What are the better quality family camping tents?

TCMJim

We would like to purchase a camping tent for the family. I am not too keen on dome tents as I am 6' tall and do not want to crawl around inside the tent. There are three of us but a fourth, mother in-law, may join us from time to time. We are not hard core backpackers so will be mostly staying in campsites for now. I want something easy to assemble. We are on somewhat of a budget so nothing over $500. However, we do not want to buy a cheap piece of junk either. Your help would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Big Agnes, Marmot, Kelty, Sierra Designs and Eureka are great brands that make excellent family tents for under $500. You can do so much better with that kind of money than a Coleman. Coleman is OK if you have a smaller budget, but if you can afford quality by having aluminum poles, better material and water proofing, vestibules, and all that, go for it. You'll have it a long time as long as it is cared for and stored properly.

How to choose a camping tent?

Adela

I am planing my first camping trip. I want to know how to choose a suitable camping tent. I will go camping with my family. There are four of us altogether.

Answer
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.

When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.

I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.

So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.

Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.

On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.

The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.

The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.

If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.

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What are the better quality family camping tents?

TCMJim

We would like to purchase a camping tent for the family. I am not too keen on dome tents as I am 6' tall and do not want to crawl around inside the tent. There are three of us but a fourth, mother in-law, may join us from time to time. We are not hard core backpackers so will be mostly staying in campsites for now. I want something easy to assemble. We are on somewhat of a budget so nothing over $500. However, we do not want to buy a cheap piece of junk either. Your help would be greatly appreciated

Answer
Big Agnes, Marmot, Kelty, Sierra Designs and Eureka are great brands that make excellent family tents for under $500. You can do so much better with that kind of money than a Coleman. Coleman is OK if you have a smaller budget, but if you can afford quality by having aluminum poles, better material and water proofing, vestibules, and all that, go for it. You'll have it a long time as long as it is cared for and stored properly.

How to choose a camping tent?

Adela

I am planing my first camping trip. I want to know how to choose a suitable camping tent. I will go camping with my family. There are four of us altogether.

Answer
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.

When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.

I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.

So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.

Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.

On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.

The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.

The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.

If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.

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Need help finding a family tent.?

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.

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).

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Canvas or Nylon for family camping?

family camping tent with vestibule image

Jack

Hello, I'm new to this forum but not new to camping. I have had a Eureka Timberline 4 for 20 + yrs and still do. It has been a great tent.

But now I'm married and two kids ( 11 & 13 ) and am looking for a new tent.

We don't camp much (4 - 6) times a yr and in the spring and fall, and I have a wife thats cold all the time so we might be useing my buddy heater some in the fall.

We don't plan on going when it's to hot or if there is to much rain forcast. I guess we are fair weather campers. We only stay out 1 or 2 nights at a time and in camp grounds.

I would like a tent I can stand up in and move around (im 6') and have plenty of room for gear. So Im looking at a cabin style.

I think I have it narrowed down to two tents but thought I would ask before we buy.

Looking at the Eureka Titan
Or the Kodiak Canvas 9x12

So my question................would it fit us better to go Nylon or Canvas ?

Thanks for any insight and suggestions.

Answer
A 9X12 is a bit large for many level tent pads, and you have to be very careful with Eureka as the will mix in poor tents with their good ones. A 6-man around 10X10 will fit the bill. If you don't mind lugging bulkier heavy tents that only require a single wall, canvas is your friend. If space and weight are a consideration and you like a double-walled structure, polyester or nylon will be fine. Look for continuous zippers, full vestibules, plenty of mesh for ventilation, double doors, and a lot of vertical room - avoid tents with no more than 2 supporting poles unless unless structural integrity and rustling fabric at night don't bother you. With canvas there aren'y many changes over the years, so brands like Kodiak won't steer you wrong. I moved on from canvas decades ago, so I'm not a good authority on brands and features.

Need a New Motorcycle Camping Tent?

Jack

This Summer I am taking a seven or eight day trip up the coast of California and then across the state into The Sierras to meet up with family to fish the lakes and streams. I currently have a 5x7 Alps Taurus 2 which is fine for a night or two, but not for a week. Iâm 6â2â and 250 lbs and with my bedroll there is not enough room to bring in all my MC gear out of the elements.

So, Iâm thinking maybe an 8x8 4-man tent with at least a 5â center height. I donât need to be able to stand straight up to change clothes, but I donât want to have to bend at the waist, either.

The packed diameter is not that much of an issue, nor is the weight. But, the main compartment of my duffel is 24â long and I need my tent to fit in that.

I have a small Coleman Cat Heater that I would use to take the chill off when up in the mountains. Weâve tried that heater in our trailer and in a 10x10 tent. Useless. But it does work well in my 5x7. Maybe it will work in a 4-man, too.

A vestibule would be good, but not necessary. One or two doors; doesnât matter. Aluminum poles are preferable.

Iâd like to stay under $200; $150 or lower would be better. But, Iâll spend more for the perfect tent if needed.

I think I like both the Kelty Trail Ridge 4 and the Big Agnes Jupiterâs Cabin 4. The Kelty is $50 cheaper but the Big Agnes packs a little smaller.

Any recommendations? Or comments on the two mentioned above?

Answer
I have a four-person 9x8 Pacific Crest Rock Creek dome tent that I used on my solo motor camping trip to the Arctic Circle in AK two years ago, and that I will be taking on my planned ride to Panama this spring. I really like it. It works great, and to me is the best combo of price, quality, size, weight, packability, and ease of one-person deployment (I have no trouble putting it up or taking it down alone). It's also very light and compact for its size, measuring right at 24" when in its carry bag.

I use a twin air mattress when I travel by bike (a comfy, good night's sleep is critical), and it has plenty of room inside for that and all of my gear with room left over for changing clothes or whatever. The height at the peak at 52" is a little less than five feet, but I'm 6-2 and it works fine for me.

My previous tent was a three-person dome, but one of the main ridge poles broke while putting it up one evening and I had to replace the whole tent in a small town on the road. I couldn't find another three-person tent since there was only one sporting goods store in that town, and it was kind of a small family-run place with a very limited selection (not complaining - there could have been no selection at all). I was a little worried about bumping up to a four person tent as I thought it might be a little too big and bulky for MC camping, and my three-person had worked so well (other than a balky main zipper).

In reality, I like the four person tent even more than my three, so the broken ridge pole was a blessing in disguise. Aside from being a bit roomier without being TOO big, the Pacific Crest is also higher quality than my last tent, which probably explains the broken ridge pole and balky zipper on the old one.

Best of all? The Pacific Crest Rock Creek is less than $60 from several sources online. I paid $69 for mine at the small town store two years ago, which I still consider a good deal for what I got, especially in a pinch.

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