In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes. While we’ve mentioned how the simple setup and its storage sack benefit you by saving time, you will also find the front door is a good size for everyone to get in and out of with ease. These are additional waterproofing features that most tent companies don’t include. The integrated fly can help for a light misting of rain, but you should invest in a rain fly for this tent if you want to stay dry during storms. For waterproofing, Coleman has their WeatherTec System, which features things like inverted seams around the entire tent, coupled with seam taping on certain seams, like the seams on the rainfly.
We reserve the right to limit, or refuse returns without a receipt. Not much to say here — this is an instant setup tent, after all. Once out of the bag, simply lift each side of the tent until you hear a “click,” and you’re done. The hardest part of the setup is putting the stakes and guyline in. You could give this tent a knock for its weight, coming in at 18.2 lbs, and a ding for the bag size — packing this one back up did take a little extra smushing, but it wasn’t too bad.
Overall, these poles—all of them aluminum—contribute to a particularly sturdy structure, with or without the rain fly. During our testing, our Base Camp shrugged off both a rainstorm and a desert windstorm as if they were nothing. Despite losing some headroom in comparison with the Kelty Wireless 6 and The North Face Wawona 6, both of which measure six-foot-four in height, the Base Camp 6 offers a substantial six-foot-two. This can be problematic with all family camping coleman bbq tents, but we noticed in testing that this was a major issue with many instant tents. Many lacked windows on four sides of the tent, which can be stifling in warmer weather if you haven’t positioned your tent in the right direction for a cross breeze—something we found frustrating. After researching 30 six-person tents and testing 15 side by side on a total of five trips, we chose the Kelty Wireless 6 as the best entry-level camping tent for most families.
Space-wise, the dimensions are 11 x 8 ft (335 x 244 cm) and the back room has around 64 ft² (6 m²). But there is also the front screen room that adds around 2 square meters and this space is partially protected coleman sleeping bags even in the tent’s version without the porch. For retail purchases returned with a receipt, please return the unused and unopened item, with the
original sales receipt, for a full refund or exchange.
(Our runner-up pick comes with eight.) Six is enough to secure the tent and fly but not to fully secure the tent’s extra lines in very windy conditions. This shouldn’t be an issue in most situations, but if you’re headed into a particularly windy place or simply want some backup, we suggest picking up four extra tent stakes at your local outdoor shop or online. These inexpensive stakes are comparable to the ones that accompany the Mineral King 3; these slightly more expensive stakes will serve you well in any car-camping terrain. To compare tent fabrics, you also need to know their overall rip strength.
As far as ventilation is concerned, the only tent we recommend that has an integrated rain fly is the Coleman Instant Tent. The Night Cat came close to getting our endorsement, but cheap components prevented it from being an editor’s choice. Surprisingly, it took this article to push us to acquire our first instant tent, and now one will be a permanent part of our family camping gear arsenal. While the telescoping frame opened up easily, one of the fiberglass poles popped apart when it came time to break it down.
This gives the fabric a lightweight but durable quality that can help to reduce UV radiation, as well as minimize abrasions from poking holes in the tent. Additionally, the Weathertec welded and reinforced floor allows for a lot of foot traffic. As always, investing in a footprint to stake your tent on will prolong its life. With enough room inside this 56 square foot beast to hold up to 4 people, you can fit a queen size mattress inside of it, ensuring a comfortable night’s rest for everyone. But with these instant shelters that are now flooding the market, that frustration is virtually eliminated. Boasting a set up time of under a minute, one person can easily have this model up and running in record time, even if they’ve never pitched a tent before.
For more Coleman tents with this capacity please check in my separate text. As for the rain protection, the fly is minimal and even if it is fully waterproof, the rain will go down to the walls where you have so many zippers everywhere, so chances for a leak are enormous. Yet another great feature is its dark-rest design, see the picture below. They claim that the fabric reflects 90% of the sunlight and the atmosphere is cooler inside. So you can take a nap during the day even if it is sunny outside.
Easy to set up and pack away, the Mineral King 3 is a lightweight, two-door tent with a generous footprint and a sturdy dome shape. Regardless of the type of tent you choose, Campspot’s Tessa McCrackin noted the importance of practicing setting up your tent at home before heading out, especially if you may have to pitch it in bad weather. “And whatever you do, put the tent up right when you get there — don’t wait until later, because setting up a tent in the dark after a few beers isn’t easy,” she suggested. To make sure your tent lasts for years, Romero recommended always shaking out the tent before packing it back up, never placing it near a cooking area and keeping all the parts together, including poles and stakes. If you’re constantly on the move and aren’t keen on pitching and taking down a tent, rooftop tents secure to the roof of your car and either pop up or fold out when you’re ready to use them.
We will be able to review any build of your product or assemble your product free of charge and complete the free warranty tune ups when our stores reopen. At this time, many of our stores are closed and not accepting servicing. If your local store is open, please reach out to them for availability of servicing. If your local store is not open, you will be required at this time to complete the final assembly. Some specialized tools may be required depending on the specific bike.