Can not say how impressed we are with the Green Geodesic Alaskan Guide Model tent from Cabela's. They were on sale. We bought 2. An 8 person for my wife & I & a 4 person for my daughter's 4 year College Graduation gift. (Gotta love a daughter that wants a tent for her present!). I also bought the inside tent floor & an extra pole for each. We bought a HD 12oz cotton duct tarp, 10' x 12', (yes, that sucker is heavy) to put under the floor of our 8 person. So, off we go, to Lakeside State Park-16th-19th of July. We got a nice site. Grassy mostly, right out in the open, which is what I wanted for the tent. Did not want any trees coming down on us. So, we set up. I used every stake, every velcro tie down at the pole intersections, velcroed the fly to the poles, used every guyline on the tent fly & staked them out as well. All the while, the wife is saying "do we REALLY need to do all of this?" I kept saying, Yup, we do.
Well, that Sunday night, the storm of storms blew in ! We had 50+ mph winds, thunder, lightning & the most torrential rain I have ever experienced camping. My wife was so scared, she started crying. I kept trying to re assure her that this tent was made for this & we will be fine (but not really knowing for sure as this was our first use of this tent). The torrential rain lasted for 4.5 hrs & 4 more hrs of reg hard rain. We were fine. Not one single drop of water inside the tent. There was literally water flowing underneath the tent floor/tarp. When I went outside in the morning, there were people standing there gawking at the tent & me. Then 1 asked how we made out in the storm? I said we were fine & not one drop of a leak inside the tent. Then they said we were the only ones to survive the night in a tent in the entire park. One low site had water 1/3 of the way up the tires of his truck and camper! Glad we got a high site & grass & no trees to fall on us. All the drainage ditches & spots were full up with water.
It is a big heavy tent. When we tent camp, it is with 1 or 2 vehicles. More like tent glamping. I had the Power Wagon, full-wife had the 4Runner, full. I have a small rotary dial microwave, toaster, tent, tools, 5 gal igloo cooler w/ice & water, 2 folding tables, 2 folding chairs, 82 qt & 50 qt ARB's, Coleman stove & firewood in the Power Wagon. Wife had the cots, air mattresses, blankets, pillows, cookware, etc & bikes on the back of her 4Runner. We LOVE that tent. HD Storm proven !
Well, that Sunday night, the storm of storms blew in ! We had 50+ mph winds, thunder, lightning & the most torrential rain I have ever experienced camping. My wife was so scared, she started crying. I kept trying to re assure her that this tent was made for this & we will be fine (but not really knowing for sure as this was our first use of this tent). The torrential rain lasted for 4.5 hrs & 4 more hrs of reg hard rain. We were fine. Not one single drop of water inside the tent. There was literally water flowing underneath the tent floor/tarp. When I went outside in the morning, there were people standing there gawking at the tent & me. Then 1 asked how we made out in the storm? I said we were fine & not one drop of a leak inside the tent. Then they said we were the only ones to survive the night in a tent in the entire park. One low site had water 1/3 of the way up the tires of his truck and camper! Glad we got a high site & grass & no trees to fall on us. All the drainage ditches & spots were full up with water.
It is a big heavy tent. When we tent camp, it is with 1 or 2 vehicles. More like tent glamping. I had the Power Wagon, full-wife had the 4Runner, full. I have a small rotary dial microwave, toaster, tent, tools, 5 gal igloo cooler w/ice & water, 2 folding tables, 2 folding chairs, 82 qt & 50 qt ARB's, Coleman stove & firewood in the Power Wagon. Wife had the cots, air mattresses, blankets, pillows, cookware, etc & bikes on the back of her 4Runner. We LOVE that tent. HD Storm proven !
