Camping Shelter is a term used to describe the type of shelter used when camping outdoors. The two most common types of camping shelters are tents and pup tents. A TENT is a shelter made of fabric or other material stretched over poles and secured to the ground with stakes. A pup TENT is a small, lightweight TENT typically used by one or two people. Both tents and pup tents provide protection from the elements and offer a comfortable place to sleep while camping.