What do you look for in a good tent?

[Guyon]

And I'm talking here about a three-season tent. I understand that winter tents take the requirements up a few notches. I've spent the past week looking for a good tent for family car camping. As such, weight isn't so much an issue. What I want is:

• roominess... should hold 3 to 4 people plus some gear with ease
• good stability in the wind
• (yet) tall enough for me to stand up and change clothes in
• full rain fly... never cared for those cheap tents with tiny little rain covers
• sheds water well & will stay dry in a storm (seam sealing is a given)
• freestanding (it's hard to stake at some campgrounds, depends on the ground cover)
• good ventilation with the fly off
• footprint offered... I just don't like making them
• vestibule for gear is nice but not entirely necessary
• good warranty and support

After quite a bit of searching, I settled on the REI Base Camp 6. It has all the features above. Roomy and stable because of the 4 pole design. As a bonus the rain fly has two vestibules built in. It also has two doors, which is nice when someone on the other side of the tent has to pee in the middle of the night. And you don't get much better support than REI. Pricey, but good gear usually is.

There's a used one (with footprint) I was watching on eBay, but at present, the darned thing is almost as expensive as retail. Since I have a valid coupon code for 15% off, I can actually do better at the store. Go figure.

So... what do you look for in a tent?

 

[OwenM]

Lightweight, small packed size, great ventilation, quality construction.
I've had a TNF Slickrock for years. It's the size of a loaf of bread when packed, somewhere ~3lbs. I think. The whole top of the tent is mesh, and ventilation is good even with the fly on, yet no water gets in.
Fine for me going solo. I'd want something bigger if I had company. It can sleep two, but you'd better be real friendly.
I use the preformed footprint as well.

 

[OwenM]

Found this reply that I posted to a similar thread back in December of '01. I've had that tent longer than I remembered. The link still works:

Here's a bunch of tent reviews:
http://www.outdoorreview.com/pscOutdoor+Equipment/Backpacking+Camping+Hiking/Tents/PLS_2955crx.aspx

I love my Slickrock from The North Face. Light, compact, and easy to set up. Great ventilation, and zero problems even in heavy rain so far. I've never slept two in it, though, only used it solo. Space is limited, and if two are gonna share this one, they should be on good terms
It's not that small, but I keep all of my gear inside the tent, so that kills alot of the extra room. Two people couldn't spread their crap out all over the place like I have a habit of doing...

 

[Guyon]

Owen, for solo, I've been using a Kelty Crestone. Packable weight is about 4 pounds, but it sets up fast and will fit me and a pack at my feet. It also has a tiny vestibule on one side for boots or wet clothes. Shaped like a tube, it is not the tent for someone who is claustrophobic. However, it's pretty cool to lie in it and look up at the stars on a clear night.

Edited to add: This REI Base Camp will be my fifth tent. I have 2 one-person backpacking tents (3-season and 4-season) and 2 two-person backpacking tents (3-season and 4-season). Nothing with any space for a family, however.

 

[beau5278]

I think you covered about everything,it's been quite a few years since I did any tent camping but I never found a tent that actually was waterproof in a storm.Most of my camping was done in PA,I always added a tarp over top of the tent and a good plastic ground cover,I also had stakes made from rebar,because half the time we tented in State Parks and had too many rocks to deal with for those plastic tent stakes.I guess that might be one thing that wasn't on your list,good tent stakes.

 

[Foilist]

My car camping tent, or for any time I go with my wife, is a 4 person Eureka Timberline. It is roomy enough, easy to pitch, and of decent quality. In retro spect, I wish I had gotten a large dome-style because my wife finds the A-frame profile less spacious.

I also have a 2 person Kelty Gunnison that I have for solo camping or motorcycle camping.

 

[Bruceter]

I have had a base camp 6 for six years or so. It is one of the best tents that I have owned.

Bruceter

 

[Mongo]

What I look for is something EASY to set up when you have two whiny kids along!

 

[phatch]

For car camping, these are hard to beat.

http://www.springbar.com/explore/springbar/index.html

They're big, they're heavy. They last forever. They are not freestanding, though if there's no heavy wind good sized rocks at the corners suffice instead of staking. If there are thunderstorms or high winds are forecast you'll want to stake it.

They go up easily. The first time has a bit of learning curve but after that, one person can do it. A second person is handy but not essential. They have used these at Base Camp at Everest with excellent stability and function.

Phil

 

[MORIMOTOM]

i have this one:

http://www.rei.com/product/745759

i like to be able to stand up, and dont care for angled sides. but i really only car camp.

also has to be waterproof with a decent rainfly, thick flooring, and plenty of ventilation. ease of assembly is also a big plus.

 

[nate1714]

though it was a stretch i was at a garage sale many years back and came across a old military tent 2 rooms and fit 8 easy with gear..though big (was in duffel bag) it was very tough for wind and worked well in most seasons...just a thought...

 

[Guyon]

I guess that might be one thing that wasn't on your list,good tent stakes.

I have a set of heavier duty stakes that I use. Good addition. :thumbup:

I have had a base camp 6 for six years or so. It is one of the best tents that I have owned.

Bruceter

Thanks for the affirmation!

That used one on eBay (with footprint) went for $355 plus $15 shipping ($370 total). With the REI Gear Mail 15%-off coupon, I can get a new tent and footprint for $375, tax included. And as original buyer, I get one of the better warranties in the camping business. Or am I mistaken? Does the REI warranty follow the product, regardless of owner?

 

[Guyon]

Update: Took the Base Camp 6 out for a night of camping with the family. Great tent. Roomy, easy to set up, decent ventilation even with the full fly since you could open up both door windows and roll up the vestibule openings to get some cross ventilation. We put the fly on since there was a 50% chance of scattered showers. Of course, it never rained a drop. The tent poles are heavy duty aluminum, and the stakes are the heavy duty versions. No need to buy/use alternate stakes on this one.

The one I got, however, had faded brown marks all over the light green doors. At first, I thought it was mud and that I'd gotten a used tent. But after another look, it appeared dye from the brown section had somehow rubbed off on the light green? Odd though that it was only on the doors and nowhere else on the green portions. Maybe just a factory mishap. Purely cosmetic, but I took it back today, and REI gladly swapped it out for a new one.

Functionally, I couldn't have been happier with the tent.

 

[AJ]

Personally, I look for a three-season woman to spend time inside the tent with me. Makes the camping so much more enjoyable.

AJ