Preferred Family Tent???

[ImaFrayedKnot]

Alright ladies and gents,

The wife and I are looking to invest in a good quality family style tent for vacationing. With a new boat on the horizon, we can't exactly afford to invest in a trailer just yet. We'll be utilizing this tent around Washington during our extended weekends & we'll also be hauling it down for our annual trip to Lake Powell, Utah. I say this because it' imperative we have something that can withstand some high winds. Also, we're looking for something that has plenty of sleeping space with enough room to get up and move around a bit. I've done my research but I find it highly beneficial to hear from others who have experience with products and can speak first hand on what works or doesn't. Thanks in advance for any insight on what tents to avoid or seek out.

[skagit510]

You should consider a roof top tent as an alternative to a trailer. Cascadia vehicle tents is a good place to start. I have an ARB tent and am happy with it.

[AJ's Dad]

A few years back my family and I were traveling around the state and the country,and into Canada for that matter, chasing my sons baseball teams tournaments. We decided to get a tent to save on hotel rooms. We got an 11x 18 tent from Costco that was amazing. We had 5 people in there and still had room for lawn chairs when the weather got wet. It made a great place to stay for the long weekends. The price was more than affordable.

[ImaFrayedKnot]

I can't do one of the truck tents because I've got a Leer canopy on my F-150. I don't plan on taking that thing off every time I plan taking the family out for the weekend. I've thought about simply using the canopy as a place to stay but the problem there is there's not enough room for the family. I've narrowed it down to a few but like I mentioned prior, I'm hoping to hear from others and their experiences.

[downriggeral]

Kids love tents but I don't know if yours are old enough to have their "own" tent. Mom and dad could then have an airbed in the truck under the canopy. My son and his wife have their tent and his two girls each have their own; works for them. He is a pro at camping out. PM me if you would like his input. Alan

[ImaFrayedKnot]

Thanks for the suggestion, my daughter is only 10 months old so she's not quite to that age to be able to be on her own. I like that idea for the years to come though! The wife and I will be floating around Seattle in the next week or so and I think we're going to try to check out a few places in a bigger city... We may even stop off at a couple shops between here and there.

[downriggeral]

My son has taken his kids camping practically from the time they were born. Those girls know how to camp for sure. They are teenagers now....what no cell service??

[kodacachers]

I recently bought a Coleman Weathermaster II tent from Costco. I think it was $160. Its huge (perhaps more than you need) but I love it, and more important, the wife finds it tolerable!! Here are features the set it (and similar tents) apart:
Roof height: you can stand up inside in all 4 corners and the middle
Door: It has structure to the door so you can open and close without having to unzip and crawl in.
Porch: If you aren't using all the room, the sidewalls of half the tent will zip down to form an enclosed porch--great for buggy or rainy nights.
I can't attest to high winds, but it seems pretty sturdy.

[Bobber_Dogging_Gal]

Ozark's 3 room Instant Cabin Tent is like no other tent. It's kind of "L" shaped, with zippered partitions between each room. The front entrance area has an awning type tarp on it. There's even 2 flaps for air conditioners (could also be used as a doggy door). There's even a tiny zippered corner to run an extension cord into the tent. Walmart is the cheapest place to find them. They pretty much thought of everything. Is there a way to upload a photo here? I'm new to learning this forum.

[wlai]

While I am as open minded about what qualifies as camping as anyone, I will have to draw the line at air conditioners for your tent. Just stay at home or a hotel if that's your speed.

[coretron22]

+1 on the Coleman from Costco. Great value. I have 2 kids, and it handles our family easily and comfortably.

[Bobber_Dogging_Gal]

I too, thought the air conditioner openings were a bit much. Who's gonna pack a bulky AC unit on a camping trip? My first thought is the openings would be better served as doggy doors. I do like the porch awning and the small zippered opening for running extension cords through.

While I am as open minded about what qualifies as camping as anyone, I will have to draw the line at air conditioners for your tent. Just stay at home or a hotel if that's your speed.

[kodacachers]

Costco had portable ac about the size of an oil heater last summer. It's called glamping.

[Larry3215]

LOL! The older I get the more comfort seems to matter. Im thinking that AC unit would be very nice in 100 deg weather over in eastern Wa!

Roughing it isnt as much fun as it used to be

[Bobber_Dogging_Gal]

That part I could understand Larry. Eastern Washington may be dry heat but it's extreme heat! It's not camping (or fishing) when suffering the heat & miserable. We've been known to take an oscillating fan to campgrounds that have electricity. It keeps the flies at bay too, blowing them on their merry way *lol*

[Larry3215]

This year we are going to try one of the cabins at Steamboat Rock park at Banks lake for the first time. Costs a bit more than a tent site, but much less than a hotel. They have an AC unit and you still get to cook on a camp fire each night

[solducsteve]

check out Kodiak tents

[Let's_Go_Fishing!]

While I am as open minded about what qualifies as camping as anyone, I will have to draw the line at air conditioners for your tent. Just stay at home or a hotel if that's your speed.

I agree with you. The AC flap is overkill unless there's some kind of extreme heat wave or if someone is living in it while on the road. The tent itself though, is a wonderful design. The AC flap would make a great pet door.