Ok my 15 year old field and stream tent is coming to an end of its life. It has been a good tent that slept 5 comfortably. So any recommendations? Something on the cheaper end of the spectrum and easily set up and sleeps 6 or more so we have room for gear.
There was a unit at Bass Pro that was awesome a few years ago. The cover pretty much went over every zipper area, Which is the secret to a dry camping experience in the rain.
This is the same one I use only without the gear room on the end. I don't think min cost much more than that with the extra space. I have had goo service from it for two years.
RTT are not for Southeast outdoorsmen. Anything that attaches to your vehicle for that matter.
Sorry if you fit this category, but we camp within minutes of the trail head for multiple days.
You don't wear cleats to a prom, you don't wear crocs to play basketball. Attaching your vehicle to your tent around here is painful. You're not breaking up camp daily....
I'm pretty sure it was a Eureka at Bass I bought years ago. And it was decent.
My brother had a 10x12 from Costco for a LONG time and it was $100 I think and slept the entire Philharmonic.
And you should use your tent weeks within a year. Most folks who have the Oz Tents do use them a handful of times per year.
There's two types of tents. The type you buy when the weather is nice and you DECIDE to go camping. And then the type that will withstand the any weather that you might run into because you chose to camp 2 months before the date, not knowing what you'll camp in. Oz Tents are for those people.
Oz used to sell the Microfast tents, which were easier on the wallet, but had no head-room. Those were the best tents ever. period. I sold my used one last year for $100... it was 5 years old.
My recommendation is to go to walmarts, find the one with the biggest rain fly. Like this:
I have always had Kelty tents. Never had anything more than a 2 person tent but I'm sure they make 6 person tents. The cost a tad more but will hold up to years of use. I still have my vortex 2 that's at least 10 years old
For car based camping, I like a bulletproof heavy tent. Hal has a Eureka that he's had probably 17 years, and the coatings are just now starting to break down a little bit. I feel like that Alps one is pretty well constructed and would last a similar amount of time.
I've spent a couple of nights in that Eureka in pretty legit downpours, one of which ran a family in a Coleman tent out of the campsite after Hal and I helped them set it up after dark.
I camped in minimal tents at summer camp one year growing up, and after being damp and uncomfortable overnight for a few nights back to back, I like the idea of something with a full coverage fly and heavy duty floor. Particularly if the only penalty is a little extra space and wight, neither of which are at a premium for the kind of camping I like doing now. YMMV though.
I lost my old tent in a flash flood at Super lift about 4 years ago and but Josh Bakers oz tent floated when the Rain came and he was dry and didn't know the flood came. That sold me. Yes expensive but it will be the last tent I have to buy for a long long time. I love it and yes could live in it for a time period if needed.
For $200-250, you can get a monster sized Coleman that will hold up in rain, but not a heavy storm. We got one called The Hampton about 4 years ago at Target and it's our road trip tent. It measures 14 x 10 and a 6ft person can stand in it. Weighs about 40lbs though. Its good for warmer weather since the roof is all mesh. The rainfly covers all that but it can still get breezy and a propane tent heater would not be effective. 6 big windows that zip up are nice too.
