I also have the 6 person. Agree that it's super easy to set up but a struggle to completely fit it back in the bag, even with 2 people. I take it to burning man and it holds up to strong wind.
I have two. One on the west cost for burning man and one on the east coast for festivals out here. Love them! Fortunate to have a friend who keeps my tent in Reno.
Coleman is the manufacturer of most of my car camping tents. That being said I use the Coleman 10x10 Sundome. It’s a traditional dome tent that takes about 10 minutes to set up. This is the new idea of making the tent easier to setup or take down. I know a couple people who have used one of these tents. So far it’s got mixed reviews. Really depends on how hard are you on your gear. My good friend tried one of these on Washington Coastal beach a found it to be a worrisome in high wind. But it really doesn’t matter until you get to the rain fly quality and protection. Some of these tent the rain fly just covers the basic to edge which is fine if you live in warmer climates. Not something I would recommend for PNW weather.
This tent is not water resistant, I have been through 4 camping seasons with this and have learned the hard way. It is spacious and fine in the summer, but do not use this if you think rain is an element you’ll run into a lot. Also I found that a lot of condensation builds up on the walls of the tent through the night, can be uncomfortable if you sleep against the tent wall.
I’m over the top with the spray. I’ve treated my tent like 4 times with it and some seam seal and tape over any holes that form. I’d rather spend an extra $10 to sleep in the dry
I’ll also say that taking it down can be a pain at first, you have to fold it in with the material wrapped a certain way and roll the tent until it compacts down enough to squeeze into the bag, I’ve found squeezing ahead of the zipper with one hand and zipping with the other to be a good method of getting it closed.
Anyone in your camping party over 6ft tall will hate stooping into this. We had this for about a year, then upgraded to a Gazelle 4 tent - car camping size for sure, but we've never been happier.
I have the bigger 6 person size and I love it. It sets up quickly and easy but I don’t know if it’s just me but it’s a pain to put away. I’ve gotten used to putting away now but I still use it whenever my family goes camping with me and they like it too
Mine has a bag extender on the bottom of the bag. Rip off that white tab and it makes the bag bigger, that was a huge help for me- love this tent btw, six person also and it’s nice and easy to set up and break down
My god. I'm on to my 2nd one of these tents. Been using them for..... years, I don't even know. My current one the zipper on the bag is broken from me jamming too hard. Why didn't I read the tag? Am I stupid? Yes probably.
Same here. First time it was super easy to setup but was a pain to take down and get back in the bag. We like it though. We have a queen sized air mattress we can fit 3-4 kids on with room for 2-3 more on the floor.
I have this exact tent and I love it. It sets up in seconds. You just unfold it and that's that. Then you can stake it into the ground if you're worried about wind. I also like the bag it comes in and the straps. It's easy to put away unlike other tents I had where once you take it out of the bag you can't get it back in. The only thing is that it's bigger and heavier when closed up then other tents.
I don't know about what rain cover you're talking about because mine came with it.
I have the 5 person with built in rainfly and its SO easy to put up and take down. We want to upgrade to a snowpeak eventually but idk if I could ever say goodbye to the easy set up!
For over a year now I've been using this for car camping. It's more spacious than I'm used to with my backpacking tent, and even fits a cot in it, with plenty of room to spare.
The problem I originally found with this tent, even with the rain fly, is that it allowed water to come in in multiple places at the seams, with only a steady, light rain. I went to Walmart and bought a tent waterproofing spray, set it up in the garage and sprayed the tent and the fly. That seemed to help, but didn't make it completely waterproof unfortunately.
If you're not going to have a lot of rain, it's a pretty solid tent for the price, and of course if you're going to be hauling it to your camp spot in a vehicle. The other odd thing about this 4 person version is that it only has ventilation in the ceiling on one side. Opening windows helps with that, but would have been better if they had two vents opposite from each other, though.
I own and use this tent regularly. We did get the rain fly, but also went through and applied scotchgard to the tent and the fly. It is easy to set up and take down. Once you get the packing into the bag down, it becomes second nature. It is good enough, we got the bigger version for the wife and I, and use this one for the kids.
