Input on Tents

This is not a knife or gadget question so I hope here is a good place.

I want to pick up a family tent, and I need some suggestions. I have used the Coleman tents, and the quality seems to be lacking. I only have about $200 to $300 to spend on one.

8X12 or similar.
Preferably a dome of some type as these require less setup.
Good ventilation.
Waterproof.

I have found that if a tent is recommeded for 3 people, that it is a cramped 3 people, and no gear. So I like having the extra room.

i just get my tenst at walamrt there not bad and very cheap

For ease of set up, I recommend a self erecting tent from Quickdraw. I got a 3 person one from a place called Dunesport.com (I think). Just take it out of it's case, throw it, and the tent sets itself up. Just drive in the stakes, and secure the ropes, and you're set. As for durability, though, I'm sure there are better ones. I think the 3 person one I got has been on sale for $60-$70 in Heartland America catalogs.

Sierra Designs and Kelty make good tents and both have a couple of large tents in your price range.

Backcountry Equipment has good prices on tents. Check out the Sierra Designs Mondo 5 they have on sale right now.

I almost bought a Kelty Grand Canyon 9 last year but my situation changed when my wonderful union bargained away half my vacation time.

The Grand Canyon is no longer on the Kelty website but plenty of retailers still have them.

They also made a larger Grand Canyon 11. Here's an excellent deal on one. edit-Its gone, someone here buy it?

I have a 2-3 person Moss Thunderdome and it is just enough room for me (6'5", 270#) and my stuff (motorcycle camping).

Don't skimp on buying a tent. At 3AM in a thunderstorm you'll understand what is meant by "You get what you pay for". The tents I mentioned have full rain flys which I think is a must have feature.

Always use a 'footprint', too.

Absolutely the best tent value was at Sam's. They were made by Quest tents specifically for Sam's. One was a 3-4 man dome (4 season, mine has withstood 75+mph gusts) , w/6000 series aluminum poles for $69 (clone of & almost as stable as my $500 serria designs stretch prelude) . Another was a 6 man dome (3 season) w/fireglass poles for $59. (simular to 6 man regular Quest tent $400) I purchased several of each and recommended everyone I knew to buy some. The ones that did were thoughly pleased.

Unfortunately they are all sold out. The way Sams works, you never know if/when you will ever see them again.

For the best current tent value check out eureka tents. Very solid (most 3 season+ withstands strong winds) and economical. That's what a lot of boy scout troops use.

Or purchase other high end tents on sale at the links below.

Here are some excellent sources of discount gear:
Northern Mountain supply
Rei Outlet

I want to a Marmot Mountain Works store and bought a used rental tent (Sierra Designs Half Dome, small 2-person tent). It was about a $200 tent that was just a little bit worn and had a small hole that had been patched, and they sold it to me for $60. I've used it for years (not heavily) and it's been fine. The people who work at those stores are always enthusiastic backpackers themselves, and they know the gear very well, so I've always felt fine taking their advice. I'd just go to a store like that and ask if they have any used gear that they'd recommend for your requirements.

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Big_Ed said:
For ease of set up, I recommend a self erecting tent from Quickdraw. I got a 3 person one from a place called Dunesport.com (I think). Just take it out of it's case, throw it, and the tent sets itself up. Just drive in the stakes, and secure the ropes, and you're set. As for durability, though, I'm sure there are better ones. I think the 3 person one I got has been on sale for $60-$70 in Heartland America catalogs.

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I like those popup tents too, but I find it a bit hard to pack inside a backpack, I wish there's a smaller version so I can use it for backpacking... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

6pOriginal, yeah, it definately is too big for back packing. It's kind of funny, but the literature that comes with the tent says it's specifically designed for backpacking. Maybe they make a 3-foot wide backpack to go along with it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I preferr Eureka tents. They are an excellent value, and they make all sizes and types of tents, from big honkin tents that you can stand up in, to lightweight backpacking tents. And they are quite well made.

The Eureka Moutain Pass XT is one we have, and it is a nice tent for 3 people and their gear. Remember, when you buy a tent always buy one that is one man bigger than what you will be using it for (for example, if you are going to have 3 people in a tent, buy a 4 man, if you are going to have 5, buy a 6 man tent) That will allow you plenty of room for your stuff inside the tent. Plus if you camp with a dog or two, they can sleep in there too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have a kelty nirvana. I have the larger size, but even the smaller is really nice. Ventilation out the butt. Probably 15 pockets inside the tent. Hanging loops are also inside. Very nice in the rain. Aluminum poles... durable and no fiberglass to get in your hands. Dome tent, but the poles are prebent to make more of a 90 degree angle with the ground so it's got some real nice room at the edges. I have been on some campouts with 1500+ people, and I would say that it was one of the nicest tents there under $500.

For $200-300 I'd recommend one of LL Bean's dome tents. We have been using their medium sized version for several years now. Its seen a lot of use in the Smoky Mts and in the hills of PA. It has seen downpours that would have left us drenched in our old Coleman tent. We liked it so well that we recently purchased their large size with a vestibule since our family is growing.

Some of the main things you should look for are a full-length rain fly and a bathtub style floor. After you get it seam seal all seams and especially the corners.

I've got other smaller tents for backpacking, but I love my LL Bean tents for car camping.

-Keith