Tents for large family?

[Jillcourser]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums here and am looking for some advice. We are a large family possibly considering switching to tent camping (instead of a popup). There are 7 of us--my husband and I and our 5 boys, ranging in age from 13 down to 1. We just got home from a 9-day camping trip and I just don't love our current setup. We have a popup with 2 queens and a slide out dinette. We tried camping with ALL of us in there back in May and it was horrible--so cramped!! So last week we also brought along a large dome tent for the older kids to sleep in and to use as a "clothes changing" tent for the boys. It was better, but it's a cheap tent and it leaked really bad the very first night. The zipper is all messed up and several of the poles are held together with duct tape Granted it's about 10 yrs old but we've really only used it a couple times.

SO...we are looking at either "upgrading" to a bunkhouse style RV or doing BIG tents. I realized after looking at many RV's in our price range (around $5000 or less), we could outfit ourselves very nicely with very high quality tents and gear. I've been having trouble finding tents that suit our needs, however. Here's our criteria...

1. VERY durable. For this reason I tend to lean toward a canvas tent. We have 5 very active boys. We need zippers that don't snag or rip out.
2. VERY generous sleeping/living quarters. Vertical walls would be best. Enough room to comfortably sleep 7 plus set up all our gear and clothes for 1-2 week trips.
3. Waterproof, sturdy in wind.
4. Ease of setup--30 minutes or less for myself and 2 older kids would be ideal. Weight is not so critical--we don't plan on using it for backpacking and my boys are strong
5. Room to set up a camp kitchen/pantry either inside the tent or at least in a sheltered area (awning, screen area, etc). Would prefer to not have to set up another separate free-standing screen room.
6. Suitable for at least 3 seasons, maybe 4. My oldest son loves hunting and I could see him using the tent with his cousins and my husband for hunting trips.
6. Bonus (mostly just for me)--aesthetics! I really just love the "retro" look of classic canvas. Nylon dome tents look like spaceships to me, not tents

Am I asking for too much out of a tent? Here are the options I am considering...

-my ideal (I think) would be the Kodiak Grand Cabin with wall enclosure. Is that too much tent? It's not available now, do they typically restock quickly?
-another option--Kodiak 12x9 cabin tent with wall enclosure and a second tent of some kind for older kids to sleep in
-Possibly the Springbar Colossus...but it still just doesn't seem big enough and at that price getting a 2nd tent isn't so much of an option.
-what about tents made overseas? Looks like there are a lot of good Australian tents but they don't seem to be available here.
-one non-canvas tent that intrigued me is the Tahoe Gear Glacier 14 person tent. Thoughts? I have never camped in a nylon tent that didn't leak. Makes me nervous.

I would *really* love to see pics of camp setups for large families, so if that's you please share! It's hard for me to envision how everything should fit. As I said, I *think* I want canvas, but maybe I am missing something? I took a long walk thru our whole campground (300+ sites) and didn't see a single canvas tent. Reading reviews it seems that people who have them love them so...why don't more people go that route?

Also as a side note...how long does it take you to pack it all up? It always seems to be a very long, tedious process for us to actually get out the door. Maybe I just need better organizational skills...

Thanks in advance, I know I have thrown a whole lot of questions out there. We would really appreciate any advice!

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tents for large family?

Hello jill and welcome!


You seem to really being leaning towards a canvas tent and although I rarely see them in action in my part of the NE I too have felt the call.
We have several posters who use them so I'll let them speak on the advantages and disadvantages from the field as it were. I'll stick to what I've been able to discern from reading specs and leave it at that. They are heavy, many will surely cover 4 seasons and often have a stove sleeve. They are waterproof yet seem to require more maintenance to retain that attribute. Set up time seems to be longer than that of most synthetic tents but with 5 boys that shouldn't be much of a problem in terms of muscles. Not sure if the set up time can be lessened by physical strength though. In general, canvas tents will out last a synthetic tent purchased at the same time.

