Quest for the Perfect Family Tent

[al_burpe]

I ordered this Caddis Rapid 6 tent recently. I haven't gotten a chance to actually camp in it, but I did set it up in the back yard. Just getting the tent itself set up was super easy and quick. The rainfly took some time to figure out but I am sure that will be faster after I do it a few more times. The quality seemed pretty good and step above the Coleman tents I have had in the past.

 

[NorthwestDriver]

We bought a Springbar about a month ago. Just have one night in it, but everyone loved it. Sturdy enough that I don’t worry about the toddler or dog tearing it up. We got a Traveler (10x10) so there’s plenty of room for 4 people and a large dog. It was important to me to get a tent I can stand in and this is tall enough I can stand along the walls —not just the middle. Eventually we might modify the tent to add a small stove.

Springbar also has some import models that compete more directly on price with Kodiak, so that could be an option.

 

[nwoodworth1390]

Thought I should update the thread. I ended up with a TNF Wawona 6 person tent. We have 14 nights in it so far and its has been decent. Pretty well made and more than enough room for a family of 4 and 2 dogs. Putting it up takes 10 minutes now that I've had some practice. It's not my dream tent, but itll due for now.

 

[Photobug]

I am now between the Tipi and a Springbar Hot tent.

We now have a class C RV so a tent is less of an issue but plenty of times we want to leave the luxury of the RV behind.

 

[dcg141]

The Alpha Kilo Bow Tent is basically a modern bow design adapted to old school heavy canvas construction. I have set it up about 5 times an it probably takes a couple minutes to unpack, a couple more to lay everything flat in place, 5 minutes to raise it and attach the rain fly and another 5 to 10 minutes to stake everything down with cords and an extended awning. For what it is, it's about as easy a setup as I can imagine. I think you will have to compromise in durability and or features for an easier to set up tent. There is a video on the link below showing the setup.

Alpha Kilo Bow Tent » Bushtec Adventure

Durable bow tent with Military Grade, fire retardant and UV protected canvas. Easy installation and wind tunnel tested for safety.

bushtecadventureusa.com

If you scroll down to "Description" and the first tab is features, the last tab to the right is "video".

I'm pretty sure the UN and other agencies that operate in Africa use Bushtec tents because they are very durable. Definitely last a lifetime if properly stored and not abused.

After looking around and wanting a canvas tent I just ordered one of these. Thought about the OZtent but it just packs up to long. Was looking at the Springbar as well but I just like the design of the Bushtec better.

 

[MOAK]

Jet tent 25x is made by Oztent, but unfortunately is no longer available in the US. It packs down to a 48” length. Ours is at least 7 or 8 years old and has taken a beating in all kinds of weather. I see them on the used market occasionally and would look there. Ours is currently stored away because we’re giving an RTT an honest try.

 

[Fast996]

Just purchased a Oztent Oxley Lite 7 which Oztent has discontinued and I can't understand why. Could be the pandemic...anyway this tent packs down to less than 4ft long so it fits nicely in my Zu Rodeo. The tent is a two room fast setup and made of 210d rip stop nylon fabric. Haven't had it out yet,but it should fit my needs in the eastern Sierra high desert. Family camping only has 3 left if anybody wants one. Btw I'm looking for the front panel kit to enclose the front awning on the Oxley 7 lite. If anybody has one or knows of one for sale please send me a message.

 

[Fast996]

I found a Oxley 7 panel set new in Germany. They also had the 5 and 7 tents in stock. Niklas was a great help...highly recommended. To find the poly oxford tents new....still for sale I think is rare.
If you purchase one tell them Roger posted about the tents.

Oztent Zelt OXLEY 7 Familienzelt, 1.499,00 €

OXLEY 7 mit einem Innenmaß von 2.5m x 4.7m bietet Platz für bis zu 5 Personen.

www.mehari-offroad.de

 

[Mykh]

Hello!
I need help finding a family ground tent that meets this set of requirements:
-Fast setup and take down. We always seem to get to camp later than intended and spending an hour setting up camp is a total bummer when everyone is tired and hungry.
-Under 65" long when stored. This has been the hardest thing to come up with. Gazelle and OzTent are to long to fit in my F150 with 5.5ft bed without laying diagonally. We tried...

