In Search of a Good Tent

[ADawg]

Ok guys I really need help trying to find the right tent for my family of 5 (2 adults, kids 8,5, and 2). I going camping every year in southern Utah near Navajo lake and I bought a 13x12 tent which sucked! Why you ask cause it took for ever to setup the instructions were horrible. I wish I had a travel trailer but in time if I save it will come I have been looking at these models http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/6014/ http://www.springbar.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=41010075 BUt I dont know they are expensive should I spring for the better model or go with the basic which is cheaper. Any thoughts and guidance much appreciated

[Mopar1973Man]

Wow... Those are nice tents but nothing much said about how hard to set up... The canvas tent might be a good challenge to setup. I've been use to the smaller nylon tents with 2 poles where you can stand it up in a matter of minutes by yourself. But as for your large family I don't know what to say but since they are there you should have the man/woman power to get it put up.Might have to consider the travel trailer again and see what you can find used / fixer up condition...

[ADawg]

Wow... Those are nice tents but nothing much said about how hard to set up... The canvas tent might be a good challenge to setup. I've been use to the smaller nylon tents with 2 poles where you can stand it up in a matter of minutes by yourself. But as for your large family I don't know what to say but since they are there you should have the man/woman power to get it put up. Might have to consider the travel trailer again and see what you can find used / fixer up condition...

Thanks for the advice. The setup looks real easy they actually have a youtube video on it

http-~~-//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gprMzIoG4bU

I really want a travel trailer but I have to wait so I can save some cash. Also I need to determine how big of a trailer to get.

[Rogan]

I have an awesome Coleman 9 person tent. It was ~ $100 or so, and takes my wife (not mechanically inclined) and I (mechanically inclined) about 20 minutes to set up and move in..

It will fit (2) Queen-sized air mattresses, with plenty of room to spare, for even the 100lb dog's bed, and a place to stand/change, including luggage bags. And it's about 6.5' high, so no need for average height people to bend over..

Let me see if I can find it real quick...

- - - Updated - - -

Found it. Coleman Hampton.

These pics aren't mine, but give you a great idea of how big it is..

Ok, so it's went up in price.. $295, but shop around.

It literally has

6 vertical poles that slip into hooks

2 "X" poles that slip through sewn channels in the roof

1 flex pole that goes front to back (again, slips into hooks

4 flexible poles for the hinged doors (about 30 secs per door assembly)

and a rain fly..

I've been known to have it up by myself in under 10minutes, for fear of impending rain storm..

[ADawg]

I have an awesome Coleman 9 person tent. It was ~ $100 or so, and takes my wife (not mechanically inclined) and I (mechanically inclined) about 20 minutes to set up and move in..

It will fit (2) Queen-sized air mattresses, with plenty of room to spare, for even the 100lb dog's bed, and a place to stand/change, including luggage bags. And it's about 6.5' high, so no need for average height people to bend over..

Let me see if I can find it real quick...

- - - Updated - - -

Found it. Coleman Hampton.

These pics aren't mine, but give you a great idea of how big it is..

Ok, so it's went up in price.. $295, but shop around.

It literally has

6 vertical poles that slip into hooks

2 "X" poles that slip through sewn channels in the roof

1 flex pole that goes front to back (again, slips into hooks

4 flexible poles for the hinged doors (about 30 secs per door assembly)

and a rain fly..

I've been known to have it up by myself in under 10minutes, for fear of impending rain storm..

Man that is AWESOME My wife will really like that. She does not like tents with walls that are angled

Hey thanks alot and the price is way better than close to 700. Have you had any problems with it leaking or anything?

[Rogan]

no problem.

Nope, no leaks. And we've been in some downpours with it. Matter of fact, last weekend. If you look at the outside picture, you'll see that the floor comes up the walls about 4 inches or so.. It's like that all the way around, and thank goodness. We were sorta down this draw (only place we could really set it up), and it come a turd-floater of a rain.. water rushed down the hill, and hit the tent, I'd say at about 1" deep.. It just rolled around and under the tent. There's a roof rainfly, as well as a door fly. We didn't have the door-fly on, but the "windows" were closed. And the doors are constructed in such a fashion, that when closed, there's a flap that covers the edges so no water runs down the front and into the door-jambs.

--edit--

Here's mine, in the back of the picture, just right of the smoke plume... this is from the left side, facing.. the closest person in a chair is about 5' away from it, just to give some perspective.

[flagmanruss]

My tent with all the comforts of home...

One thing I have learned... your tent is hopefully 'just' your bed room. You really need adequate covered space outside, protected with a 'fly'. My fly is wider than the tent, has drip edges and side curtains/sun shades which attach inside the drip edge flaps. Nothing worse that being trapped in a single tent.

Back when I was modern camping... I had a number of flies. Current crop of pop-up gazibos are not wind / water rated. The wind / rain destroyed ours last trip.

I gave my original "modern type" tent to a friend... I had all the long pole sections taped together for fast set up. Her kid used the tent & took all the tape off... 3 hours & she still didn't have it up!

[stodg73]

Love the wall tent Russ. Mine is 12x16.