Tent advice

[DarthBaiter]

I'm looking to buy a new tent for the upcoming season and was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for brands that are durable and keep the inside dry in the rain and just overall good quality?

[Redlantern]

North Face and Mountain Hardware make good tents but you don't say how much you are willing to spend, type of camping you'll be doing (out of the trunk of a car, backpacking, canoe camping), time of year you'll be mostly using it and how many people will be using it.

If you are looking for an inexpensive, decent tent for summer only that will hold three comfortably, four in a pinch, easy to set up and isn't too heavy I think of the Eureka Timberline. Nothing fancy and it doesn't handle a snowload well but for summertime car camping it works well

[Quetico]

Darth- whats your intended use? Are you backpacking? BWCAW/Quetico style canoe camping? State Park camping?

For my top choice brands?

1. Sierra Designs- top quality, great all around tents, a bit higher priced but worth every penny

2. REI- best store brand tents out there, amazing quality, rave reviews, great price

3. Kelty- great quality, time tested brand, good pricing

4. Mountain Hardware- great quality,

I've got a list of brands to avoid but I don't think I can post that list on here. If you want me list of brands to avoid like the plague email me- [email protected]

Find the tent you want then google search for it. Spend some time browsing internet retailers. Usually you can find the tent you want at a rock bottom price with free shipping. That's how I saved like $200 on my last tent.

[OnAFly]

I've had a Mountain Hardwear LiteWedge 3 for about 3 years now and it's kept me bone dry in the wettest of conditions. The quality was great and the CS is awesome. My fiance broke a pole trying to stand up and they sent me a new one no questions asked. Got it about 4 days after I called them.

It's definitely not roomy, but it's really light and can be packed in and out of places easily. So, if your looking for a backpacking tent, this a a good one. If your looking for a family tent for car camping, look at something else.

I've heard great things about the REI tents as well.

[DarthBaiter]

Thanks for the replies. I should have mentioned that the type of camping we mostly do is summer type camping/fishing trips. Campground type camping "trunk of car" as you say I guess. I was thinking about an 11 x 11 or so. A tent I can stand up in as well, just not to huge. My current tent is a 3 room doom tent 18 x 12 or so and it's to big for my liking. Looking to spend anywhere from $100 - $300

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Eureka Sunrise. I have a 9x9 and a 12X12 and love them.

Easy to setup and totally waterproof. Can even leave the windows open in the rain because the fly forms peaks over the windows.

[irvingdog]

If it is just for you, and you're starting over, consider a camping hammock. No, it's not what you think. It's screened in, hangs anywhere there are trees in an instant (Rainy Lake or BW, camp right on the bug-free, wind swept shore as long as you've got trees). So unbelievably comfortable, small and light. Look around for hammock camping forums. You'll find them. I got started with a 25 dollar hammock, a 20 dollar tarp, and a 5 dollar foam pad (you need insulation under you. The ONLY downside). Speer. Hennessy. Warbonnet (my favorite) ENO. You can now find camping hammocks at Cabelas or REI. It is the best thing ever. I camp alot nowadays only because of the hammock. I pee on the ground, not sleep on it.

[swamptiger]

Eureka Sunrise or Timberline. If you go with the Timberline Outfitter series, they have heavier duty zippers, which is a main source of trouble in camping tents.

Another good tent with even heavier zippers than the Timberline Outfitter series is the Chinook brand, made in Canada. They're reasonably priced as well. Not readily available in the U.S., however, so you will have to search for a supplier.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

With a camping hammock, you are at the perfect level to have a bear use you like a swing

Seriously, I have two friends with them and they both love them. To much work trying to get in and out for me though.

[Duffman]

With a camping hammock, you are at the perfect level to have a bear use you like a swing

Seriously, I have two friends with them and they both love them. To much work trying to get in and out for me though.

I also camp with a couple of guys who use them. I just refer to them as "Hanging Bear Burritos".

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Ha! That's great Duffman!

[Powerstroke]

As far as top end quality and average tent price, the REI brand tents are top notch. They make backpacking and mountaineering quality at a working mans price. If more than $200 is out of your range than Eureka and Sierra Designs are good brands to check out.

I prefer a full coverage fly on my tents for keeping out the weather. If you're completely unsure where to start, go to REI and check it out. They've got the biggest selection I know of in the metro and you can set them up and try them out in the store.

I am a recent convert to the hammock. I did a 4day BWCA trip last year with the hammock and I loved it.