I prefer to cook in a separate enclosure or area if possible so as to lessen cooking smells and possible fire damage. Were I setting up a canvas tent I'd still want a separate tarp or enclosure for cooking. This could just be a regional preference though.

Packing tips from this end. I live in a highrise apt. building with no garage or attic just a rented basement storage space about the size of a malnourished master closet:D. I keep most of my seasonal goods there so it's always a wrestle between the holiday decorations and camping gear, LOL. Once the camping season starts my dining room, back b/r and bthrm, remain decorated in camping gear whilst the holiday decor lets it's corset stays out in the basement. My solution is to keep much of the camping gear in plastic storage bins. Overtime, I've been discarding the WM grade plastic bins for Rubbermaid's ActionPackers. Really well made, stacks w/o the tops or bottoms collapsing and made in a variety of sizes. Since they are all the same color, I put large strips of duct tape on 'em and write what is within. I've been able to setup a system that allows me to know if it's gear I need for long or short trips and set up the storage boxes accordingly w/ little overlap or rummaging needed. I keep my camp kitchen tableware in a wicker suitcase w/ cooking tools and table linens that only go camping and thus aren't missed from the house. The only items I have to grab from the kitchen are dishtowels, pots, and the can opener since I don't like most of the can openers made today, LOL.

I plan menus during the non camping season so I don't over pack pantry items or fresh foods. I depend on a lot of home made frozen meals, utilize my FoodSaver, Ziploc bags, and disposable foil pans and give my coolers a workout. Slowly but surely I've brought my cooking pots down to 2 pots for up to 6 people: a 12" cast iron skillet and 4 or 5 qt. pot. I'm also doing away with plastic containers for frozen foods and only take one large and mid sized rectangle containers for cut produce and cheeses. Plastic containers fit nicely within the cooler but can't be heated up on open fire.

Since we tend to camp near laundromats one weekend bag is all that is needed per person. With judicious packing I can fit 1 week's worth of clothes in there during the summer and if the hoodies don't fit in the bag then they are draped over each person's car seat to use as a pillow/blanket during the ride. Going for a 2-3 day trip? Use that same weekend bag for 2 people and pack an empty tote (yanno the canvas ones) for use of the other person's personal items at the campground. Toss a coin to see who get's the canvas bag if traveling with children.

Any pillows that go camping are squished of air (and then take up less space) in advance. Putting coolers a top works nicely if you haven't one of those vacuum air remover thingies. Then I put them in one of those plastic pillow cases received from the dept. store when new, with all the bedding for one person and bungee cord it so air doesn't return. Toss em a case when ya get on site and everything needed to make a sleeping space is there.

I split my packing time up with food taking the absolute longest since I never pack it until the end. Everything else takes about.....1-3 hours depending on people power and the dimensions of whatever vehicle we've rented. 3 hours is when only 1-2 of us are packing (and and only one of us is confident all the gear will fit whilst the other one constantly says it wont. Until it does)and 1-2 hrs involves 3 people with one acting predominately as a "stuporviser".

I can't live w/o organizational charts and lists; keeps me busy and off the streets during the winter......

Here are a few I've found of use:

http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/checklists.htm

http://campingwithgus.com/camping-checklists/

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advi...checklist.html

HTH and don't be shy with questions; we luv em.

[Force10JC]

Re: Tents for large family?

Jill, if I read your post correctly, you are looking for a single tent to sleep 7 people with "generous sleeping/living quarters" plus gear? If that is correct, a Kodiak 12 x 9 is not going to have that kind of space. We used a 17 x 10 dome tent (which I realize you don't like) that is rated to sleep 8. 2 adults and 4 small kids fit with minimal gear but I can't say there is any of what I would call "living space" after that. It sounds like your kids are older and bigger than mine so they would need more room. There's certainly no room to set-up a camp kitchen inside the tent along with stored gear and clothes.

We have actually pitched a 2nd 4-person dome tent on occasion just so everyone wasn't so cramped in the one large tent. This is with me usually sleeping outside the tent under a rain fly and mosquito net in a hammock.

