Bonghuffer
Does coleman or any more respected tent makers offer an already waterproofed tent to withstand multi-hour downpours?
I'm sure that Coleman is like the Huffy/Murray of camping gear, so any camping pros out there please let me know whom for to be looking.
Already got reservations, thanks. Had a great old tent heirloomed, lent it to a friend who lent it to a friend... Now we realize that we need a new one and dropping a half thousand on one that we plan on using twice a year is tough right now. The coleman that she got has a way-too-small fly and seems as waterproof as my tee shirts. She's returning it as soon as it dries out. How are Eureka brand tents? Worth buying, seam-sealing and fly-sealing?
Answer
There is no tent that is completely "waterproof". Coleman is a leader in family camping tent gear and their products are treated and seams factory sealed for weather protection so they have a "weather protection guarantee" but that is vague at best. Any tent for it to have good resistance to the weather must be set up correctly and all seams sealed and the material rated or coated with water resistance material. I find that higher end tents have better designs for weather protection and dome style tents the best overall design. Again Coleman meets that need. Here is an article to help you choose a quality tent,
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-base-camping-tent.html
Now you stated you are interested in beach camping. First if you don't have reservations now forget it all beach camping in the state of california is by reservation only 6 months in advance. Next beaches are naturally humid and tents are always damp inside and out in any weather situation specially at night . To help with that you need a tent with very good ventilation. Again Coleman tents meet that need.
@Eureka is no different than Coleman except for tent designs they use the same comparable materials and methods of construction or weather proofing, it's comparing apples to oranges
There is no tent that is completely "waterproof". Coleman is a leader in family camping tent gear and their products are treated and seams factory sealed for weather protection so they have a "weather protection guarantee" but that is vague at best. Any tent for it to have good resistance to the weather must be set up correctly and all seams sealed and the material rated or coated with water resistance material. I find that higher end tents have better designs for weather protection and dome style tents the best overall design. Again Coleman meets that need. Here is an article to help you choose a quality tent,
http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/family-base-camping-tent.html
Now you stated you are interested in beach camping. First if you don't have reservations now forget it all beach camping in the state of california is by reservation only 6 months in advance. Next beaches are naturally humid and tents are always damp inside and out in any weather situation specially at night . To help with that you need a tent with very good ventilation. Again Coleman tents meet that need.
@Eureka is no different than Coleman except for tent designs they use the same comparable materials and methods of construction or weather proofing, it's comparing apples to oranges
How to choose a camping tent?
Adela
I am planing my first camping trip. I want to know how to choose a suitable camping tent. I will go camping with my family. There are four of us altogether.
Answer
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
I go camping a lot, often with a group, and see most people using tents that are far too large and difficult to setup for their needs. They get a huge cabin tent for eight or more people, tall enough to stand upright and walk around, and then only put 4 people inside.
When they get to camp it takes 2 people almost an hour to get the tent set-up and all their gear arranged inside. Once this is done they spend all their awake time on outdoors activities or sitting around the campfire, and just go inside to sleep. All that space, time and effort is wasted, because you're never inside a tent unless you're ready to sleep. Even if its raining or snowing, I'd rather be outside with my family or friends under a tarp or ez-up gazebo so I can see the outdoors than stare at the blank walls inside a tent.
I prefer to take the smallest size tent I can comfortably use. There's enough room for the appropriate number of sleeping bags with a little space leftover to stack our bags. Headspace isn't a concern, I don't need to pace circles inside my tent. As long as I can sit-up on the ground without hitting my head on the ceiling I'm good.
So priorities for me are a) Weather resistance, including wind and rain; b) ventilation, to avoid a build-up of humidity that leads to condensation and for cooling on hot nights; c) adequate floor space for sleeping bags and minimal gear, with the rest stowed in the vehicle; d) easy setup and pack-up. I prefer a tent with a full rain fly for weather protection and a vestibule to stow muddy boots outside but under shelter.
Determining adequate floor space can be a challenge. Most manufacturers allow 24x78" of floor space per person, which I feel is inadequate. I prefer to use 30"x80" per person, plus allow for one additional person's worth of space for minimal gear storage. By this measure a 10'x9' tent (120"x108") allows four people to sleep side-by-side with enough space at the head of each sleeping space for a bag containing clean clothing and toiletries. According to most manufacturer's specifications, this would indicate a 6-person tent would be the best selection.
On the lower-price end of the scale, the Coleman Sundome 6 fits the bill, though I'm not much impressed with the rain fly and lack of vestibules. But its hard to find fault with its $99 price tag, as long as you're not expecting bad weather.
The Coleman Instant-Tent 6 is a popular model because of it's quick and easy setup. This cabin tent also provides stand-up interior height. Unfortunately it has no rain fly whatsoever, so one would need to bring an extra tarp for rain protection if bad weather was forecast. And, of course, with no rain fly it also has no vestibule. The Instant-Tent 6 can also be a packing nightmare with its 48" long packed size, so make sure it will fit into your vehicle.
The Kelty Buttress 6 looks to me to be the perfect tent, with adequate floor space, a good fly and vestibule setup and reasonable price. If I was going to buy a tent today to sleep a family of 4, this would likely be my top choice.
If money is no object and you want the ultimate family tent that is still weather proof, easy to setup and reasonably compact to pack, look at the REI Kingdom 6 with the optional Connect Tech Vestibule or Garage. But be prepared to spend over $500 on the complete setup.
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