Tent recommendation...budget friendly
- Thread starter 97LXAZ
- Start date
if your camping mostly in dry, vestibules are not that important. Im realling loveing the super fast tents (There are really good ones, that are 500+) but there are also smaller but decent ones that are under 100- the coleman 4p is a little snug with 4 adults, so for you guys might be fine. It uses much thicker and mostly pre assembled, so setup is 60 seconds. Take down is like 2 minutes including rolling and folding.
http://www.coleman.com/Products/11020/instant-tents Check other sources for best pricing though. Even though they say fly cover not needed, I still got one. (its not included, but I like the comfort and security, we get a lot of rain here. The downside is twice the weight, and twice the size of a 4p traditional that can take 2 people 10 minutes to setup, and 10-15 to take down.
I've even used a target brand eddie bauer tent. The thing was spacious! Even had a port hole for a portable AC with heat tube. Setup took 2 people 20-25 min though.
http://www.coleman.com/Products/11020/instant-tents Check other sources for best pricing though. Even though they say fly cover not needed, I still got one. (its not included, but I like the comfort and security, we get a lot of rain here. The downside is twice the weight, and twice the size of a 4p traditional that can take 2 people 10 minutes to setup, and 10-15 to take down.
I've even used a target brand eddie bauer tent. The thing was spacious! Even had a port hole for a portable AC with heat tube. Setup took 2 people 20-25 min though.
MarcFJ60
Adventurer
I can't make any specific recommendations as there are simply way too many tents out there. But if I was looking for a tent with your requirements (I am assuming car camping, not backpacking, and using it a handful of times per year), here's what I would look for:
- I would disregard 4 season and ultralight tents as those add lots to the cost with little benefit to you.
- I would go big as I could. Sometimes, you end up spending lots of time beyond sleeping in the tent (rainy day). Give yourself some space. You have 4 people sleeping, but I would shoot for a 6 person tent. A tent where you can stand up inside makes changing a lot easier too and adds a lot to overall comfort.
- Aluminum poles, not fiberglass. Aluminum poles are typically far more durable than fiberglass. One broken pole can make a tent useless.
- A tent that uses hooks/clips rather than sleeves to attach the poles. Why didn't somebody think of that years ago??? Makes setup and takedown A LOT easier.
- I personally would want a decent size vestibule, at least for shoes and dirty/stinky stuff. I never thought it was that important when I lived out West. But in the East, you just can't plan around the rain.
- A rainfly or design that gives you some privacy. Ventilation is nice, but you also need the ability to close off the views from the outside. You'd be amazed at a number of tents that have mesh windows that you can't close.
- Waterproof with a tub-type floor. This is the tricky one and perhaps the most important. You really need to read reviews on specific tents you are looking at for this. While I generally think quality improves with cost, there are people that are quite happy with some Walmart Ozark Trail tents. But I would want reviews on specific models. I think if you go for midline tents (i.e. Kelty, REI, Alps, etc) you'll stand a better chance of getting a decent tent or perhaps less chance of a quality control issue. But every maker has good and bad designs.
- Since you are in Arizona, I would also want good ventilation and a free standing tent.
For $200 and some patience, I think you can get a very good recreational tent. Check out Steepandcheap.com as they frequently have nice tents in the $100-200 range. REI outlet and backcountry.com would be other places to look. I mostly use my canvas Kodiak tent now, but I have a Kelty 4 person that cost around $150 and has been a very good tent. There are some great tents that cost lots of money. But frequently, that cost goes to features a recreational camper won't use (ultralightweight, snow bearing, or quality beyond what is needed for an occasional camping trip.). The good news is that there are loads of decent tents available for around $200 IMHO. Just look for some of the features above and read the reviews. Then enjoy!
Edit - REIOutlet has the Campdome6 on sale for $201. It seems to get good reviews, checks most of my boxes, and REI has a good return policy (not sure about the outlet though). Older versions of the Hobitat 4/6 are also on sale, albeit for a bit more. No firsthand experience with either, but I'm sure many on this site have reviewed them.
