# Talk Me Out of a Coleman Tent



## Big_B (Feb 17, 2019)

Lots of better options just not at that price point.


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## Andy H. (Oct 13, 2003)

Because if you get a Colemen tent, it's a the start of a slippery slope until you get Coleman sleeping bags and the next thing will be a crappy stereo for your home, followed by, God forbid, a beige mini-van?

And before you realize it, your only escape will be to do what Frank had to do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-vNpmjfsI


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## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

The first thing I look at when buying a tent is does the rainfly go all the way to the ground. If it doesn't I keep on looking. I had some bad experiences when i was younger and continue to see people have bad experiences with tents that dont have a good rain fly.


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## carloritschl (May 23, 2015)

Andy H. said:


> Because if you get a Colemen tent, it's a the start of a slippery slope until you get Coleman sleeping bags and the next thing will be a crappy stereo for your home, followed by, God forbid, a beige mini-van


Haha. I know! I swear I have better judgement in gear, but I can't find anything with a screen room like that in a 4 person tent...


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## Pine (Aug 15, 2017)

Coleman definitely makes some marginal quality gear, but I have found a few Coleman products that I have to give them some credit for. Note, this is coming from some one who is super picky about gear.

For example, while the sheet metal bodies on some of their stoves can feel a bit flimsy, their burners are super efficient and the controls are top notch. They are also safer than most, if not all, other stoves out there. I had a Partner Steel stove burst into a ball of flames. I have at least two Coleman stoves that have taken many years of abuse and still work great.

I also have an old Coleman folding camp kitchen table that has taken an absolute beating over the last 15 years and is still going strong. Its light and very packable. It blows the doors off other more expensive tables like the roll-a-table. I also have a couple of Coleman propane lanterns that I really like.

I have no experience with their tents, but I'd avoid any that have fiberglass poles. Apart from that, I'd be willing to take a look at any of their equipment. If it works, and the price is right, why not.


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## luckylauren (Apr 3, 2016)

Buy nice or buy twice....

That said, my biggest tent issues seem to always be zipper related. Those sandy beaches seem to always take a toll on the zipper. I had a walmart special that I used, up until the zipper broke on a week long trip in Moab. We made do with some safety pins and good attitudes (was not spider proof- at all)- but it was a stressful night when a wind storm and rain storm came and and it seemed like it was going to blow us away.

Maybe you should buy the Coleman tent and come back and let us know why you shouldn't have bought it. Or why it was adequate enough to suit your needs!


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## protechie (Jun 16, 2005)

I have no problem using my Coleman sundome for river trips and car camping. The floor is waterproof and robust, add a cheap blue tarp underneath if you want and it will be bomber. I think the key with Coleman tents is that all positive reviews have to come with the caveat *for the price*. I think they are an awesome value and will get the job done. I’ve had a 3-man for over a decade and it’s still going strong. Bought a 6-man to fit cots 2 years ago and it’s performing well. Importantly for me, if either of these hit the crapper tomorrow I would feel like I got more than my money’s worth and wouldn’t cry about having to buy another tent. I like not feeling like I have to baby it all the time. I’m a gear head about some stuff, but I’ve been sleeping in a Coleman most of my life and don’t feel the need to spend more on a tent (except for backpacking of course). One recommendation- spend extra money on a model that has a hinged door. It seems cheesy, but my sister has one and the convenience is awesome, well worth the price.


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## wack (Jul 7, 2015)

I've had good luck with Coleman tents at Festivals, Car camping, since the 80's.

