A tent is a portable shelter made of fabric (usually waterproof canvas or nylon) stretched over poles and secured to the ground with stakes and ropes. When you go camping, you sleep in a tent instead of a permanent building. Tents protect you from rain, wind, and insects while letting you experience the outdoors.

People have used tents for thousands of years. Nomadic groups like the Bedouins of the Arabian deserts and the Plains Indians of North America lived in tents because they could pack them up and move to new locations. Soldiers often sleep in tents during military campaigns. Today, most people use tents for camping trips, backpacking adventures, or outdoor festivals.

Tents come in many sizes and styles. A small backpacking tent might fit just one or two people and weigh only a few pounds, while a large family tent could sleep six people and have multiple rooms. Some tents pop up in seconds, while others require careful assembly with poles that slide through fabric sleeves.

When you pitch a tent, you set it up by driving stakes into the ground and arranging the poles. Finding level ground and checking the weather forecast before pitching your tent can make the difference between a comfortable night and a miserable one.