- I would disregard 4 season and ultralight tents as those add lots to the cost with little benefit to you.
- I would go big as I could. Sometimes, you end up spending lots of time beyond sleeping in the tent (rainy day). Give yourself some space. You have 4 people sleeping, but I would shoot for a 6 person tent. A tent where you can stand up inside makes changing a lot easier too and adds a lot to overall comfort.
- Aluminum poles, not fiberglass. Aluminum poles are typically far more durable than fiberglass. One broken pole can make a tent useless.
- A tent that uses hooks/clips rather than sleeves to attach the poles. Why didn't somebody think of that years ago??? Makes setup and takedown A LOT easier.
- I personally would want a decent size vestibule, at least for shoes and dirty/stinky stuff. I never thought it was that important when I lived out West. But in the East, you just can't plan around the rain.
- A rainfly or design that gives you some privacy. Ventilation is nice, but you also need the ability to close off the views from the outside. You'd be amazed at a number of tents that have mesh windows that you can't close.
- Waterproof with a tub-type floor. This is the tricky one and perhaps the most important. You really need to read reviews on specific tents you are looking at for this. While I generally think quality improves with cost, there are people that are quite happy with some Walmart Ozark Trail tents. But I would want reviews on specific models. I think if you go for midline tents (i.e. Kelty, REI, Alps, etc) you'll stand a better chance of getting a decent tent or perhaps less chance of a quality control issue. But every maker has good and bad designs.
- Since you are in Arizona, I would also want good ventilation and a free standing tent.
For $200 and some patience, I think you can get a very good recreational tent. Check out Steepandcheap.com as they frequently have nice tents in the $100-200 range. REI outlet and backcountry.com would be other places to look. I mostly use my canvas Kodiak tent now, but I have a Kelty 4 person that cost around $150 and has been a very good tent. There are some great tents that cost lots of money. But frequently, that cost goes to features a recreational camper won't use (ultralightweight, snow bearing, or quality beyond what is needed for an occasional camping trip.). The good news is that there are loads of decent tents available for around $200 IMHO. Just look for some of the features above and read the reviews. Then enjoy!
Edit - REIOutlet has the Campdome6 on sale for $201. It seems to get good reviews, checks most of my boxes, and REI has a good return policy (not sure about the outlet though). Older versions of the Hobitat 4/6 are also on sale, albeit for a bit more. No firsthand experience with either, but I'm sure many on this site have reviewed them.
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huskyfargo
Adventurer
I have an almost new Kelty Parthenon 8 I'm willing to part with for $200 + shipping. I've used it less than 5 nights. It was really too big for 2 people and 3 dogs. I ended up getting a turbo tent. The Kelty is great, but not easy for 1 person to set up. But, it's a great tent for a family.
Given your requirements, I'd look at the Kelty Acacia 6. A bit over $200, but it looks like a good product. If they still made the Buttress 6, I'd be recommending it.
I posted the following a few weeks back, in the post your tents thread:
Jeeeez, I'm such a tent geek. Read almost every page of this thread last night. I've thought a lot about tents over the years and have spent many an hour around the campfire discussing pros, cons and designing the perfect tents. I've come to at least one general conclusion and one specific conclusion. Generally, a tent should have as few poles as possible. It seems to me that speed and simplicity are both heavily influenced by the number of poles. Specifically, Eureka tents offer the best value of any manufacturer. The Eureka name is never compared with the likes of North Face, Mountain Hardware and the like (I'm purposely leaving Bibbler, Tuk Nuk and other high dollar tents out of this discussion). They offer tents, that I think, are easier to set up and just as rock solid of any of the mass production Gucci name tents. They also offer great quality and amazing customer service.
Right now, I have five tents and each serves a specific purpose.
- Very old Eureka Apex XT
- Kelty Buttress 6
- Eureka Assault Outfitter 4
- Kodiak Canvas 10X10 Flexbow
- Ozark Trails EZ Up Wall Tent
My Apex XT is my go to light weight 2 man tent. Stand out features are a rain fly that goes all the way down on all sides and mesh doors that have solid fabric zipper windows. This tent does great in desert high wind areas, where sand can blow up under the rain fly and through the mesh that is used on most light weight tents.
