Tent Advice?
 

I need advice buying a tent. It will be for my family of 6 that will be car camping.

Size: I think I heard that you should buy a size larger than what you need. Should I get an 8 man or two - 4-man tent?

Money: Should I buy a $100 coleman special or $300-400 on a better brand?

I want to try and keep the costs down but I also want it to be a good experience for my family. Don't want a mutiny the first time it rains. :jump1:

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks

[QUOTE=jredfly;950205]I need advice buying a tent. It will be for my family of 6 that will be car camping.

Size: I think I heard that you should by a size larger than what you need. Should I get an 8 man or two - 4-man tent?

Money: Should I by a $100 coleman special or $300-400 on a better brand?

I want to try and keep the costs down but I also want it to be a good experience for my family. Don't want a mutiny the first time it rains. :jump1:

Any and all help is appreciated.

I was president of the outing club in college and we used to backpack, car camp and canoe camp (a fun hybrid like mix of the two) and there was always question of tents and budgets. Lots of people who went had never camped before etc. Rule of thumb was unless backpacking go bigger. You know your family, times to bed etc, and 2 4s might be better. 2 campsites one quiet side one awake side sounds good. You might seriously think about renting gear and seeing what you like before you buy. If all you are going to do is car camp, don't get pure backpacking gear. Its not as comfortable, and way more expensive. I think there are a few guys on here (kevin?) who are involved in scouts and probably has some proven opinions. Many people like vestibules, and don't forget the plastic for underneath. Aftermarket tent stakes are much nicer than many of the ones that come with coleman etc.

I always liked Eureka, but there are tons of brands and styles, any good store will let you set it up on the floor and see what its like inside, how sturdy it is as well as how complicated it is to set up.

Our Scout Troop camps year round with Eureka Timberline tents. They are durable, are easy to setup and keep everyone dry in rain or snow. I would recommend two 4 man tents, plenty of space for the adults and the kids can easily sleep four to a tent. Not sure what they cost right now, but as tents go they are a good value.

Check out Sierratradingpost.com. You can usually get 30-35% off their listed discount price if you get a coupon and they carry great camping gear.

-spence

Sierra is great also check out sportsman guide.

The Sportsman's Guide

If you join there club the savings are even better, all of our camping equipment comes from them, great customer service too.

They usually have killer deals on bolle polarized sun glasses too.

Get the biggest tent you can, then you can keep extra gear in it. Like dry food bins, etc.

Another suggestion is to make sure the tent has a rain fly, we also spray the tent with "stay dry", helps bead the water.
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Buy any one that pops right open. The set up is less than a minute. The take down is less than a minute. And they come in pretty big sizes.
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since i have lived in a tent in all weather for up to six months
at a time... i'll chime in...
the better Tents have a removable outer layer that is 100% rain proof
and during dry weather allows for complete ventilation especially
when beans (a popular camp food) get served along with the potato salad.
The door should zipper a foot off the ground not at ground level
which can let rain in.....
if you have sleep area's designated in cars make sure to bring a roll of soft plastic window screen
and blue painter's tape so you can allow for ventilation to keep out the mosquito's.
The taller tents are one hell of allot easier to dress and undress
if your wanting to change clothes.

Eureka would be my choice as well...they make a good durable tent. We just upgraded the troop to new Eurekas.

Eureka Mountain Pass 3XTE - Camping Tents

The Timberlines, like Fishpart mentioned, are a scouting Standard. We have had ours for probably 20 years...and they are still in good usable condition...pretty solid tent.

Are you just going to camp in the summer? If you are going to do any Winter camping you really do want the vestibules on the tents.

Myself, I would put the kids in a seperate tent...more fun for everybody involved..when I was a kid the last thing I would want to do camping is sleep in a tent with me parents. Takes away that whole "lying awake and yapping for hours" dynamic that makes camping fun.

If you want to be able to stand up and setup real quick - and size and weight isn't an issue - I recommend the Coleman Instant tent.

