Tent recomendations?

jesse3638

jesse3638

Hooked
I've used several REI tents. 1 person back packer (quarter dome), 2 person (half dome, spend several weeks in that one with work), 4 person (base camp I think). All are well built and keep you comfy. Agreed that you need a rain fly that goes to the ground. I've been in torrential down pours in the 1 and 2 person tents and was dry as a bone. 60 second tents are nice for set up and take down but that's about it. Unless you're camping in sub zero temps I'd stay away from 4 season tents. They lack ventilation usually. You'd be surprised how warm a fully mesh tent with the rain fly on can be. I've stayed in the 1 person tent in the low 20's and was good. Also I think a therma-rest is much better then an aero bed for comfort and insulation. I have spent over 100 nights on my luxery camp therma-rest and sometimes think I sleep better on it than my cal king at home..;). Just my 2 cents.


Edit: The 4 person tent I have is the Kingdom 4 by REI. Got a great deal on it with the additional vestibule and foot print.
 
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NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
I used to rock basically the same tents as everyone in this thread....the good old fiberglass poled colemans, or all the other major brands. One year, in Maine, something happened and I was pissed off at the fiberglass poles, and vowed to find something better....ever since then, I've been using this monster for just my wife and I....damn near as roomy as our first Manhattan apartment.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-8-Per...&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+8person+instant+tent

Very easy to setup, and although they claim under a minute, I'd say including tying off/staking, I'd say around 3-5 minutes, but the less than a minute to erect the tent claim is true. (giggity giggity.)

I have put it through some seriously severe rain/wind storms, and it has held up well, and never any water leaks. The floor is also very thick and has a very high (4-6" I don't remember) lip all around.
 
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DWiggles

DWiggles

Caught the Bug
Wow, thanks guys! Some brands I've never even heard of have been suggested. This is great. We did a little shipping over the weekend and stopped by REI after a trip to academy, this is where we get most of our climbing gear, but after academy, the prices at REI seem steap. The "cheapest" tent at the REI here in houston (westhimer and Voss rd) was around $275... we also stopped by outdoor world in katy...

NFRs2000NYC said:
I used to rock basically the same tents as everyone in this thread....the good old fiberglass poled colemans, or all the other major brands. One year, in Maine, something happened and I was pissed off at the fiberglass poles, and vowed to find something better....ever since then, I've been using this monster for just my wife and I....damn near as roomy as our first Manhattan apartment.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-8-Per...&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+8person+instant+tent

Very easy to setup, and although they claim under a minute, I'd say including tying off/staking, I'd say around 3-5 minutes, but the less than a minute to erect the tent claim is true. (giggity giggity.)

I have put it through some seriously severe rain/wind storms, and it has held up well, and never any water leaks. The floor is also very thick and has a very high (4-6" I don't remember) lip all around.
Click to expand...

I was actually looking at the coleman 6 - person instant tent on amazon, and after what we saw this weekend, I think this is the way we are going to go. $155 for the tent, and I already have tarps for the footprint. I'm thinking this is the best buy. It's also listed on several "camping tent reviews" as the "best buy" and almost always in the top 10 tests listed... but we still haven't spent any money yet.

Thanks for everyone's input. Is there anything else I should consider at this point? Again, novice here, so defiantly open to any and all experienced inputs.
 
Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
Check out Sierra trading post. Great deals. I happen to be a huge mountain hardwear fanboy. My MH tent is nearly 20 years old and still rocks!
 
NFRs2000NYC

NFRs2000NYC

Caught the Bug
DWiggles said:
Wow, thanks guys! Some brands I've never even heard of have been suggested. This is great. We did a little shipping over the weekend and stopped by REI after a trip to academy, this is where we get most of our climbing gear, but after academy, the prices at REI seem steap. The "cheapest" tent at the REI here in houston (westhimer and Voss rd) was around $275... we also stopped by outdoor world in katy...



I was actually looking at the coleman 6 - person instant tent on amazon, and after what we saw this weekend, I think this is the way we are going to go. $155 for the tent, and I already have tarps for the footprint. I'm thinking this is the best buy. It's also listed on several "camping tent reviews" as the "best buy" and almost always in the top 10 tests listed... but we still haven't spent any money yet.

Thanks for everyone's input. Is there anything else I should consider at this point? Again, novice here, so defiantly open to any and all experienced inputs.
Click to expand...

Don't know how primitive you guys camp, but my wife demands some civility...so in one corner of our 8 person Coleman studio, I have a bathroom, (peeing only) which the wife loves so that she doesn't have to go out of the tent in the middle of the night to pee. I basically set up a cloth divider for a bit of privacy and have a portable toilet with a bag filled with a bit of kitty litter (hey, if it works for cats, why not for humans) so you can go pee all you want, it clumps up, no smell, and in the morning, toss the clumps. Works like a charm.

