Even if you’re well versed with the classic criss cross style of most modern camping and backpacking tents, the structural needs of a 10-person tent can get pretty intense. So I understand why Coleman tried to simplify it by attaching their poles at one end of each tent. The smaller of the two problems is that this makes breakdown more of a hassle than it needs to be. You can’t simply fold up the poles separately and do whatever you need to do with a sopping wet rain fly and tent body. It’s natural to focus on the quality of a tent’s rain fly—you need that piece to work when the skies open up.
This tent is a little heavy because of the steel poles pre-attached to the tent, so I recommend having a partner to help pop up and lock in the poles. Unfortunately, this tent was one of three that leaked during testing. While they did seal up from the inside, water was still able to sneak in through the seams, and the tarp over the top of it didn’t provide enough coverage to protect it.
That gives you more flexibility with how you arrange sleeping situations. One of my testers noted, however, that there aren’t enough pockets on the inside to stash the odds and ends that crop up while camping. There are three crisscrossing poles at the top that form the room of the tent.
We found 40 denier up to 150 denier to be typical for car-camping tents; you can read more about these measurements in gear manufacturer MSR’s blog post and in this Outside article. Finding a small, light tent is the logical approach when you’re backpacking. But with car camping—the industry term for what most people consider just camping—you’ll likely be parking next to your campsite and unloading. If you won’t be carrying your tent more than a couple hundred feet, more space means more comfort (as well as more room for your stuff).
Most of the tents we tested came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line. A full rain cover, two vestibules, and an extra-sturdy pole structure make this the best choice for families who want to get outside in any weather. In this camping tent guide by Academy Sports + Outdoors, you’ll learn how to choose your next tent. You can easily fit two queen-sized air mattresses inside of a 10-person tent, or six twin-sized camping mattresses. Plan to bring along the directions if this is your first time setting one up. Beyond this breakage, however, the Skydome ended up being a pretty serviceable tent.
Throughout all our testing, we wanted to know how it felt to be inside the tents for long periods of time. If we had to spend a day in the tent during a storm, would it be comfortable? After first removing the models that failed the structural tests, we slept, watched the stars, and ate our meals in all of the tents, as well as planned hikes from them. I had high hopes for ozark trail shower tent the Eddie Bauer Olympic Dome, but unfortunately this tent did not live up to my expectations. It started off well with some unusually excellent directions, which I appreciated having just come from the Coleman tent and its attached poles. As family friends started to trickle in over the course of the evening and following morning, they started to claim various tents.
I laid down a tarp before I took out the tent from its box and it took me about 15 minutes to put up (&and I don’t like reading instruction but it is on the inside of the duffle bag). I’ve always wanted an instant tent and heard how easy it is to pop up. After I ordered the product at Walmart.com, I went to the store to pay cash. I received two queen air mattress on time but did not receive the tent till well over time estimated delivery. I almost went to refund the tent, but it did not qualify @ the time.