NFT: Question for campers

you can pick up replacement poles easy enough just verify what thickness you need.

In comment 12296267 Rocky369 said:

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you can pick up replacement poles easy enough just verify what thickness you need.

that's what she said.

the snapped poles were the last straw.

the seams in between rooms are ripped, repaired and show signs of ripping again, window mesh worn, one side door not unzippable. time to be replaced.

this tent got a lot of use, I could get new poles and it would still be usable, but I'm kind of leaning toward replacing if we find a suitable upgrade.

with the 3 room dividers. mesh for open air all around, and a rain fly that hasn't disappointed yet. I was able to pick it up at a good discount last year, but you may still be interested.
Coleman River Gorge 8 Person - ( New Window )

the "stock" ceiling is mesh and you will need to hoist the fly to protect from rain.

Eureka!



Thing is enormous.
Copper Canyon 8 - ( New Window )

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-8-Person-Instant-Tent-14x10/dp/B00OY9GJ80

Seems pretty highly rated. Looks like you can buy a rainfly sperately but the tent is designed to be waterproof without. The big selling point for me is that it appears to be very easy to assemble. I have an 8 person coleman that sounds similar to the one you are describing except maybe 15 years old now. It was a pain in the ass to setup.

The once proud company has gone the way of the dogs in the last decade.

They now make GARBAGE.

Before I bought that Eureka, I had bought a compatible 8-man from Coleman. Really nice design, looked great. First time we pitched it, we noticed several of the seams WERE ALREADY COMING APART. Also - 2 Coleman folding cots we bought from Coleman - really slick design - SAME problem - seams came apart, after a couple of seasons, RRRRRIPPP! The second one fared better, though the seams have always looked ready to blow - also, the bags for those cots disintegrated.

Their 100% satisfaction guarantee is second to none. That way if you purchase one try it out and don't like it you can return it hassle free. A real benefit with things like tents.

I bought my tent from them but I returned the first one I chose because I didn't like the way it set up.

I ended up with this one which I really like. It does look like the have updated this model so even though it may be slightly different I assume it is still a great choice.


King Pine 6-Person Tent - ( New Window )

Bought a pop-up camper last month.
Link - ( New Window )

It's on sale, Costco is selling it (and backs it with the most awesome warranty you'll ever find). It sets up in minutes. I went camping last weekend, during that ridiculous thunderstorm, and literally went from closed tent to completely done in 90 seconds, keeping the entire interior basically dry (minus what I brought in).

Buy a can of silicone spray, spray it down before you go out, and you're good to go. For $99, it can't be beat.
http://www.costco.com/Coleman-10'-x-9'-6-person-Instant-Tent.product.100156012.html - ( New Window )

I actually bought this tent from Coleman last year and could not agree more their quality sucks.

I thought it would be awesome: they no longer use graphite poles, they have these aluminum poles to put the tent up. and as I mentioned a mesh roof. it doesn't fit back in the bag and in general the quality seemed poor.

just opened right near me, do they carry good tents?

In comment 12296460 steve in ky said:

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Their 100% satisfaction guarantee is second to none. That way if you purchase one try it out and don't like it you can return it hassle free. A real benefit with things like tents. I bought my tent from them but I returned the first one I chose because I didn't like the way it set up. I ended up with this one which I really like. It does look like the have updated this model so even though it may be slightly different I assume it is still a great choice. King Pine 6-Person Tent - ( New Window )

(Steve paid $560 for a little tent?)

but the price goes up exponentially. So, do you want a $100 beater that you can toss after a few times, or a $600 tent that'll last awhile. That decision is yours to make.

....that looks like a house with rooms and shit in it:

our old Coleman was probably $150 (or so) and lasted almost 10 years of moderate to heavy use.

I guess they don't make them like that any more.

I don't mind spending for another 10 years, but I don't want to spend a lot of have it crap the bed.

I guess I'll go with the one you mention, hard to see beating $99 for a tent.

