Anyone know what the packed dimensions of this tent are? Very tempted but don't want something too large and unwieldy to put in luggage.

telcsw wrote:I am going camping this weekend. Is the tent going to be here by Thursday if I order it now?

Based on past experience, I would be 95% certain that the answer is no.

Two other comments, since this thread seems to have a lot of novice campers:

(1) Ignore the debate over ground cloth/no ground cloth if you want. Regardless of whether the tent "needs" a ground cloth, using one will help prevent abrasion to the bottom. Campgrounds often have established tent pads with gravel or hardened earth or even asphalt, so "removing anything sharp" may not be an option. Instead of treating the tent as disposable, use a cheap ground cloth of whatever kind you want, and treat the ground cloth as disposable, not the tent.

(2) The aluminum-wire tent stakes that come with tents are crap. They bend easily and will be stopped cold by even a smallish rock under the dirt. It's worth it, even if you're only going to camp a couple of times a year, to get some good tent stakes with a T- or Y-shaped cross-section--they'll often hammer right through rocks and will hold the tent much better. I think these are the ones I have: http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Ground-Hog-Stake-Kit/dp/B004P7E8Z2/ref=pd_sbs_sg2 This is especially important with a tent that isn't free-standing, since moving the tent to try to find a place you can actually get the stakes into the ground with good purchase gets OLD.

mmolzahn wrote:You wanna sell me a tent? Tell me it's got an oversize bag to put it back in. I can never get the damn thing back in the original bag without pretending to be a steamroller and even then it's tight.

Stuff, don't try to fold or roll.

Does anyone know about what temperature this is rated at? Cuz it gets pretty cold up in the mountains sometimes at night during the summer. I am not talking about winter camping, I know this wouldn't work for that, but how about summer?

scottydl wrote:Those reasons are why I prefer my 35-foot RV for my serious camping!

And you *do* realize that's not actually camping, right?

beeseearr wrote:I disagree with this. The only thing ground cloths are good for is keeping your tent pretty and clean. Anything sharp on the ground you should have picked up before you put your tent there.

I had done lots of camping years ago including a 10-day hike in the Sierra Nevadas and 7-day canoe treks in the Adirondacks. I have always used a ground cloth just on principle. Actually, to call it a cloth is probably not accurate, as it was a piece of plastic cut into the shape of my dome tent.

In the Adirondacks it definitely kept the tent dry due to all the condensation. In the dry Sierras it protected the bottom of the tent from sharp objects. Sometimes you just can't remove that boulder with the little point sticking up from the ground.

There were a bunch of homeless Iraqi War veterans living in these soft sided houses here in Colorado Springs, until the City Council made them illegal, and ran them all out of town.

spacemart wrote:10 year warranty. Is that good, bad or average for a tent?

That's actually a good warranty as long as it also covers the zippers. Zippers cost about $30+ to repair. Plus they usually wear out in about 5 depending on your use

beeseearr wrote:I disagree with this. The only thing ground cloths are good for is keeping your tent pretty and clean. Anything sharp on the ground you should have picked up before you put your tent there.

I forgot my groundcloth (waterproof tarp) and camped on snow once. I woke to puddles of water in my bag that had seeped through the tent floor when my body warmth melted the snow underneath me. I am not worried about saving the tent floor as much as going swimming in my bag during the night. Always use a ground cloth, and they almost always come seperately. The nice matched ones look pretty, but a Walmart waterproof tarp is cheaper and more disposable.

theteabegreen wrote:So who else is planning on taking this tent to Burning Man?

My good friend has this tent and uses it for that very purpose.

It is INCREDIBLY roomy. She used one room as a bedroom and the other as a walk-in closet/sitting room. This year was the tent's second voyage out there and one of the poles broke. I should say that it still withstood wind and rain with the help of a little duct tape, but it was definitely lop-sided.

The quality is not the highest, but this tent is perfect for a harsh trip like burning man where you should be prepared to possibly sacrifice your camping gear to the gods of the desert. The rainfly is the only way to close the windows, someone else mentioned that you should be able to close them from the inside and that is not true. The door does close from the inside however.

You could probably fit 15-20 close friends in here. This tent is ginormous. You don't need vestibules because the tent is so spacious. I would invest in a tarp for a groundcloth and some larger stakes

Note: Stow & Go - DOES NOT INCLUDE A BAG!

fxfuji wrote:A tent in October? Really, woot?!

October? big deal... I used to camp in Northern Wisconsin through November. You just need to be sure you buy a proper sleeping bag

sshaw13 wrote:IMO, a tent (if it's going to be used regularly) is one of those things that it's worth the extra cost for a quality brand. The last thing you want is a leaky, drafty, weak tent with broken zippers when you're camping in less than ideal conditions. Spend the money on North Face, Kelty, Marmot, or Eureka if you're serious about camping.

You do realize that Wenzel (the company that makes this tent) is also the company that makes Kelty right?

I never comment but needed to chime in to everyone bellyaching about the rainfly. Any camper worth their salt knows you never never leave it to to the tent's rainfly to keep you dry. Tarping is where it's at, baby. This tent is a steal and I'm in for one.

