Materials
Tents are normally made of only two materials - nylon or polyester. The advantages of nylon are that it is very light (60 to 70 g/m2), very tear- and wear-resistant, and does not rot even when kept in a permanently damp condition.
The two main disadvantages of the material when used as an outer tent material are its sensitivity to ultraviolet light and its tendency to stretch when wet, which makes it necessary to tension the tent on a regular basis.
Because of this it is only used in high-quality tents if both sides of the tent material have been coated with silicon (e.g. SALEWA XPD Base, XPD Altitude, Scorpio II, Zodiac I/II). Thanks to this process, both the ultraviolet stability and the tear resistance of the fabric increase, the quality of which is already high even prior to coating.
The advantage of using polyester as an outer tent material is its lightweight nature (70-80 g/m2) and high tear-/wear-resistance. High-quality materials hardly stretch at all when wet, do not rot and are ultraviolet-resistant. In the event of strong wind, polyester tents are louder than nylon tents.
Nylon is often used for tent floors and the inner tent area in order to benefit from its lightweight properties. Polyester is increasingly used as an inner tent material in cheaper models (tents under 150 euros and family tents under 350 euros)

RipStop qualities: In order to increase tear resistance without increasing tent weight, and at the same time reduce wet expansion, extra-strong weft and warp threads are weaved in every 5 mm. Should the fabric tear, the tear is stopped at these strengthening thread points (RipStop). As a result, the tent can continue to be used without additional repairs being necessary.
Beware: Not everything that looks like RipStop is actually RipStop. Some materials have the exact same appearance without any of the functionality. If you have any doubts, ask whether the material has the properties in question.

Poles
Three types of pole material are used - steel, aluminium, and fibreglass. Steel is used for frame tents and for the telescoping poles used to form the entrance area of family tents. Aluminium is normally used for trekking and modern family tents. Don't allow yourself to be confused by the different number codes used. The system is essentially quite straightforward:
Stability is indicated by the alloy, and 6000 and 7000 alloys are used. 6000 is more brittle and breaks more easily but is cheaper. 7000 is stronger and more stable but is also more expensive. 7075 indicates that the material originates in Europe. 7001 poles originate in Asia.
The elasticity of the aluminium is indicated by the T... value. This ranges from T1 (very elastic) to T10 (very hard). A good compromise is the frequently-used T6 aluminium.
Another decisive factor for the weight is the combination of individual poles used. The poles are stuck together by sticking in (or graining in) an insert into one end. The second pole section is then pushed over the insert and both poles are held together using an elastic cord. The shorter the sections, the more inserts are used, and the higher the weight with the same construction length.
In response to this DAC has developed the so-called Featherlite pole. This involves expanding the end of a pole so that the other section can be inserted into it. The advantage: No additional weight is created by the inserts (weight saving approx. 15%), and the connection is very stable.
The third and still most widely used material is fibreglass. Fibreglass is a combination of polyester and vinylester. It is relatively heavy, very flexible and very cheap. The brittleness which plagued it during its early years is a thing of the past, and modern fibreglass is sufficiently strong to be used in camping tents.
With the development of the compound pole, Salewa has significantly improved the general standard, with the breakage strength of compound poles approx. 30% higher than that of normal fibreglass poles. Salewa uses these poles in all its 2-season range of tents.