In Seattle, Washington, a city famous for its rain, there is an insurance company running a hilarious series of ads. These ads feature "northwest profiles" of the various types of people you are likely to run into in this area of the United States. They include individuals like "The Super-Long Coffee Orderer" and the "Obsessive Compulsive Recycler." These profiles are hilarious, in no small part because in most cases, they are right on the money. One of the more recent profiles features "Blue Tarp Campers," the people who don't let the Northwest weather get in the way of their weekend outdoor adventure. Once again, this profile is funny because it is completely true: campers in the Pacific Northwest are masters in the fine art of tarp camping. Of course, I suppose these outdoor enthusiasts could just use the tent attachments designed for wet weather, but where's the fun in that?

Yes, in spite of the insistence of people in the Northwest that blue tarps are a necessary addition to camping gear, it is actually easy to purchase tent attachments that allow the camper to dwell in relative dryness and comfort. The fact is modern tents include a vast variety of models, shapes, sizes and purposes; so no matter what situation a camper encounters, they can (hypothetically) be prepared.

Everyone knows what a tent is, of course: a collapsible shelter of fabric stretched over and sustained by poles. This definition is fine, as far as it goes, but tents designed for different purposes differ greatly in characteristics. A military tent, for example, differs significantly from a recreational tent. For most people, when they think of a tent, it is this latter image that springs to mind. Such tents are usually made of polyester or nylon, a vast improvement over the "waterproof" cotton that was used until relatively recently. Recreational tents can sleep anywhere from a single person to nine people, sometimes more. The frames are usually aluminum, fiberglass or steel.

Most modern tents actually have two layers of cloth. The outer layer is waterproof and is called a flysheet or rain fly. This layer is suspended above and away from the tent's inner layer: such a set up allows condensation to collect on the inside of the flysheet without risk to the inner tent. The inner tent is not usually waterproof, as the use of the flysheet prevents this necessity. However, there are some tents that use only one layer, and for these a waterproof and breathable material is used. Such a material prevents liquid water from penetrating the tent while allowing water vapor to pass outside.

Aside from the basic shelter portion of the tent, there are plenty of other parts and pieces that need to be considered. Some of these, such as stakes, have not really changed since the invention of the tent. Others, such as the vestibule, is an innovation that provides a covered section just outside a tent's entrance where equipment may be stored. There are also innumerable tent accessories that may be purchased at any outdoor equipment store. Some, such as reading lights that attach to tent poles, are designed to make life in a tent more civilized, while others, such as floor savers, are designed to increase a tent's durability. Yet none of this variety seems to prevent campers in the Northwest from outfitting their tents with blue tarps.