Understand the following:
1. it won't ever fit back into the original bag....at least they never used to
2. not a tent for an April storm in CO where there's potential for big snow/rain.
3. You will more than likely get your $$$ worth out of it. Just understand you aren't going to be passing it down to your kids like I am with my Northface VE-25 or my Cabela's Alaskan Guide.
4. the tent will die in the following order: zipper, poles, floor

I just got the REI Grand Hut 4 for the wife and I and our cots and it's super easy for us to put up, while I let my kids sleep/set up my 20 yr old Kelty backpacking tent. https://youtu.be/8UEizPqx6Xc


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## markhusbands (Aug 17, 2015)

I've had a few over the years and they're okay, but the fiberglass poles always fail and the sleeve tips get packed with mud. I've settled on smaller mountain hardwear tents for boating. And they usually have that stiff flooring that stuffs really badly.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

no screen porch but I have used one of these tents for so many years I forgot when I got it. Every thing from Buffalo River gravel bars, to CO-NM-UT windy sand bars and red rock sites. amazing floors.

Meramac 4 ZF FG | ALPS Mountaineering


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## jeffro (Oct 13, 2003)

If you want a tent, buy a better tent. If you want a screened porch, buy that separately. If the bugs are too much for you then you probably want something bigger so you can cook, socialize, whatever. Not sure I could tie my shoe in that "porch".


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## Amoon (Jun 5, 2018)

Andy H. said:


> Because if you get a Colemen tent, it's a the start of a slippery slope until you get Coleman sleeping bags and the next thing will be a crappy stereo for your home, followed by, God forbid, a beige mini-van?
> 
> And before you realize it, your only escape will be to do what Frank had to do:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU-vNpmjfsI


Haha. The consequences can be dire.

Actually, I’ll second all of the sentiments expressed thus far. My experience with tents Has been hit or miss. Dollars spent seem to be way less of an indicator of quality than random luck. I hate pouring money into an expensive tent when I feel like the odds of survival are only slightly better than a tent costing 1/4 the price (btw...the odds are poor in my experience for all tents unless you baby them).

A question of ethics.... buy a cheap tent (or other gear) and treat it as a disposable item (filling the landfills, un-ethical production processes, etc) vs buying a more expensive piece in the hopes that a portion of the extra money went to a quality piece of gear that you will use for many years and another portion went to ethical production processes. No guarantees though. Your extra money might have only gone to company profits. I want to be a responsible citizen of the world, yet I sometimes get skeptical that the extra $$ I pay just goes straight to clever marketing and corporate profits.


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## carloritschl (May 23, 2015)

jeffro said:


> If you want a tent, buy a better tent. If you want a screened porch, buy that separately. If the bugs are too much for you then you probably want something bigger so you can cook, socialize, whatever. Not sure I could tie my shoe in that "porch".


This is a fair point.


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## spacecase (Oct 20, 2011)

My experience with these coleman sundome and related style tents is that I have the 8x7 that my 11 year old uses for him and his friends that he got for his 8th birthday and a behemoth 12x12 that I use for car camping and have used on the river once. I personally like them and find that for a desert trip, they can't be beat, especially as seems to be the theme here, for the price. One thing to note is that in strong wind, their defense mechanism is to lay down, but not blow away. Sort of the "bend but don't break" idea. The smaller 8x7 is more resistant to this feature when guyed properly. The floor on these tents is pretty hard-core, it's basically blue tarp material. I have been out in a San Juan wind and rain storm where a small creek formed under the tent, but it stayed dry inside. I personally would not opt for that screen porch feature, as you will likely not be hanging out in the vestibule of a 4 person tent and it's just more "sail" if you encounter wind. The tents do make a good screen structure if you need skeeter protection on dry nights. They are easy to set up and at $45 (if you forgo the porch feature) they make a great tent for river/car camping purposes, especially if you're in the desert where every tent is just slowly being worn away.


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## 76763 (Jul 16, 2018)

I've spent a fair amount of time in tents, mostly backpacking but of course river trips as well. All of the concerns expressed above are good ones, but the biggest issue I see with the proposed Coleman is the fly. Limited coverage, in a sustained pour you could become really miserable. 

Check out www.sierratradingpost.com. Great site for new-but-discounted/discontinued gear. I glanced at it just now, here's a possible candidate: 

https://www.sierra.com/kelty-acadia...n-3-season~p~242hc/?filterString=tents~d~228/ 

Lots of other large tents there, many at or below your price point. Good luck!