I'm no expert but I looked at a lot of large family tents before buying one recently. I came to the conclusion that it isn't a bad thing to pitch more than 1 tent.


Here is one large canvas tent I was looking at before ultimately deciding on a different tent. Perhaps also look at military tents.


http://www.amazon.com/Trek-Season-Co...ge+Canvas+tent

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tents for large family?

FORCE10JC's post brought up thoughts that was burrowing in the back of my head but I forgot to write on so thanks for the reminder!

7 people would need a tent rated for at least 14 campers according to common thunk.

My tent ( no not canvas) is 10'*12', manufacturer rated for 10 people, and I wouldn't dream of sleeping more than 6 and 4 of them would have to sleep in bunk bed cots to keep us from walking a top each other. Did five campers early this summer and truth be told that was ideal for the size of the tent. Sure I could squeeze another body in but but I weally wouldn't want to.

Given the age of your oldest and not knowing the middle kiddos ages I'm thinking it's time to go for 2 tents and allow parental AND tween/teen space. With a tarp for cooking and social gathering between 'em. Whether you go for synthetic or canvas is your choice. I think....susanwv has a similar set up and if you look for her name you'll find pictures of her set up.

[tplife]

Re: Tents for large family?

I'd go with two 6-man polyester tents and separate screen room. Big tents lack wind/rain integrity and most campsites don't favor tents larger than 10X10, especially when you have more than one to set up. 6-Man tents from quality manufacturers use rugged zippers, high-denier fabrics, welded seams, have anodized aluminum poles giving vertical space, can comfortably hold four 25 X 77 self-inflating sleeping pads, and feature generous vestibules allow dry space at one or more ends of the tent.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Tents for large family?

I don't think a Kodiak or any typical tent is going to do for you. If you want everyone in the same tent, you need to be looking at an outfitters tent. Reliable makes some, the best outfitters tent for the money seems to be Davis Tent's out here in Denver. Boys are rough. That is why I moved my stepson into his own tent at 15 and not in my Kodiak. They just don't take care of stuff.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Tents for large family?

Hi Jill and Welcome to the Forum!

I agree with my fellow posters. You're going to find it difficult to find a decent tent that will fit 7 individuals and their gear comfortably for a one or two week long trip. For all the reasons posted above.

I'd recommend two 6 man sized tents for your family. Get the classic canvas Kodiak (their Flexbow line is extremely easy to setup once it is staked to the ground) or a Springbar in a 10x10 or 10x14 or so foot size for you and the spouse and one or two of your little ones (especially since you like that style) and get a 6 man polyester/nylon tent for your older kids.

If you purchase a tent from a good manufacturer, you'll get the durability and longevity you want (even polyester/nylon) and on certain brands/models, a lifetime warranty. I am talking about tents with thick denier fabrics (150 to 210 Oxford Nylon-important for durability of the floor, the fly can be less thick denier fabric), high mm rated waterproof coatings (1200mm minimum on the fly-thicker ratings are better for the floor), full length/coverage rain fly, taped seams, aluminum poles, vestibules, 2 doors, and quality zippers. Use a tarp or footprint under your tent at all times to increase the longevity of the floor (it protects the tent floor from rocks/sticks that can poke a hole thru it and keeps the tent floor underside cleaner-definitely recommend).

I would stay away from the Tahoe Gear Glacier.

Also, I would highly discourage cooking or eating in your tent. Even if you avoid the burning the tent, you will be creating cooking odors that will permeate the fabrics of your tent. Eating creates the inevitable spills and crumbs. These embedded odors and food crumbs will attract vermin (and bears if you're camping in an area where they are present). The smells/food particles will continue to attract vermin even when your tent is in storage. I recommend getting a tarp (like the Kelty Noah) or an ez-up for a protected cooking/eating/game playing area. That way, even if it is raining, you can still cook and eat and be outside playing cards/games etc. We only spend time in the tent for sleeping, to take shelter during really nasty storms, and to change clothes.

