source of energy for a range of appliances such cookers and heaters - See Camping Glossary: Propane Gas.
Mains hook-up: A campsite facility where mains electricity is supplied, usually for a small charge.
Mesh window: A feature of tents where the windows are covered with a fine mesh to prevent the entry of bugs.
Pitch as one Tents: Tents where both the inner and outer layers are erected together, saving time when setting up and taking down.
Tent Pitch size: The physical area provided by the campsite for pitching a tent. Pitch sizes vary from campsite to campsite.
Tent Pitching time: The average length of time taken to erect the tent.
Polyurethane coating: A durable material coating used to help waterproof tent flysheets.
Poncho: A hooded water-repelling garment used as a raincoat.
PVC: Polyvinyl chloride, a rigid, durable thermoplastic resin.
PVC window: A tent window constructed from transparent PVC enhancing visibility and natural lighting.
Propane Gas: Propane is usually supplied in red and green cylinders. It is a gas used in colder conditions as it has a lower boiling point (conversion from liquid to gas) than butane (blue cylinders). Butane's boiling point is around 0°C so in colder conditions around and below this temperature it will not work effectively, therefore propane should be used in colder temperatures. Propane is stored in the cylinder at a higher pressure and the propane cylinders should be stored outside.
Ring and pin system: A system whereby long pins attached to the tent walls are inserted into the hollow ends of the tent poles providing a robust system for erecting tents.
Ripstop: A fabric woven with a double thread at regular intervals so that small tears do not spread - see Camping Glossary: T Thread count measurement.
Taped Seams: Tape seaming is the process of bonding fabric joins together to ensure full waterproof integrity, often along the seams of tents - See Camping Glossary: Hydrostatic Head.
Shock-corded poles: Tent poles sections held together by an elastic cord running along the length of the pole keeping the poles together so you don't have to hunt for pieces. As the poles sections are connected the cord holds them together so they can be handled as a single pole.
Single-wall tent: A tent constructed from a single layer made from water resistant material. This type of tent is often used by backpackers due to its lightweight construction and ease of set up.
Stake puller: A tool used to extract tent stakes/pegs from the ground.
T (Thread Count) measurement: - put simply this is the number of threads per square inch. The lower numbers represent a loosely woven fabric and the higher number a tightly woven fabric. This measure helps indicate the strength and feel of a piece of fabric - See Camping Glossary: Ripstop.
Tent pegs/stakes: Metal or plastic stakes used to hold the tent firmly to the ground. The type of stake used depends upon the ground conditions, eg metal stakes should be used in firm conditions.
Tent poles: These are aluminum, steel or fiberglass poles used to erect tents. These tend to be supplied in sections held together by shock-cords.
Tinder: Material for starting a fire .
Tunnel Tents: Tents which when erected resemble a semi circular tunnel constructed from parallel hooped poles.
UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor): The UPF rating is a measure of a garment's protective ability, based on how much UV (Ultraviolet) rays can get through a fabric to the skin. UV rays from the sun can damage the tent's colour and cause a general degradation of the outer fabric. UV proof sprays are now available to protect items from this effect. Valance (Mudflap): A useful feature of tents where a fabric extension is added to the bottom of the tent walls to ensure they make contact with the ground helping to prevent draughts accessing the tent. Ventilation: A means of removing moisture to prevent condensation buildup inside the tent. Many tents provide roof vents and windows to increase ventilation.
Vestibule: A porch style covered storage area outside the tent door usually used to store wet clothes or equipment.
Water resistant: The ability to resist, but not completely repel, water. In heavy rain a water resistant material may leak - See Camping Glossary: Hydrostatic Head.
Waterproof: The ability to completely repel water - See Camping Glossary: Hydrostatic Head.
Waterproof-Breathable Fabric: A fabric permitting body moisture to escape whilst repelling rain. This type of material is often used with single wall tents due to their ability to allow body moisture to evaporate while remaining impervious to rain - See Camping Glossary - Hydrostatic Head.
If you would like to add items to our Camping Glossary of terms then please use our Contact us form on the navigation bar. We look forward to adding to our Camping glossary with helpful and relevant entries.
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