-Tom


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

Just my opinion, actually, not just my opinion, but I'd never buy a tent that did not have the rain fly go completely to the ground with a drip line some distance away from the tent tub. But then if this tent is intended for the desert, they say it never rains and the wind never blows in the desert(HA).

Nor would I buy a tent of this size with fiberglass poles that long.

Also previously stated, there are better bug houses.

But since you asked, what will it take to talk you out of it? Visualize me on knees, hands clasped, begging you not to do it. Is that enough?


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

Here is my recommendation for a 4 person river tent which means big enough to put two cots in with room between and the vestibule is large enough for bikes(not used on river). It ain't cheap but no good tent is. They are 20% off right now which still ain't cheap but worth every penny.

https://www.rei.com/product/136057/rei-co-op-base-camp-4-tent


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

Wow, this seems like a newbie floating the marsh creek thread. First thought was OP was trolling. because who packs a 4 pole tent 4 person? Really, you better not go to the owyhee with that tent! Or a number of other rivers with wind. Next a water proof floor wont help if the fly don't go to the ground. If you are in that tent in 20 mph winds and rain. You are wet and miserable! 

IMHO I'd find a 3 season tent at the very least..


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## [email protected] (Jun 1, 2010)

*walmart*

Lets do not forget Walmart.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tr...t-ConnecTent-for-Straight-leg-Canopy/46271757
or this
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tr...hguid=c7894381-742-169e522e600eba&athena=true
Cheaper then a motel room (sorry OP could not resist)


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## DidNotWinLottery (Mar 6, 2018)

I use the Coleman 4 Person Insta Set tent, had it now for many years and its really good. Under 30 seconds set up is nice on the river. All tents have cheap ass plastic zippers, stupid connectors, cheap poles, ect. So why pay big money for a tent that takes an hour to set up.


Only ever seen one good tent, was sold for less then a year, never marketed and at the time out fitters bought them like crazy. Had metal zippers, aircraft aluminum poles, carbines to clip to poles, set up in seconds.....Was just too good I guess. Dog jumped through the back during a fire works display.


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

I guess it now obvious that it boils down to what each person considers quality and how much they are willing to spend. Simply put, to each their own. I know what works for me and have seen many times what fails for other people.


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## markfortcollins (Aug 20, 2015)

IMO you're going to regret this purchase. Like others have mentioned, Coleman is hit and miss. Stoves are very durable and dependable, lanterns the same, but this particular tent I see being a waste. If you hit any weather at all you are going to regret purchasing this tent. The vestibule doesnt look that great to sit in anyhow... cramped... cant even stand up in it from what I see. Yes, you will spend double (depending on when you buy... REI 20% off sale is going on now) on other tents, but the value received is well worth the extra money. I'd rather lather up in bug spray than hang out in this vestibule. Good luck. I recommend buying something better quality. Stick with Coleman stoves... not tents.


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## 90Duck (Nov 19, 2012)

carloritschl said:


> I've been on enough floats now to know that mosquitos seem to be an annoying part of many campsites. The thought of an extra screened in porch is appealing for hanging out, escaping the bugs, and not feeling like you are just locked in a tent.
> 
> Thanks!





Take a look at the Big Agnes Tensleep Station 4. Quality construction and materials, including aluminum poles and a fly that goes all the way down. It is tall enough for roll-a-cots and has a built in vestibule that can be configured multiple ways, and is big enough to shelter from bugs/rain in camp chairs. We got ours for around $250 on an REI Outlet clearance/coupon a couple of years back when they were updating the design and colors for a new model year. My only complaint is that I wish the floor material was a bit thicker. We generally set it up on a sand mat that extends out into the vestibule as a porch floor.


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

Sight unseen, I like the features of that Big Agnes. 

