Pop-Up Tents

[natamatat]

Hi there!
I'm new to the forum and new to solo camping.

I'm looking to spend most of my summer vacation (I'm a teacher) hiking and camping. For the most part, it will just be my dog and myself but I might have a companion every so often. Basically, I'm looking for a 1-2 person tent.

I'm considering a pop-up tent because although I can hold my own, I'm 5'2, 120 pounds and not sure I can wrestle with a bunch of poles by myself. I have searched the forum for posts on pop-up tents but haven't been able to find any.

SO, my question is: any advice on pop-up tents? Yay or nay? Brands? Styles? Things to look for? I would like to stay under $150. Or am I totally off the mark consider this?

[a65hoosier]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Bump to bring OP question to the top so it's not buried.

I don't know much about instant tents as I do not own one. I would stay away from a 1 person tent (esp if you're bringing a dog). The weight savings between a 1 and 2 person tent isn't generally that much and you'll appreciate the extra space inside, even as a solo camper.

I would add that pitching a 2P/3P backpacking tent, even with separate poles, is a skill that can be mastered easily-no wrestling required. Most poles on smaller "backpacking" style tents are hubbed, reducing the number of separate poles floating around in the bag down to 2 or 3.

If you are car camping with a dog (and not backpacking your gear), you may want to consider sizing up to a 3 or even 4 person tent. It will give you some spread out space in the tent. You'll find that non-instant tents weigh less and pack into a smaller size package if that plays a part in your considerations.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Hi there!
I'm new to the forum and new to solo camping.

I'm looking to spend most of my summer vacation (I'm a teacher) hiking and camping. For the most part, it will just be my dog and myself but I might have a companion every so often. Basically, I'm looking for a 1-2 person tent.

I'm considering a pop-up tent because although I can hold my own, I'm 5'2, 120 pounds and not sure I can wrestle with a bunch of poles by myself. I have searched the forum for posts on pop-up tents but haven't been able to find any.

SO, my question is: any advice on pop-up tents? Yay or nay? Brands? Styles? Things to look for? I would like to stay under $150. Or am I totally off the mark consider this?

Mirroring a65hoosier's advice get a larger tent than manufacturer's advise for you and a dog. Basically, double it if possible or you won't have space for gear. now this thunk is of course dependent on how you are traveling. Car? Definitely a quote un quote 4 person tent. Using human power to get from one spot to another? 2-3 person tent because weight is a big consideration.

Not sure if anyone makes an instant tent that small BUT trust me a little tent doesn't require much work to put up, instant or not.

Welcome and hope this helps.

[natamatat]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Awesome. Thank you, guys! I went with this tent: http://www.amazon.com/CORE-Person-In...ilpage_o00_s00

Pop-up, three person, good reviews.

[actad]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Hi Natamat - welcome to the forum!

I am a big fan of instant tents and for a lot of the reasons in your post. I am five foot tall and did not want something I could not handle on my own. I solo camp in late spring and summer. So, I don't need a heavy duty tent or one that is going to be used in snow or below freezing for extended times.

I started with the four person Coleman instant cabin tent that is in my avatar. I can set up and tear down in under five minutes. It holds a cot, a little end table, and a camp chair and gives me room to stand up and dress. I have had this one for four years and have never had a problem with it. It is 8' wide x 7' deep x 5' tall.

Mine was $100 and purchased from Walmart. Since then, I have purchased the 6 person version so I can add a table inside - I plan to use this one when camping in inclement weather when I would be inside. I just picked up the 8 person for camping with grandkids this summer. The 8 person was actually the least expensive at $80.

I have a couple of other tents that are smaller. One is a sleeping tent for one person (Kamprite IPS) that I could use inside one of the other tents for insect protection or to retain heat in a smaller enclosed area. It takes two poles that cross each other to set it up. The other is a teepee tent that only has a center pole and will do double duty as a screen eating area. It was interesting that they take about the same amount of time to set up as the larger cabin tents.

Btw, not only are we about the same height, I teach communication studies at a community college. What do you teach?

[MacGyver]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

The only real upside I see to an instant tent is the obvious - just about anyone can set up a tent in a minute or two. But, like has already been mentioned, the majority of 2, 3 and 4 person dome tents today aren't hard to set up at all. They don't require strength - just a couple of practice sessions to learn how the poles fit together. I can set up each of my 2, 3 and 4 person tents in about ten minutes or less and never come close to breaking a sweat.

Unless I've missed something in my constant search for yet another tent (It really is an illness, but that's another story), there are three drawbacks that I see when it comes to instant tents. First, I've never seen one with aluminum poles. While I do own a couple of tents with fiberglass poles, I do recognize that they're more prone to break than aluminum. But, unlike the poles with my tents, which can be readily fixed with a splint and some duct tape, the poles on popup tents have joints that aren't so easily fixed if they break. The second is that instant tents definitely don't break down as small as a traditional dome tent and they're usually a lot heavier to boot. And the third, is that a broken joint on an instant tent most likely will mean needing to buy either a new tent or an entire new frame. Not cheap! Regular fiberglass poles can be replaced or upgraded to aluminum rather easily by some online sites, most notably by a company called Tent Pole Technologies.