[deerminator]

We bought a Columbia Bugaboo II three years ago and that thing has stood up to some extreme weather and the rigors of a family of four. Not the fanciest or most expensive but we've been happy. Got it from Cabelas. A great memory from last year is one of the many overnight camp outs in the back yard. I finally decided the lightening strikes were getting too close for comfort and so I convinced my four year old we had to go inside in the driving rain storm and as we exited the tent there was a huge lightening flash which illuminated a huge buck running across the backyard. Perfect timing to see him.

[Redlantern]

I had issues with an REI dome tent that I bought around ten years ago. Claimed to be a four season tent and it just wouldn't work in the winter. Shock cords had no stretch to them in ten below weather and the fabric for the tent was so tight in that temp that when I did get the shock cords together and fed through the sleeves, I couldn't get the ends of the poles into the grommets. Maybe they've changed int he past ten years but I took that piece of junk back and bought a Mountain Hardware tent.

[goblueM]

i've been really happy with my Cabelas XPG tent - i have the ultralight model and so does a coworker. I've had mine for 4, him for 6. Both of us used it during work this summer, we camped out 4 days a week from May-October. Light, fast, easy to set up... cheap, and durable.

[Powerstroke]

They must've changed suppliers or designs since then cause I have 3 different REI tents and they are great. My REI T3 is super light and won the value tent award from Outside magazine last year. The only tent that beat it is the Big Agnes Copper Spur and its only slightly larger and a half pound lighter, all for an extra $200.

We are backapacking types so they don't really apply to the author of this thread, but for those reading this thinking about tents, they are the same quality as a mountain hardwear or MSR only cheaper.

The Cabelas XPG are nice tents and comparable to the REI's in price, quality and design, but the REI tent is 3-5lbs lighter. That may not matter to some, but my REI T3, sleeping bag and sleeping pad add up to the weight of the Cabelas tent.

[Quetico]

When your carrying the tent over a 1k portage thru swamps and up rock scrambles those few extra pounds make the world of difference. When i go backpacking and have 8-12 mile days carrying my pack, the lighter tents make the difference.

When car camping who really cares about weight?

[bikeoutback]

I would buy an REI tent no problems, plus if you have a problem you can take it back with the 100% satisfaction garauntee but everyone I know that has had one loves them.

I myself own 2 Eureka Tents. My car camping one is a Eureka Timberline Outfitter 6 tent. I started camping in my Dad's tent which was a Eureka A frame tent. After 20 years of just tossing it in the garage at the end of season dried out the water proofing finally gave up on us, not bad for 20 years of the only maintenance being to dry it out before rolling it up and putting it away. When I started looking for a new tent I visited Eureka site and found that they made the exact same tent, the Timberline 6, only they added a second door and high low venting but otherwise 25 years same exact tent. Standing the test of time I picked one up online for around $350. I use this tent April to October without issues. I've had it in rain (it rains EVERY time I go camping) and snow without issues. I'd use it in the winter even if I winter camped without issue and love the tent.

One downside: Admittedly it has no vestibule so if you need space to keep some gear dry then this won't work for you. I just keep stuff in my truck as this is my car camping tent so no problems, but it is a downside with the tent.

[badknee]

why doesnt anybody suggest coleman tents? i dont own one but was thinking about purchasing one.

[chris63]

Kelty was mentioned once.I've used the !*&@%# out of my Kelty3 tent now for about 17or18 seasons now.Getting a little broke in.I think it might be time look at REI for a new tent.c63

[Powerstroke]

Coleman tents have evolved into a low-quality bargain brand that rarely performs the basic functions of a tent. I'm sure if you wanted to buy a tent to sleep in and hopefully keep you dry and you only use it for car camping and you want it under $100, a coleman might fit the bill. However the quality of the fabric, zippers, poles etc isn't that great anymore.

[Duffman]

Along with Coleman, I don't think the Keltys are as solid of a tent as they use to be.

Eureka makes a great tent for the price. I've had three, and still use one as my go to winter tent.

If one is really looking for a deal on a tent, go to one of REI's scratch and dent sales, my summer tent is a once used Mountain Hardwear tent that I picked up for $55.

[Pleasant]

I frequent a campground in the summer where most camp in tents. These are people that tent camp practically every weekend spring/summer/fall and the three brands I see the most are REI, North Face, and Eureka.

[badknee]

thanks for the info on coleman.plan on buying a tent for a family of 6. most likely will be used once a year for a week at a time.but i do like to stay dry.

[DarthBaiter]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Looks like a trip to REI, Cabelas and other sporting goods places is in my future. I'm leaning towards an Eureka either the sunrise 11 or a tetragon.