bls1177
My family and I are going to the Smokey Mountain National park at the end of August and need a new tent. We have been looking around at tents and need some advice. We are and plan in the future to do car camping so weight is not the biggest concern but do not want a giant that it takes two to carry. We have been looking at the REI Base camp 6 and it seems great but it is expensive at $400 + footprint = $450. But if that is a great tent and a value when all things are considered then so be it. If any one has any thoughts I would love to hear them. I have been camping many times but this is my wife and 3 year old daughters second time. I think I want a 3 season with medal poles for strength and a vestibule for cooking if the weather is bad. Thanks for the help in advance
Answer
You might look at some Eureka tents. In my opinion they have the best quality for the money and they also have the largest selection.
http://www.eurekatent.com/
Their Canadian website has some nice tents that aren't listed on their American site.
Once you find a make and model you like Bizrate is a good place to shop for the best price.
http://www.bizrate.com/
I picked up a $630 Eureka Tunnel Vision for $325 using Bizrate and that included free shipping and no taxes.
You might look at some Eureka tents. In my opinion they have the best quality for the money and they also have the largest selection.
http://www.eurekatent.com/
Their Canadian website has some nice tents that aren't listed on their American site.
Once you find a make and model you like Bizrate is a good place to shop for the best price.
http://www.bizrate.com/
I picked up a $630 Eureka Tunnel Vision for $325 using Bizrate and that included free shipping and no taxes.
Can anyone recommend a really good tent that fits 4 ppl hold us against wind & rain fits a queen size air bed?
Q. be nice if it a 6 foot tall person could stand comfortably in it as well
Answer
I assume you're going car camping, because it would be tough to carry a queen air mattress, even a thin one, on a backpacking trip. You'll also probably need more space than a normal 4-person tent to fit the mattress plus two more people. So I'd go with a family/recreational style 4-5 person tent with a full fly for rain/wind protection.
The Big Agnes Big House 6 would seem to satisfy all your criteria with room for the mattress, stand-up height and good rain/wind protection. But it's pricey at about $350 (+ $100 if you want the huge vestibule option). A more affordable model is the Eureka Grand Manan 9, with a small vestibule, only $214 on Amazon.com (free S&H).
There are some less expensive tents but they don't have the height or rain protection you prefer. There are also more expensive tents if you want additional room, such as the Eurkea Pine Lodge at about $500. I haven't used a Big Agnes tent but I do have two Eureka's: a well-used 15 year-old Backcountry-2 and a new Alpenlite XT. The Backcountry-2 is the favorite tent for both of my sons and me, its been used over 300 days total, including several major storms, and has never let us down. But the Backcountry-2 is a small 2-person tent designed for backpacking, not what you had in mind, but indicative of the quality of Eureka tents in general.
Whatever tent you get you will probably need to seal the seams before your first use (I do this even with factory-sealed seams). This will also give you the opportunity to practice setting-up and taking-down the tent before your first trip. You will also need to get a ground cloth that's a few inches shorter on each side than the floor of the tent to help protect from damage and moisture -- you can buy a "footprint" specifically for your tent or just trip a piece of plastic drop cloth to size. If bad weather is a concern you can bring a few tarps to string between trees for use as a wind breaks and additional rain protection, or to make a protected dining area (never eat in your tent).
I assume you're going car camping, because it would be tough to carry a queen air mattress, even a thin one, on a backpacking trip. You'll also probably need more space than a normal 4-person tent to fit the mattress plus two more people. So I'd go with a family/recreational style 4-5 person tent with a full fly for rain/wind protection.
The Big Agnes Big House 6 would seem to satisfy all your criteria with room for the mattress, stand-up height and good rain/wind protection. But it's pricey at about $350 (+ $100 if you want the huge vestibule option). A more affordable model is the Eureka Grand Manan 9, with a small vestibule, only $214 on Amazon.com (free S&H).
There are some less expensive tents but they don't have the height or rain protection you prefer. There are also more expensive tents if you want additional room, such as the Eurkea Pine Lodge at about $500. I haven't used a Big Agnes tent but I do have two Eureka's: a well-used 15 year-old Backcountry-2 and a new Alpenlite XT. The Backcountry-2 is the favorite tent for both of my sons and me, its been used over 300 days total, including several major storms, and has never let us down. But the Backcountry-2 is a small 2-person tent designed for backpacking, not what you had in mind, but indicative of the quality of Eureka tents in general.
Whatever tent you get you will probably need to seal the seams before your first use (I do this even with factory-sealed seams). This will also give you the opportunity to practice setting-up and taking-down the tent before your first trip. You will also need to get a ground cloth that's a few inches shorter on each side than the floor of the tent to help protect from damage and moisture -- you can buy a "footprint" specifically for your tent or just trip a piece of plastic drop cloth to size. If bad weather is a concern you can bring a few tarps to string between trees for use as a wind breaks and additional rain protection, or to make a protected dining area (never eat in your tent).
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