When going for a walk after a long day of work as a typewriter salesman, he spotted a new kind of lamplight in a store window. Frankly speaking, my first ever experience with a Coleman tent was terrible. I had it at almost 3000 meters in the Alps, untested and brand new, and it leaked everywhere. According to Wikipedia, the Coleman Company is owned by Newell Brands with headquarters in Chicago.
In the 2018 update, the Base Camp 6’s base changed from a rectangular shape to a nearly square design, which adds even more stability. If you’re willing to spend top dollar for a tent that will stand up to the elements and keep you comfortable in rain and mud—as well as offer privacy at a crowded campground—the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 and Base Camp 6 are the clear choices. That mesh also keeps the tent feeling more airy and cool in hot climates. But it’s one of the least expensive tents we found that will truly cover all the bases for three-season car-camping in most conditions you’re likely to encounter.
A majority of are made from polyurethane coated polyester fabric. There’s a lot of conflicting opinions on the quality of Coleman tents. Personally, I believe it boils down to expectations versus reality.
The two simple and identical poles were quick and painless to put together, and the lack of color coding between them and the tent body minimized any type of confusion or missteps along the way. Further aiding to the straightforward set up was the relatively small rainfly, which was easy to toss over the tent. Even assembling the Sundome 6 solo was a smooth process, which took less than 10 minutes from start to finish at a leisurely pace.
It is here because of its declared 6-person capacity, but it offers 184 ft² (17.1 m²) of the inner area organized into 4 rooms. So this is a huge camping tent and I have included it also in my list of best 4 room tents. So indeed, here you dome tents, extended dome tents, tunnel tents, and cabin tents. Most of them are collapsible and need an assembly, but there are also instant tents in the list. Core cabin tents are bulky and tall, most suitable for calm weather without much wind and rain.
We don’t recommend the smaller version of this tent for couples who might actually take it on the road; it was just too flimsy in our tests. From within Coleman’s own lineup, we also like the Instant Cabin 6. Both tents can fit two queen-size air mattresses, feature a single door for entry and exit, and boast 6 feet of headspace.
The Coleman Instant Family Tent is a fast-pitching shelter of epic proportions. Its 14’x10’ floor plan packs enough space for a family of four to split two queen air mattresses, while its nearly 7-foot center height and vertical walls provide stand-up height for even the tallest dads in the campground. After testing and analyzing a multitude of coleman bbq (there are SO MANY), we finally decided that the Coleman Skydome 4 is the best option currently available.
Coleman Instant tents are designed to be erected very quickly (after some practice), hence the name. A hub at the center of the tent roof connects all the support poles. Once aligned, all the outer poles are simply extended to lift the tent into place.
Often with outer mesh coverings to keep insects out and awnings to keep the surroundings dry when it rains, these tents can be used for extended periods of time. As far as shapes go, most stand-up height tents use a cabin-style shape, with nearly vertical walls and relatively flat ceilings to maximize interior space. Cabin-style tents are also the least aerodynamic though, so if you’re planning on camping in areas with high winds, you may want to consider an alternative like a tunnel, dome, or wedge-shaped shelter. So you have seen it, these Coleman 6 person family camping tents are built in a variety of shapes and with many great features. Some are very large and can accommodate more than 6 people, but some are too small for such a number of users. Having tested a number of six-person tents of late, we’re happy to report that the Coleman Sundome 6 was among the easiest to set up and take down.