I need a new tent - no more Dome Tents for me

[LWD]

Thanks. I really need to know how sturdy it is though. Have you been in high wind with it? We regularly camp at Canyon Lake, and the wind there is unreal every time we go. It flattened out my dome tent on one trip to the point that the front wall was almost touching my face as I was sleeping (head at the rear wall). A lot of people broke tent poles that night.

All the best,
Glenn

Honestly, I'm not the best person to ask. My idea of camping is a weekend at a State Park no more than 2 hours from my house and 15 minutes from a Walmart with my daughter's Indian Princess group. I have a Mr. Buddy heater with the 20 lb. cylinder adapter. I have cots. I have a whole truck full of stuff including coolers of food and beer and a propane stove and a Weber kettle and someone usually tows a smoker out. You get the idea....

That said, we've slept in it in 30 mph winds a couple of times with no issues. But I did have it staked down well. It hasn't leaked. We've used it probably a dozen times at least. It's showing some where, but that's it. At the price, anything over a couple of years of use is just a bonus.

LWD

[aggiesgirl2]

I just bought an REI Kingdom 4 for me and my husband to camp in. I like it because you can stand up straight in it!!! Haven't actually camped in the tent yet, but the tent is easy to setup and REI has never disappointed me when it comes to camping gear. If you can get a coupon and catch a sale the tent is in your price range. Good luck!

http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/829184/rei-kingdom-4-tent-2012

[Mjjust]

I agree with the Coleman Instant Tent. My wife and I can set it up in about 3 minutes from the time I take it out of the bag. We have the 8 person one. Bought it at Sams Club 3 or 4 years ago and love it. So far its been very durable.

[brushtrooper]

They aint cheap but last forever. I bought a Condor and used for 8-10yrs or better and sold it to a buddy thats still using it today with his family. Easiest tent to setup there is I think.

http://www.airzonerecreation.com/products/index.htm

For easy setup look here, you can use the co canister, air tanks, 12v compressors...whetever.

http://www.airzonerecreation.com/tech/demo.htm

[d1rich1]

Interesting Thread

[VorTexan]

They aint cheap but last forever. I bought a Condor and used for 8-10yrs or better and sold it to a buddy thats still using it today with his family. Easiest tent to setup there is I think.

http://www.airzonerecreation.com/products/index.htm

For easy setup look here, you can use the co canister, air tanks, 12v compressors...whetever.

http://www.airzonerecreation.com/tech/demo.htm

Pretty neat idea...and it might help save your life if camped near the ocean.

[RogueSamurai]

If you're car camping get a Coleman Instant Tent. I can put the 6-man up in the dark, by myself, after drinking a 6-pack. They're that easy. I think I paid less than $200 for mine with shipping. It's help up pretty well after 2 years.

LWD

I can vouch for the "in the dark after a 6-pack" thing.

[Silent Assassin]

I bought Magellan tent about 8 years ago. We still have it and no tear or wear on it.

We went to camp out at Dinosaur Valley when Gab was only less than 6 months old. When we got there, I re-apply two cans of water proof over the tent because we haven't used it since last season before. I knew we would get a good soaking rain.

That night, it poured so bad, lightning and all. My wife kept waking me up all night to say, its raining or its lightning or to tell me the wind is so bad its beating down on our tent. I tell my wife just go back to sleep. She is still a newbie to camping and all. Its gonna be fine. Trust me. I grew up using tents all my life.

Next morning, we got out of tent. We see other people drying off their sleeping bags, suitcase and what not. Park Ranger drove by and stopped over to talk with my wife. Asked her if we were ok cause he was checking on everybody else in the camping ground.

My wife said oh we are good, ranger looked on with disbelief, y'all are dry inside. No flooding or anything, Not even a leak? She said no. And said my husband had re-apply waterproofing on the tent Ranger laughed and said smart man and said that everyone that used tent was soaking wet! The tent failed on some campers. He drove off with a smirk on his face.

We got two young girls. Tent held up just fine. I still have it. Haven't used it since we got the travel trailer.

I think with my experience, its how you treat your tent and care for it and know how to use it will last you a lifetime.

I only paid 119.00 for it. At that time. I even bought the cheapest tent back when I was 20's (49.99) and did same thing. I was dry as bone inside and other deaf male campers for Deaf Men Annual Campout was wet. It doesn't matter how expensive you pay for it but if you take care of it and use proper sealant and all. Its gonna hold up except for up in the mountains and in snow then buy high grade tent.

