The Wireless 6’s drawbacks have mainly to do with material quality. These can be as strong, or even more so, than aluminum poles (especially cheap ones), but they’re always bulkier, heavier, and not as nice to handle. However, the Wireless 6’s poles were the best fiberglass ones we tested—they left no splinters, unlike those on the Camp Creek 6 or the Copper Canyon LX 6. We also appreciated the shepherd’s hook stakes that come with the tent. Most of the tents we tested came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line.
But it does that one trick of assembling quickly very, very well. There are some cheap touches, especially in the construction quality, but this is a cheap tent. While this isn’t a tent you would want take out in inclement weather, it’s a perfect option for backyard camping or shorter camping trips in decent weather. The tent is made from 150D polyester and you can see the seam seals all the way around. We haven’t had a chance to test it in the rain yet, but we’d expect it to hold up well initially and potentially not be the most durable tent over the years since the zippers and mesh don’t appear to be high quality. With 56 square feet, the inside is big enough for a queen air mattress or two twins.
She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. We have always used a Coleman tent for our larger car camping and glamping setups. We look forward to stress-free camping, knowing that setting up our tent is one less thing to worry about. The tent packs down into coleman instant tent a carrying bag, however it is about 5 feet long which may present some challenges with transporting in smaller cars. Its rather cumbersome size means that the Gazelle T4 is best suited for car camping as you will not be able to carry it too far. Many of the larger-sized tents come with entry vestibules, partitioned rooms, and other features.
It was after midnight, and our tent was crammed with two adults and three small sleeping kids. Inside, the air was clammy and hot, the tent a sealed chamber akin to a plastic bag. The main structure isn’t the worst, with the entire tent made of 150D polyester and all seams sealed. However, the zippers and the mesh netting are poorly made, and the bag will not last more than a season before it rips or springs a leak. The poles are made from aluminum, but many moving plastic pieces hold them together. The Coleman 4-Person Cabin Tent with Instant Setup is a one-trick pony.
At the top center hub, I got in a hurry and erected the legs too soon in the wrong order which caused the hub to twist breaking one hub link and twisted one D leg tube internally. An eBay source had some parts but was out of stock on the broken link, perhaps permanently out of stock. A subreddit for campers concerned more about the act of camping and less concerned about hiking long distances or light gear. An avid swimmer, surfer, hiker, and camper, she currently lives on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, where she can be found, as much as possible, in water. Over the course of my life I’ve accumulated quite a bit of camping gear with rechargeable air pumps for a blow up bed, various types of lights including head torches, a Dometic esky, a fan and even designated camping-only plates.
Instant tents can be assembled by 1 – 2 people in under a minute. The single walls are seam-sealed and have good coverage all the way around. The tub-style floor and tent walls are made of thick 150D polyester. The six stakes will hold the low-profile design down just fine with the two pre-attached guylines. Should the weather turn hot, the large windows on both sides of the tent and door paired with the two top vents allow plenty of air to run through. The Base Camp tents include a low side vent and multiple stuff pockets on the walls and ceiling, which are made of 75D polyester treated with 1500mm of polyurethane waterproofing.
The Cabin wasn’t built for four, but you could make it work in a pinch. The door only opens halfway, a disappointing feature found in other Coleman tents. For retail purchases returned without a receipt, the refund will be issued as a store merchandise
credit at the lowest price within the last 90 days.
But the walls, which are made of fabric that’s “twice as thick” as standard tent fabric, according to Coleman, make for a stuffy place to sleep. Unzip a window and you expose the screens, which are angled toward the sky, to the rain falling down. If you can afford to spend more on a family coleman cooler tent, we recommend The North Face Wawona 6. Everyone who tested this tent loved it, and it’s not hard to understand why. With plenty of interior space, near-vertical walls, and a gigantic vestibule that could accommodate a golf cart, the Wawona feels more like a tiny home than a tent.
The Gazelle T4 is made of high-quality materials including waterproof grade siding and flooring. What makes this instant tent unique from other instant tents is the removable bottom. Seasoned campers know that leaves, dirt, sand, and other grime inevitably make its way into the tent. The bottom of this tent is completely removable so that you can easily sweep and wipe it down. The tent features dual entry doors, a stargazing mesh ceiling, a gear loft, and interior pockets.
Our other main issue was the lack of a vestibule, which means that in the case of a sudden rainstorm, there will be no dry area to store your wet clothes before entering the tent. And although we did like the two deployable vents on the roof, you’ll want to make sure to keep those closed if the weather is at all questionable since they are liable to let rain into the tent. The coleman instant tent 6 has average dimensions for a 6-person tent, at 10’x9’ (90sqft). The peak height is 6’2”, which will allow most hikers to stand up without needing to crouch. In addition, this cabin-style tent has excellent verticality of the walls, so you shouldn’t need to crouch if you’re anywhere but in the direct center of the tent.