camping tentOver the weekend I got together with my backpacking buddy and we decided that it was time to get back on the trail for some serious backpacking trips. She used to have a dog that we would take along so we felt comfortable sleeping under the stars, but he is long gone now, so we're going to buy a camping tent that will keep us safe, warm, and dry. I'm a veteran Internet shopper so she delegated the task to me.

When I got home, I found this fantastic camping tent for the two of us. It will fit both of us and weighs just five pounds. When backpacking, every ounce counts and this tent, a Eureka Zeus 3 Classic Backpacking Tent, measures 6'6" by 7'11". That's plenty of space for the two of us since we are both small women. It packs up to 7" by 23" so it'll fit nicely hanging from either of our backpacks. It has a gear loft which will keep our essentials handy, too. I've never had a backpacking tent before, but without a dog, I feel like we need one.

We're taking our first backpacking trip in early November which can be rainy, so having a camping tent as well made as this one will be wonderful. On past backpacking trips, we've had to use our plastic tarps over our sleeping bags instead of under them to stay dry when it rained at night. It'll be nice to have this camping tent to protect us from rain or wind. The windows and ventilation also are made from no-see-um fabric which is perfect for us because we have these pesky creatures in the wilderness.

The product description for this camping tent says that it's easy to put up and take down which is another big advantage. Sometimes we get to our camping site around dusk, and having a camping tent that goes up in a flash helps. We need a little daylight to get the tent up and find firewood to keep us warm and cook our meals. Although we bring along a backpacking stove and fuel, we prefer to use firewood so we don't waste our precious fuel. I found this tent at rcampout located at www.rcampout.com.

Anyone who has done any backpacking at all knows how liberating it is. Not only is there a mystique about going somewhere in the wild under our own horsepower, it's one of the quietest ways to experience nature and see pristine wilderness. I'm so glad that we have the ability to go camping deep in the canyons and mountains, and having a camping tent lends a bit of luxury to the experience.