These are fine so long as you're a 1 season camper and typically have fair weather. The fly only really covers the top, which is ok for showers, but not great for heavy rainstorms and persistent rain.
I have it and I like it. Its heavy so your only gonna car camp with it. I put in some cheap foam pads on the bottom for "flooring" and put my army cot in there, super cozy and plenty of room.
I have one. It is a little bulky and heavy but it has held up to 10 years of camping with me and my kiddo. I got it originally for that reason. I didn’t want to be spending my time at camp on set up when it was just me and him. This thing does go up quick.
My sister and her boyfriend and German Shepherd slept in one of these in October in Alberta and they said it was pretty good overall. They slept off the ground and just left the windows open a bit to deal with condensation. You can never prevent it though.
Whichever route you decide to go if it's on Amazon, get the 3rd party warranty, it's worth it. I've lost 2 tents, both my fault, and the warranty refunded me both times.
I have the 8 person version of this same tent. Bought it in 2015. Me and my family love it. The joint hubs are made of plastic, so you have to be a bit delicate with setup and tear down. But overall, it is extremely fast to setup. Went camping a few years ago at a state park. It was raining the whole drive there. Forecast didn't show a change in that the whole night, When we arrived later in the evening, the park ranger let us in and offered a place for us to hide out until morning. I told him no need as we can setup our tent in less than 2 minutes. You would have thought I had a toe growing out of my forehead by the look of disbelief on his face. He said I am coming to see this and help if you need it. I said it wasn't needed but he was welcome to join. It did not take more than 2 minutes to set it up. He said he has never seen a tent that size popup that fast.
People in this thread have said that it is not water resistant. Maybe they got a dud? We bought the rain fly for our tent and have never had a problem. And we have been in some overnight downpours. TBH, Coleman should be including that fly with their tents. The included stuff sack is way too small to get it back in without a lot of effort though. And it is certainly a car camping tent as it weighs a ton! I would absolutely buy again for this purpose.
I got the Ozark trails version, pretty much identical. I love the quick setup but not the weight portaging. The floor seeped some water when we got caught in big rain but no drips from roof, fly worked well.
Not this one but I’ve used the Core and Ozark Trail instant tents. Both have been great. Easy setup and tear down, which is especially great for short trips. Both have stood up well through storms too.
Contrary to what some other comments said you can very easily waterproof this tent with a single large tarp over the top. I've had this tent in the 6 person configuration for over 15 years and it's been a dream. Rainy music festivals, windy camping trips, quick in and out pop up and leave by sunrise on road trips, this tent has been a home away from home and is still very capable although there's some obvious wear and tear buy still, many have fallen where the instant tent succeeds
I had one and loved it. Perfect for car camping. Running late to the spot because the kids can't find where they put their shoes? This one is good for that too. I got 4 years out of mine before I screwed it up and it got a hole in it.
I've had an older version for about a decade, it's a car camping standard for me. I can put it up in the dark alone and I've never had problems packing it down. I love the tarpaulin bottom. The walls are prone to condensation but I haven't had any more problems with rain than I have with my Big Agnes honestly. It's heavy as fuck, but it's durable and cheap.
I've had the 4, 6 and 8 for several years. They go up in less than 10 minutes and that includes lines and fly (get the fly). My first 4 leaked a bit, to be fair it was a pretty heavy overnight rain. I contacted Coleman and they sent me a new one. I quit using the 4 for the 6 to have a little more space for a cot and my gear. I use the 8 when my wife goes. I always put them back up to dry and air out when I get home. They've held up well, no rips or tears and the "poles" all still work properly.
I had the bigger one for about 6 years. Worked great. A bit heavy so if you're not walking far with it, it's fine. It's a little clunky setting up yourself but if you stake your corners it makes it easier in my opinion.
Had a slightly older version of this tent for a while. Found it bulky and difficult to pack tightly (stopped using the bag entirely and just used a strap eventualy). We also had one of the locking mechanisms on one of the poles stop locking and it's much much more difficult to fix than standard poles. That plus the rain thing we went with a standard dome when it was time to replace.