I am probably going to check out Cabellas this weekend. they look like they have a variety of options.

In comment 12296603 sb from NYT Forum said:

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....that looks like a house with rooms and shit in it:

LOL, I feel bad with a 3-room dome tent, that would be awesome.

two adults and 2 kids fit very comfortably in the Conifer 5. I also have two Mountainsmith Morrison 2 tents for backpacking. aluminum poles with full rainflys. We have spent 15 nights in the Conifer 5 and it has held up very well.

http://mountainsmith.com/index.php/products/all-tents.html#page=1

Depending on the age of your kids...maybe your ready for two tents?? Any of the kids into scouts where a backpacking friendly tent would be nice to have?

In my opinion Coleman is not very good and will not hold up well in weather, nor last very long. I would look at Eureka, REI housebrand tents, Kelty...all have decent larger tents. Look for Aluminum Poles and full rainflys that can be guyed out.

Check for sales on Amazon, Campmor, REI, Eastern Mountain Sports and Campsaver.

we have an old Eureka that's about 15 years old we still use if our kids have friends camp with us or need to bring an extra tent for other reasons. it's just a 4-persom dome tent.

easy to put up, sturdy in rain and wind, and has lasted a long time.

I work in the industry and can tell you their quality is all over the place.

They do NOT manufacture any of their product, they simply license it out. Factories make their product and pay Coleman a fee for using the brand. It's a money maker but is killing a dying brand.

http://mountainsmith.com/index.php/products/all-tents/conifer-5-plus.html

I got it on sale for about $250 last year. Used it at Shenandoah NP, Acadia NP and on Cape Cod last year. It has a mesh top and full fly....but I would not buy a tent without a full fly.

and I've gone through my share of tents. My opinion is they are like anything else - sometime you get a gem, and sometimes you get a lemon and it doesn't matter who the manufacturer is. The key is warrant and/or return policy.

You can spend some cash for the size your looking for, but I'd research the warranty. Or you can go for a deal, but know the return policy requirements.

Off topic - where do you like to camp? I live in Southeastern PA (northern Philly suburbs) and I been to some great campsites all over the mid-atlantic area.

In comment 12296584 Randy in CT said:

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In comment 12296460 steve in ky said: Quote: Their 100% satisfaction guarantee is second to none. That way if you purchase one try it out and don't like it you can return it hassle free. A real benefit with things like tents. I bought my tent from them but I returned the first one I chose because I didn't like the way it set up. I ended up with this one which I really like. It does look like the have updated this model so even though it may be slightly different I assume it is still a great choice. King Pine 6-Person Tent - ( New Window ) (Steve paid $560 for a little tent?)

LOL, no I bought it when they were running a 20% off sale I think it ended up being a little over $400 which I thought was a good price for the quality. I'm at the point in life I would rather pay a little more for some things if I believe I will enjoy them more with less problems. A couple hundred dollars difference spent won't alter my life at all but sometimes the difference that buys me will.

I have camped mostly east coast, some of the best camping I did was in the Shenandoah mountains in VA. Also like white water rafting/camping in Ohio Pyle WV. On the PA/WV border. VA beach camping was cool too.


I camp most often in the Northeast, which isn't great if you go car camping because the spots are mostly small, and on top of each other, but we've found some places (like Gunstock in NH) that are much better and the ski resorts (like Gunstock) have tons to do - like ziplining, hiking, and other outdoors activities.

here is a picture of the platform we ziplined from at Gunstock

that's still $450

In comment 12296767 Rocky369 said:

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that's still $450

Glad everyone is so concerned about what I paid. I bought it a year ago so maybe the price was a little lower or they often e-mail me customer appreciation codes for 10% off so maybe I used that in addition as well. Wasn't a big enough deal for me to remember exactly a year later I think it wasn't too much more than $400. I bought a smaller second tent with it and some other items so hard to remember exactly the one item. It was worth it even if it was $450.

