Getting into camping; need a tent!

[HydroSqueegee]

Now that the kids are getting a little bit older, camping has been expressed as something fun for all 5 of us in the family to go do.
Im looking for a decent tent that can hold us all with a little extra elbow room. There are a TON on Amazon.

any recommendations or experiences?

 

[soulcougher73]

if the OP doesnt mind id like to piggy back this one as well. I also need a new tent for my wife and I only. So 2 person but maybe something up to a 3 or 4 person size just to have some room to move around. Id most likely be buying via Amazon as well

 

[Fritzo]

If a tent says it sleeps 5, it lies. Get a tent that's at least 3-4 people over what it says it will hold or you'll be miserable.

 

[Bignate603]

If a tent says it sleeps 5, it lies. Get a tent that's at least 3-4 people over what it says it will hold or you'll be miserable.

That really depends on what the OP wants to do. Getting a big tent is fine if you're going car camping but if you're ever going backpacking it's stupid to get something bigger and heavier than you need. Also, your recommendation is a bit ridiculous. A 6 person tent for two people? Seriously? It's a tent, not a cabin.

OP, how are you going to be using this?

 

[HydroSqueegee]

That really depends on what the OP wants to do. Getting a big tent is fine if you're going car camping but if you're ever going backpacking it's stupid to get something bigger and heavier than you need. Also, your recommendation is a bit ridiculous. A 6 person tent for two people? Seriously? It's a tent, not a cabin.

OP, how are you going to be using this?

probably will be using it less than a dozen times a year. And for the time being, its car camping at the state parks and local KOA's.

I was eyeballing this tent: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200000...4838118&sr=8-7

need space for me, the wife and my kids are 7, 4 and 0. so i dont need a TON of room. some place to sleep, shelter in the rain, and be easy to set up/take down. I dont want a huge monstrosity for a tent either.

 

[IronWing]

probably will be using it less than a dozen times a year. And for the time being, its car camping at the state parks and local KOA's.

I was eyeballing this tent: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200000...4838118&sr=8-7

need space for me, the wife and my kids are 7, 4 and 0. so i dont need a TON of room. some place to sleep, shelter in the rain, and be easy to set up/take down. I dont want a huge monstrosity for a tent either.

If you go with that model, be sure to get the rain fly and a ground cloth as well. Actually, get a ground cloth with any tent. If you are thinking camping is something you are going to be doing with the family for years on out, you might also think about getting two smaller tents instead of one big one as at some point the kids are going to get up at first light and you'd probably feel bad for strangling them. Two 4-person Timberlines or similar might work.

 

[NuclearNed]

probably will be using it less than a dozen times a year. And for the time being, its car camping at the state parks and local KOA's.

I was eyeballing this tent: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200000...4838118&sr=8-7

need space for me, the wife and my kids are 7, 4 and 0. so i dont need a TON of room. some place to sleep, shelter in the rain, and be easy to set up/take down. I dont want a huge monstrosity for a tent either.

That looks like a decent tent... but I gotta warn you - recently some of the Coleman camping gear I've seen has been cheap crap that isn't going to last a long time. If it were me, I'd try to find this tent (or something real similar) in a sporting goods store so I could check out its quality, then buy it from Amazon to get the better price.

<insert "pitching a tent" joke here>

 

[Fritzo]

That really depends on what the OP wants to do. Getting a big tent is fine if you're going car camping but if you're ever going backpacking it's stupid to get something bigger and heavier than you need. Also, your recommendation is a bit ridiculous. A 6 person tent for two people? Seriously? It's a tent, not a cabin.

OP, how are you going to be using this?

All I know is we had 4 people and got a tent for 4 people, and we were all so cramped we inadvertently had sex with each other.

 

[IronWing]

That really depends on what the OP wants to do. Getting a big tent is fine if you're going car camping but if you're ever going backpacking it's stupid to get something bigger and heavier than you need. Also, your recommendation is a bit ridiculous. A 6 person tent for two people? Seriously? It's a tent, not a cabin.

OP, how are you going to be using this?

A two person tent is generally designed to allow two 5' 7'" people to lie down. No gear space. If you are taller, too bad. My backpacking tent is a three person geodesic and works well for one or two people. I just ordered a four person tent for just me (last year I was in the field, car camping stuff, for over two months).

 

[Bignate603]

probably will be using it less than a dozen times a year. And for the time being, its car camping at the state parks and local KOA's.

I was eyeballing this tent: http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200000...4838118&amp;sr=8-7

need space for me, the wife and my kids are 7, 4 and 0. so i dont need a TON of room. some place to sleep, shelter in the rain, and be easy to set up/take down. I dont want a huge monstrosity for a tent either.

A 6 person tent like that should do ok for your family. The 0 and 4 year old won't take up much room right now. I have some Coleman stuff though I haven't bought anything from them in the last 3 or 4 years. My main complaint with their stuff was the weight. I backpack and their stuff was too heavy, fine for car camping though. However, I can't speak to the quality of their brand new stuff because I haven't dealt with myself.

 

[Bignate603]

A two person tent is generally designed to allow two 5' 7'" people to lie down. No gear space. If you are taller, too bad. My backpacking tent is a three person geodesic and works well for one or two people. I just ordered a four person tent for just me (last year I was in the field, car camping stuff, for over two months).

I use a 2 person northface for myself and my wife. We do just fine, the backpacks stay in the covered atrium (under the rainfly but not inside the tent). If we had more gear than that we'd be carrying so much weight that it wouldn't be fun.

As for car camping, leave the gear you're not currently using in the car. It makes sense to get a tent a little bigger but you're recommending a HUGE tent, he'd have to get an 8 or 9 person tent.