But I've been skunked by Big Agnes before. Conceptually everything they do is perfect. However, I bought a sleeping bag that supposedly integrated with inserted ground pad. F'in froze my ass off doing a late October ascent camping at timberline of a fourteen'er. Returned that concept immediately(thank you Big Agnes/REI but you still owe me for a frozen butt).

But again, what can I say, to each their own. That Big Agnes tent does looks great.


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## Canyon Coolers (Apr 15, 2011)

I've had North Face and Sierra Designs and liked them both. The North Face had glow in the dark zipper pulls and that was not a bad thing at all. If I were looking NEW again I'd give Big Agnes a hard look, they make some 'different stuff' but they obsesses over design, they push the envelope, and I think I have a man crush on them.


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## The Mogur (Mar 1, 2010)

I bought a $49.95 Coleman "4-person" dome tent in 1995. I used it on at least 50 raft trips, up through last year. I never got wet in it, it was an easy one-man setup, and it didn't require stakes in the ground. Never had any problem with the poles. 

I bought a new Coleman tent last year to replace it. And paid $49.95.


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## GeoRon (Jun 24, 2015)

Ouch, what can I say except that with regard to a $50 tent, I'd think twice. I respect my ass and a pleasant overnight in the rain and wind more than $50. But it is yours and enjoy it until you might decide otherwise.

But when you say it didn't require stakes in the ground, all credibility totally lost. It just says that you've never been there done that. Perhaps, I'm harsh. Sorry. Maybe your are just saying it is self supporting.


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## 2tomcat2 (May 27, 2012)

Higher price tents, especially last year's models, can be found on many outdoor sites, even Kohls! Add a coupon or promo code, watch for free shipping and grab a great deal. Takes a bit of researching different sites, but a good, long lasting tent, a full rain fly and reliable zippers (maybe THE most important maintenance item), is worth it.


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## Greenerthangreen (Dec 17, 2018)

https://www.rei.com/product/147958/rei-co-op-kingdom-6-tent

Quality tent. A little bigger than the 4 person, but they also do have a 4 person. I like the 6 with larger room on half for everyone sleeping and then using the other side for lounging. 
I’d say get a quality tent that will last you for years.


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## gnawdoow (Apr 8, 2005)

*coleman tents rock*

I have been using a coleman tent as my main rafting tent for 5 years now. It's and instantent 4 person. Super fast to rig and fits on my boat. The only downside is the weight of the tent, not really a concern for rafting. I haven't had any troubles with it. I rinse it inside and out after each sand use to keep the zippers from clogging and get the dust out of it. no complaints.


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## foco2 (Jun 30, 2016)

we had a 2 man coleman for years. It was a great design and we searched for a replacement but nothing else has quite measured up since then. We simply wore it out after years of hard use. Never got wet or blown away. I've had big agnes tents that i returned after one river trip due to the thin material on the floor. We also had mountain hardwear and REI. All were in an effort to replace the old coleman.


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## salmonjammer (Dec 14, 2011)

We had a 4 person Coleman Instatent. Used it for about 3 years, then a friend we raft got tired of watching us set up the tent in less than a minute, so he bought the 6 man. We retired our 4 person to our daughter and son-in-law, and picked up the 6 man. Just enough room to stand up in and a little more room around the outside of the air mattress. Very happy with both. Wish they had a better fly but our last trip in the driving rain, we were no wetter than anyone else. 

One other thing I will say about Coleman, is they appear to stand behind their product. We lost the bag for our roll up table (blew away in one of those lower salmon winds). Wrote them a letter about how to purchase a new one, and they just sent it, no questions ask. We raft about 4 times a year and at least one 5-6 day trip on salmon (depending on permits). Biggest problem with tent is it is tough to find a dry bag that it will fit into. Kind of long.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

Those fiberglass poles on the tent you are looking at are junk. The bigger the tent, the more worthless and prone to snapping they will be. In any kind of severe weather they will be a floppy mess, as well, you know...right before they snap.

