Getting back into camping
 

Tent recommendations? Want to take the family camping, need room for 2 adults and a child. Lightweight, may end up packing it around. Been 25 years since I last looked at tents, ideas? Just go to REI and pick up what's in stock? Anything to avoid?

I have been contemplating the same. Now that I have a son I think he should experience camping like I did with my dad. I don't have any camping gear left and been almost that long since I have purchased any gear...

Pretty hard to beat REI. All good equipment, and usually about the best prices. The cheap tents are just that... I have gotten wet in a coleman tent more times than I care to count! Not happening again. I have a marmot and I love it!

I car camp, so size and weight isn't much of an issue... until you get to the camp site. I have a 10x10 that was good with my ex, my two kids and myself along with all our gear for some time. as the kids got older, we got them their own smaller tent. The only problem was some of the more out of the way sites or best tent spots within the site wasn't big enough for such a large tent. That said, I don't regret going with something with more room, especially on rainy days.

I'm also a major fan of LL Bean brand tents. Never failed me in the worst of weather and lasts a very long time.

Mine is an older model of this one...
Northwoods 6-Person Cabin Tent: Tents | Free Shipping at L.L.Bean

REI sells good stuff.

Our big tent came from Costco several years ago. It has served us well, but is nearing the end of its life. Fine for a regular campsite with no hiking, but if I'm going to carry a tent on the backpack, its got to be a good, lightweight one.

My backpacking tent is way older, but is still like new. Maybe that's because it hasn't been used by high-energy kids roughousing.

we use the cabelas west wind - think they have changed since we bought ours. probably would go with their Alaskan guide model now if I where buying now

Cabela's West Wind™ Dome Tent – 6-Person : Cabela's

Cabela's Alaskan Guide® Geodesic Tent with Fiberglass Poles – 6-Person : Cabela's

have used my West Wind tent about 15 times and it has rain on 14 of those trips - no water in the tent yet

REI all the way. I've found 2 man tents to actually be one man (hey, I'm a man of leisure) so go bigger than the occupancy rating. That's gonna be some weight in the 4-5 person range, not exactly "packable" if you are the mule.

I would go with 2 ea 2 man tents, one for you and one for the Wife and kid. You'll sleep much sounder.

Before we proceed further, I must ask...what is your budget?

Take a look at REI's Half Dome series of tents. I find them light enough to backpack with (not the lightest) and roomy enough for a couple adults. They are not horribly expensive either.

With a child, you most likely won't be going on any long treks. You can get a 4 person, dome tent with a rain fly and portico that would probably work out the best for taking your kid off road a bit. For car camping, get the largest tent you can manage. The more room, the better.

I like Eureka! tents.

What weather will you be in? In my experience, if you expect any rain, buy a 4 season tent. Anything else, you'll be soaked before long. the "rainfly" on the 3 season tents are a joke.

I don't shop at REI, I think their stuff is overpriced and they always seem to be out of stock on what I am looking for. Lastly, when I tell them I need the equipment to go HUNTING, I always get the stink eye. Maybe your location is less of a Sierra Club hangout.

That's my two tents worth!

G

Completely, completely disagree. What you are saying is that somehow, 3 season tents are not waterproof. Totally untrue! 3 & 4 season tents can be made of the exact same material. The difference with a 4 season is they are generally sturdier (high winter winds) and have a snow load...usually accomplished by extra/thicker poles. Windows and venting are often different in 4 season tents. However, the material is often the same.

The material in my Nemo 3 season tent was the same as their 4 season tents. And I stayed in my tent for 48 hours straight downpour...and not a drop of water.

I have never had a 3 season tent that held water. But maybe I need to get updated as well!

G

I suppose it depends on the make/model and material used...and quality of course. Any good 3 season tent should hold water..easily and for days on end.

Yep,
Getting wet in a rain soaked tent is often more about where it got pitched than inferior materials as long as it has a proper rainfly and you keep your gear off the tent walls. High ground, wind protected, and channeling water away has always worked for me. We used to spend 2 weeks at 10,000 ft in the Sierras every summer and one year it rained nearly nonstop for 8 days straight. You learn a lot about staying dry under those conditions.

I really don't need fancy or expensive and while I like REI I tend to buy a lot more at Big Jive for 1/10th the price. I was looking for a good rain coat for work recently and the REI Patagonia looked great at $400. Not gonna happen. I found a well made, insulated raincoat that fits good for $35 at Big Five. High and dry after 4" of rain last week. I will use this coat, snag it on fences, put it away wet, get it stained and greasy and it will serve me well. More beer money left over for when the work is done. :)

30 years ago REI was THE place for quality gear. Now it seems more like the place for high end fashion. The gear still works great and they have very knowledgeable sales people, but Big Five or Bass Pro Shop might be more realistic for an old trail hound like me. If I am carrying $5k worth of gear into the woods it better be to summit McKinley.

My tent doesn't have a rainfly..it's single/hybrid walled. However...perhaps what he was saying about staying dry was condensation? You can get condensation inside the tent under certain rainy conditions. Particularly if it rains and the tent is warm-ish on the inside.


For packable rain gear, I like Frogg Toggs

Back when were first married, my wife and I slept in the back of our Dodge Caravan on an air mattress with plenty of room. We had a tent set up for all the provisions and gear. I think after sleeping in the van, we swore off sleeping in a tent forever, and now have a 30' Dutchmen travel trailer.

Craigster is right. If you are one person it is great to have a two man tent. 3 folks then maybe a 4 man tent.

I have had a Big Agnes two man tent with only me using it. The extra space is nice to have. It is made in Steamboat Springs Co. Very light weight of 3 pounds so a 4 man would not be much more. I have backpacked a lot with it and it does not take much space.

It has the fly cover as well and does not seem to have the condensation problem. Easy to erect in max 15 minutes. I have not camped overnight for a couple of years but I do take it on day hikes as it is so light in case of an emergency.

I prefer a hotel room for sleeping but day hikes only get me about 3 hours into a hike and then I turn around and come back.

So if you are backpacking the lighter the tent the better and should be compact for putting in your backpack.

Cheers, Guy

PS My tent withstood strong winds in a thunderstorm. Leaving the tent in the middle of a thunderstorm could have ended up with the tent blowing away!

I have the Alaskan Guide tent and it is very water resistant. It is also very durable, and roomy. I would not try and fit more than 3 people in a 6-person tent, though.

And, the thing is very heavy. Definitely not light weight.

Pack tent. Google Big Agnes. Great stuff. Easy to haul around. Light.