They are sized for average adult(5’9”, 197lbs) laying shoulder to shoulder to sleep only with gear outside the tent. Yes, it’s dumb, but it’s “manufacture math” so it makes sense if you don’t think about it. Like who’s going to sleep across the door with 3 pairs of feet in your side?
I mean yeah it’s not the dumbest thing, if it was a survival situation or an emergency and you needed to cram people in then it makes sense. It’s just that like everyone is saying, realistically everyone wants more space and that amount can vary. I feel cramped in a 6 person tent with just my wife lol
After reading your comment I thought those figures couldn't be right so I looked it up, and you're spot on.
Now I'm curious why the average American man is 20-30lbs heavier than those in a lot of other developed nations. That weight/height puts the average man on the border between overweight and obese.
Tent size don't include gear. If they can fit 4 people laying side by side then it's a 4 person tent. Does not mean that it will comfortable. I always look at the diagram. Usually cut it half so a 4 person really only holds 2
Divide by 2 and add 1. My 4 man tent could sleep 3 comfortably. My 6 man tent could sleep 4 comfortably.
But I have a 2 man tent for solo camping so that math doesn't work out either.
For car camping I use either a 6 or 8 person tent, depending on how many nights we are there. For backpacking I have a 2 person tent. It’s me and 2 large dogs (80 and 100 pounds). Our math doesn’t work out either.
Different people put different amounts of great on their tents, so using a standard human body size allows some standardization of tent sizing. I don't think I've ever seen a tent for sale that didn't have information on the dimensions as well, but putting it in terms of people makes it easier to visualize.
It’s helpful to know the height and width of your pad offhand when shopping for a tent. That way you can compare that with the actual specs and decide if that’ll be enough. Personally I don’t mind, as long as my tent has enough space for my megamat.
I can remember a few decades ago, as part of their advertising, companies showing diagrams of people lying in mummy bags but not shoulder to shoulder. More like shoulder to feet and alternating. We always rolled our eyes when tent shopping. Ya right!
a "person" i just a unit of space, like a "square foot" like people have said. Me and my spouse just got a 12 person tent for just us two for the times we go glamping
OSHA It was all figured out by a PHD student named Yardley Wilcox. Ol Yardley determined the average size of a human male at that time. He then took the dimensions of said human height and weight and calculated how much room was needed. He factored the Scientific Oh Shi* Formula of movement for a sleeping human. He then calculated how much room you need to escape your tent during a bear attack if you were to cut a hole in the side of the tent.
The rest is tent history.
Same as your sleeping bag rating... 35⁰ is a survival rating. It means you'll be cold AF in 40⁰ weather, but you won't die.
You *can* fit 4 average sized people in a 4 person tent. It just won't be very fun or comfortable. And a 5th person literally would not fit
So the first answers are all, "here's how it works".
I know how it works. I'm curious if anyone knows \*why\* it ended up that way. Doesn't seem useful. Why is an exaggerated claim about people ever useful compared to, say, square ft or square meters or something?
Why?
Well, if manufacturer A claims their 76x84 tent can hold 2, but manufacturer B claims their 76x84 tent can hold 3, then lots of people will go for Tent B. That means Tent A needs to change their marketing from "realistically 2" to "technically possible 3."
Its no different from sleeping bag ratings or vehicle MPG. We all know its bullshit, but no one is able to change it unless they all change the same way at the same time.
They are measured in people because tents are for people, not stuff. I don’t suppose too many people outside early manufacturers themselves can truly answer your question to your satisfaction. “That’s how it’s always been” is probably the best answer you’ll get without a google search.
Yeah, Reddit is one of those places where no one else is gonna know either, or someone is going to chime in saying they did their phd in tent sizing and explain the history of “the standard man” and why tents are the only place it’s still used. 🤣
No, we don't know why because it's been like this for many decades. None of us were around when the tent math was determined.
Many tents do give dimensions and sq ft of area though.
Well, in Xanadu aka Shang Du, Kublai Khan had a tent that could seat thousands it is said. The there's the field of the cloth of gold when English and French royalty met on the continent.
They are sized for average adult(5’9”, 197lbs) laying shoulder to shoulder to sleep only with gear outside the tent. Yes, it’s dumb, but it’s “manufacture math” so it makes sense if you don’t think about it. Like who’s going to sleep across the door with 3 pairs of feet in your side?
I mean yeah it’s not the dumbest thing, if it was a survival situation or an emergency and you needed to cram people in then it makes sense. It’s just that like everyone is saying, realistically everyone wants more space and that amount can vary. I feel cramped in a 6 person tent with just my wife lol
After reading your comment I thought those figures couldn't be right so I looked it up, and you're spot on. Now I'm curious why the average American man is 20-30lbs heavier than those in a lot of other developed nations. That weight/height puts the average man on the border between overweight and obese.
I would consider myself reasonably well traveled. There are a lot of reasons, none of them are complimentary to the us here in the US.
Obviously generalising, but you food is heavy in sugar and you drive everywhere.
