Looking for a really good durable family tent

[nccoheys]

Hi there,

I'm not new to camping but new to the forum. We are selling our popup soon and are probably going to wait until the spring to purchase a used small RV.

Soooo we want to buy a roomy 2-3 room tent and need suggestions. Want one that isn't going to leak so much and trying not to spend more than $300.

Thanks in advance !
Donna

[tplife]

I don't think such a tent exists at your price point - Even at 60% off retail from an Ebay auction, we're still talking $400.00. There are two-room tents, there are durable tents, there are tents under $300, just not all at the same time. My idea of "durable" means a LIFETIME guarantee. I'd suggest two smaller tents instead.

[Smokey Mtn. Camper]

I purchased a Big Agnes Big House 6 for $290.00. It is 10 X 10...has a full rain fly...lifetime guarantee. I have used it twice and both times had serious storms and zero leaks. It is a well made tent that is a breeze to setup. Just do some research and you should find a tent that meets your needs. However, you may have to raise your budget a few bucks. Good luck.

[tplife]

Big Agnes, Sierra Designs, Mountain HardWear, Marmot, NorthFace, and some models from Eureka! offer quality tents, albeit at high prices. Here's a $450 Sierra Designs Bedouin 6 purchased new-in-the-box off Ebay for $190.00. Notice the near-verticle walls, no-stoop entry and huge vestibules:

[renodesertfox]

Great photos too, tp...Thanks for sharing! You're a shrewd shopper! Good price too!

[Ramaniac]

Being new to tenting, I have been shocked by the prices I have seen in tents. I really did not expect them to be so high. I do understand that in tents, like anything, you get what you pay for. I also know it is not financially good sense to buy a tent, then another, then another. I think if one does spring for the expensive tent, you may be prone to use it.

How about the North Face Dome tent for $5,000? Rain fly extra...(just kidding)

[renodesertfox]

Gaining experience in camping is just like anything else, it's gained over a period of time. For instance, should a person who hasn't really tried tent camping go out and lay down $750.00 for a four season tent? Of course not...the person may not like camping at all. So that person should start out small and over time will discover the reasons why to purchase a better tent.

It's just like camp cooking too. Most folks are perfectly content to cook on a Coleman 2-burner stove their entire camping career. However, and I'll use myself as an example...we became tired of scalding our coffee and espresso when downrange(out in the boonies, or camping). So we put the Coleman Camping Stove in the closet and purchased our Camp Chef: Big Gas Grill. Now we never scald anything and we can simmer cook and the food is almost gourmet. The same goes for the pots and pans...over time we picked up our set of cast iron pots and pans and entered into the realm of campfire dutch oven camping. But we didn't just jump in and start buying all of this stuff immediately, it has taken a number of years. So start small and work your way to the lifestyle you enjoy! Like I always say...every campout is just practice for the next one! Thanks for looking!