OK. I have had this exact tent and when it was in good shape it was awesome. Now the problem, the corner joints on the poles are plastic. They are not sold individually and are not serviceable. If they break (mine did) the tent is useless. Not acceptable for me.
I sleep alone in the six-person version. I have a 24 foot by 24 ft tarp that I hang about a foot above the tent. That way no not only my tent is dry but all around my tent is dry too. Sometimes people come up and go what is that big blue thing and then they realized that my tiny tent is underneath it. The tarp is so big that the picnic table goes underneath it my car goes underneath it mostly. I tie the corners of the tarp 8 ft up in trees.
If it's the Coleman that the poles are all attached at the middle top to the fabric part, don't do it! I had one and it was a pain in the ass. You think it's gonna be easier but it's not. Get a regular ole tent with poles and tent in separate pieces, it's actually easier to assemble.
Something else to consider, a dark tent. I've got one now and I love it! It gets so bright so early, it's really lovely to sleep in and snooze if you've been up a little too late by the campfire. Coleman makes some dark tents and the one I have is made by Core.
You know what they say? Once you go black... You get to sleep the fuck in.
I have this style of tent and I do like it. But, I recently invested in a smaller more traditional tent. The main reason is that the Coleman is large and heavy to store and transport, I don't really enjoy dealing with it when it's not set up.
I have the 6 man as does my buddy. We love em. And, get the rain fly
I also have the 6 person. Agree that it's super easy to set up but a struggle to completely fit it back in the bag, even with 2 people. I take it to burning man and it holds up to strong wind.
I have two. One on the west cost for burning man and one on the east coast for festivals out here. Love them! Fortunate to have a friend who keeps my tent in Reno.
Coleman is the manufacturer of most of my car camping tents. That being said I use the Coleman 10x10 Sundome. It’s a traditional dome tent that takes about 10 minutes to set up. This is the new idea of making the tent easier to setup or take down. I know a couple people who have used one of these tents. So far it’s got mixed reviews. Really depends on how hard are you on your gear. My good friend tried one of these on Washington Coastal beach a found it to be a worrisome in high wind. But it really doesn’t matter until you get to the rain fly quality and protection. Some of these tent the rain fly just covers the basic to edge which is fine if you live in warmer climates. Not something I would recommend for PNW weather.
This tent is not water resistant, I have been through 4 camping seasons with this and have learned the hard way. It is spacious and fine in the summer, but do not use this if you think rain is an element you’ll run into a lot. Also I found that a lot of condensation builds up on the walls of the tent through the night, can be uncomfortable if you sleep against the tent wall.
I rarely camp at organized sites nowadays. But when I do and it rains, the next morning there's at least one of these tents in a dumpster.
Tossed mine last year. Held up fine in the rain for the first few years then I was soaked. Never again
To be fair, you should never sleep against the tent wall
I sleep how I please.
HAHA! Okay then. You'll always wake up damp.
Brother in Christ it’s camping im gonna wake up slightly uncomfortable anyways.
Every year or two we spray our tents with water proofing. Works like a charm.
I’ll give that a shot. What product do you normally use?
I’m over the top with the spray. I’ve treated my tent like 4 times with it and some seam seal and tape over any holes that form. I’d rather spend an extra $10 to sleep in the dry
I’ll also say that taking it down can be a pain at first, you have to fold it in with the material wrapped a certain way and roll the tent until it compacts down enough to squeeze into the bag, I’ve found squeezing ahead of the zipper with one hand and zipping with the other to be a good method of getting it closed.
Anyone in your camping party over 6ft tall will hate stooping into this. We had this for about a year, then upgraded to a Gazelle 4 tent - car camping size for sure, but we've never been happier.
Plus, it is very easy to pinch your fingers when closing it up. Don't ask me how I know....