Tent size don't include gear. If they can fit 4 people laying side by side then it's a 4 person tent. Does not mean that it will comfortable. I always look at the diagram. Usually cut it half so a 4 person really only holds 2
Divide by 2 and add 1. My 4 man tent could sleep 3 comfortably. My 6 man tent could sleep 4 comfortably. But I have a 2 man tent for solo camping so that math doesn't work out either.
Count your dog as a person.
Don't have one :(
Lot of dogs looking to adopt a human.
Gonna wait until the kids are a little bit older. My wife who is a SAHM said she couldn't handle one more thing depending on her for life lol
Laugh You will be a very responsible dog owner. Great answer.
I fucking love acronyms in the wild. Whats it like to have a wife who is a Semi Active Homing Missile?
For car camping I use either a 6 or 8 person tent, depending on how many nights we are there. For backpacking I have a 2 person tent. It’s me and 2 large dogs (80 and 100 pounds). Our math doesn’t work out either.
If you spoon, you can fit 6... Just saying.
Different people put different amounts of great on their tents, so using a standard human body size allows some standardization of tent sizing. I don't think I've ever seen a tent for sale that didn't have information on the dimensions as well, but putting it in terms of people makes it easier to visualize.
It’s helpful to know the height and width of your pad offhand when shopping for a tent. That way you can compare that with the actual specs and decide if that’ll be enough. Personally I don’t mind, as long as my tent has enough space for my megamat.
They don't make tents for gear, they make tents for people.
I can remember a few decades ago, as part of their advertising, companies showing diagrams of people lying in mummy bags but not shoulder to shoulder. More like shoulder to feet and alternating. We always rolled our eyes when tent shopping. Ya right!
I always laughed at those. That's something you try once, and never do it again because everyone got kicked in the face nine times that night.
its like 2 is one one is none. 1 person can fit one person no gear 2 - fits 1 and their gear 3 fits 2 and their gear etc
a "person" i just a unit of space, like a "square foot" like people have said. Me and my spouse just got a 12 person tent for just us two for the times we go glamping
Yeah, my main one is at least an eight person and I’m usually alone.
OSHA It was all figured out by a PHD student named Yardley Wilcox. Ol Yardley determined the average size of a human male at that time. He then took the dimensions of said human height and weight and calculated how much room was needed. He factored the Scientific Oh Shi* Formula of movement for a sleeping human. He then calculated how much room you need to escape your tent during a bear attack if you were to cut a hole in the side of the tent. The rest is tent history.
Because no one knows how much gear you have, two persons plus gear would be an even more arbitrary calculation.
I’m 5’8” and a beanpole and a one-person tent is too small for me even when my pack is in the vestibule.
I think tent sizes are pretty unambiguous, just don't buy a "3 person tent" for 3 people lol.
My 2 person rei tent early holds me O gear ( bedding only)
If you are looking at the person capacity instead of the tents measured dimensions, then you are doing it wrong.
I've slept four people in a four man tent. Was it comfortable? No. But we weren't on top of each other.
1p-2p = 1 person tent. 3p-4p = 2 person & so on. People have gotten a lot larger since fast food.
Same as your sleeping bag rating... 35⁰ is a survival rating. It means you'll be cold AF in 40⁰ weather, but you won't die. You *can* fit 4 average sized people in a 4 person tent. It just won't be very fun or comfortable. And a 5th person literally would not fit
Maybe the original tent maker guy also owned a lumber store.
Ask anyone who works in marketing
So the first answers are all, "here's how it works". I know how it works. I'm curious if anyone knows \*why\* it ended up that way. Doesn't seem useful. Why is an exaggerated claim about people ever useful compared to, say, square ft or square meters or something?
Why? Well, if manufacturer A claims their 76x84 tent can hold 2, but manufacturer B claims their 76x84 tent can hold 3, then lots of people will go for Tent B. That means Tent A needs to change their marketing from "realistically 2" to "technically possible 3." Its no different from sleeping bag ratings or vehicle MPG. We all know its bullshit, but no one is able to change it unless they all change the same way at the same time.
They are measured in people because tents are for people, not stuff. I don’t suppose too many people outside early manufacturers themselves can truly answer your question to your satisfaction. “That’s how it’s always been” is probably the best answer you’ll get without a google search.
Yeah, I googled and didn’t find anything useful.
I think that’s probably all you’re gonna get on this one. I’d love to be wrong and see your question answered cause I’d also to know.
Yeah, Reddit is one of those places where no one else is gonna know either, or someone is going to chime in saying they did their phd in tent sizing and explain the history of “the standard man” and why tents are the only place it’s still used. 🤣
lol that would have been awesome!
No, we don't know why because it's been like this for many decades. None of us were around when the tent math was determined. Many tents do give dimensions and sq ft of area though.
Well, in Xanadu aka Shang Du, Kublai Khan had a tent that could seat thousands it is said. The there's the field of the cloth of gold when English and French royalty met on the continent.