This is the toilet I use...also great that it folds completely flat and easy to pack on treks.
http://www.amazon.com/StanSport-271...id=1424667411&sr=8-4&keywords=portable+toilet
 
Jackal01

Jackal01

New member
This seems like a good buy. Might wanna snatch it up.

http://bit.ly/1EGWCN9 REI Hobitat 4 Tent - Special Buy #REIapp

REI is on the higher end but if you sign up as a member anything you buy there you earn back a dividend the following year. It still doesn't make them cheaper than others but their customer service is awesome. I had a stove of which the igniter broke. It was a month or two over the warranty. I took it there to see if they could fix it. They couldn't so the associate just grabbed a new one. Didnt pay a dime. Then I bought a sleeping bag while after that. Normally they come with a stuff sack. Well, mine didnt. I went back a couple days after and asked for one. They are just cheapish, black stuff sack. Probably cost like 5 bucks. The associate (different guy) said they don't have those for sale so he got a much larger, waterproof, name brand sack that goes for $40 and said have a nice day. I insisted that I pay but he said he wouldn't allow that. Associates there are allowed to make those types of decisions without having to go through management. They have never disappointed me and recommend them for all outdoor needs. They also have a Garage Sale a couple times a year where members only can get items for amazing prices. Of course it is like Black Friday...camping outside the night before but it is worth it. I bought a Kuhl jacket normally $160 for $30. Nothing wrong with it...just a normal wrong size return (the tags state what is wrong with it. Often times just a wrong size or color!)
 
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Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
Judging by the poles, it comes as flat-packed disc that you throw up in the air and it springs open. Pretty cool, until you try to figure out the proper sequence to fold the poles back up the right way. At that point, you look like a monkey fucking a football.

http://youtu.be/7sML4krJ8kM
 
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jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
camping in Texas is a whole other adventure with everything that lives on the ground year round .... I would recommend you consider a separate tough ground cloth and a tent with a high entry lip that's tougher than the rest of the tent material. makes it not so easy for snakes, scorpions and the like to get in.

Also, nothing sucks more than getting the floor accidently punctured by a mesquite bush needles and then finding that sand fleas get inside those small holes very easily and quickly! ...ughhh

if you haven't camped much in Texas, be sure to take some stick deodorant with you for sand flea bites, takes a few minutes but I've found it to work better and longer than other remedies - I'm like a buffet to all the biting bugs :naw:
 
Jackal01

Jackal01

New member
ridg3runner said:
Simply put, it's possessed. Lol. I have never willingly thrown a tent in the trash but my wife and I chased the garbage man down the street with this one flopping in the wind behind us.
Click to expand...

Hmm. That is an ugly tent. I don't like it. :grayno:

But the concept is cool nonetheless.
 
t8er

t8er

New member
The Coleman tents are ok for the casual camper. I use a Marmot limelight 3 person tent. It fits me and one other person pretty comfortably with my husky. In cold weather with me, 2 others and my husky it's perfect. Check out the Alaskan Guide series from Cabelas. That's probably the 4 person tent I'll buy. Its not cheap but they're designed for up to 75mph winds which is toughness you may want in Texas. Especially if it needs to be tall enough to stand up in.
 
DWiggles

DWiggles

Caught the Bug
After reading through the "show off your tent" thread, and doing a bit more research, I think I am going to take everyones advice and pick up a more "weather able" Kelty Trail ridge 4 person. While it is smaller, and a bit more pricy then the Coleman 6 instant tent we originally wanted, the reviews on amazon make up for the difference in cost to me. also the included rain fly and 2 vestibules will be a nice addition to the tent. :thumb: we will probably order sometime later this week. Thanks for everyone's input!
 
Jackal01

Jackal01

New member
DWiggles said:
After reading through the "show off your tent" thread, and doing a bit more research, I think I am going to take everyones advice and pick up a more "weather able" Kelty Trail ridge 4 person. While it is smaller, and a bit more pricy then the Coleman 6 instant tent we originally wanted, the reviews on amazon make up for the difference in cost to me. also the included rain fly and 2 vestibules will be a nice addition to the tent. :thumb: we will probably order sometime later this week. Thanks for everyone's input!
Click to expand...

I think it could be cool to do a wheeling/camping trip as a group sometime. :yup:

And good choice on the tent.
 
jnabird333

jnabird333

-
NFRs2000NYC said:
I used to rock basically the same tents as everyone in this thread....the good old fiberglass poled colemans, or all the other major brands. One year, in Maine, something happened and I was pissed off at the fiberglass poles, and vowed to find something better....ever since then, I've been using this monster for just my wife and I....damn near as roomy as our first Manhattan apartment.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-8-Per...&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+8person+instant+tent

Very easy to setup, and although they claim under a minute, I'd say including tying off/staking, I'd say around 3-5 minutes, but the less than a minute to erect the tent claim is true. (giggity giggity.)

I have put it through some seriously severe rain/wind storms, and it has held up well, and never any water leaks. The floor is also very thick and has a very high (4-6" I don't remember) lip all around.
Click to expand...

Happy to see this (and appriciate the giggity-giggity) This is on our list in preperation for the Rubicon trip this year. Our normal trail riding is day stuff and we run to a hotel at night.

Do you also have the rain fly, or was your experience without it?
 
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jesse3638

jesse3638

Hooked
Sharkey said:
Judging by the poles, it comes as flat-packed disc that you throw up in the air and it springs open. Pretty cool, until you try to figure out the proper sequence to fold the poles back up the right way. At that point, you look like a monkey fucking a football.

http://youtu.be/7sML4krJ8kM
Click to expand...

My daughter got one of these a couple years ago for christmas or a birthday. Her's is in the shape of a hippo though and is perfect for bedroom camping. Yes I've had to reference the directions several times to get it put away. I sure I looked like a monkey fucking a hippo...:crazyeyes:
 
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