A Coleman Tent Guide.
While some people swear by their Coleman tent I've heard others complain about low quality. As with any tent, camping gear, or hiking equipment most manufacturers make both great and lesser quality gear. Coleman is no exception to this rule... As you'll find below a Coleman tent can offer good value for the money for those who are budget-minded. I won't go into a lot of detail here of what constitutes a great tent because I've already covered that in depth on my camping tent page. But one of the most important features a good quality tent can offer is a nice rainfly. The longer the rainfly is, the more it will protect your tent from the elements, but there is usually a trade-off because there won't be as much ventilation. So consider what type of weather you usually encounter while camping to help decide which is more important to you. Also keep in mind that most rainflies can be removed in really hot weather to help keep you cool. Good quality aluminum poles are another important feature usually worth the added cost because they are stronger than fiberglass poles, especially in the cold. Also consider weight if you'll be backpacking as you'll notice every additional pound rather quickly. Like other tents, a Coleman tent, especially large Coleman tents, are easier for two people to set up rather than one. The two vestibules offer storage for two people, if you're going solo you should have more than enough extra space for your gear. Most importantly this Coleman tent will keep you dry in the rain, although as with many tents at times condensation can form on the inside of the tent. For the budget-minded person looking for a car camping tent... Although the rainfly isn't as long as it could be the tent usually stays quite dry. Though Coleman states it will sleep 3 adults, 2 is a more comfortable number especially without any vestibule storage. Even though I like to focus on the best camping tents available I still feel this tent deserves a mention because of the value it offers. You should be able to find it for around $50 online plus shipping. Two doors make getting in and out of the Family Dome Tent easier, and the inside pockets make it easy to find your glasses or flashlight at night. A new Coleman tent model is due this spring though, and I haven't heard much about it yet. This Coleman tent is really very inexpensive especially for its size, you should be able to find it for under $160 plus shipping. Coleman offers some great gear, but there are better tents. If you're curious about what other tents I recommend see
the camping tents page.
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If you're looking for an inexpensive backpacking or small camping tent, the Exponent Inyo is a 2-man Coleman tent that offers a lot of value for the money. The Inyo weighs in at under 5 pounds, comes with two 8.5mm 7001-T6 aluminum poles, and has two doors making it an awesome deal for the money. It's especially amazing that this tent offers aluminum poles at this price. Even though it's rated for two people you'll want to know your companion pretty well because you're going to be on close terms in this tent.
While the 7' x 7' Sundome Coleman tent wouldn't be my first choice, I feel I should mention it because for the money it out-performs some other tents I've researched that cost more. If you get it you'll want to seal the seams, and as I mentioned above, be careful with the fiberglass poles as they tend to be more fragile than aluminum especially in cold weather. You'll also want to replace the stakes with something better as they're cheap. The ceiling height comes in at 52 inches, so if being able to stand upright inside your tent is important to you, the 7' x 7' Sundome isn't for you.
If you want something bigger, want to camp with several people, or if you like to stand to change your clothes, take a look at the Family Dome Coleman Tent. With a center height of 74 inches most everyone but the tallest can stand up to stretch. The tent does pretty well in the rain, but like any tent you'll want to seal the seams just in case. At 14' x 14' and three rooms this tent is supposed to sleep 8 people, but take these ratings with a grain of salt unless you don't mind being cozy. If you like having some space like I do, take any tent manufacturers ratings with a shaker of salt, and divide their rating by 2. ;-) This should give enough room for everybody's gear, and some free space to move around in during rainy days.
