Looking for a better tent.

[kmroxo]

I need to keep cargo room available in the Jeep for my dogs so I have a Yakima load warrior roof rack to hold a good portion of my camping equipment. This means I can't have a roof mounted tent though, and the dogs wouldn't climb the ladder anyway. I am using a REI Hobitat 4, which is a nice tent, but it can get pretty cold in there at night in the mountains. It has plenty of ventilation capability, but there are several mesh windows that you can't even close up - there is no cover for them. Set up on it isn't too bad, but it is nothing like my friend's roof mount tent that just flips open and is ready to go. The other thing he said is that his material is a thicker canvas than my thin REI tent so it doesn't let as much air through and stays a bit warmer.

Are there any relatively quick set up heavier duty tents out there? I have looked at some of the trailers out there and specifically like the Adventure Trailers Oasis and the Afrispoor, but I'm not ready to spend that kind of money and don't think I want to pull a trailer around just yet either.

 

[rk_az]

I have heard really good things about these:

http://www.springbar.com/explore/tentmodels/index.html

I was planning to get one before I bought my trailer and decided to go the RTT route.

 

[Desert Dan]

I have an REI Camp Dome (4 person) and I know whatt you mean about the ventilation.

I have thought about making some nylon panels that I could velcro in over the screened section to make the tent a 4 season tent.

 

[bunduguy]

Can I be so bold as to suggest one of our Howling Moon tents?. We make safari domes and frame tents which are all excellent heavy duty tents. They are poly-cotton ripstop mil-spec canvas and come in various sizes. check out www.howlingmoon.co.za

We have a whole bunch arriving in July.

 

[deadbeat son]

My wife and I just picked up a Sierra Designs WuHu Annex 4+2 and are taking it out for its maiden voyage tomorrow. I'll post up how it works out.

 

[kmroxo]

rk_az - I plan on doing a fair amount of moving each day so I would prefer a dome tent as they are easier to put up.

Desert Dan - I was thinking of coming up with something and figured the best way to go would be to use sticky velcro on the inside of the tent because sewing it would probably just create rip holes. Overall I'm not sure of how well it would work though.

bunduguy - by all means, be so bold. I like the look of those dome tents on Howling Moon's website, but I will say that their site is pretty poor and explaining what the difference between the different dome tents are.

I will probably stick with the Hobitat for the summer and see if I need to get something better come fall. Mostly I'm just looking for options.

 

[dms1]

I would look into a Eureka Timberline outfitter 4 or 6 tent. The 6 is tall enough to stand up in. They are a four season tent, lightweight and I can put mine up by myself in about 8 minutes. you can zip up or down each end as much as you need to for ventilation.

I was on a trip with Adventure Duo @ Picacho last year along the Colorado River and and rain storm came in from nowhere with unbelievable (30 to 40 mile an hour) winds and the tent didn't fall down or suffer any damage.

I was looking into getting a Springbar or Kodiak tent, and actually got to see one setup at Sportsman Warehouse, but the reason I didn't buy it was because they weigh about 70 lbs and have a huge form factor when stored compared to the Eureka Timberline.

 

[wjeeper]

I have heard really good things about these:

http://www.springbar.com/explore/tentmodels/index.html

I have spent my fair share of nights in a springbar tent. I think they are every bit as easy to set up as a dome tent. They really hold up well in the wind and rain and last darn near forever as long as you take care of them.

They are made of heavy canvas, so if your ever planning on packing one in somewhere its a bit heavy for that. A family friend has one that is probably from the mid 70's and its still going strong today.

I have only camped in cheapo dome tent and springbars..........so my opinion of dome tents might be a tad skewed. A quality dome tent may be a whole different ballgame!

 

[rk_az]

I would prefer a dome tent as they are easier to put up.

Um...did you actually check out the way these tents set up? I had a big REI dome tent several years ago, and these Springbars look like a breeze to set up compared to that pain-in-the-rear dome tent. Maybe dome tents have come a long way since then, but I still don't see how they could be much easier to put up than the Springbars. And like wjeeper said, they are reported to last forever and stand up to high winds incredibly well.

 

[01tundra]

I'm in the exact same boat, but I'm also looking for a tent with decent size front canopy/shade so I can quit carrying our bulky EZ-UP around. Something that packs relatively small and sets up quick and easy.......

 

[mrchips]

I just got one of these,sets up super fast roomy,and has a descent vestibule off the front, available @ Costco.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&

 

[net4n6]

I just got one of these,sets up super fast roomy,and has a descent vestibule off the front, available @ Costco.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&

I got the ample 8 one. It is easy to setup but the material is average. Here is my review on Costco site.

Quick setup - Below average poles
"I got the tent yesterday and did a trial setup inside the house. The set up was quick and easy. I gave 5 stars for the setup.
The materials (poles and fabric) were below average. Poles were too small and hinges were too weak. 3 stars.
There were too much "stretches" at the corners which the floor meets the walls. I have pictures but don't know how to attach them here.
I don't think this tent is strong enough to survive "average" wind and heavy rain.
LightSpeed Customer Service is ZERO. I emailed them 5 times but no response. I want to get more infor on the tent before I order it but no response from LightSpeed at all. I would give 4 stars to this review but Customer Service made it 3 stars.
I am thinking about return the tent back to Costco.

 

[01tundra]

I got the ample 8 one. It is easy to setup but the material is average. Here is my review on Costco site.

That's funny, I was seriously looking at that one until I read your review !

 

[john101477]

I bought the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 earlier this year and we love it. We got into some very cold mornings fathers day weekend and were fairly warm in the tent. We have used the tent about 6 times so far this year with only one complaint - not quite tall enough to stand up all the way. my wife and I are both 5'8 and the tent is roughly 5'4 tall. other than that we love it and the separated room is awesome for our daughter

Bunduguy - how come those tents look so much like turbo tents?

 

[net4n6]

That's funny, I was seriously looking at that one until I read your review !

I still have the tent. I want to set it up again inside my house. For the price, it is 3 times less than turbo tent and weight less. I have not see turbo tent in person. I am still debating. I won't be using the tent until August.