What's the best 'average tent'?

May 29, 2005 1:41 PM

I'm looking to upgrade my tent to something a little more spacious. I'm on a budget of not more than $150 and want something durable, easy to set up, and big enough to stand up in (I'm 6'3"). We're thinking a 6 person tent would be a comfortable size...for the two of us. Our current tent is a 4-man size.

I've already checked here. I don't need anything super heavy duty, or super lightweight. The type of camping we do is mostly drive-in state parks. Any brands recommended (to buy or avoid)? Any tips for weather-proofing? Another thing we might like is some form of vestibule or extended rain fly over the entrance. Something i don't want is a lot of long lines to stake down to hold parts of the fly out.

So... whatever tips you have would be appreciated!

posted by clgregor to sports, hobbies, & recreation (11 comments total)

It's a bit over your budget but Campmor sells the Eureka Tetragon line which should work for you.
posted by nj_subgenius at 2:42 PM on May 29, 2005

I suspect that the height you want (6'3") may be a issue. For example, looking at tents at rei-outlet.com, the maximum height, within your price limit, is 6'2".
posted by WestCoaster at 2:46 PM on May 29, 2005

Okay, well 6 feet high might be fine
posted by clgregor at 3:21 PM on May 29, 2005

How about the Tetragon 1210... any thoughts?
posted by clgregor at 3:53 PM on May 29, 2005

For that budget I think you have to give up on standing up in it. The only tent I've seen with that kind of headroom was about the size of my apartment. The guy had a bed with a mattress in there.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 4:18 PM on May 29, 2005

Actually, my wife and I have been in the market for a new tent too, with many of the same requirements as cigregor.

Surprisingly, Target.com carries Coleman tents that seem to fit the bill on all/most counts. We're thinking of purchasing a 6- or 7-person Coleman tent there. It's about $100. I think it has around 6' of headroom, perhaps a bit more. It doesn't appear to be available for viewing online, but our local Target carries it. Sears also carries Coleman. You can find other Coleman dealers at Coleman.com
posted by cahlers at 5:23 PM on May 29, 2005

I bought a Coleman tent that I (at ~6') can almost stand up in at Ocean State Job Lot a month ago. I've used it for three nights and so far so good (two of the nights were torrential rainfall). It was something like $36. It looks similar to this model but the fly extends farther down and the floor area is, I think, 9 x 6. I got it for canoe-camping later this summer so the fact that it's huge and heavy doesn't matter. It takes about 3 minutes to set up, which does matter.
posted by TimeFactor at 7:02 PM on May 29, 2005

The Eureka Timberline 6-man tent is about 6 feet tall. If you can, look into getting an "outfitter model" used. Canoe outfitters often sell off their used equipment at regular intervals, and you can get a lot more bang for your buck. Every cheap Target tent I've ever slept in has leaked.

As for waterproofing, if the tent has a waterproof floor to begin with, set it up right on the ground (no tarp beneath! That causes water to build up between the two layers and soak through to you!). It also helps if you don't wear shoes inside the tent, because you won't poke little holes in the tent floor when you step on bits of gravel. You also mention not wanted to bother with staking a lot of junk out, but if you do a good job of staking out the rain fly, water will run down it and away from your tent and help keep you a lot dryer than a flaccid rain fly will.

Don't feel bad about needing a 6-man tent for two people. Those estimates are a joke. I once spent two weeks sleeping in a six-man tent with FIVE people, and we were sardines.
posted by bonheur at 7:26 PM on May 29, 2005

How about this one? It boasts a 7-ft center height. I can't vouch for the tent itself, but I've bought many things from this website/catalog over the years without any problems.
posted by friezer at 6:05 AM on May 30, 2005

If you can afford it, get a Eureka - Campmor & REI Outlet, both mentioned above, are good, and sometimes you can find one on Ebay. I've had my Eureka 4 person dome for about 12 years now and it has never once leaked or failed me in any way. Wait, I see you're in DC - you don't need to order online. Go to Baltimore and buy a tent at H&H Surplus & Camping Haven on N. Eutaw Street. They have the best selection, best prices, and a basement full of strange cool military stuff that you need, you just don't know it yet.
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:04 AM on May 30, 2005

You might also try looking at used tents - my family used an "old" Coleman tent for as long as I can remember (born in '77). It was canvas (tough!), kind of a light olive drab, and was tall enough for my dad (at 6'3") and later me (at 6'3") to stand up in with headroom besides. I think it was called a 6-man - like others, it would fit six people, but that wouldn't leave any room. (The diagrams showing how to fit X number of people into tents always creep me out a little - they remind me of illustrations of slave ships.) It withstood at least 12 years of use - at least a week at a time once a year (vacations) with two adults and three kids. Also used for some 4H outings - probably 5-10 kids in and out of it each night. More recently it has survived three float trips and four moves. Never did use a tarp beneath it, it had no separate rain fly but there was an awning over the door, and the windows on all three other sides - no leaks. My brother now has it and it's still in excellent shape.
posted by attercoppe at 9:51 PM on May 31, 2005