Tent advice?

[ShyGuy]

Me: Frequent camper for first 25 years of life, would like to camp more as kids are aging. Will sleep anywhere dry.
Wife: Generally dislikes camping, but would do it for me. As such requires a roomy tent, air mattress, Dry.
2 kids: Love short trips I have taken with them.

I am looking for a tent to get for use in Wisconsin summers, on private land, so no huge size limitations or privacy concerns. However being so big it wont fit in regular campgrounds is not ideal.

Wife wants to fit 2 queen air mattresses inside of tent and still have a little room for gear. If there is rain inside she will probably freak out and be rather annoying for the trips I convince her to take.

I am looking for a very durable tent as she will probably not support a replacement tent (otherwise I would go cheap and ensure we use it before upgrading). It must be somewhat roomy for her. I personally like a lot of windows or mesh as I like to feel a bit more in the open when weather is good.

Budget is unlimited.

Basically, what is the best car camping tent out there for a family of 4, if money wasnt a concern?

[hawkeyebob62]

Re: Tent advice?

I spent my first 22 summers in Northern Wisconsin (grew up west of Chicago). Loved canoe trip-camping there! My "dream" tent has always been the Cabela's Alaskan Guide model, 6 person. Great vestibule, can "tunnel" if you have two tents (optimal!), can choose aluminum or fiberglass poles.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tent advice?

Hello ShyGuy and welcome.

Hmmmm.......you've several options. Have you looked at any canvas tents? They certainly are roomy and durable but you'll have to look at specific models to see if there are enough windows for you. I would suggest you look at tents rated for 8 people or more to accommodate the 2 queen beds no matter what material the tent is made of.

Less weight, still spacious, and certainly more mesh are tents like the REI Kingdom and Big Agnes.

Here's hoping this info gives you a start in the right direction.

[MacGyver]

Re: Tent advice?

I recommend looking at the Kodiak 10x14 Deluxe canvas tent. Lots of room, lots of mesh and durable. Best prices I've seen anywhere online is on the Competitive Edge Products website. They almost always include a free ground tarp on top of the already lower price.
http://www.competitiveedgeproducts.c...l.aspx?ID=1943

They're relatively easy to put up, so that might help a reluctant camper's attitude towards the whole adventure. The hardest part of setting them up is pegging 'em down. After that, it takes literally minutes to have your living space.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Tent advice?

Have you checked out the insanely expensive tent thread? Bet the wife would go for THAT! It doesn't even count as camping :-)

[wiiawiwb]

Re: Tent advice?

I suggest taking a look a the Cabelas Alaskan Guide 8-person tent or the Cabelas Outfitter WXT Extreme. Both are is absolutely bombproof and designed to be used on Kodiak Island in Alaska. I have the Alaskan Guide 6-person tent and it is fantastic.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Campi..._SEQ_105517980

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Campi...Tz_stype%3DGNU

Here are a few videos about the tent. One, as you will see, was taken during a horrendous storm on Kodiak Island where it near hurricane conditions. The other is an excellent walk through and description of the tent. I would suggest getting the fiberglass poles (as compared to the aluminum) as they are exceedingly strong.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylrnSDprIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5H9MZszA9I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymZ2Ls915f8

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Tent advice?

I have a Kodiak Canvas 10x14 deluxe. I have had it in 60mph gusts, rain, snow and heat. Has held up well and I would recommend it to anyone. Great customer service (if you need it). I think once you get into the high end tents, like the REI's, Outfitters tent's (such as Alaskan), Kodiak or Springbar, I don't think you can go wrong.

[astrowolf67]

Re: Tent advice?