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I camp a lot - not as much as I used to, but I used to do it all the time. And usually, in pretty shitty weather conditions (not entirely my doing; if they had sent me with a tent to California they'd be up to their armpits in almonds by now).

I've had tents of all varieties, from one really expensive one (courtesy of an ex-gf's father who had used it once and decided sleeping on the ground wasn't for him), to glorified tarps with plastic tent poles. My $0.02 - they're not really separated by all that much. Most are made of similar materials, and what separates them is the workmanship. Even then, the best made tent does not justify costing 4-5x (and then some) over the cheapest.

More important than anything is the ability of the person using the tent. My main objection to buying very expensive is that keeping a tent in good condition requires a lot of upkeep. It should be cleaned each time, folded up instantly, removed from storage every now and then if not used for a period of time. That's a lot of maintenance. When I buy a $100 tent, I can use it for 5-6 years without incident, not spend too much time maintaining it, and dump it if need be for a new one if I abuse it a little. This past weekend, I got stuck in a monsoon. The tent sat for 3 days after, since I had to run back home and take care of some work related business, and went to work the next day. I managed to clean it up, but it's still a little mildew-y. If I have to dump it, I'm not out much, that tent has paid itself off. If it were a $500 tent, I'd be sitting out there after work, at night, trying to clean the tent and hope that it dried overnight so I could put it away.

In comment 12296933 Randy in CT said:

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See what you started

How you care for and manage your tent is more important to stay safe and dry. I sleep in cheapo tents and never have an issue, but I keep them covered in silicone, never use a groundcloth, pick the right place to pitch and I try to pitch it to perfection. The best tent is still going to leak like a sieve if you're not using it right.

tent spray, but I always use a tarp on the ground under the tent mostly to keep the outside of the tent clean and for people to leave shoes, etc before entering the tent (which technically isn't under the tent) - my wife is a neat freak. The tarp is always covered in dirt but that seems to bother her less.

why is that a bad idea?

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I've got a horrible back and neck problems. At this point in life I only endure the pain of camping so my wife and kids can get to enjoy it. So when dong anything extracurricular I pay for an item that I find suits my needs the best, will give me the least work or trouble and cost is far down my list of priority. If I get only 5-6 years out of it but we were able to enjoy ourselves during that time it is money well spent. I'm at the age and because of my chronic pain issues money is less important to me than quality, ease of use and family enjoyment with most things I purchase. That said I am very frugal, likely more than most. We don't spend or buy near as many useless stuff as most other people I know But when I do buy something I prefer to treat myself.

The old idea of using a ground cloth predates newer tents that not only have bottoms, but bottoms that are thicker and water proof (versus the breathable water resistant upper).

The only advantages of a groundcloth are cleanliness as pjcas mentions or to protect the tent from abrasive materials beneath it. I figure it's easier to spend a few minutes cleaning up under the tent than to put down a groundcloth.

Only case I could see using one is when it's very cold outside and there is some condensation inside the tent, to minimize moisture on the camping pad/sleeping bag.

from ultra-lightweight backpacking tents to four-season shelters. Here's the latest family tent.



We've had it for about 6 years now I think? First trip with it was to Lake Powell and it was a blast. Last time out was last year at my parent's house - fifty year wedding anniversary which turned into a week-long family reunion. The grandkids basically played tent-city in the backyard all week with this thing.

It's extremely heavy and is really for car-camping only, and not a quick set-up either, although not terribly difficult either. Better for an extended stay as a communal shelter. You can add extensions for rooms/privacy or can netting for sitting outdoors and not being invaded by the bugs.

Last Coleman tent I owned was similar to the one shown above. It got wrecked on a New Mexico camping trip when the winds were more than it could take.