Spend the extra money on quality aluminum poles. Not fiberglass poles or cheapy type, low grade aluminum poles. QUALITY aluminum poles.

These days, Mountain Hardwear tents are the ones I trust. I used to be a The North Face fan back in my alpine climbing days but they lost their way in corporate greed over quality a long time ago. MH still gets it and stands behind their products with great customer service, too.


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## Dr.AndyDVM (Jul 28, 2014)

SpringBar tent. Sets up in minutes. You can stand up in them. A hurricane can’t knock them down( https://youtu.be/h-0bZoGm9Is ). They will outlive you and maybe your kids. Never leak. Steel and aluminum poles. Everything on them: mesh windows, zippers, fabric panels, etc can be repaired by the factory for very little money. Made in Utah by Americans for over 50 years. 

Costs a lot more than $45.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

Springbar tents are super nice, quality tents.

They are also heavy and bulky as hell.

I have a similar design and relatively small (for canvas tents) Kodiak Canvas 2 person tent for early\ late season raft trips and even that comes in at 31 lbs. The full sized ones get in the 70+ lbs range pretty fast. Great tents but a FYI heads up, too.


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## Z_in_MT (Mar 30, 2017)

Lots of good feedback here. I will add that I have a Coleman tent that I 'inherited' (my dad bought it for a single hunting trip about 18 years ago, and has not tent-camped since) that I have used on plenty of car camping, rafting multi-day trips, and hunting trips. I occasionally wonder when it's going to fail me but it keeps on kicking! Only thing that happened (as others have cautioned about) is one fiberglas pole broke... I just duct taped it and it is still working. I use it maybe 3 times a year and it was definitely a good acquisition (considering it did not cost me anything! but even for what my dad paid it has been a worthwhile investment). 



I like it because it is a 6-person so I can stand up in it and use cots if I want. It has been through a few VERY rainy/windy Smith River (MT) spring floats where it kept me dry and stood up mostly well (strong wind will lay it over a bit - guying it out helps). 



I also have some higher-end backpacking tents from REI, Big Agnes and others. I like these, too, but mainly for their weight savings. I do not bring them on the river as I like to keep them for backpacking. 



YMMV


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## Dr.AndyDVM (Jul 28, 2014)

I have 2 Springbars. One is a 2-3 person made for packing on mules or rafting with collapsible poles. It weighs about 30 pounds and fits in my roll top dry bags that are about the diameter of a 5 gallon bucket. 

The bigger tent is heavy, but holds more people. 

I bought my 2 tents before Kodiak ripped off the Springbar design and started manufacturing them for less in China. I’ve had a chance to look at the Kodiaks and they look well made and are hard to tell apart from the Springbars. I don’t know how durable they are. They are definitely less expensive. 

The Kirkhams stands behind their SpringBar tents and repairs them when your kid punches a hole though it with a sharp stick. And they do it for practically nothing. I don’t know what Kodiak does for repairs.


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## griz (Sep 19, 2005)

Yeah,Kodiak Canvas is definitely putting a dent in Springbar’s lunch these days.

I wanted to like the Springbar 2 person more than the Kodiak one but the side walls come in at too steep a angle for my use and burn up allot of interior space. It also makes it tougher to safely heat with enough vertical clearance for these colder late/early season raft trips, as well. Kodiak did a nice design tweak there with the steeper walls and that sold me over the Springbar. I attached a couple screenshots for comparison below.

Also, to folks as a FYI, if buying Springbar for the Made in USA aspect, make sure to read the descriptions as some of their tents are Made in China now, too. The Springbar Highline series primarily. Also, for the rest, though sewn up in the USA, which is certainly great, the fabrics,etc are all Made in China, as well.


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## carloritschl (May 23, 2015)

Quick update here... I found the tent on a random site for $120 + free shipping. At that price point my curiosity got the best of me and I want to test it. I will report back on how it goes


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