Large Family Tent Options (1 Viewer)

[1911garand]

Looking for ideas and your personal experiences on large family tents. Located in Minnesota.

I have searched, but usually folks only have 1-2 kids for family cabin camping.

Problem: I have a fairly large family, 2 adults and 4 crazy kids. The tent must be easy-ish to set up - time is limited with these crazy kids.

Would like to fit 1 queen air mattress, 4 cots, 1 table, one electric AC / heat unit inside the tent and still have room.




So far I am considering these:

Robot or human?

26 x 8 ft. Grand Cabin Canvas Camping Tent with Awning

Kodiak Canvas 26 x 8 ft. Grand Cabin Canvas Camping Tent with Awning

www.kodiakcanvas.com

10 x 14 ft. Flex-Bow VX Canvas Camping Tent with Tarp

Kodiak Canvas 10 x 14 ft. Flex-Bow VX Canvas Camping Tent great camping tent and family tent

www.kodiakcanvas.com

Robot or human?

Amazon.com : CORE Lighted 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent - 18' x 10' : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : CORE Lighted 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent - 18' x 10' : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Robot or human?

Thank you!


Here is a picture - because we love pictures:

 

[ewillis]

I have the older version of this. Have had it for 10 years and is our main tent for camping (I have others as well). Love the cabin tent as there are two huge separate rooms. We're just a family of 4 so I use one room for gear and dirty clothes, etc. The other room is only for sleeping. Could fit 8 easily and 8 feet tall, it's great to stand up in. Takes about 20 minutes to set up, but all of us love it.

 

[REKCUT]

I think what your looking for is a trailer. Easy ish and large tent with rooms to spare don't really go together.

 

[1911garand]

Right! We have looked at few nice trailers. Problem is that we will be towing a 18.5' boat for fish\ski, pulled with the 80 series, so a camper trailer is out...for now.

 

[coleAK]

I had a military surplus similar to the big 3 room cabin you have listed that I got from sportsmans guide 20+ years ago. It was awesome to use when set up. But most of the time I used it as a backcountry base camp durring hunting season and would leave it set up for a month. From what you are saying I think some kind of 3 room tent will be optimal. Well that or 3 tents, one for kids, one for you all, one for dining/gear.

 

[oubeta]

Kifaru Tipi all the way. Used these in AK with a stove on several hunts.
My 8 man with Ti stove weighs less than most 4 person tents.

 

[interactivebagel]

Check out the REI Kingdom series. I just bought the Kingdom 4 and set it up in the living room. Seems to be good quality. It's replacing our old Ozark trail.

 

[Jason hansen]

We have a Kodiak. It has served us well. We have been rained on snowed on from Utah down to Baja.

 

[laserturbo91]

Check out the REI Kingdom series. I just bought the Kingdom 4 and set it up in the living room. Seems to be good quality. It's replacing our old Ozark trail.

+1 on the Kingdom series. I have the 6 person and really enjoy it. Turning my “queen” mattress, it fits on one side and allows me to have the two chairs and table set up. I’m not sure if the 8 would give you the extra room you’d need but it’s worth looking into. Also, the night shot shows their “garage” you can add on to give your tent another room. It’s just walls and roof, no ground protection but it’s great to keep the cooler or cook in and stay out of the rain. The “garage” is an extra but adds a lot of value to the tent.

 

[ewillis]

+1 on the Kingdom series. I have the 6 person and really enjoy it. Turning my “queen” mattress, it fits on one side and allows me to have the two chairs and table set up. I’m not sure if the 8 would give you the extra room you’d need but it’s worth looking into. Also, the night shot shows their “garage” you can add on to give your tent another room. It’s just walls and roof, no ground protection but it’s great to keep the cooler or cook in and stay out of the rain. The “garage” is an extra but adds a lot of value to the tent.

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Well...after 10 years my Columbia cabin tent just ripped in Zion. Today, I ordered the Kingdom 8. I will likely add both the "Mud Room" and "Porch" accessories too. Did you purchase the footprint also?