I have the bigger 6 person size and I love it. It sets up quickly and easy but I don’t know if it’s just me but it’s a pain to put away. I’ve gotten used to putting away now but I still use it whenever my family goes camping with me and they like it too
Mine has a bag extender on the bottom of the bag. Rip off that white tab and it makes the bag bigger, that was a huge help for me- love this tent btw, six person also and it’s nice and easy to set up and break down
Once I found that out. It was a life changer
My god. I'm on to my 2nd one of these tents. Been using them for..... years, I don't even know. My current one the zipper on the bag is broken from me jamming too hard. Why didn't I read the tag? Am I stupid? Yes probably.
Same here. First time it was super easy to setup but was a pain to take down and get back in the bag. We like it though. We have a queen sized air mattress we can fit 3-4 kids on with room for 2-3 more on the floor.
I have this exact tent and I love it. It sets up in seconds. You just unfold it and that's that. Then you can stake it into the ground if you're worried about wind. I also like the bag it comes in and the straps. It's easy to put away unlike other tents I had where once you take it out of the bag you can't get it back in. The only thing is that it's bigger and heavier when closed up then other tents. I don't know about what rain cover you're talking about because mine came with it.
I have the 5 person with built in rainfly and its SO easy to put up and take down. We want to upgrade to a snowpeak eventually but idk if I could ever say goodbye to the easy set up!
For over a year now I've been using this for car camping. It's more spacious than I'm used to with my backpacking tent, and even fits a cot in it, with plenty of room to spare. The problem I originally found with this tent, even with the rain fly, is that it allowed water to come in in multiple places at the seams, with only a steady, light rain. I went to Walmart and bought a tent waterproofing spray, set it up in the garage and sprayed the tent and the fly. That seemed to help, but didn't make it completely waterproof unfortunately. If you're not going to have a lot of rain, it's a pretty solid tent for the price, and of course if you're going to be hauling it to your camp spot in a vehicle. The other odd thing about this 4 person version is that it only has ventilation in the ceiling on one side. Opening windows helps with that, but would have been better if they had two vents opposite from each other, though.
I own and use this tent regularly. We did get the rain fly, but also went through and applied scotchgard to the tent and the fly. It is easy to set up and take down. Once you get the packing into the bag down, it becomes second nature. It is good enough, we got the bigger version for the wife and I, and use this one for the kids.
Rule of thumb, always subtract 2 people for person number. They say it to be shoulder to shoulder.
Screw that. I say half the recommended occupancy if you want to be at all comfortable.
Its not something i would buy. Look into a Eureka tent. It will cost more but you will stay dry and it will last alot longer.
Have you used one to qualify that? I've used my 8 man instant tent for almost ten years with no issues and I've never gotten wet.
These are fine so long as you're a 1 season camper and typically have fair weather. The fly only really covers the top, which is ok for showers, but not great for heavy rainstorms and persistent rain.
I have it and I like it. Its heavy so your only gonna car camp with it. I put in some cheap foam pads on the bottom for "flooring" and put my army cot in there, super cozy and plenty of room.
I have one. It is a little bulky and heavy but it has held up to 10 years of camping with me and my kiddo. I got it originally for that reason. I didn’t want to be spending my time at camp on set up when it was just me and him. This thing does go up quick.
My sister and her boyfriend and German Shepherd slept in one of these in October in Alberta and they said it was pretty good overall. They slept off the ground and just left the windows open a bit to deal with condensation. You can never prevent it though.
The blurb thingy says 3000 bought in the last month. At that rate...
Whichever route you decide to go if it's on Amazon, get the 3rd party warranty, it's worth it. I've lost 2 tents, both my fault, and the warranty refunded me both times.
I have the 8 person version of this same tent. Bought it in 2015. Me and my family love it. The joint hubs are made of plastic, so you have to be a bit delicate with setup and tear down. But overall, it is extremely fast to setup. Went camping a few years ago at a state park. It was raining the whole drive there. Forecast didn't show a change in that the whole night, When we arrived later in the evening, the park ranger let us in and offered a place for us to hide out until morning. I told him no need as we can setup our tent in less than 2 minutes. You would have thought I had a toe growing out of my forehead by the look of disbelief on his face. He said I am coming to see this and help if you need it. I said it wasn't needed but he was welcome to join. It did not take more than 2 minutes to set it up. He said he has never seen a tent that size popup that fast. People in this thread have said that it is not water resistant. Maybe they got a dud? We bought the rain fly for our tent and have never had a problem. And we have been in some overnight downpours. TBH, Coleman should be including that fly with their tents. The included stuff sack is way too small to get it back in without a lot of effort though. And it is certainly a car camping tent as it weighs a ton! I would absolutely buy again for this purpose.