I'm sure you'll have follow-up questions for us...so ask away!

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tents for large family?

Thanks for better articulating common thoughts on food stuff in the sleeping tent, a65hooisier. Now I'm getting DIL flashbacks:he:.

Should you decide to go w/ the RV bunkhouse idea, jill, look for a floor plan that has a stand alone bathroom. It'll keep everyone's privacy whether they are sleeping or not. I rented a Prowler that had a 4 person bunkhouse on one end, kitchen and living space in the middle (1 or 2 person sleeping area w/i that area), followed by bath area and Q or K bedroom at the other end. Found the end sleeping areas a tad stuffy due to lack of adequate windows/ventilation but the living spaces were OK for intimate adult get togethers in the middle of a rainy night whilst kiddos (5 little ones under the age of 8 ) slept in the bunkhouse. Not sure if I'd want to spend an extended time in this layout but we were only there for a 3 day weekend.

[Shortpants]

Re: Tents for large family?

So I had this nice long, informational post all typed out and my computer decided to pop up the blue screen of death and I lost the whole dang thing! Grrrrr... So here's the abbreviated version...

I am among the group that believes whatever tent gets you out in the great outdoors camping and suits your particular needs and wants, go for it and make it work. Cheap tent or top of the line, they all serve their purposes. Our family of four have three tents, one super huge 12'x16' cabin tent, one 8'x10' taller dome tent and one 7'x7' very small dome. Which one we use depends on the space available at the site, weather conditions, if we have a lean to site, etc, etc. All our tents are the box store brands, Coleman, Ozark Trail and Northwest Territories, and other than seam sealing and waterproofing them before use and bringing a big enough tarp to cover the whole tent with a 2 ft overhang on all sides in case of torrential downpours, we have never been wet when camping or had any major equipment failures. The biggest issue I encounter here where we camp is space enough to pitch our largest tent from time to time, which is a major consideration when looking at tents with really big footprints.

Here are 3 possible options for your large family that I stumbled upon while shopping for our X-large cabin tent a few years ago.

The first is a 16'x16' that has 3 separate 8'x8' rooms and a covered 8'x8' porch area. Specs and details are HERE.

On a side note, when I originally looked at this tent it was not the instant, hub-style pole system it is now, and I will admit I am not a huge fan of that. Overall it does get pretty good reviews and with a couple of the Disc-o-bed cot bunk beds there would be plenty of room for kiddos and storage for gear underneath the bunks.

The second one might be a little overkill, but it's just cool, so I thought I'd throw it out there. It has a HUGE footprint, 34' x 17.7', so quite possibly could be WAY to big for most sites. I like how there are separate rooms for everyone, plus a couple left over for gear storage and/or changing rooms. This would get everyone their privacy, but still be technically in the same tent. The only thing I can't tell is if the sleeping pods have to hang together or if you can hang them individually, it might be handy to take out a pod or two and be able to have a table and chairs for cards on rainy days, etc. The details and specs are HERE.


My third and final suggestion is my personal "if I won the lottery and could have any tent I wanted" tent. The Outwell tents. These tents are unfortunately only available in the UK so it would mean finding an online retailer that would be willing to ship to the US or locating one on Ebay. But I gotta say these are pretty much as close to RV camping, but still a tent, as you can get. The bells and whistles are borderline overboard, but I drool over the videos on the site and dream about these tents at night. LOL! The model that might fit your needs is the Vermont XLP, details, specs and walkthrough video HERE.

Again, using the bunk beds linked above would really maximize kiddo and gear space in this tent. Plus the large living area would allow more options for setup.

Ok, crossing my fingers I don't lose this post again... haha! I know some of my suggestions will not be well received by some, but you know what they say... opinions are like a**holes, everybody's got one! :D

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tents for large family?

