The first day I set the tent up the wind blew it over while I was setting it up, 3 “Knuckle” joints broke instantly, they are a part of the tent poles that allow the tent to “pop up”. This was not a strong wind, more like a gust in a breeze and should not have injured the tent at all. During the course of camping all 6 of these joints broke and I used duct tape to hold the poles together (which was far superior to the cheap brittle plastic joints that came with the tent). Weight and packed size for the Instant Tent 6 are 24.9lb and 48”x9”x9”, so it’s certainly a hefty tent that will take up a decent amount of space in your trunk. However, it’s very easy to unpack and pack away with respect to its travel bag, which we consider much more valuable. In the setup category, the 6 is a true standout amongst our 2021 review, and we were quite impressed with what it could do.
The Gazelle T4 is made of high-quality materials including waterproof grade siding and flooring. What makes this instant tent unique from other instant tents is the removable bottom. Seasoned campers know that leaves, dirt, sand, and other grime inevitably make its way into the tent. The bottom of this tent is completely removable so that you can easily sweep and wipe it down. The tent features dual entry doors, a stargazing mesh ceiling, a gear loft, and interior pockets.
Instant tents can be assembled by 1 – 2 people in under a minute. The single walls are seam-sealed and have good coverage all the way around. The tub-style floor and tent walls are made of thick 150D polyester. The six stakes will hold the low-profile design down just fine with the two pre-attached guylines. Should the weather turn hot, the large windows on both sides of the tent and door paired with the two top vents allow plenty of air to run through. The Base Camp tents include a low side vent and multiple stuff pockets on the walls and ceiling, which are made of 75D polyester treated with 1500mm of polyurethane waterproofing.
The Wireless 6’s drawbacks have mainly to do with material quality. These can be as strong, or even more so, than aluminum poles (especially cheap ones), but they’re always bulkier, heavier, and not as nice to handle. However, the Wireless 6’s poles were the best fiberglass ones we tested—they left no splinters, unlike those on the Camp Creek 6 or the Copper Canyon LX 6. 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.
However, this was not a bother to us, as this tent really only needs to be transported from the car to the impact pad, and we’d rather heft a few extra pounds than sacrifice durability. There’s no included footprint with this tent, and we’d recommend purchasing either a 9’x9’ or 10’x10’ footprint, which unfortunately is not offered by Coleman. You can also save quite a bit of money by opting for a tarp instead. These will run you anywhere from $10-20, depending upon your desired level of quality. 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.
In other words I would get the part after I came back from camping vacation. Damn Chinese made crap needs to be re-engineered and made in the U.S. But the only problem is the plastic joints break and are hard to replace.
Beyond that, it’s really just a budget tent that’s lacking in bells and whistles, along with less flashy inclusions—such as ventilation, better weatherproofing, and a second door—that would definitely boost its value. For those cloudless summer nights, this could make for an attractive option for families coleman camping chair in search of low-cost camping, however there are still several competitive options out there at similar price points. The Wireless 6 goes up easily, using the same kind of intuitive pole and clip method as our couples’ pick. The fly is equally simple to attach and orient with color-coded clips.