Tent for camping!

SuzukiGS750EZ · Feb 6, 2010

So I used to go camping with my dad but he doesn't really have the desire to anymore. I still do though. I got lucky in that my girlfriend likes to camp also. She bought a tent not having a lot of money from walmart and the thing broke in a rain storm, the poles snapped and it collapsed. Luckily i saw this before we dozed off and we slept in the truck. Woke up and yeah, we saw that. Returned it and got a smaller dome tent. I waterproofed it and sealed the seams, but it still gets wet inside, somehow. So, i would like to ask you guys for opinions. I have a mummy bag from coleman which i like but have outgrown. She has an old tattered sleeping bag. I want to buy sleeping bags and a tent. Requirements for the tent are buying online, waterproof and durable. I have 240$ total to spend on all of the gear. I need to be able to pack our 2 overstuffed backpacks, shoes and anything else that can't get wet. 10x10 or will that be too big? As for the sleeping bags i'd like them to go down to maybe 20 degrees. I'm 6' tall and she's 5'3". Or, maybe 2 tents if theyre decently priced one for gear one for sleeping. I don't know, i'll leave that up to you guys.

ironmike86 · Feb 7, 2010

I would go look a REI or Cabela's and get a 3 season tent.

Idaho Jarhead · Feb 7, 2010

I would recommend going on the cheap with the sleeping bags. You can get 20 deg bags at Walmart for about $30 a piece. That will give you $180 for a decent tent. REI and Backcountry sell pretty high end stuff, but you might find a good one in the outlet websites. Sierra Trading Post also sells discounted camping gear and has some nice tents in stock.

Idaho Jarhead · Feb 7, 2010

A decent sleeping pad does a lot to keep you warm and comfortable too. I always bring a queen size air mattress on car camping trips. About another $30 at a dept store.

TKAZ · Feb 7, 2010

My wife and I spend alot of time in the woods and mountains and have found eBay to be the place for Northface and Mountain Hardware gear at great prices. I bought 2 mummy bags for $175 and the retail price was about $300 each. the tent is also a Northface 3-season and spent $100 and the tent was $400 retail. all brand new with tags, never used.

now grant it you never know what you'll find there, sometimes there's more than you need and other times there's nothing but dust.

Good luck my friend, regardless what you buy you will be creating some fantastic times and memories.

BlackHills · Feb 7, 2010

SuzukiGS750EZ said:
She bought a tent not having a lot of money from walmart and the thing broke in a rain storm, the poles snapped and it collapsed.

Make sure you get a tent with aluminum poles. The fiberglass ones are notorious for breaking.

10x10 or will that be too big?

A 10x10 tent is huge. You don't need anything near that size.

Some good places to look are ebay, REI Outlet and Sierra Trading Post. You can often find some very good deals if you're patient. If you see something you like do a search for the name of the product with review added and you may find what other people think of it.

SuzukiGS750EZ · Feb 7, 2010

So, I found a Kelty Yellowstone 4 tent and Eureka Silver City 30* mummy bags for his and her. Are these reputable?

dttomcat · Feb 7, 2010

I believe the Kelty Yellowstone 4 tent has fiberglass poles which another member just cautioned against. I don't know anything about the bags.Having just bought a small dome tent recently it seemed through my research that the poles are crucial when it comes to durability and ease of set-up. A broken tent pole could put a real damper on a trip. -DT

Fubarski · Feb 7, 2010

When you're tent shopping, remember that "2" means it will fit "2" people, lying side-by- side, head to toe, and up to the sides of the tent.

I doubt you often sleep that way next to your girlfriend.

Buy at least a 3 person (and usually 4 if weight is not a problem) tent for 2 people, and a vestibule will help too (place to store boots, etc.). The more likely it is that you could be rained in for a day, the more you want to lean towards the larger tent.

If internet shopping, take the footprint measurement and lay it out in your house.

See if you can fit, realizing that even dome tents curve inward as they move towards the top.

dttomcat · Feb 7, 2010

Fubarski said:
When you're tent shopping, remember that "2" means it will fit "2" people, lying side-by- side, head to toe, and up to the sides of the tent.

I doubt you often sleep that way next to your girlfriend.

Buy at least a 3 person (and usually 4 if weight is not a problem) tent for 2 people, and a vestibule will help too (place to store boots, etc.). The more likely it is that you could be rained in for a day, the more you want to lean towards the larger tent.

If internet shopping, take the footprint measurement and lay it out in your house.

See if you can fit, realizing that even dome tents curve inward as they move towards the top.

That last sentence is important. I am 6'2" (74") tall and I bought a 84" long tent. When I put a single sized air-mattress in it. I could not stretch out on top of the ~8" or 9" thick mattress without both my head and my feet touching the walls.

Calebklyne · Feb 7, 2010

Idaho Jarhead said:
I would recommend going on the cheap with the sleeping bags. You can get 20 deg bags at Walmart for about $30 a piece. That will give you $180 for a decent tent. REI and Backcountry sell pretty high end stuff, but you might find a good one in the outlet websites. Sierra Trading Post also sells discounted camping gear and has some nice tents in stock.

never ever cheap out on your sleeping bag, your tent is only gonna keep rain and wind off you and most tents do not provide much for warmth