The tent also comes with its own footprint, a groundsheet that protects the tent from abrasion, which we recommend that you have. We also appreciated the shepherd’s hook stakes that come with the tent. Most of the tents we tested came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line. Once out of the bag, simply lift each side of the tent until you hear a “click,” and you’re done.
The carry bag is black, and the bottom can be expanded for an easier pack up. The seam tape wasn’t very well applied around some of the windows, so it kind of blocks the zipper, and makes it less smooth and more snaggy than it would have been. The pole structure is also very simple, and there are only 6 guylines in total for such a large coleman pop up canopy tent. I tried to make sure that the zippers were protected by this yellow rain cover thing on the outside, but it seems to be soaked with water, and made the leaking worse. For ventilation, I looked at how much mesh the Coleman 10-Person Instant Cabin Tent has. Also, there’s 1 e-port at the bottom of the tent with a zippered closure.
WeatherTec System’s patented welded floors and inverted protected seams help you stay dry. The sturdy hybrid steel and fiberglass color coded poles offer quick set-up and ease. Six windows and a separate rainfly provide optimum ventilation and viewing. Car campers who plan to brave miserable weather will appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent. The main bodies of our other picks are structured with two main poles with added support from smaller brow poles.
For those cloudless summer nights, this could make for an attractive option for families in search of low-cost camping; however, there are still several competitive options out there at similar price points. The Coleman Instant Tent 6 has average dimensions for a 6-person tent, at 10’x9’ (90sqft). The peak height is 6’2”, which will allow most coleman cabin tent hikers to stand up without needing to crouch. In addition, this cabin-style tent has excellent verticality of the walls, so you shouldn’t need to crouch if you’re anywhere but in the direct center of the tent. This will most certainly be a tight squeeze for six people, but it could more comfortably accommodate two parents and two children.
This large and weatherproof tent has made our outdoor adventures so much more enjoyable. The room divider is a fantastic feature, providing some privacy and separation between sleeping quarters. What truly impressed me is its ability to withstand the weather elements. The strong frame can handle winds up to 35 MPH without a hitch, ensuring we stay safe and comfortable even during bad weather conditions.
During this period, winds rose up to 35 to 40 knots, and we experienced passing showers as well as direct sunlight and 80-degree temperatures. To mimic heavier rain and to test the tent’s ability to withstand soggy ground conditions, we also soaked our tents with a garden hose. A few weeks later, we brought the front-runners to a platform in an area that had higher elevation, near the Waianae Mountain Range, and camped out overnight in intermittent but consistent rainfall.
The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples. It has everything you need for three-season camping, with the bonus of being light enough to double as an occasional backpacking tent. Although it’s designed to accommodate three people—hence the “3” in its name—we found that at 42.5 square feet, the tent is more comfortable for two, plus gear and maybe a medium-size dog.
The fly goes up and over the tent body, covering only the upper half of the mesh dome, and then forms the glorious vestibule with the aid of a third pole. Use the extra stakes and guy-lines provided to stabilize the vestibule as much as you need. At $500, this modified dome-style tent isn’t cheap, but it represents substantial value. Many tents with similar profiles—such as the Big Agnes Dog House 6—either cost more or require you buy the tent body and attachable vestibule separately.