 

[consolibyte]

Another vote for 2 separate tents- the smaller tents tend to be better quality and easier to lug around, not to mention the obvious benefit of not having to be smushed in together with a bunch of kids for the next X years.

Eastern Mountain Sports has really nice tents (and last I checked, they had a lifetime warranty too!). I'm not sure if they sell on Amazon.

I don't think I'd ever buy a tent online, simply because tent sizes vary A LOT (e.g. a 2-person tent might turn out to only fit two TINY people, rather than two regular sized people...) and tent quality varies a lot too.

 

[IronWing]

I use a 2 person northface for myself and my wife. We do just fine, the backpacks stay in the covered atrium (under the rainfly but not inside the tent). If we had more gear than that we'd be carrying so much weight that it wouldn't be fun.

As for car camping, leave the gear you're not currently using in the car. It makes sense to get a tent a little bigger but you're recommending a HUGE tent, he'd have to get an 8 or 9 person tent.

Not me, I'm recommending two smaller tents. More versatile, less likely to get blown down, and a style less likely to leak like a sieve in the rain.

 

[Bignate603]

A
Eastern Mountain Sports has really nice tents (and last I checked, they had a lifetime warranty too!). I'm not sure if they sell on Amazon.

EMS and REI (I've seen REI more in western states) both have good tents that you can buy off their websites. They're a better tent than a Coleman off Amazon but they'll cost more. If there's a risk that the kids will destroy the tent he'll be better off getting a cheaper one and replacing it when the kids put a hole in it or something.

 

[Scout80]

Coleman is now starting to be more realistic about how much room each person needs. Their formula used to be 1 person = 2x6 feet. I have no idea how they came up with that idea since nearly all of their sleeping bags are at least 30 inches wide. They seem to be getting better now though. I have never had an issue with Coleman tents. If they are kept clean and allowed to dry before storage they should last for years.

For the OP, I would say that 9x10 should work well for you. Before you buy I would check out a Gander Mountain, Cabela's, Dicks, etc. Sometimes they have some really nice deals on tents and you can get a lighter higher quality tent for a reasonable price.

I would suggest using two tents. One to sleep in and one to keep your gear/clothes/etc in. Your car could work for this as well. Another tip, get a small rubbermaid tote to put your shoes in and keep them outside your tent. They will stay dry and your tent will stay cleaner and smell better.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

when the kids are older, i'll get them a tent for themselves. until then, they'll stay with us. who knows, maybe they'll end up hating it!

 

[Scout80]

I don't think I'd ever buy a tent online, simply because tent sizes vary A LOT (e.g. a 2-person tent might turn out to only fit two TINY people, rather than two regular sized people...) and tent quality varies a lot too.

Always look at the dimensions of the tent, not the capacity.

 

[HydroSqueegee]

now... lets talk other gear. Obviously i'll need sleeping bags and a lantern. Cooking gear: what do i need to expect? I'll toss some food in a cooler and cook it over the fire. Take a cast iron pan and dutch oven? some cheap pots from the thrift store? a little propane grill?
breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas? hotdogs over the fire doesnt sound too appealing.

 

[lozina]

Find a Campmor or Cabella's near you and see this tents up close and personal. It's the best way.

Then you can decide if you want to shop around for a better price

 

[Bignate603]

Not me, I'm recommending two smaller tents. More versatile, less likely to get blown down, and a style less likely to leak like a sieve in the rain.

My apologies, I mixed up Fritzo's reply with yours.

 

[crashtestdummy]

How old are the kids? If they can stand being in a separate tent, consider getting two tents, as suggested elsewhere. The REI and EMS store brands are good for car camping, and have pretty good rain protection. I might recommend, for example, getting this and this tent. Have the kids stay in the bigger one, and it'll be big enough for everyone to play games on a rainy day. I know they seem expensive, but these tents will last you a decade if you treat them right, and it's still much cheaper than a couple nights in a hotel.

 

[shortylickens]

Two small tents.

Do NOT get Ozark Trail or Coleman. Anything else will be fine.

 

[Zedtom]

Enjoy your camping experience while your kids are young. When you get older you'll agree with the sign I saw on a motel in a small town in the Colorado mountains.

You're too old to be sleeping on the ground.

 

[crashtestdummy]

when the kids are older, i'll get them a tent for themselves. until then, they'll stay with us. who knows, maybe they'll end up hating it!

Ah. Was typing up my response when you wrote this. Consider a partitioned 8 person tent like this one, so you can at least get a little privacy, and so there's plenty of space for everyone. It'll also remain useful as the kids get older, bigger, and more independent.

 

[crashtestdummy]

now... lets talk other gear. Obviously i'll need sleeping bags and a lantern. Cooking gear: what do i need to expect? I'll toss some food in a cooler and cook it over the fire. Take a cast iron pan and dutch oven? some cheap pots from the thrift store? a little propane grill?
breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas? hotdogs over the fire doesnt sound too appealing.

Cheap pots are better. Cast iron has so much heat capacity, you'll struggle to get it warm enough. I'm a fan of whisperlites for stoves, but if you've got a family of five and you're only car camping, I'd recommend the classic Coleman Stove (there's also a grill version if you prefer).

It's funny how much really simple food like baked beans, hot dogs, corned beef hash, oatmeal, and the like tastes better on camping trips. I refuse to eat oatmeal when at home, but love it when camping. Pasta is always good, and you can make some simple pesto and bring it on the trip. Eggs will last a while, so eggs and bacon make a great meal. A must is tea and hot cocoa every morning. It helps pull people out of their tents and gets them warmed up if it's a cool morning.

Also, headlamps are your friend! Get at least a couple for you and your wife.