Important note (about ALL tents): This tent will not be good in a serious rain. Notice how the tent extends past the rain fly. If it rains more than a little, you're going to get wet.

A good all-weather tent will have a fly that sheds water away from the tent walls. This one doesn't.

If you're only fair-weather camping, it'll be fine. If there's a chance of rain, I'd take a "real" tent.

regarding groundcloth and rainfly conversations:

i've had good luck with tyvek house wrap as both groundcloth and shadecloth/rainfly. it's lightweight, tear resistant, and waterproof. if you fold in the corners from the sides (to make a skinnier piece of pizza) then fold the point under towards the middle, and you have a nice place to slap a grommet if you want to hang them from trees or stake them down under your tent. if your camping location is rather windy, you might want to cut a few slits in any that are hanging up, to allow air to pass through.

it comes in 3'x100' or 9'x100' rolls, but you could scavenge some from a contractor friend, or someone getting new siding. or you can buy the whole roll at $60-$100 and keep finding new uses for it like i have. it can also be sewn with a regular sewing machine and seam sealed if you need a piece wider than 9' or if you want to save money upfront and get the 3' wide roll.

The tent we own is pretty similar to this one. It's not hard to set up at all - sets up like pretty much every other tent out there that's been built in the last 15-20 years or so.

As far as how many people can it hold - always subtract *at least* two people from the stated number. So if it's sold as a 6-person tent, then figure it can hold 4. That gives you some room to keep your clothes, etc. And other than significant others, it's usually awkward to snuggle up wall-to-wall with other folks in a tent.

Ironically I just came back from a camping outing with our tent similar to this over the weekend, and we only camp 2-3 times a season. I shared it with my 7yo son (it was a father/son camp) and it was nice to have some room to spread out things in, even though it's a "7 man tent", didn't seem too big at all. In a pinch I can set up the tent by myself, but it's easier to have someone hold the other end of the pole while bending them.

This definitely isn't a "backpacking" tent but more of a "car camping" tent, which is what we do so it would be great, if I wanted to upgrade.

I can't tell for sure but it looks like the top of the tent is skeeter net only, so you must use the rainfly unless you are 100% certain there won't be any rain. But what it really means is that any warmth you generate will dissipate instantly. My family was so cold on our first two trips with this, that I took to draping a heavy fleece blanket over the top of the tent, under the rainfly. It did the trick and still allowed some moisture to escape. Obviously not an ideal setup but if you're camping where it's not going to dip into the 40s overnight, you probably don't need to worry.

Since then, we've gotten a Coleman Instant Tent from Target and it's much better overall, sets up quickly and keeps us warmer.

But for $70 bucks, you've at least got a good yard fort. The kids will have fun even if you never go camping...

Seems like a good deal for this size tent. I wonder what size air mattress fits in the each room separately?

I have a Wenzel dome tent...it's a great little tent...but I've now had to reseal it for the third time. So...figure in the cost of seam sealant with the price of the tent.

I use old shower curtain liners as ground cloths. When the liner in my bathroom starts looking a little gnarly...I buy a new one...and voila! The old one instantly turns into a camping ground cloth! Magic!

I've never camped without a ground cloth under my tent. It's just an extra layer of insurance to keep out moisture and/or sharp objects.

With the size of this tent I can easily fit a mattress, tv, kitchen, and formal dining area. When the wife kicks me to the backyard, I'm going to be classin' it up now.

telcsw wrote:I am going camping this weekend. Is the tent going to be here by Thursday if I order it now?

Nope...Woot shipping is standard timing not express

I used a cheap "A"style tent for years backpacking.....the rainfly still gets used some (Tent long since gone...rotted seams.) I picked up a similar tent to todays' woot at a yard sale for $10 or so...owner could NOT get it back into the bag, let me have it for a cheap price. I used it a couple of times...last time was last fall on the App. trail (we were parking near the trail, so lugged it up). A couple was in a "Bubble" Kelty clone nearby....I staked mine to the ground with some homemade spikes and they just set theirs up (and them snickering about me having to use ground pins...and a tarp rain fly!!).

Around 2 AM a sudden windstorm came up. I had to re-secure one end, but the tent did OK ...note that these are noisy in windy condix...but not so noisy as to keep us hearing the screams of the other couple as their tent rolled across the pasture where they were camping. We were in a small grove of trees which broke the wind ok and let us hang our packs (We do have black bears in NC...), but any tent becomes a sail in wind. Pick your locations, peg 'em to the ground!

landsnark wrote:

(2) The aluminum-wire tent stakes that come with tents are crap. They bend easily and will be stopped cold by even a smallish rock under the dirt. It's worth it, even if you're only going to camp a couple of times a year, to get some good tent stakes with a T- or Y-shaped cross-section--they'll often hammer right through rocks and will hold the tent much better. I think these are the ones I have: http://www.amazon.com/MSR-Ground-Hog-Stake-Kit/dp/B004P7E8Z2/ref=pd_sbs_sg2 This is especially important with a tent that isn't free-standing, since moving the tent to try to find a place you can actually get the stakes into the ground with good purchase gets OLD.