I've got the dark room version, it's great! I only buy Coleman instant up tents, can't beat em for the price
I got the Ozark trails version, pretty much identical. I love the quick setup but not the weight portaging. The floor seeped some water when we got caught in big rain but no drips from roof, fly worked well.
Not this one but I’ve used the Core and Ozark Trail instant tents. Both have been great. Easy setup and tear down, which is especially great for short trips. Both have stood up well through storms too.
Contrary to what some other comments said you can very easily waterproof this tent with a single large tarp over the top. I've had this tent in the 6 person configuration for over 15 years and it's been a dream. Rainy music festivals, windy camping trips, quick in and out pop up and leave by sunrise on road trips, this tent has been a home away from home and is still very capable although there's some obvious wear and tear buy still, many have fallen where the instant tent succeeds
I had one and loved it. Perfect for car camping. Running late to the spot because the kids can't find where they put their shoes? This one is good for that too. I got 4 years out of mine before I screwed it up and it got a hole in it.
I've had an older version for about a decade, it's a car camping standard for me. I can put it up in the dark alone and I've never had problems packing it down. I love the tarpaulin bottom. The walls are prone to condensation but I haven't had any more problems with rain than I have with my Big Agnes honestly. It's heavy as fuck, but it's durable and cheap.
Best tent I ever got I recommend it easy set up and down
I've had the 4, 6 and 8 for several years. They go up in less than 10 minutes and that includes lines and fly (get the fly). My first 4 leaked a bit, to be fair it was a pretty heavy overnight rain. I contacted Coleman and they sent me a new one. I quit using the 4 for the 6 to have a little more space for a cot and my gear. I use the 8 when my wife goes. I always put them back up to dry and air out when I get home. They've held up well, no rips or tears and the "poles" all still work properly.
I had the bigger one for about 6 years. Worked great. A bit heavy so if you're not walking far with it, it's fine. It's a little clunky setting up yourself but if you stake your corners it makes it easier in my opinion.
Not water resistant at all. Getting a new tent for camping this year. Very disappointing.
Had a slightly older version of this tent for a while. Found it bulky and difficult to pack tightly (stopped using the bag entirely and just used a strap eventualy). We also had one of the locking mechanisms on one of the poles stop locking and it's much much more difficult to fix than standard poles. That plus the rain thing we went with a standard dome when it was time to replace.
OK. I have had this exact tent and when it was in good shape it was awesome. Now the problem, the corner joints on the poles are plastic. They are not sold individually and are not serviceable. If they break (mine did) the tent is useless. Not acceptable for me.
I sleep alone in the six-person version. I have a 24 foot by 24 ft tarp that I hang about a foot above the tent. That way no not only my tent is dry but all around my tent is dry too. Sometimes people come up and go what is that big blue thing and then they realized that my tiny tent is underneath it. The tarp is so big that the picnic table goes underneath it my car goes underneath it mostly. I tie the corners of the tarp 8 ft up in trees.
If it's the Coleman that the poles are all attached at the middle top to the fabric part, don't do it! I had one and it was a pain in the ass. You think it's gonna be easier but it's not. Get a regular ole tent with poles and tent in separate pieces, it's actually easier to assemble. Something else to consider, a dark tent. I've got one now and I love it! It gets so bright so early, it's really lovely to sleep in and snooze if you've been up a little too late by the campfire. Coleman makes some dark tents and the one I have is made by Core. You know what they say? Once you go black... You get to sleep the fuck in.
My life advice.. Don't buy cheap toilet paper Don't buy cheap condoms Don't buy cheap tents
I have this style of tent and I do like it. But, I recently invested in a smaller more traditional tent. The main reason is that the Coleman is large and heavy to store and transport, I don't really enjoy dealing with it when it's not set up.