In the 2018 update, the Base Camp 6’s base changed from a rectangular shape to a nearly square design, which adds even more stability. Among the tent’s setup features, we also appreciated the shepherd’s hook stakes the Mineral King 3 comes with. In contrast, the majority of the tents in our test group came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line.
Ventilation is one of the key features of any high-quality camping tent. If you’ve got your heart set on fall camping and are expecting storms, go ahead and grab yourself a tarp or two. The rainfly doesn’t hold coleman sundome up on its own with the Coleman 6 person instant tent cabin. We timed the one-person setup for each tent, and we later clocked the time one person took to break down the tent and get it back in its bag.
If you liked the simplicity and price of the Coleman Sundome six-person tent but want more space, the Coleman Evanston might be your best bet. However, with its higher North Face price point, it’s only practical for regular car campers who are ready to invest in a tent that will last them for years. There are also no pop-out ventilation ports for summer heat and the mesh windows are completely covered when the rain fly is on. Despite having no vestibule and no full-length rain fly, the bathtub bottom and wide overhang above the door keeps things dry. Keep in mind that the steel poles add extra weight to this tent.
The shepherd’s hook design, in contrast, held lines and tabs secure in all conditions and required no extra equipment for handling. A difference in floor quality, however, will become obvious quickly as you use and abuse the tent. For any tent you buy, if it doesn’t come with a footprint , we recommend also purchasing a companion footprint, if one is available. A footprint doesn’t take up much space, is relatively inexpensive, and is much easier to repair or replace than a tent bottom if it tears. The main appeal of the Coleman Instant 6 is detailed in its name.
Whether you’re thinking of hitting the road or staying close to home for your next car-camping adventure, you and your loved ones will need a comfortable place to sleep. However, the Instant Tent also has a handful of drawbacks that make it less than universally appealing. Spacious, user-friendly, and feature-rich, camping tents are made for a relatively luxurious experience in the outdoors. Many of these behemoths offer enough room to set up cots or even chairs and a table for card games on a rainy day.
This tent is one of the most comfortable for a fun weekend of summer camping with the family or a group of friends. More expensive tents come with specific tent features designed to make them more durable, comfortable, or portable. Cabin tents usually feel roomier because of their nearly vertical walls. Regardless of what tent you get, I recommend waterproofing any tent before your first outing just to be safe. It’s tougher than polyester, as well as thinner and lighter.
Skylodge™ 8-Person Camping Tent – BlackberryWith ample space inside and plenty of airflows, the Coleman® Skylodge™ Camping Tent makes for the optimal home away from home. Needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding. Gently tug on the pre-assembled poles, extending them until they click into place. The tent has the Coleman WeatherTec system in place but upon further review of it, it doesn’t seem to work that well on this one. Sometimes you really need to keep your personal belongings safe while you sleep. While you could place them next to you, they’re easily stepped on and destroyed this way.
There are also two poles that cross over each doorway and down the sides of the tent to add extra shape and support. The rain fly has an additional tent pole, too, to support the vestibule. Overall, these poles contribute to a particularly sturdy structure, with or without the rain fly. During our testing, our Base Camp shrugged off both a rainstorm and a desert weber charcoal grill windstorm as if they were nothing. Despite losing some headroom in comparison with the cabin-style Copper Canyon LX 6, which measures 7 feet tall, the Base Camp 6 offers a substantial 6 feet 2 inches of interior height. Car campers who plan to brave miserable weather will appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent.
The snag-free, continuous pole sleeves mean you only have to feed the poles once—reducing setup time to just 15 minutes. The spacious interior is large enough to fit 2 queen size airbeds. Before you lie down, attach the fly for protection from the rain, or on dry nights, gaze at the stars through the mesh roof. The Coleman Skydome Camping Tent sets up in under 5 minutes so you can enjoy more time with friends and family on the next camping trip.
Several couples with various levels of camping experience slept in these tents at the wedding, giving us their impressions and helping us whittle the group down to the finalists. With that in mind, we concluded that the best option for two people is a large three-person, or smaller four-person, tent. As for bigger groups, we concluded that the best option for families with three to five members is a cabin-style tent rated for six people that’s also tall enough for an adult to stand in. Kit Dillon has worked for Wirecutter for eight years in various capacities, writing about everything from backpacks and cooking gear to luggage and road-tripping.