Marmot 8 p tent for family of 4

[Bingo]

Just curious if this tent would be large enough for wife, 16 yr old and 13 yr old daughters and myself with 2 queen mattresses?  Ive looked at these and want one if big enough.  Also we like to play card and board games as a family while camping, and oh ya Bingo my/our Jack Russell Terrier loves to camp also.  I really like the Browning big horn tent 10 x15 also, I think would be nice without high winds, I just really want to stay away from Walmart Brand tents.  My other tent that I would consider would be the Kodiak 10 x 14.  Just want to save up and get the best roomiest tent with best weather protection.  I won't put a dollar amount on the tent but I'd prefer  to stay around the 500 to 600 range, the only tents I've ever owned was a coleman 10 x 12 tent with regular tent floor we bought in the mid 90's for 99.00 and a orange Eureka 2 person temberline style tent bought at yardsale in 1989 for 30.00, it lasted until 2012, it was great for our two daughters and queen mattress, the girls loved it and had a ton of fun by themselves.  I'd like a nice tent for them, any suggestions on family set up would be great.  

[tplife]

Re: Marmot 8 p tent for family of 4

Marmot products are comparable with the best brands and quality out there, but a canvas tent that weighs twice as much doesn't offer better weather protection. You could save more money and space by ditching the air mattresses, they don't perform like self-inflating sleeping pads and make you bring a lot more insulation with you to sleep as well. Make sure what you choose to sleep on has an R-Value rating of 5.0 or better, and you won't go wrong. A pair of smaller tents are better options in many ways than a large single tent, but let's face it, we all have to journey down that road of initial choices to get where we need to be.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Marmot 8 p tent for family of 4

Bingo- at your daughter's current ages, you may want to consider the 2 tent solution (two 6 person tents, a 6p and 4p tent, etc.). However, if you want to go big and get everyone inside one tent, then a 8p size is good (stay away from the even larger gigantic tents).

I own a Marmot Limestone 6 (along with a couple of other Marmot tents). I'm sold on their quality.

The Limestone 8 https://www.backcountryedge.com/back...mestone-8.html is a bumped out version of the Limestone 6. The 6p and 8p have thick aluminum DAC-17 poles, heavy denier fabrics (nylon on floor, polyester on fly), fully taped seams (no seam sealing needed), 2 vestibules, standup interior height, and very good waterproof coatings. Easy set-up. Lifetime warranties.

I can attest to the weather worthiness and to the quality of the waterproofing on Marmot tents. For most of this spring/summer camping season, we've gotten rain on some portion of the trip. My last 2 trips have involved severe weather (each trip had a tornado warning), drenching downpours (2+ inches), and high winds. Just nasty stuff. We had the Marmot Limestone 6p and a Marmot Stormlight 3p (son used this). Both times, nothing. No water in, no bent poles, no problems, no nothing. There is a comfort in knowing your shelter will protect and keep you dry.

I would also recommend you take a look at these 8p tents. All of them offer quality materials and construction, similar/comparable to the Limestone 8p. All of them also offer the same version of the tent in a smaller 4 and 6 person sizes (you'll also find more choices in these sizes from other makers such as The North Face, Mountain Hardware, etc). Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference on the design and features that appeal to you and how/where you see yourself utilizing the tent....and budget.

Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8p https://www.backcountryedge.com/back...diamond-8.html

REI Kingdom 8p https://www.rei.com/product/894017/rei-kingdom-8-tent

Cabelas Alaskan Guide Series 8p (aluminum pole version - sold out). Fiberglass poles: http://www.cabelas.com/product/cabel...e+series+tents

[Bingo]

Re: Marmot 8 p tent for family of 4

Yes I did and am considering the Big Agnes for around the same price range.