Tent for car camping?

"Coleman tents are inexpensive, are dry and for the most part bulletproof."

I must politely disagree.

Something like this is not going to be weather proof:

And that is the basic design of many coleman tents.

Other initial searches look similar. Not that Coleman tents can't be decent, the majority are not in my experience.

A Eureka, Kelty or REI housebrand (or similar) is not that much more money and is going to be more more weather worthy overall.

At lest imo.

Again, I am a big advocate of large "backpacking" tents for car camping. They do better than dedicated base camp tents imo. They also set up quickly and do not take up a huge footprint. Important for the dispersed camping we do. We want spacious…but anything too huge also is not as heat efficient besides being too large for many dispersed sites. Again, we camp out in deep winter as well (-7F in Chaco Canyon one December, single digits in the Sand Dunes in November). Your needs may be different.

As for hanging out in the camp chair…

If it is raining and not cold, a tarp set up works wonders. If it is raining and cold, I am in my bag and reading. :)

One thought about size: by all mean size up from 2, but I might shy away from 6. 4 is probably just right.

I have a six-person BA King Creek (no longer made). There's a lot I like about it, however a downside is it can be too large for some car camping sites.

I've never totally not been able to set it up, but I've had to really fudge and finagle some sites. And I only use it about once a year.

I had a Coleman Sundowner 4 person tent. Overall it was a nice tent, lots of standing room and space for 2. It did leak all around the seams where the floor met the body. I gave it to a friend and bought me a Marmot Limelight 4P tent, with 2 doors and lots of ventilation. It's more of a bp style tent but it did fine on a platform for car camping. I even used a small folding cot inside. No leaks, no having to seam seal either. I can stand up somewhat to dress and sit up on the cot. I'm happy with the purchase.

I have a Tarptent scarp 2 and it has plenty of room for 2. The site even shows 3 mattresses in it.
But you'd have to sleep head-to-toe to fit 3 somewhat comfortably.

For car camping ONLY look at Cabela's selections. And REI had some walk-in tents too.

Howdy,
For car camping, we take a 20 lb, 4 season bombproof shelter. Our current unit is the Snow Peak Amenity dome. We've come back after a days outings in places like Death Valley, where 60 MPH gusts are common, and found our tent secure and stable. Other tents are flat or blown away with all the folding chairs, easy ups and coolers, ect.
A 4 season tent allows you to seal out the dust/ blowing rain. Big steel stakes hold it down and the huge vestibule provides me a stormproof place to sit in a chair with the cooler and a cook set on a milk crate. My family is cozy inside.
It was $350, but it has been on a dozen or more trips to the East Side, Death Valley, Yosemite, Big Sur and a 2 month trip to Baja Sur. And with proper care will last until UV kills the fly. If I lost it, I'd get the same one.

2 cents, stephan

For car camping my choice is Cabelas Alaskan Guide 8. I have 6 different tents and it is my favorite, bar none. It is very room, you can stand up in it and is absolutely, positively bombproof. It was designed for used by bear guides on Kodiak Island in Alaska.

Here are a few videos of it. Ther first one shows it in a horrific storm on Kodiak Island. The next is a walk through of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylrnSDprIM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDDRnmX7EkA

Back when I used to car camp a lot I had a Cabelas Alaskan Guide 6 and can attest that it is a dry and bomber shelter. It isn't cheap and it isn't light but it is very durable and weatherproof.

I don't do much car camping anymore and when I do I use a big mid that I can also use for backpacking.

I was in Cabela's a couple of month's ago and they had one of those tents set up…I must have to say they are pretty cool!

I've been tossing around the idea of getting a large Tipi with a stove for car camping in cold weather. I'd get the screen doors too to keep bugs out in nicer weather.

In the winter, when it gets dark at 4:00, If the weather is nasty i can have the option of sitting in a chair reading inside the Tipi while having a fire in the stove…pretty cool, but definitely not cheap. You can get partial floors, nests, and liners for them as well. Lot's of stake out points, but just one pole. I've been looking at the Seek Outside versions.

Another option you have with a double wall tent and heat is just a simple Mr Buddy heater. I have used a Mr Buddy in a Cabelas Alaskan Guide tent as well as other family car camping tents and it gets roasting hot in there with the fly all closed up.

The heater is safe for indoor use and a lot more convenient than cutting wood and feeding the stove. Just turn it on and sit back.

Ben

I can attest to how well those Mr Buddy heaters work. They will roast you out in a hurry. I use a Big Buddy occasionally in my 32' camper.

They are indoor safe, however still do need a little bit of ventilation to keep from smothering someone. Wouldn't be an issue in most tents I bet, but wanted to throw it out there.

Ryan

Good time to buy one of the various tents discussed (including the Hobitat).

No coupon code needed. Discount at checkout. http://www.rei.com/outlet

"No coupon code needed. Discount at checkout. http://www.rei.com/outlet"

Curse you, Paul!! (B2W lobbing a quick reprimand before clicking over to REI…).