 

[whitenoise]

From a heat retention as well as setup/teardown/storage standpoint, it makes more sense to split the group in half and do 2 smaller tents instead of one. It is easier to find 2 smaller level spots than 1 large in my experience. Also assuming your older kids will stop wanting to do this with you in a few years time, you can still use one of the tents and sell the other (high-quality tents hold their value quite well). I had a REI BaseCamp 6 and it was definitely a chore to setup esp with kids running around. With two OZtents you can also do this with it for weather-resistant lounge/daytime space:

 

[Dunbar]

+1 on the Kingdom series. I have the 6 person and really enjoy it. Turning my “queen” mattress, it fits on one side and allows me to have the two chairs and table set up. I’m not sure if the 8 would give you the extra room you’d need but it’s worth looking into. Also, the night shot shows their “garage” you can add on to give your tent another room. It’s just walls and roof, no ground protection but it’s great to keep the cooler or cook in and stay out of the rain. The “garage” is an extra but adds a lot of value to the tent.

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I got a great deal on a Kingdom 6 with garage from REI. It was about a foot too short to fit the fold-able sleeping pads my wife fancied for the 5 of us. So I sold it to @patride71 for just he and Dana and got the Kingdom 8 and garage. I can fit 2 queen air mattresses easy or 5 cots which is what we usually use. The garage also works on our Hobitat 4 which is much nicer for just me or me and one other. We also tow a boat so the camper is out. We Had the Kingdom 8 pitched on the beach at Munising on Lake Superior. we zipped into town for lunch and while we were gone a couple from Belgium and their kids sat in their vehicle while a squall off the lake tore their tent to shreds. They kept looking at our Kingdom 8 and told us they are buying one. It was sunny when we returned and everything was dry including the 13 suitcases in the garage. It was staked down at all the available points. That was in 2015 and the tent never dissapoints. I do get ribbed from other Scout leaders when I bring the Taj Mahal to a campout.

 

[patride71]

I got a great deal on a Kingdom 6 with garage from REI. It was about a foot too short to fit the fold-able sleeping pads my wife fancied for the 5 of us. So I sold it to @patride71 for just he and Dana and got the Kingdom 8 and garage. I can fit 2 queen air mattresses easy or 5 cots which is what we usually use. The garage also works on our Hobitat 4 which is much nicer for just me or me and one other. We also tow a boat so the camper is out. We Had the Kingdom 8 pitched on the beach at Munising on Lake Superior. we zipped into town for lunch and while we were gone a couple from Belgium and their kids sat in their vehicle while a squall off the lake tore their tent to shreds. They kept looking at our Kingdom 8 and told us they are buying one. It was sunny when we returned and everything was dry including the 13 suitcases in the garage. It was staked down at all the available points. That was in 2015 and the tent never dissapoints. I do get ribbed from other Scout leaders when I bring the Taj Mahal to a campout.

Yeah, we love the Kingdom 6. We used it a number of times with cots as it is large enough to go that direction with it. We've since got a RPod travel trailer, so we don't use the tent much anymore. I've kept it though as ya never know.

 

[ewillis]

I got a great deal on a Kingdom 6 with garage from REI. It was about a foot too short to fit the fold-able sleeping pads my wife fancied for the 5 of us. So I sold it to @patride71 for just he and Dana and got the Kingdom 8 and garage. I can fit 2 queen air mattresses easy or 5 cots which is what we usually use. The garage also works on our Hobitat 4 which is much nicer for just me or me and one other. We also tow a boat so the camper is out. We Had the Kingdom 8 pitched on the beach at Munising on Lake Superior. we zipped into town for lunch and while we were gone a couple from Belgium and their kids sat in their vehicle while a squall off the lake tore their tent to shreds. They kept looking at our Kingdom 8 and told us they are buying one. It was sunny when we returned and everything was dry including the 13 suitcases in the garage. It was staked down at all the available points. That was in 2015 and the tent never dissapoints. I do get ribbed from other Scout leaders when I bring the Taj Mahal to a campout.