Going to assume you tried the regular T4 Gazelle tent? The much larger T4 Plus ironically packs down smaller length-wise. It's 63" long when collapsed. I fit it into my Canyon short bed, if aligned right between the ribs of the bed liner it even fits straight.

On the Plus side (see what I did there ) the T4 Plus will also be much better for a family in that you'll have a separate "room" for the kids once they get a little older, OR even better if trying to put them to bed and still want to have a hang out room for you and the wife. Get their new Overland edition since it has the water resistant carrying bag and thus tent won't get soaked in the bed of the truck, also highly recommend using the included footprint with a dog running around inside, the upgraded stakes are a bonus.

Honestly this is the best family of 4 tent.

 

[hemifoot]

ez up camping cube doesn't get any easier to set up.i use mine on my utv excursions.before that i used my Eskimo insulated icefishing shelter.that was an even faster setup.

 

[Mashurst]

Seems like there are many solid tents listed already but I don’t have any experience with them so for what it’s worth, I’ll tell you about what has worked for my family.

I searched for years for something that ticked all my boxes. Spring bar was high on my list. The reasons I never pulled the trigger though were that it was not very big for my family of 5+ friends and the square sides seemed like they just would not work for high wind situations that we often encounter at our favorite camping spots on the beach as well as in the desert like Moab. When I found Stout Tent’s bell tent, I placed an order for a 5 meter 16ft diameter one on the spot because it promised to do it all. I got it in the spring of 2018 and it has been up all summer and a few winter trips as well ever since. It handles wind with zero drama and is comfortable in both hot and cold weather. I’ve has it in rain, snow, very high sustained wind all night and it has always just been a happy cozy place for the family. We have had like 18 people in it but it was snug. With five it is very lux.



My kids love it and more importantly, my wife loves it. It can be used with a stove but I have never done it. After four years, it is showing a bit of wear but we have really used it a lot and I don’t see it wearing out any time soon. Natural canvas is so nice as a shelter. The large usable area ends up just being such a nice space to spend time in regardless of the weather. I paid $769 in 2018 and that was a stretch for me at the time but I see they are north or $1000 now and I would not hesitate if I needed to replace this one for some reason.

The down sides are that it is bulky when packed and heavy to move and it takes a very large space to put it up. A couple of times on very hard ground, it has been a pain to put up as you do have to put in 24 stakes but that is about the sum of setup time. How fast can you pound 24 stakes? In soft ground its not long. In gravel, it can take some doing. We just got a big RTT as well and family loves them both. If we are going to be staying for very long, the Stout is way more livable. If we are on the move, the RTT wins for speed of setup and not needing a large flat area.

 

[COAKXterra]

We recently opted to part with the habitat on our power wagon and go back to ground tenting. After looking around here, spending a ton of time talking to friends, looking at the things we hate/love about the other three (yes, 3…) tents we own for backpacking and/or solo trips, and running around REI, we settled on the Big Agnes bunk House 6. https://www.bigagnes.com/collections/tents/products/bunk-house-06?_pos=1&_fid=47c459496&_ss=c

“6? Don’t you only have one kid and a dog?”

yes. Yes we do. A kid that still uses a pack n play for sleeping (at least for another few months), and a dog that doubles as a small 130lb horse. Haha. and I’m 6’2” and see no just reason to stoop over while dirt road truck camping (actually one of the motivating factors and prime loves for the habitat).

the tent has been great. It’s big. Like quite big. But I can set it up by myself (not preferred), and has been real sturdy so far. Huge vestibules and you can set the tent up with just the ground pad and rain fly to have a sun shelter and I’ve been able to set the tent up from inside that… nice if it’s already raining. Plus it actually packs down to a decent size (big backpack) and has more storage pockets than I can shake a stick at.

we added in an exped mega Mat duo 15 for the wife and I. sheer comfort and room.


cons?
It’s a lot of space to heat when it’s cool and shady. Nothing a good sleeping bag or bedding doesn’t solve, but just reality.
bright orange skittle
best set up with two people although can be done solo.
best used where you’re not packing up and moving every day.
bare minimum is about 10 stakes, haven’t tried it in Moab yet.

 

[MontySquareo]

Rei Basecamp 6 (or 4 if you don't mind less space) I've been using the same one for the last 17 years, and just got a new one because the zippers on the old tent are crunchy.