You have been given some great suggestions so far. We have the Kodiak Flexbow 10x14 VX model canvas tent, and would suggest you give it a look, IF WEIGHT AND STORAGE IS NOT AN ISSUE. I can fully set it up by my self in about 20 minutes tops. Being able to stand and move around inside is a big plus. The huge windows in both ends, plus the screen doors allow plenty of air flow. And, for those cool nights, they can be closed up and it retains heat well also. We added the vestibule wing to ours, and, it provides a lot of extra space for out of sight storage, as well as protection from the weather when entering or exiting the tent. Plus, Kodiak offers a lifetime limited warranty.

[tplife]

Re: Tent advice?

ShyGuy, canvas does present more maintenance and has odor issues that are rare with polyester tents, and doubles your carrying weight. Brands like Sierra Designs, Big Agnes, REI, EMS, A16, Mountain HardWear, NorthFace, and Marmot offer quality tents that can be purchased new-at-auction or at season's end or during model closeouts for significant price savings. They typically offer the features you want like lifetime warranties, anodized aluminum poles, hubs, color-coded setup, full-length rain flys and storage vestibules. I've had a couple of canvas tents and no complaints, just prefer polyester these days. You might want to avoid air mattresses, you'll have to double your insulation and may still not get a good night's sleep: like cots, hollow-tube air mattresses are designed for heated enclosures and not temps below 50-degrees-F. At cool temperatures, they are heat-sinks that will reach equilibrium with the solids, liquids, and gases around them by sucking the heat out of you while you sleep. You want nice thick self-inflating sleeping pads, or thick open-cell foam padding like you see in RV mattresses. You'll sleep a lot better and not need to haul so much insulation for sleeping. Or, you could pack a Buddy Heater!

[a65hoosier]

Re: Tent advice?

Hi ShyGuy and Welcome to the Forum!

First....good job on setting the criteria in your first post...you'll get more focused advice.

Second....mmm mmmmm....the words "unlimited budget"!

You have received excellent advice in this thread. Although I generally stick to 6p tents and smaller, all of these larger family tents listed so far are worth your consideration due to the quality of materials/workmanship and the excellent reputation of the manufacturer. I think everything listed here would be on my list if I was looking for a quality larger size tent. It really comes down to your personal preference and how you see yourself using the tent.

One not mentioned so far: Marmot Limestone 8p.

NYCgrrl mentioned the REI Kingdom. The 8p version is huge. Add on the optional Tech Connect Garage and you have a Castle.


My words of advice regardless of the tent you get:

• 1.) always fully stake/guy it out fully. Larger tents present a larger profile to wind.
• 2.) always use a footprint or tarp under the tent floor.
• 3.) always try to have a helper when setting up the tent (Kodiaks excluded).
• 4.) always make sure the tent is fully dry/clean before storing it.

Doing these will help your investment last longer by minimizing damage.

Good luck on your search. Let us know what you selected and how your camping goes.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tent advice?

Hi ShyGuy and Welcome to the Forum!

First....good job on setting the criteria in your first post...you'll get more focused advice.

Second....mmm mmmmm....the words "unlimited budget"!

You have received excellent advice in this thread. Although I generally stick to 6p tents and smaller, all of these larger family tents listed so far are worth your consideration due to the quality of materials/workmanship and the excellent reputation of the manufacturer. I think everything listed here would be on my list if I was looking for a quality larger size tent. It really comes down to your personal preference and how you see yourself using the tent.

One not mentioned so far: Marmot Limestone 8p.

NYCgrrl mentioned the REI Kingdom. The 8p version is huge. Add on the optional Tech Connect Garage and you have a Castle.


My words of advice regardless of the tent you get:

• 1.) always fully stake/guy it out fully. Larger tents present a larger profile to wind.
• 2.) always use a footprint or tarp under the tent floor.
• 3.) always try to have a helper when setting up the tent (Kodiaks excluded).
• 4.) always make sure the tent is fully dry/clean before storing it.

Doing these will help your investment last longer by minimizing damage.

Good luck on your search. Let us know what you selected and how your camping goes.

