Choosing the right Tent can be very difficult without the correct information or knowledge. In the majority of camping stores the sales staff quite often are not campers themselves. At Freedom camping they pride themselves on their knowledge and experience gained from 30 years of camping and Outback Travel.
 
 A simple question such as "Where do you go camping?" is a sure way of knowing that the information given is correct.  If a sales staff is recommending the purchase of a dome tent, again it would indicate that they are not serious campers.
 
 Remember when choosing a tent Experience is Priceless.

TRUE OR FALSE

ALL TENTS LEAK, WATER RESISTANT YES, BUT WATER PROOF NO

Every care is taken to ensure that your tent is constructed of the finest water repellent fabric.
However, a tent is not a house and in extreme conditions some water may penetrate.

It is suggested you carry a wax stick or waterproofing compound with you on holiday.

FALSE The above information was supplied on a brochure with a competitors tent. This may be true of their tents and is true of many tents on the market.

Freedom top quality tents made in Australasia have superior waterproofing as the canvas used is impregnated or coated with waterproof substance.

A TOP QUALITY TENT IS EASILY RECOGNISED BY THE FOLLOWING:-

	1. Ask the salesperson "is the tent waterproof?" If the answer is no, and a waterproof tent is improtant to you, come and see us at Freedom Camping.
	2. ZIPS ARE PROBABLY THE HARDEST WORKING PART OF A TENT. It is therefore necessary to use the best zips available to ensure a long service life. YKK zips are recognised as the most reliable zips which is why Freedom use only YKK zips on the doors. If a maufacturer is not using genuine YKK zips it means that they are prepared to compremise on quality on zips and therefore quality overall. Look for the letters YKK on the zip. Your guarantee of quality.
	3. SEAMS All Freedom touring tents have the walls secured to the floor using internally sewn seams. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, any rain falling on the tent freely runs to the ground with little chance of pooling and subsequent leaking. This is a common problem when the wall and floor seams are sewn externally. Secondly, there is no flooring materials exposed to the elements. Some tent manufacturers utilise a method of extending the flooring material for about 15 centimetres up the wall of the tent. This is known as a mud wall. This allows the suns's ultraviolet rays to beam onto the poly type substance of the floor eventuallys breaking it down. This means that the entire floor must be replaced at great cost.
	4. DOUBLE WEBBING AT CORNERS In addition to internally sewn seams, Freedom touring tents feature double webbing attached to metal "D" rings at each corner. Double webbing distributes the tension between two destinct pulling lines at right angles to each other and prevents seam opening. An added benefit is that in the unfortunate event of one of the webbings breaking, the tent can still be erected using the other one.
	5. SPRING LOADED POLE Freedom touring tents feature a unique Spring Loaded Centre Pole. This means that the centre pole is not fixed but moves in unison with the wind. The result is the buffeting effects of the wind are absorbed within the pole taking the tension off the ground pegs. Tents utilising the Spring Loaded Centre Pole are virtually impossible to blow down. Just ask Freedom Tent users. A conventinal telescopic pole is ridgid once the tent is pitched. Continual buffeting from the wind can result in corner pegs pulling out of the ground and the tent collapsing.
	6. "D" ZIPPED DOOR" Freedom has been using a system of zipping the tent door in the shape of a "D" since 1976. The major advantage of using this system rather than a velcro seal at the bottom is in the prevention of unwanted guests such as snakes, spiders, scorpions etc. from entering the tent. Also, the zip system does not retain dirt and grass as velcro does and will continue working in all conditions.
	7. Most imported tent frames are manufactured from light weight rolled steel frames which has little structural strength. Rolled steel is easily recognised because of the seam in the steel. Top qualtiy tents use tube steel for greater strength.
	8. Most imported tents use a system which has the centre ridge pole outside the tent. This means the tent hangs within loops or a sock type system. Whit this type of design, the tent can sag when wet allowing water to pool and enter the tent at either the corners or roof seam. Freedom tents have the ridge pole supported internally. This is a much better system allowing every drop of water to run off eliminating the ridge as a potential leak spot.