I have spent a lifetime using dozens of tents and am always looking for something better. Current tent design favors lots of mesh fabric in the tent body, some are nearly all mesh. Beside better air flow there are cost reasons as the mesh is both cheaper than solid and I have heard its easier to sew. However mostly mesh tents are terrible for desert use unless the wind never blows. I have a Mountain Hardware 3-man tent which is great in about all conditions except winter and dusty conditions. Twice I have spent a couple of days with near constant 40 mph winds in the Utah desert and the tent was constantly filled with blowing dust and sand. It used to be common to have zip open panels on 3-season tents and they were great for regulating and even blocking sand intrusion, however added labor cost seems to have killed that option. 4-season tents can still be had with openable panels but they are rediculously expensive and have poor venting for summer use. Another feature I require is pole clips. Pole sleeves can be just about impossible to set up solo, especially in larger models.
After lots of looking I have narrowed my search to an Eureka Timberline SQ Outfitter. This is a major redesign of the venerable Timberline. Now uses ultra-light Easton poles with a spreader bar at top to give more interior space. It does have mesh panels but they are quite small and high on the tent body so I think they would be less prone to sand intrusion. On the 4-man model both doors open fully so venting would be great when needed. Also important on this tent is low weight and compact carry size as compared to the typical canvas tent often associated with overlanding, such as the Oz-tent. The Outfitter model has a very HD floor which is nearly thorn proof.
Another good tent for desert camping is a Tent-cot. I have had two over the past 3 years, the Oversize and Compact models. Oversize was very comfortable but I finally got tired of the bulk and weight and sold it when the Compact model was released. Its a few pounds lighter but folds up to the size of a typical camp-cot. Both tents are good for desert use because they can be closed up tight or opened wide with lots of zippable venting. Biggest advantage is that they sit about 12" off the ground which allows all the dust and sand to blow under the tent, not in it. Also that height discourages the crawly critter from trying to crawl into that warm bag. Another big plus is very fast set up and they can be re-positioned anywhere; like near the fire, in the shade, to watch the sunrise, etc. Rocky or wet ground, no problem.
All the above applies to truck camping and I would not use a typical backpacking tent for such use. Why limit yourself to a small, cramped shelter when you have lots of space in your rig?
Alan