Hope this helps for some newbies or for people who is starting out. Even low budget campers.

[jpbruni]

OK, I'll throw in my .02 cents. I was in the Indian Guides with my 2 sons for 9 years. We camped 57 times in 9 years!

I went rhough several tents and sleeping methods and FINALLY found the magic formula. I bought this tent from Cabelas and have had it for 5 years now:

http://reviews.cabelas.com/8815/513670/cabelas-quad-pole-dome-tent-reviews/reviews.htm?sort=rating

They don't make it anymore, but you can find them on eBay and there are similar new models. I paid $329.00 for it new. It is a dome tent but they way it is designed, the walls are nearly vertical. It has a 72" center height so everyone can stand up in this tent!! It has a no-seam tub floor, great doors and windows and zippers and is HEAVY DUTY! I have been through several hellacious storms in this tent.

Part Two: Sleeping/storage - Forget the air mattress! Go to BIG cots with self inflating mattress pads. I have the Outfitter XL and it is HUGE and it feels like you are sleeping on a bed! The best thing about cots is that they save a TON of room in the tent because all of your gear gets stored underneath and you have something to sit on to get dressed! I hate trying to get dressed while sitting on an air matress! Plus Cots don't get holes in them!

My family of 5 (me, wife, 2 boys and my dog all fit in this tent! I can get my cot, with a large dog kennel up against the side wall, plus 3 more standard cots and a large cooler...all in this tent!! and you can still walk around in there!

It is a breeze to set up because there are only two main poles and the sleeve that they slide through is continuous, so you can just put the pole together and then zip it right through! Then there are 2 short poles that again just zip through that are to make the side walls vertical. Might take 10 minutes to set up. Better than any tent I have owned.

Stakes - Invest in some high-end aluminum stakes and a good rubber mallet with a hook on the end. The stakes have string loops on the top, so you just hook the loop on the string and pull from the mallet head and the stakes come out like nothing.
I get mine from REI and I have NEVER bent one! They are about $3.50 each, but worth it!

I bought rubberized landscape matting and cut a custom pad for underneath the tent. It will not hold or puddle water and will not let leaves, sticks or pebbles stick to it. You just shake it and evertything just falls off. REALLY extends the life of the floor of any tent!

Hope this helped.

J.P.

[oneforthewall]

Tents are like weed eaters,,,,,,buy a cheap one and use it a few times and chunk it or buy a really good one and keep it forever, anything inbetrween seems to be a waste of money as they are never durable enough and not "cheap". Get a good dome tent that has 6 or more poles. They will take the wind and rain, which is when you really need a tent, and have more vertical side walls than the 4 pole models. I put a double air bed in our Cabelas Alaskan Guide model and have had it and used it alot for better than 17 years. Amortize it out, that's pretty cheap per year!!

[Bill]

Here's what I have done and would suggest it.

I have a Coleman tent that looks like this. It still has the 2, long assembled poles that cross but I've taken it on many, many hunts and never had a problem. There's a rain fly that goes on top.



Here's my 'secret' for getting a good night's sleep. I use an old outdoor chaise lounge cotton 2" thick cotton pad on top of it, and when it's cold and below freezing put a wool blanket below me plus my sleeping bag. I set it up on one side facing front to back, the other guy sleeps on the opposite side. 6 man tent for 2 people, with a cooler in between as a table.

[Dirtymike]

For two people i would go with 2 eno hammocks. The best hammocks ever invented in my opinion. And the best night of rest in the woods

hammocks are the way to camp. sleeping on the ground is for the dogs. Get a warbonnet black bird and superfly tarp. let the kids play in the tent

[marshrat]

REI tents are good, along with North Face, Big Anes and MSR. REI will have them in the outlet store online for a good discount as well. They will also replace everything for free should the need arise.

[cajuntec]

Thanks all. Lots to look into, and I've got some pretty good ideas from all that replied. I appreciate you all taking the time to help out.

I've tried hammocks and cots - I can't do either, even though I really tried to make the best out of the cot idea since I bought two of them. I've got some back and shoulder issues and both hammocks and cots kill me to sleep on at night. Didn't used to be like that. I used to just sleep on the ground. Then came the self-inflating pads. Then a cot. Finally a air mattress. I hate having to lug it around, but if I don't, I don't sleep at night.

All the best,
Glenn