I'm gonna second shortpants on the Disc-o-bed cot bunk beds! Wasn't happy setting them up in my house before the trip started and thought I'd wind up returning it but made it through 3 weeks of bed jumping, 2 late night "guess you drank too much tea" accidents and 1 "it would be better if you dinna swallow so much salt water whilst swimming" upchuck incident. Once I WD-40'd the s/s buttons there was no problems with them collapsing while attaching to the discs. Got to give props to susanwva (sp?) for suggesting them to me in the first place.

Oh and they clean up nicely and easily after allllllll the accidents due to tightly woven fabric and a heavily plasticized bottom. Since the excess liquid intaker slept on the top bunk the lower bunk sleeper never knew of any problems.
A lil Dawn and water followed by a vinegar and water rinse was all that was needed.

[tplife]

Re: Tents for large family?

If bunkbeds weren't useless outside of summer (or with a Buddy heater and a 20 lb. bottle of propane), I'd have a stack of 'em. As it is, I do keep a nice USGI cot "from the bloody sands of Iraq" for lounging outside. Nothing's better than a cot or hammock for summer heat, since you WANT to be as cool as the outside air, LOL. Having just gotten back from two weeks in SW Florida, I'm rethinking how to attach an AC to a 6-man tent wall.

Those McMansion tents are fun to look at, but I get the shivers remembering setting up any larger than an 8 man, including one years ago that was a USGI Korean Surplus monster. It took three men several hours to erect. Shortpands, regarding that Outwell tent...unsleeving the poles on that thing when decamping could be challenging if not frustrating. I'd be hiring a Camp Monkey or two to do the heavy lifting. Hilarious!

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Tents for large family?

If bunkbeds weren't useless outside of summer (or with a Buddy heater and a 20 lb. bottle of propane), I'd have a stack of 'em. As it is, I do keep a nice USGI cot "from the bloody sands of Iraq" for lounging outside. Nothing's better than a cot or hammock for summer heat, since you WANT to be as cool as the outside air, LOL. Having just gotten back from two weeks in SW Florida, I'm rethinking how to attach an AC to a 6-man tent wall.

Those McMansion tents are fun to look at, but I get the shivers remembering setting up any larger than an 8 man, including one years ago that was a USGI Korean Surplus monster. It took three men several hours to erect. Shortpands, regarding that Outwell tent...unsleeving the poles on that thing when decamping could be challenging if not frustrating. I'd be hiring a Camp Monkey or two to do the heavy lifting. Hilarious!

Been camping for several years with a 10 person tent and my best time for bare bones set up is 18 minutes. Needed 2 people for it ( I never get how anyone does it solo although always willing to learn a new trick or 2). Camped near people with larger tents than my own and watched their set up. Sometimes it's 2 people and other times it's up to 5. The set up time and process never struck me as onerous- as long as they knew what they were doing, LOL.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Tents for large family?

I agree with the multi-tent setup, for all the reasons already mentioned. I made the mistake of buying a large tent (I think it's 10x18 or something like that) and yeah, it's hard to find a good spot to put it. It's a real pain to set up and a bigger pain to strike it. Besides, sharing a tent with 7 snoring, coughing, wheezing, giggling, complaining, and farting people is not conducive to sleep.

Let the kids have their own tent. They don't need to sleep anyway.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Tents for large family?

I forgot to add: You CAN have the Outwell tents shipped. But those tents are real budget busters.

[Shortpants]

Re: Tents for large family?

Yeah TP, I didn't say I ever wanted to put one of those monster tents UP! hahaha! If I had enough money to own an Outwell, I'd simply hire a group of musclemen to come pitch it for me as I watched the sweat glisten off their straining backs, while I sipped absolut and tonics in my screened cabana. ROFL!

But I will add that I can, and have, pitched all of our tents, from the 12x16 that is just about 8 ft tall, to the 8x10, to the 7x7, all by my lonesome many, many times. And as a 5'4" female that is 120 lbs soaking wet, I'm pretty proud of that. I wouldn't honestly own a tent I couldn't pitch by myself.