In comment 12296962 steve in ky said:

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I've got a horrible back and neck problems. At this point in life I only endure the pain of camping so my wife and kids can get to enjoy it. So when dong anything extracurricular I pay for an item that I find suits my needs the best, will give me the least work or trouble and cost is far down my list of priority. If I get only 5-6 years out of it but we were able to enjoy ourselves during that time it is money well spent. I'm at the age and because of my chronic pain issues money is less important to me than quality, ease of use and family enjoyment with most things I purchase. That said I am very frugal, likely more than most. We don't spend or buy near as many useless stuff as most other people I know But when I do buy something I prefer to treat myself.

Steve, I've got a garage full of overpriced fishing gear that would agree with you. The only caveat is, I tend to not spend if I don't believe I'm getting value in what's purchased. If I buy a sealed fishing reel, made entirely of machined stainless steel, then it's definitely worth several times what the $100 retail, off the shelf, mostly plastic reel.

These tents tend to be too close in construction to warrant the extra money. Life is definitely short, too short to deal with hassles - but I think people are blowing out of proportion the downsides of the lower end of the market. Longevity is the biggest selling point, and that becomes a question of buying quality and replacing 1x every ten years versus buying cheap and replacing every few years.

If you're only setting it up once a year, any old tent will do, and it's going to last a lifetime if you dry it properly prior to storage.

If you're going out once a month, then you probably want to weigh the options of a cheapo tent you dispose of after a couple years, or shell out bucks for one that's going to last a lot longer, and of course you have to factor in ease of use/storage.

Aside from what I'm reading here, I don't know anyone who silicones their tents any more. I haven't silicone my last two tents (they have the fly on top) and haven't had an issue. It's probably 5-10 bucks for a can, so if it makes you feel better, go for it.

the tarp underneath typically traps water (there's rarely such a thing as a proper pitch in a state-type campground) between tarp and tent floor (been a long while since any of my tents allowed water through the floor), but it's great for keeping your tent bottom cleaner.

Any tent, in particular one with a decent rain fly, will be waterproof enough, but a driving train hitting the tent at an angle with a little wind can cut through the cheaper tents. It's cheap insurance at $5/bottle that will last for at least 2 applications.

In comment 12297076 jcn56 said:

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Any tent, in particular one with a decent rain fly, will be waterproof enough, but a driving train hitting the tent at an angle with a little wind can cut through the cheaper tents. It's cheap insurance at $5/bottle that will last for at least 2 applications.

I agree with jcn here - this debate about quality is a little off base imo.

You want to buy a design that you really like. The only reason to buy better quality is based on the type of weather you are going to expose it to. You can improve the ability of the tent to handle the weather by using the silicon spray.

If you plan to only camp in pleasant or mild weather, it really makes little sense to buy a very expensive tent, unless the tent provides some sort of utility you can't find in cheaper tents. In most cases this isn't true.

Then again, we are creatures who think proportionally. We don't value $400 the same way across all purchases. If you were buying a new car, $400 is nothing to spend if it gives you a little more comfort or enjoyment or safety or whatever else you value.

OTOH, $400 is a ton to spend on a hot dog, even at tourist traps.

My sis and I each married within four months of each other. In our first year of marriage we were both broke, going to school and with no real money or savings. She and her husband were making do with a vacuum cleaner that barely worked. My wife and I decided to spend some of our precious resources on a really nice vacuum cleaner (probably like $250, iirc). My sis came over and commented on our "living luxuriously" based on our spending. We felt bad, and then I remembered that they had also made a large purchase that first year. They'd bought a brand new computer for over $1,500 when a $900 computer would have done just fine. They just valued a newer faster computer over a cleaner apartment.

We all have choices to make - nothing wrong with valuing your camping experience more than others if you can afford it.

If it is slightly smaller than the base of the tent you should get very little water between it and the tent unless water is flowing directly under the tent. The tent bottom collects little moisture and you can pack it away quickly.

We do car camp a bit and in many cases you are pitching your tent on a packed gravel pad. The ground cloth offers a level of protection between your tent and the ground in those cases. If your investing a few hundred on a tent...why not protect it to some extent?