Also mentioned is size. It's well known that tent manufacturers are always a person or two behind the comfort level when it comes to sizing their tents. A 2-person tent might fit two people, but that's it. Two people in two sleeping bags with no gear and little or no room to move around. Not the best scenario when the weather keeps you inside, waiting for things to clear up. I would also recommend looking for at least a 3-person tent if you're going to have someone with you. If it's you, another person and the dog, a 4-person is pretty much a gotta have. If you happen to live close enough and can visit an REI, they currently have the ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 4 on sale for $100. That's a lot of tent for the money (and cheaper than I paid for mine). If you buy from them, they can show you how to set it up while you're in the store. Yes, it has fiberglass poles, but they're more robust than the poles I've seen on tents of that size.

Edited to add:
Looking through REI's site, I see they have the ALPS Edge 4 tent in their outlet store. Right around your $150 budget and giving you aluminum poles and a closer to full rainfly. If I didn't have the Meramac, I'd be all over this one!

[a65hoosier]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Edited to add: Looking through REI's site, I see they have the ALPS Edge 4 tent in their outlet store. Right around your $150 budget and giving you aluminum poles and a closer to full rainfly. If I didn't have the Meramac, I'd be all over this one!

That's a nice tent. I like the vestibules on the Alps Edge vs the awning on the Alps Meramac. imo...vestibules provide a nice dry spot for shoes/boots without having to bring them into the tent for weather protection. And yea, I'm a fan of aluminum poles. Alps Mountaineering overall makes decent quality tents for a very good value price.

If you have an REI membership (or if you don't...it's $20 one time-good for a lifetime), you can save 20% off on either of the tents MacGyver noted (use code MEMREWARD16)...bringing the price down to $79.78 on the Meramac and down to $122.18 on the Edge (great price on this tent considering the materials used).

[Shortpants]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Correct me if I'm wrong OP, but I believe you are asking about the "pop-up" tents and not the "instant" tents. The ones like this:


I don't have any personal experience with the pop up tents, but have looked at them a few times wondering if they are worth it or not. I decided no. They look quite wimpy and easily breakable, most don't come with a rainfly, and sure they might be easy to set up but I seriously doubt they have any lasting power to speak of. They also don't pack down very small at all. You mention HIKING and camping, so if the thought process was a backpacking tent, the pop ups are a no-go. As you can see from the pic above they don't collapse very small at all, definitely not small enough to tote along the trail with you.

Maybe others have practical experience with these style tents, but I would think your money would be better spent on one of the tents mentioned above.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

oh, good point Shortpants. OP did say pop-up tents. I agree, I wouldn't go with a pop-up. So many better choices.

It will be interesting to see if OP can provide more info and some feedback.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Thanks for the clarification, SP.
I always thought of the terms instant and pop up as interchangeable.

[JoeN]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

Natamatat, do a YouTube search for "setting up a ___ tent" and just insert any brand tent in the blank. There are many videos of people setting up tents and some are first time setups. You can see some of the frustrations of setting up various tents but really how easy it is to set up most tents. I saw one video of a small boy, 10-12 years old, setting up an Ozark Trails 4 person dome tent by himself. The important thing is to do 2 or 3 practice runs setting up a tent by yourself before you actually go camping and soon you will be able to set up most tents in 10 or 15 minutes. If you are close to a REI like MacGyver mentioned they will help you set up anything you buy from them. They will also give you advice on what you need for the type camping you are going to be doing. I am not sure but I would not be surprised if other big outdoor stores like Cabelas, Pro Bass Shop, Gandermountain, and others would also give you some lessons on how to set up a tent you purchase from them.

I will second what the others have said about tent size. Unless you are solo backpacking buy a tent larger than the number of people sleeping in the tent. For you, a companion, and a dog, a 3 person tent would be cramped. Also look closely at the inside height of the tent. Usually the 1 & 2 person tents have just enough room for you to sit up in the tent if you sit toward the center of the tent. If you are going to be staying for extended periods in the tent you might want one with enough height to allow you and your companion to stand. Getting dressed while lying down will get old after a while.

Let us know what you decide on and if you have any questions this site has a lot of experienced campers that can talk to you about lessons from experience, both good and bad.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

OP is probably long gone.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

^^^^^^

Nope, she was last here a few days back.

Truth be known this is an interesting topic that increases the overall knowledge base. I for one didn't know that smaller tents were made instant and/or pop up.

[MacGyver]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

I for one didn't know that smaller tents were made instant and/or pop up.

That's funny. I had a 7 x 8 pop up tent but never knew that there were larger ones out there. And that's doubly funny since I'm constantly looking at tents online. I would have figured I'd run across one before.

[Flora]

Re: Pop-Up Tents

hello, i have no any idea of pop-up tents, is this kind of tent work well?do they work well in waterproof,windproof?