Screen Tent

THE SCREEN tent is perfect for a dining shelter or as a camp kitchen shelter, as long as you are not trying to cook on a wood fire. It usually does not have a floor, so you stand on the grass or sit in chairs.

Camping stoves are okay for cooking in a screen tent; just keep the flames well clear of the side walls. Of course, if the flames ever touch the tent roof, then you're in deep, deep trouble!

Tent fires are very dangerous, they can flare up in seconds. So, please, be aware and be careful when cooking inside.

Your screen tent will be used for dining, cooking or working, you will need some furniture. Squatting or sitting on the grass is uncomfortable as well as being impractical. You will probably need a folding table and some camp chairs, just for a start. Having a two burner propane gas stove turns your shelter into a real kitchen area. I'd have a couple of buckets for carrying fresh water, and a plastic tub for doing the washing up afterwards.

Washing-up water can be heated in a large pot or kettle, but a propane gas camping water heater can really make life easy at camp. Some water heaters even work in conjunction with a 12v battery-powered pump to give you a hot shower when you want one. That's a real touch of luxury when you are miles away from civilization.

Other items to consider for your screen tent are an ice cooler (we call these an Esky here in Australia) or a propane gas-powered fridge-freezer to keep your meat and dairy foods as fresh as possible. A camping lantern (which can be battery-powered or run on fuel) will allow you to use the area in the early morning before sunrise and after nightfall. Remember that bugs are attracted to lights, so be sure your insect screens stay closed and that any rips and tears in the canvas are repaired a.s.a.p.

Of course, if you have an electric generator or are at a campground with mains electricity, you are laughing. You'll be able to run ordinary household appliances there as well.

Other uses for these portable screen shelters are as temporary command posts for emergency personnel dealing with a large incident. For example, firefighters dealing with large forest fires (bush fires to us Aussies) or groups conducting search and rescue. The commanders and radio operators need comfortable well-lit shelter to plot the action on maps and co-ordinate proceedings via two-way radio communications. A purpose-built, air-conditioned communications vehicle is great, but not every organization has that kind of funding.

Some pop up tents designed for beach use don't have bug screens at all. Instead they act as a windbreak and give you a shady spot to leave the cooler box with your picnic lunch and six pack.

Some tents take a lot of work to set up correctly, others are quick and simple to put up, like pop up tents.