WELL DONE!! This is perhaps the best thing pointed out in this discussion yet!! And something I hadn't considered. LOOK AT ALL THE PHOTOS OF THIS TENT! ---because of the way the tent poles fit ONTO the provided stakes to keep the tent erect, it does not appear substituting a higher quality stake would be possible without some serious retro-fitting.

And as mentioned in this brilliant post, the provided stakes with most tents are not good. I always carry y-aluminum or titanium... But because of the unique way these tent poles need to connect with the provided stakes. Does anyone have any suggestions for people who purchase this tent, but would like to upgrade their stakes?

(Sidenotes-- I always "stuff" tents rather than "fold and roll" for the crease/wear reasons mentioned.. using original tent bag or compression sack on trips, but at home for storage, I use a large undyed cotton laundry sack. Or pillow case... I never store my gear compressed... Same with sleeping bags.)

lunarlemon wrote:regarding groundcloth and rainfly conversations:

i've had good luck with tyvek house wrap as both groundcloth and shadecloth/rainfly...it comes in 3'x100' or 9'x100' rolls, but you could scavenge some from a contractor friend, or someone getting new siding. or you can buy the whole roll at $60-$100 and keep finding new uses for it like i have. it can also be sewn with a regular sewing machine and seam sealed if you need a piece wider than 9' or if you want to save money upfront and get the 3' wide roll.

BRILLIANT!!!!! BRILLIANT!!!!! BRILLIANT!!!!!
Getting a roll for my TEOTWAWKI supply!
Great for multiple uses including barter!

Anyone have one of these?

It looks like there's mesh openings on the sides, but the fly only covers the main section. Do the sides handle the water well?

If that's the case, I wouldn't recommend using this tent in heavy rain.

My sister used to put up a tent in our basement and live in that for the whole summer. That was ten years ago. Now I wonder if I get her this if she would rearrange her apartment to fit it in her living room for the summer season.

In for one.

As you know, us white people love camping.

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2009/08/14/128-camping/

Since we are on tents - anybody have an opinion on a good tent for Burning Man? Dust, not temp or rain is the concern. 25 knot winds carrying essentially sheet rock dust straight into the side of a tent. (This is cleary not the tent...) I had a great 4 season that had clear windows that zipped over all the vents but that tent was never found after a certain long night at Opulent Temple...I have seen some at REI but too much $$$. The one I had was about $135 at OMGOMGOMGPONIESOMG PWNIESs Sporting Goods but is no longer carried.

Any thoughts?

scottydl wrote:Those reasons are why I prefer my 35-foot RV for my serious camping!

That's bringing a house with you.

phonedog365 wrote:I have a similar tent that had stellar reviews from a gazillion people at Walm*rt... it had the "lid" -style rain fly.

We had torrential rains when a front unexpectedly came our way while camping and, other than being rudely awoke but a body's-worth of freezing rain, we were able to get in on - in torrential rain - and stay dry. Very dry. No leaks and the lid canopy actually worked. We ended up putting it through a nice burn-in and it worked remarkably well.

Not to sound stupid but what is a burn-in?

lildetroitmama wrote:--because of the way the tent poles fit ONTO the provided stakes to keep the tent erect, it does not appear substituting a higher quality stake would be possible without some serious retro-fitting.

... Does anyone have any suggestions for people who purchase this tent, but would like to upgrade their stakes?

I have a tent very similar to this one that also has the pin & ring system. The tent poles do not fit onto the stakes. The poles go onto the pin which is attached to the ring which, in turn, is attached to the tent. You can use any tent stake through the ring. I would also recommend ditching the wire stakes and getting something more heavy-duty. Hope this helps!

I would never recommend fiberglass tent poles. If it breaks, there is no fixing it, and the tent is not going to set up. Aluminum poles can at least bend back, so you can still pitch the tent.

lifedoutcobra wrote:I don't know how much privacy a fabric thin wall will provide for anything you'd need the privacy of two rooms for.

Watch "It Happened One Night" (Clark Gable Claudette Cobert, 1934)
It will make it clear.

anyone know how long the shipping takes I have a camping trip this weekend and would love this

I bought this to use next season. The hubby and I are going to be scouting out campgrounds for an RV we will probably be buying in 2013. The best way to get to know if you like the campground is to actually stay there. I like a lot of room and we have a huge air mattress. Plus, need room for the dog and all our stuff. This will be perfect. I'll do the seam seal thing and put a tarp underneath. If it last just the one season I'm happy..more than that I'm thrilled.

kajola wrote:I have a tent very similar to this one that also has the pin & ring system. The tent poles do not fit onto the stakes. The poles go onto the pin which is attached to the ring which, in turn, is attached to the tent. You can use any tent stake through the ring. I would also recommend ditching the wire stakes and getting something more heavy-duty. Hope this helps!

good to know! Thanks!

mhardy3 wrote:anyone know how long the shipping takes I have a camping trip this weekend and would love this

Won't happen.

Can you set this up in the dark, drunk? If the answer is "no", then this tent is useless to me.