Kelty Buttress 6 has the same stand out features as the Apex XT, but in a MUCH larger package. I use this as my light weight family tent.
The Assault 4 is my 4 season family tent. It will handle more wind than any of my other tents and a light snow load. Not light weight and it has three poles, but I couldn't find a 2 pole tent that would do what this tent does.
My Kodiak is kept in my offoad trailer. I use it much more than any of my other tents.
My Ozark Trails Wall tent is used for marketing events that I attend and does not handle any wind. But it's giant.
Pics of the tents that I didn't see previously posted in this thread:
Apex XT (looks bigger in the picture than it really is)
View attachment 167458
Assault Outfitter 4 (looks smaller in the picture than it really is)
View attachment 167457
Kelty Buttress 6 (Looks much smaller in the picture than it really is - has standing headroom)
View attachment 167504
Ozark Trails (pretty embarrassed to post this)
View attachment 167460
I posted the following a few weeks back, in the post your tents thread:
Jeeeez, I'm such a tent geek. Read almost every page of this thread last night. I've thought a lot about tents over the years and have spent many an hour around the campfire discussing pros, cons and designing the perfect tents. I've come to at least one general conclusion and one specific conclusion. Generally, a tent should have as few poles as possible. It seems to me that speed and simplicity are both heavily influenced by the number of poles. Specifically, Eureka tents offer the best value of any manufacturer. The Eureka name is never compared with the likes of North Face, Mountain Hardware and the like (I'm purposely leaving Bibbler, Tuk Nuk and other high dollar tents out of this discussion). They offer tents, that I think, are easier to set up and just as rock solid of any of the mass production Gucci name tents. They also offer great quality and amazing customer service.
Right now, I have five tents and each serves a specific purpose.
- Very old Eureka Apex XT
- Kelty Buttress 6
- Eureka Assault Outfitter 4
- Kodiak Canvas 10X10 Flexbow
- Ozark Trails EZ Up Wall Tent
My Apex XT is my go to light weight 2 man tent. Stand out features are a rain fly that goes all the way down on all sides and mesh doors that have solid fabric zipper windows. This tent does great in desert high wind areas, where sand can blow up under the rain fly and through the mesh that is used on most light weight tents.
Kelty Buttress 6 has the same stand out features as the Apex XT, but in a MUCH larger package. I use this as my light weight family tent.
The Assault 4 is my 4 season family tent. It will handle more wind than any of my other tents and a light snow load. Not light weight and it has three poles, but I couldn't find a 2 pole tent that would do what this tent does.
My Kodiak is kept in my offoad trailer. I use it much more than any of my other tents.
My Ozark Trails Wall tent is used for marketing events that I attend and does not handle any wind. But it's giant.
Pics of the tents that I didn't see previously posted in this thread:
Apex XT (looks bigger in the picture than it really is)
View attachment 167458
Assault Outfitter 4 (looks smaller in the picture than it really is)
View attachment 167457
Kelty Buttress 6 (Looks much smaller in the picture than it really is - has standing headroom)
View attachment 167504
Ozark Trails (pretty embarrassed to post this)
View attachment 167460
ZMagic97
Explorer
I see you are also in Arizona. If you plan on doing most of your camping on the west coast and four corners areas, I would recommend a Coleman 6 Person Instant Dome Tent. I just got one from Target brand new for about $120 and love it. It sets up and about 2 minutes or less and same with tear-down. Being that it's a 6 person tent, it's great for 4 people. It's the best tent I have ever owned when it comes to quality, price, and easy of set-up and I highly recommend it.
