answer:I’ve had quite a few tents over the years, and the reason I “lost” most of them was passing them on to someone who needed it more than I did. Even 30 years ago, and even on the low end, materials were pretty good. Rip-stop nylon is pretty tough stuff. While UV will also degrade the fabric, that takes a long time, and is a non-issue if you pitch it in a shady area. The one thing that can cause issues is mildew; try to avoid packing the tent up when it’s wet. If you take it town and pack it up with morning dew still on it, you might run into issues. My experience is that it’s better to take tents down in the afternoon for that reason. If that’s impractical, then air-dry it when you get home. Whatever you do, do not leave it wet and rolled tightly for long periods of time. Mildew is the #1 killer of tents, mostly because people pack a wet tent. Don’t be that guy! And for gawd’s sake, DO NOT MACHINE WASH YOUR TENT! But that is more of a care and handling thing than a buyer’s guide. For buying, about the only way you can really go wrong is getting the wrong size tent. Your tent choice will be guided by your size and the number of people you plan to have in the tent. For instance, as a person of above-average height, I need a slightly larger tent than many people, but I don’t need a huge tent as any camping I do has no more than me and my wife in it; an 8’x12’ Cabin tent is a bit much for just us while a “Pup” tent may require me to sleep curled up. Looking carefully though, it’s not terribly hard to find a 2-person tent long enough for us. Personally, I favor the 2-pole designs. Easier setup/takedown, lighter weight, fewer things to break. And I generally don’t camp during the winter or in hurricanes, so I don’t need anything too hefty; if you plan to camp in bad weather (worse than a mere thunderstorm), you may need a little more tent than I would. Aside from size and weather though, there really isn’t much to it. Nearly any tent can last years unless you’re a total jackass.