Yeah, we love the Kingdom 6. We used it a number of times with cots as it is large enough to go that direction with it. We've since got a RPod travel trailer, so we don't use the tent much anymore. I've kept it though as ya never know.

Hmmm...just set up my brand new Kingdom 8 and am not all that impressed with it. Floor is especially thin IMO and reports of aluminum poles buckling in the wind do not inspire confidence. I like the mesh roof and zippers are decent. At around $450 for the REI, I was expecting it to be a bit more robust...will be returning and going with a Kodiak Canvas for a couple hundred more.

 

[Dunbar]

ewillis, I have had my Kingdom 8 for years. I am an Assistant Scout Master and have used this tent dozens of time on Scout campouts and on many private campouts. I have had it pitched for over a week in the same location at least 4 times. Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains of West Texas is rocky. The floor showed no damage at all after a week. It can withstand squalls off Lake Superior that destroyed other tents.

If you want to return yours go ahead and let us know which REI it goes to. That way one of us can jump on it in their garage sale and have a tent that lasts decades.

 

[ewillis]

ewillis, I have had my Kingdom 8 for years. I am an Assistant Scout Master and have used this tent dozens of time on Scout campouts and on many private campouts. I have had it pitched for over a week in the same location at least 4 times. Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains of West Texas is rocky. The floor showed no damage at all after a week. It can withstand squalls off Lake Superior that destroyed other tents.

If you want to return yours go ahead and let us know which REI it goes to. That way one of us can jump on it in their garage sale and have a tent that lasts decades.

REI Rancho Cucamonga...tent will be there next weekend. Enjoy.

 

[1911garand]

Thank you for all the posts and information.

Alright. I've narrowed it down to two tents. Both are 10x14 canvas tents.

Let me know if you have experience with these two:

Family Explorer Cabin Tent, Deluxe 10’x14'

100% Premium Cotton Canvas Family Cabin tents are water repellent with silver coated roof, large windows & doors ideal for large groups, scouts campers, outdoors, RV & Car Tents, glamping, hunting. Reliable comfortable breathable sturdy tent for Coachella, Burning Man, Electric Daisy Music...

whiteduckoutdoors.com

10 x 14 ft. Flex-Bow Basic Canvas Camping Tent

Kodiak Canvas 10 x 14 ft. Flex-Bow Basic Canvas Camping Tent great camping tent and family tent

www.kodiakcanvas.com

Thanks!

 

[leonard_nemoy]

My family has been camping out of spring bar tents for a long time. Mine could fit six people easy. Kodiak tents are a Chinese knock off of a spring bar. but I have read great things about them and I think they are comparable and I bet you would be more than happy with one. Canvas rocks, we have a stove hole in one of our spring bars and can heat it with an old army wood burning stove. Our other one we heat with a Mr buddy heater. Here is a pic of all 3 set up last December on a bison hunting trip.

It was below 0f in the mornings and the first thing we would do was fire up the wood burning stove and get breakfast cooked. Than everybody would pile in the 70f tent and get warmed up while eating breakfast before heading out for the day.

 

[Corbet]

I had a 6 person Sierra Designs family tent that I hated. Sorry I don’t recall the model. But it could not take wind. Poles bent all the time. Sand destroyed the zippers. Only used it like 20 nights tops and it sucked. As a result we ended up getting a pop-up camper to replace it.

I grew up in a 6 man Hilary Canvas tent that my parents got from Sears. It lasted my entire youth of multiple week long trips each summer. If I were going to go back to a ground tent again it would probably be a Springbar or similar. I’ve only got a family of three so the RTT is ideal for us when we don’t take the camper.

 

[ewillis]

This is a massive upgrade to the REI tent I just returned. Very happy with the Kodiak Canvas so far and worth the price of admission. Off to the Sierras next week!