I wasn't able to find a lot of info on it when I was looking, so I made a video on Youtube of setting it up and taking it down. Here's the link if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-176FMk77Fw
I wasn't able to find a lot of info on it when I was looking, so I made a video on Youtube of setting it up and taking it down. Here's the link if you're interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-176FMk77Fw
97LXAZ
New member
I like that one. I'll keep it in mind. I know I said <200 but honestly I'd like to be more on the 'less than' side than the 'at' part of the price. Still I'll think about it as I see they are 400+ new.
jeffryscott
2006 Rally Course Champion: Expedition Trophy
in Tucson and selling a Turbotent for 300, I don't think you would find a much better tent for the price. Im selling to buy a sprimgbar or kodiak. Good luck.
Cole
Expedition Leader
I've got two tents, and here is my two cents!:coffeedrink:
I had all my camping gear stolen about 15-17 years ago right before a trip. In a mad dash to find a tent for the weekend I ran into a Walmart on the way to Moab and bought the cheapest tent they had at $40 (picture below). Thought it would be great for *one* quick weekend. I've since used it at least 4-5 times a year and LIVED OUT OF IT FOR 6 MONTHS last year while traveling on my motorcycle. It has only ever had a problem once. After 3 straight days of rain in Idaho, and sitting in a small depression, it gave up its waterproof nature on the 3rd night. (ended up sleeping in my waterproof motorcycle gear and helmet that night).
I also own fairly expensive REI "halfdome two" that we keep stored on a second set of motorcycles that we store/fly to/store somewhere else/fly home. It has been a great tent too but we have not run into a situation yet where it worked "better" than the cheap one. It certainly looks cooler though.
If you are not sure if you will *really* be into the camping thing start with a cheap tent. Then upgrade or not as your needs dictate!
Cheapy tent that has worked awesome for years!
REI tent!
I had all my camping gear stolen about 15-17 years ago right before a trip. In a mad dash to find a tent for the weekend I ran into a Walmart on the way to Moab and bought the cheapest tent they had at $40 (picture below). Thought it would be great for *one* quick weekend. I've since used it at least 4-5 times a year and LIVED OUT OF IT FOR 6 MONTHS last year while traveling on my motorcycle. It has only ever had a problem once. After 3 straight days of rain in Idaho, and sitting in a small depression, it gave up its waterproof nature on the 3rd night. (ended up sleeping in my waterproof motorcycle gear and helmet that night).
I also own fairly expensive REI "halfdome two" that we keep stored on a second set of motorcycles that we store/fly to/store somewhere else/fly home. It has been a great tent too but we have not run into a situation yet where it worked "better" than the cheap one. It certainly looks cooler though.
If you are not sure if you will *really* be into the camping thing start with a cheap tent. Then upgrade or not as your needs dictate!
Cheapy tent that has worked awesome for years!
REI tent!
I think that's pretty good advice. Made me search costco, for a cheapy tent. Didn't find one, but this seems like a pretty good value at $199: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne2sf4JeBv0
Searched Walmart too, but didn't find anything that was a two pole design with a full fly.
Searched Walmart too, but didn't find anything that was a two pole design with a full fly.
PlacidWaters
Adventurer
The two best brands I've found that are cheap and good quality are Kelty and Alps Mountaineering. Specific models to look at:
Kelty Trail Ridge: You could fit the whole family in the TR 4 but it would be tight. You could consider getting a 2P for the children and a 3P or 4P for you and your wife.
Alps: Zephyr, Hybrid CE, and Aztec. They have other good ones, depending on your ventilation needs.
Alps tents can very often be found at deeply discounted prices. Don't take that as a sign of inferior quality---it's more about marketing philosophy. Just today the Alps Zephyr 3 was on Steep and Cheap for $89.
Kelty Trail Ridge: You could fit the whole family in the TR 4 but it would be tight. You could consider getting a 2P for the children and a 3P or 4P for you and your wife.
Alps: Zephyr, Hybrid CE, and Aztec. They have other good ones, depending on your ventilation needs.
Alps tents can very often be found at deeply discounted prices. Don't take that as a sign of inferior quality---it's more about marketing philosophy. Just today the Alps Zephyr 3 was on Steep and Cheap for $89.