Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

[scubacamp]

Hello! My husband and I camped 4th of July weekend with my cousin in her camper. We have the camping bug and can't wait to purchase our tent, and everything else! I do know from that rainy weekend, that a full rain fly is something I feel I really want in a tent. We liked the Big Agnes Big house 6, until I realized this years model does not have full rain fly in back. (we would have purchased garage thing for front)

Based on reviews and videos we have watched, we have narrowed down to these 4 choices:
Marmot Halo 6
Big Agnes Tensleep station 6
Marmot Limelight 6
REI Kingdom 6

We will be car camping. I know that the Limelight does not allow you to stand up, not sure how important this is to me. One thing I like about the Halo is that you can zip the bottom screen up or open it. One thing we like about Big agnes and Rei is that you can roll up rain fly without taking it off for some extra ventilation. I go back and forth on which tent I like most.

Any opinions or advice from anyone who has these tents or just anyone that knows anything about tents since we are new would be appreciated. Glad we found this forum and can't wait to start camping!
Thanks
Lynn

[toedtoes]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

Topping this so folks will see it.

[MacGyver]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

I would opt for the Big Agnes over the Kingdom. The true dome shape will shed wind better than any tent with a flat side. I would imagine that the REI tent reviews for the Kingdom 6 that mention broken poles are due to that issue. I've never seen the Kingdom set up but the pole configuration looks like it would be harder to put together than the Big Agnes. I have seen the Big Agnes set up in my local REI - it looks like a well made bit of gear.

[hwc1954]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

For car camping in the Marmot line, I would get either the Halo or the LimeSTONE instead of the LimeLIGHT. The LimeSTONE has the beefier poles like the Halo and a beefier floor. For car camping, might as well get something a little burlier. You should be able to stand up in either the Halo 6 or the LimeSTONE 6.

http://youtu.be/tU1ftpLm6RA
http://youtu.be/HHxgx6uLtC4

http://youtu.be/ZvT9b_N-1Z4

I have a Halo 4. My daughter has a LimeSTONE 4 that I have set up. Both are excellent tents. The Halo pole structure is going to be stronger in a wind. And, I found out on a cold night that it's really nice to be able to zip up the low mesh vents down by your head. The Halo is going to be closer to a 3+ season tent. The four vents in the top of the fly are awesome. Probably the best ventilation I've seen for when it's raining and you need to vent some heat/humidity. They can be closed if you want, but I have never closed them, even with temps in the 30s.

I think the REI Kingdom is a fantastic looking tent, as well. Also high quality. I think it would be a bit harder to pitch and maybe not as stable in the wind as the dome tents. A minor quibble, I think the room divider would be more of a aggravation than a useful feature. You have to buy the front vestibule as a separate item that zips to the tent -- either the standard vestibule or the garage.

Big Agnes makes awesome lightweight backpacking tents, but they always go on the light side for fabrics. I'm not sure that makes sense in a car camping tent. I mean, does it really matter if it's 18 pounds instead of 20 pounds? You aren't going to carry it on your back, either way! Waterproofing is an example of the tradeoff. The Marmot flies are rated at 1800 mm compared to Big Agnes at 1500. Both of those are OK. But, the Marmot floor is rated at 3000 mm compared to 1500 mm for the Big Agnes. That's a big difference, not so much for a brand new tent, but for durability over time as all tents lose some of that capability with use. I don't see any reason to trade off waterproofing in a high end car camping tent. To me, that's the single most important attribute.

If it's in the budget or if you want a 6 person tent that can handle bad weather, I'd probably get the Halo 6. Second choice would be either the REI or the LimeSTONE 6. I'd have to shop sale prices and do some more detailed comparisons to decide between those two.

BTW, Sunnysports has the Halo 6 on sale for $410. And the LimeSTONE 6 for $365:

http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmthl6...t-halo-6p-tent
http://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmtls6...at-spring-2014

For less money than the REI or the Big Agnes, I would say the Halo 6P is a pretty attractive choice. That's $80 cheaper than the REI with the regular vestibule. Put that towards a screen shelter or tarp to put over your picnic table where you really want it (and really need it the first time you have to cook breakfast in the rain).

[hwc1954]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

These really help get an idea of the tents, particularly the size and configuration. I think I could set up the Halo 6 solo. It would be harder than the Halo 4, manageable. I don't know if I could set up the REI solo, mostly because it doesn't stand up until you get it all together, as shown in the videos below! I do think there is probably a way to set up the Kingdom 6 with just one person, but this is it!

The storm the Halo 6 rode out in the first video is a pretty good battering for a big 6 person tent, especially using thin aluminum hook stakes in soft grass. These tents have a big wind profile!

Two person Set up videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwffS2fzeuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb2ZTDlt1Y0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVqnb0-GL8Q


One person set up videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67s_NlU2DPA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z66ATaawhaQ

[James.]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

Being 6'3" I like a lot of headroom because I DONT like getting dressed on my knees. That being said I would, from the choices given, go with the Halo 6. I have never been a big fan of the Kingdome even though many people like it. Something about it just turns me off.

[scubacamp]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

Not quite sure what happened to my reply so I apologize in advance if I'm double posting.

Thank you for the replies! I have watched the videos listed, good info. From the time I posted question, I think my husband and I have ruled out the Kingdom. Ruled out the Big House, I want a full rain fly. Marmot just looks really impressive in either tent. Thank you James, I think standing up would be good. Thank you for the sale heads up hwc1954. I have been reading through many posts and think someone mentioned the find.com, I have been checking on there for prices. Good to know about the floor rating, I just started reading the differences on it last night.
Hopefully we pick one out soon Excited to start camping!
Thanks

[scubacamp]

Re: Newbie camper, opinions please on tents we narrowed down to.

We ordered the Marmot Halo 6 today. We also considered the North Face Kaiju 6 and looked again at the Rei Kingdom 6, we have a 25% off coupon for an Rei product. We decided the Marmot appears to be more reliable in wind/rain and we like the equal size vestibules on both sides. We were able to order from Backcountry and they matched the cheapest price I could find at the time.
Now we need to book our first spot!