Tents for Many Purposes

Tents have been used long ago by peoples all over the world. The Plains Indians made teepees made of buffalo hide. The Algonquin peoples made dome-shaped wigwams made of tree bark and cattails; the Inuit made igluit which were made with sealskin if not blocks of ice. The Sami people of northern Scandinavia made a similar, smaller structure called a lavvu made of reindeer hide. The nomadic peoples of northern Russia such as the Siberian Yupik made dome-shaped yarangas, also made of deerskin.

Today, tents are made of waterproof and breathable fabrics that repel water, but not water vapor. These are fabrics coated with rubber, wax, or plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU). Some tents are single-sheet or double, meaning the tent has either one layer of this fabric or more; double-sheet tents typically have insulation. Recreational tents have a ground sheet that may or may not be sewn in.

Today's tents have poles for structural support. These poles are traditionally made of wood or, in the case of traditional Inuit buildings, whale bones. Some modern tents have poles made of wood, but there are metal or metal alloy poles or flexible poles made of fiberglass. Tent poles make up the basic shape or framework of the tent which identify it.

For example, the Sibley tent was patterned after the conical Native American teepee that also had a smoke hole at the top and an indoor fire pit. The US Army uses the deployable rapid assembly shelter (DRASH) which is an enormous tent that can be easily assembled or disassembled. The DRASH also has a ground cover (flooring) made of polyester and nylon. There are tent rentals that provide tents similar to this.

Bell tents are made of thicker material like canvas modified to become waterproof and resistant to mildew or fire. Bell tents are held up with a single pole in the middle; the canvas is held firm with guy-wires tied to tent pegs. Bell tents are also used for military and recreational activities; there are tent rentals with similar conical designs as a bell tent.

Marquees for parties are available in tent rentals that also manage the interior decoration and seating inside the tent. This may or may not have a wall around the event area. Without walls, this marquee is called a gazebo.

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