5-6 Person Family Tent Under $200

[R_Lefebvre]

I think the problem here is... some of the cheap tents may work, but many do not. And you really don't know what the results will be until you buy and test it, and many stores have a no return policy on tents.

I've found Eureka tents to be decent without spending too much. Below that, all bets are off. I've had good luck with cheap tents from Costco.

 

[john101477]

Never buy a walmart cheap tent. you will be disappointed when the wind picks up and the fiberglass poles snap or when the rain sets in and you end up with a kids pool instead of a place to sleep. No matter how you cut it, it is better to buy quality than economically. Thats not to say that spending $2000 on a rtt is such a great thing either. Do your homework before you buy. As for the coleman tents, some of the older models were great but the newer models or more show than purpose.

I wonder how many actual tent makers their are. a few years ago north face was selling a big family tent. it was ok but not amazing and it got discontinued. Now cabelas sells that same tent under there name.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

That's a good point. My big Costco tent looks identical to a Eureka model.

 

[Alchemyguy]

I wonder how many actual tent makers their are. a few years ago north face was selling a big family tent. it was ok but not amazing and it got discontinued. Now cabelas sells that same tent under there name.

You certainly pay for quality in the tent world. I've recently purchased one of these for our family. The key here is the rain fly that goes all the way to the ground and the mesh top for ventilation, keeps the condensation away. This tent looks like a scaled up version of my SD backpacking tent; bombproof equipment, and the price reflects that.

 

[R_Lefebvre]

Yup, all good points. I won't buy a tent unless it has a FULL rain fly. Period.

 

[john101477]

You certainly pay for quality in the tent world. I've recently purchased one of these for our family. The key here is the rain fly that goes all the way to the ground and the mesh top for ventilation, keeps the condensation away. This tent looks like a scaled up version of my SD backpacking tent; bombproof equipment, and the price reflects that.

hahaha funny that you should show that tent. that was actually my second choice tent. SD is a winner in my book I really liked the design of the two rooms which was one of the requirements my wife set on me. The ONLY reason the WU-HU did not get ordered from REI is the pole design for winter use in Idaho. The reviews and info that was available did not say much about use in snow.

 

[fowldarr]

I bought a 6 or 8 person Kelty for $60.00


Of course it was at the bottom of a clearance pile at a sportsman's warehouse that was going out of business....figured I couldn't go wrong at that price....it has been a great tent, but costs significantly more, normally.

 

[Alchemyguy]

hahaha funny that you should show that tent. that was actually my second choice tent. SD is a winner in my book I really liked the design of the two rooms which was one of the requirements my wife set on me. The ONLY reason the WU-HU did not get ordered from REI is the pole design for winter use in Idaho. The reviews and info that was available did not say much about use in snow.

What did your first choice end up being? We don't do much "winter" camping, in that SWMBO isn't a big fan of being cold, so waking up to snow is not part of her camping plans, and the tent is for her and the spawn.

 

[john101477]

I ended up getting the Big Agnes Flying Diamond. My only complaint is I wish it was 2 inches taller. I like to camp through the year regardless of weather and have been in Idaho with 1ft of snow and -15 degrees. The trick is to make sure you have plenty of dry wood, a decent tent heater, and warm clothes. Location is also key. If your stuck behind a bunch of trees and can not see out, it can be boring for the wife. but with a view usually all is well i tend to look for places right on the edge of snow with a good tree back drop and open to the other side.try to pick a spot thats on an oposite side of the wind i.e. if the wind is coming from the south, camp on the north side of a ridge etc. I always clear around our camp spot so that walking from tent to fire is not a hassle. ez-ups or even a good tarp and tent poles and rope can create a great spot to sit out a storm. some of my fondest memories of camping are from good rainy days or waking up to snow on the ground. as always be sure of the size of the storm before venturing and never camp in a spot you might not get out of later. lots of hot cocoa and coffee and all are happy :coffeedrink:

 

[Alchemyguy]

I was considering the Big House 6 with the vestibule extender, as posted earlier in this thread.

As for winter camping, I volunteer with the local search and rescue team, and have no problem living and working in all weather with what we pack around.

We've had many cold mornings up in our mountains even when it's not winter; one August it was -10C overnight while we were backpacking, but the ladies survived with ample doses of hot liquids and a good fire. The two does and fawn that walked right through our camp site while we were playing cards one night made the trip worthwhile.

 

[john101477]

you know I had totally forgotten about that extender for the big house. Another guy has been looking at tents and one of the problems with the big house was the fact that the fly is not full coverage in front. but with the extender it does and then some. I think he is pretty well decided on the REI base camp now though, which is a good solid tent so i will not through another wrench in his plans lol
I think the SD Wu-Hu would be a suitable tent for almost anyone. I do have the reservations on the use in snow but mostly because I have not tested it or heard about much use in that situation. -10 is cold in dry weather there is no doubt. hard to make a smal tent heater do what you want in that situation. My dad has a lil buddy double panel heater thats sweet and gramps has this setup that hooks up to a 5 gallon propane tank that will run you out of a big tent in 5 minutes. I am possibly looking at a smaller heater for the BA. maybe a coleman but the reviews are not that great so I have not bought one yet.

 

[Alchemyguy]

The Hijack continues.

My Wu Hu 6+2 arrived on Tuesday and I set it up. It's a sweet unit, and I have no doubt it'll be worth the investment for us. Roomy, well constructed, and bombproof. 25 minutes to set it up by myself, the hardest part was getting the fly on. Now that I know what to do, I'm sure I'll cut 5-10 minutes off that time, no problem. I could see it potentially collecting heavy snow along the top; it describes a shallow, wide saddle at the peak. I'll have to report back once we put it through some weather.

 

[john101477]

Sweet buy!!! try laying the fly over the tent while it is on the ground. if breezy stake one side before erecting it.

Pics or it did not happen

 

[Alchemyguy]

Sweet buy!!! try laying the fly over the tent while it is on the ground. if breezy stake one side before erecting it.

Pics or it did not happen

The big challenge with the fly was twofold; In my deleriously excited haste I didn't completely unfold it before trying to drape it so it twisted and tangled a bit, and it was a wicked-breezy day. I have no doubt if I'd been rational about it all it would have been smoother. It's just big enough I can handle it on my own, but it would be super-fast with 2 people. Setup was otherwise idiot-proof; colour coded poles and sleeves, no straining to seat poles into their sockets but still nice and taut, and easy tensioning of all lines.

Like I said, I could imagine wet snow managing to stick at the peak, but I don't know for sure. I guess I'd have to take it out and see.

 

[john101477]

Those are better pictures than they offer online lol. Super sweet buy. I was trying to think how our tent looked with the queen mattress in it and it does not look to different. Essentially I think you have a little more head room. Unsure about the size of the second room ours is shorter by a long shot but fits 2 supposedly. Be perfect for our daughter though. I should have some good camp pics by late next week we are putting our stuff to the test as we have a storm headed our way Tuesday.