Q. Can anyone recommend a tent that would be big enough for me, my wife , and 3 children? My youngest will be sleeping in a pack and play.
Would like a bathtub floor, good ventilation. A canopy over the front door would be a great bonus. I like the idea of divided rooms.
We are not camping anywhere very cold.. but would need something that will stand up to rain.
We are considering a family camping tent a friend is using.
Would like a bathtub floor, good ventilation. A canopy over the front door would be a great bonus. I like the idea of divided rooms.
We are not camping anywhere very cold.. but would need something that will stand up to rain.
We are considering a family camping tent a friend is using.
Answer
Your best bet is a 6-man and a 4-man, with the two oldest in the 4. Consider one quality tent (REI? Sierra Designs? Big Agnes?) and one cheapie (Eureka Tetragon 8?) and upgrade later. Anything over 6 is difficult to set up, is bigger than most ideal spaces (10X10) at the campsite, usually is under-engineered with poles too thin for the amount of "canvas" they're holding up, have too thin a denier of fabric, large to transport and possibly compromised with steel poles, lack full-coverage rainflys, have screen porches you will almost never use, etc. Those huge tents are great for long-term or seasonal setups but are a real PIA for typical 3-day weekend camping. The advice above regarding Costco Coleman tents is good advice, while they are the bottom-rung in quality, the low Big Box price makes parting less difficult and at least you're out there gaining experience.
Your best bet is a 6-man and a 4-man, with the two oldest in the 4. Consider one quality tent (REI? Sierra Designs? Big Agnes?) and one cheapie (Eureka Tetragon 8?) and upgrade later. Anything over 6 is difficult to set up, is bigger than most ideal spaces (10X10) at the campsite, usually is under-engineered with poles too thin for the amount of "canvas" they're holding up, have too thin a denier of fabric, large to transport and possibly compromised with steel poles, lack full-coverage rainflys, have screen porches you will almost never use, etc. Those huge tents are great for long-term or seasonal setups but are a real PIA for typical 3-day weekend camping. The advice above regarding Costco Coleman tents is good advice, while they are the bottom-rung in quality, the low Big Box price makes parting less difficult and at least you're out there gaining experience.
Tent camping in cold weather w/ kids?
This weekend we are attending a festival and going to camp. We live in Michigan- and it's fall.. so during the night the temp has been getting down around in the low 40's. I have a very nice 8 person tent and there are 5 of us in it. (Me, my husband and our 3 kids ages 10, 3 and 1). There is no electric hook-ups and I'm not comfortable with a heater inside anyways- only the kids have sleeping bags- is there anything else we can do to make sure its warm in there so the kids don't freeze? (Like laying extra blankets down on the floor etc...)
Answer
Fuel powered heaters in tents can be deadly so don't even use them.
The tricks to staying warm at night is insulation and staying dry. Start by setting your tent over a good vapor barrier like a plastic tarp, this keeps water vapor from the ground from rising through your tent floor. Next is a good layer of insulation under the sleeping bags, the best form is a closed cell foam pad the thicker the better, Walmart has a folding foam sleeping mat they sell in the store for about $45 that is 4inches thick. A backpacking model called Thermarest is lightweight sells for about the same price is only 1-2 inches thick. Inflated air mattresses are not any good for trapping heat and get as cold as the air around you. I also sometimes use a folded furniture pad about $10 bucks at the hardware. Next is using sleeping bags rated for the weather sleeping bags rated to 15* will be good enough but the colder the rating the warmer the bag. Adding a fleece liner will add more insulation. Throw a comforter over the kids for a bit more and your done. Now before you hit the sack eat a good meal with plenty of carbs and drink plenty of fluids, this is what your bodies need to burn fuel with to make heat and keep you warm at night. Of course that may give rise to the call of nature and definitely get up and go because it takes heat away from the body to heat a full bladder and you can't sleep any way. Do all these things and I guarantee you will be toasty warm all night. Here is a link with more winter camping info,
Fuel powered heaters in tents can be deadly so don't even use them.
The tricks to staying warm at night is insulation and staying dry. Start by setting your tent over a good vapor barrier like a plastic tarp, this keeps water vapor from the ground from rising through your tent floor. Next is a good layer of insulation under the sleeping bags, the best form is a closed cell foam pad the thicker the better, Walmart has a folding foam sleeping mat they sell in the store for about $45 that is 4inches thick. A backpacking model called Thermarest is lightweight sells for about the same price is only 1-2 inches thick. Inflated air mattresses are not any good for trapping heat and get as cold as the air around you. I also sometimes use a folded furniture pad about $10 bucks at the hardware. Next is using sleeping bags rated for the weather sleeping bags rated to 15* will be good enough but the colder the rating the warmer the bag. Adding a fleece liner will add more insulation. Throw a comforter over the kids for a bit more and your done. Now before you hit the sack eat a good meal with plenty of carbs and drink plenty of fluids, this is what your bodies need to burn fuel with to make heat and keep you warm at night. Of course that may give rise to the call of nature and definitely get up and go because it takes heat away from the body to heat a full bladder and you can't sleep any way. Do all these things and I guarantee you will be toasty warm all night. Here is a link with more winter camping info,
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