Looking for a car camping tent suggestion

dbltap45acp

dbltap45acp

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Dec 19, 2008
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At ford I was looking at either a Eureka Copper Canyon 6-8, but with the wind getting so bad in Wyoming I switched gears a little. Now I'm considering the REI base camp 6. What are you guys using when the wife and kids are with you? I wanted something tall enough to stand and change in and built well. Thanks, feel free to post some pictures of you family camp setup as well as bushcraft type setup. Thanks everyone.
 
You don't have to go high-end for a car camping tent. My church has been doing a Jr High camp every summer for decades, and for the last 5 years we've had a bunch of these that the kids have been piling in and out of and abusing the snot out of, and they're still in pretty good shape. http://www.coleman.com/naugatuck-modified-dome-tent/2000004549.html

Roomy enough to stand in, easy to set up, and the door with the fiberglass rod is fun for kids so you can get in and out easier.

The campground we've used them in over in Wenatchee has managed to give us a big 40-50MPH wind storm every year so far, along with thunder and rain, and the tents withstood all of it. Just make sure you stake them down... The one year we forgot, we learned that a big round tent moves pretty quick in high winds :D
 
Having spent considerable time in Casper. I know of what you are referring to as wind. Probably the worst winds I have encountered anywhere except above tree line in the Whites. Take your breath away wind.

I was going to suggest a Eureaka Timberline 4 or 6. But once I saw your location I thought better of it.

I would say look for a four season/mountaineering tent. Of at least one with good ratings in the 3 season realm. Lower and rounded will serve you better than higher and flat surfaces that can catch wind, deform and then catch even more wind.

If you can afford them Helleberg makes some Bomber tents. Buy once Cry once.

But they don't meet your stand up criteria. Maybe have a look at cabelas geo-domes. Or maybe MSR makes something in your size range. You're obviously going to need stakes. But I would look for a tent with plenty of guy out options about two thirds of the way up.

May also want to check out Sierra Designs and Mountain Hardware. Just trying to give you some options. Expect to spend some $$$$ on a tent that wil house four folks and stand up to the elements out there.

I don't think a lot of folks totally grasp Casper Wyoming Winds
 
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Our youngest is 3, which means that we do a ton of car camping. We had a Coleman Big Sky that lasted just over a year before it started falling apart on us. I decided that it was worthwhile to spend some money on a good car camping tent since it'll be some years before our family is ready for anything else. After a ton of research I decided on a Springbar. It was expensive and it's heavy as all get out, but after a dozen or so trips last year I have no doubt that it'll last longer than I will. I highly recommend them if you have the budget for it. I'm 6 foot tall and have no problem standing straight up with plenty of room to spare.

[video=youtube;h-0bZoGm9Is]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZoGm9Is[/video]
 
Cory Hess said:
Our youngest is 3, which means that we do a ton of car camping. We had a Coleman Big Sky that lasted just over a year before it started falling apart on us. I decided that it was worthwhile to spend some money on a good car camping tent since it'll be some years before our family is ready for anything else. After a ton of research I decided on a Springbar. It was expensive and it's heavy as all get out, but after a dozen or so trips last year I have no doubt that it'll last longer than I will. I highly recommend them if you have the budget for it. I'm 6 foot tall and have no problem standing straight up with plenty of room to spare.

[video=youtube;h-0bZoGm9Is]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0bZoGm9Is[/video]
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We had a similar tent when I was growing up. It was a Coleman bought in the late 1960s. It went through a number of storms with no problem. My Mom gave it away a year or two after I got married. It wasn't the lightest thing or the smallest packing but it would hold 2 on cots and 2 on the floor with no problem with plenty of room for gear.

We camped all across the US and eastern Canada in it. Every summer it got 60-90 days of use year after year.
 
Whatever you get make sure it has a full rainfly. Lots of those big car camping tents have marginal flys and leaky walls. The floors tend to be waterproof which creates a swimming pool.
 
jpr9954 said:
We had a similar tent when I was growing up. It was a Coleman bought in the late 1960s. It went through a number of storms with no problem. My Mom gave it away a year or two after I got married. It wasn't the lightest thing or the smallest packing but it would hold 2 on cots and 2 on the floor with no problem with plenty of room for gear.

We camped all across the US and eastern Canada in it. Every summer it got 60-90 days of use year after year.
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Kirkham's makes the Springbar, and from what I understand they were making canvas tents for Coleman and Craftsman back in the 1960s. It's quite possible that the tent you grew up with was made by the same family that made the one that I bought last year. Ours is a 7 man, but unlike dome tents it actually holds more people than the company claims. We've had 8 in it, combination of kids and adults, with gear and still had a ton of empty floor space. It's huge when packed up, and I'm guessing with the tarps and poles and everything it's pushing around 80 lbs. It's definitely for car camping only, but I don't think you can find a better tent for that specific purpose.
 
I use an older Eureka Timberline Outfitter 6 for car camping. Plenty big enough, bullet proof, can take high winds and heavy rain. Lasts forever.
 
I have had a REI Base Camp 6 for about 15 years now. It has held up well in all sorts of weather. For windy weather, make sure the fly is attached to the tent (the fly has velcro loops) and make sure it's staked out well. I have no regrets about buying it, it sets up quickly, holds up to the weather well, and has plenty of room.

Bruceter.
 
Just purchased an Oz Tent. It is epic. Sets up in a couple minutes at most. Not cheap but our first outing in it at Joshua Tree convinced us it was money well spent. They've thought of everything and it's rugged as hell.
 
The REI has a fly that goes all the way to the ground and the aluminum polls should hold well. I agree about the wind, people who have never been to Casper would never know what it's like. I normal day here is like most hurricanes in Miami. Luckily most of the time when this tent will be used will be up on Casper Mountain surrounded by trees which breaks a lot of the wind. I plan on replacing all factory steaks with large ones. Since this will only be used for car camping I could buy railroad ties and it wouldn't matter. I'm glad to hear someone else has the same tent as I was looking at and its been in good use for 15 years. My last crappy tent lasted that long with hard use, so hopefully this one will last a good while too. I appreciate everyone's feedback.

In July were doing a ten day trip, hopefully I will have lots of pictures when I come back. I'm bringing an NWA Sierra Scout, ML Kephart, Bussic Bassic 11, Seigle JEST Bolo, and a hand full of others to see how they all perform. Since I'm not packing this crap anywhere I bring all the toys I want. I way to lazy to carry this stuff in but since I can drive to the site this trip. I can finally play with them all side by side.
 
I have nice tents from REI and a four season mountaineering tent from Marmot. Then I have the 6 man Walmart tent that I got 10 years ago in florida because I was doing island camping and after watching the salt spray etch the aluminum poles on my REI backpacking tent I wanted something I didn't care as much about. That tent has amazed me. I use it for a couple of weeks a year. Every year I dump a can or two of silicone spray on it and it has held up in high winds, salt spray, and weeks where it literally rained every day almost all day without more than a few drops of leaking.

It's heavy, bulky and I'd never use it for anything where I have to carry it on my back but I'm surprised every year when I pull it out and it works. It's one of those things where I can't recommend it but I can't knock it either.
 
dbltap45acp said:
The REI has a fly that goes all the way to the ground and the aluminum polls should hold well. I agree about the wind, people who have never been to Casper would never know what it's like....
Click to expand...

When we were dating, my wife and I camped one night at Hell's Half-Acre on the way to Yellowstone. You're not fooling when you talk about wind.

Bruceter
 
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