Great setup info here and really and truly do the stake AND guyline thang thang. Last year, after a freak wind storm (that summer was filled with bizarre weather) a new tent suddenly appear somewhere between our site and the one next to us. The other site's occupants had just moved in that afternoon so we thought it belonged to them and placed it inside their screen tent. Hours later they returned and errrr well no...the tent didn't belong to them:D. The tent was set up by the comfort station for all to gawk at....reminded me of the dead man in a coffin scene from " The Missouri Breaks".

[sunnymw]

Re: Tent advice?

I'll echo the REI Kingdom 8 with Tech Connect Garage. I have the 6 and could fit 2 queen air mattresses with space around the feet, but honestly you'd want a little more room so you could walk between them, so go for the 8. I debated for 3-4 months on which tent to get (also with relatively unlimited budget at the time) and I have zero regrets.

The vestibules are nice, the garage can store a ton of gear AND five bicycles underneath (speaking from experience). The rainfly can be removed or folded back or up in numerous configurations, basically leaving you with unlimited options for coverage. The doors are on the front and back, each with the option for closed, mesh, or completely removed and tucked up and away, but the entire front-most portion is mesh except a small strip at the very top so you have an unobstructed view of your surroundings and sky. Plus it's a quality tent, so you'll stay dry even in unfavorable weather. It's the same height the entire length of the tent, so you don't have to stand in the middle to be able to stand up--you can walk the whole length of it without having to duck If you're setting up the 8 at a regular campground, the tech garage can be left off or be set up at a different height than the rest of the tent (ie if you're on a slight platform).

For things to do when it's raining, definitely either get a tarp or a good 10x10/12x12 shelter to put over the picnic area. That way you aren't confined to sitting on a queen air mattress during bad weather. It's actually quite relaxing to sit under a tarp and listen to the rain as long as you're dry

If you want more room inside the tent, use a queen air mattress for you and the bride, and get the disc-o-bed cam-o-bunks for the kids. We have a set for my older two, and they are a serious space saver (and SO easy to set up, take down, and clean--not to mention durable).

Found this site for some good reviews/pictures of the tent in action (I'd post mine, but it's a few feet smaller than the 8)
http://www.buzzillions.com/reviews/r...t-2012-reviews

And the cots, for the kiddos (as a bonus you can store gear on the top and bottom bunk when they aren't actually sleeping--my kids are still short enough that they can store their backpack by their feet even when they're asleep)
http://www.amazon.com/Disc-O-Bed-Cam.../dp/B00BGU41G2


ETA: You could always do how we do and get 2 tents--one for adults, one for kids.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tent advice?

ETA: You could always do how we do and get 2 tents--one for adults, one for kids.

I'm being faced with that reality now: The Princess wants her own tent. At 9.5 y/o that's not going to happen but the closer we get to her double digit age the more we know another chapter has begun in life.

[ShyGuy]

Re: Tent advice?

Thank you all for the advice, I have started looking at the suggestions you have given, and I think I will steer clear of the canvas ones at this point, just due to a slight increase in the maintenance of them. The wife wont really be caping in less than 50 degrees, so the air mattress works for her
The cots are a good thought for the kids and honestly will likely be better as options to cut down on rolling into each other and fighting in the middle of the night, which is nice.

Thanks for the friendly responses. I think after reading these and looking that it is true that for uses like I have, really it is hard to go wrong. The actual camper in me likes those kodiak tents, but the practical husband in me is looking at the REI/marmet type.

On a good note, I used a backpacking tent of my brother's with my kids last week, and my daughter made me sleep outside the next 3 nights because she had so much fun.

[sunnymw]

Re: Tent advice?

I'm being faced with that reality now: The Princess wants her own tent. At 9.5 y/o that's not going to happen but the closer we get to her double digit age the more we know another chapter has begun in life.

We moved the boys when they were 4 and 6. They did great! We tried to put my youngest in their tent on this last trip (she will be 4 this week) and there was a storm and she freaked out. So maybe next time