We have the 8man an it is like a small condo -= easy to set up. * people would be tight though. price around 160

our tent was big enough to put a king size mattress in it with room to spare

wasn't an instant pop up but it could take a Beatin with high wind
instead of tripping over the stakes holding down the edge's we used
round stones inside.... that way we had some fierce weaponry if
attacked by bIGFOOT OR A bEAR.

Beano before supper

I pitched a tent in bed last night but my wife fell asleep

Assuming just summer camping? I think it all depends on how much you will use it and how much you want to dish out. A few years back we picked up a columbia cougar flats for a couple hundred at #^&#^&#^&#^&s. Not the top of the line by any means but definately not bottom of the barrell either. I think its 10 X 16 with divider and one side has lots of available "screen" so it has bailed us out as part screen room part tent in nasty weather (yes we had table & chairs in there :) ) but we were dry

Definately if car camping, go as big as you can or you will wish you did later and why not if your driving to the campsite. Backpacking is a different ballgame because remember you need to pack everything on your back wherever you go.

As far as sleeping pads go dont think you will get a decent nights sleep on an "eggcrate" alone. If just car camping the airbed types are easier on the hips and back and not bad for sleep. If willing to spring some cash or plan on doing more backpacking style camping in the future I recommend the Themarest Neoair (this goes with me on ALL camping trips now and its the bomb!)

Also second the 2 tent idea if with kids. They will feel special in their own space and the adults will have theirs.

Good luck, have fun and happy camping :)

Thanks Spence! I just pulled the trigger on two 4 man tents on Sierra Trading post for 50% off. I would like to thank everyone that offered info - it has been years since I have gone camping so I need all the help I can get. Gonna hit the MV campgorund for a long weekend, see if we can chase some funny fish. Should be fun!
Thanks again!!! :jump:

Next up, you need to start a thread on Camp Cooking.....thats the best part of camping :hee:

I thought that was Camping Adult Beverages?

Home depot had on sale
some LED lanterns for $14 bucks
although the D batteries were dead it looks like a great lamp
so i bought one

Majority of my camping is with scouts......so no adult beverages.

Even when I'm camping on my own....Food is Numero Uno....Adult beverages would be #2 though :hee:

People have started to go missing in state parks and the park personnel are hardly cooperative
with any details concerning any other "disapearences" as if none
have ever happened.

In one case a little kid suddenly vanished wearing no shoes or socks
and no matter how far and wide they expanded the search no trace was found.

Then one of the searchers was looking on the "other side of the mountain" more than 12 miles away
and found him laying in a creek bed cold ,scared,wet and about to experience hypothermia.

The strange thing was he did not have a single mark on either foot as if he was carried and set down there.

I think I recall TDF posting pictures of some dutch oven magic being done on another thread. That being said I would like to ask the question if I need a camp stove or should I attempt to do all my cooking on an open fire?

Any other camping gear that is a must or that people really like?

Do both...there's great things to be made over an open fire....we did a campout a few months ago with the scouts...Caveman Campout....no utensils allowed. everything need to be cooked over an open fire.

I spit roasted a pork loin with Baked potato and corn on the fire in the husk...pretty friggin awesome

Camp stoves are great for Canned stuff...beans to go with the hot dogs, tomato soup w/ the grilled cheese...or Coffee in the morning...not that you can't get more creative.

I got a cast iron Wok...doing a Lo Mein and Fried rice 1st night of summer camp....if you can cook it at home you can cook it camping. :hee:

and in all seriousness....look into the dutch oven....they rock

a Good Lantern is a good buy when camping...play hearts and spades with the kids.

Get some tarps for ground pads. Also it never hurts to have a tarp to build a canopy for the tents. I always have one handy if it looks like rain its much easier to have a nice dry area all around your tent. Also some cheap shoe/mud mats for in front of the tent.

ONE thing that i won't go without anymore
and i'll be going camping some where later this week
(On Vacation) if all goes according to plan
and speaking of cooking...............

i always go and buy real wood charcoal instead
of only using man made brick-ets because they never fail
to not only cook everything better but they can give
you plenty of long lasting heat same as real coals do.

they are super light weight and almost tinkle like chimes
they are so BONE dry.....
allot of it is old tongue and groove oak flooring that has
been smoked into CHARCOAL