Wenzel tents any good?

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Max.Powerzz

Max.Powerzz

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I've poked around looking at reviews but haven't found much. Are Wenzel tents any good? This isn't for any serious outback adventure, but as a wedding present for a tent-less brother in law. I want something decent that won't leak but also affordable, comparable to Coleman. Any opinions?
 
With a name like "Wenzel"...;p

They are really good tents, if you're looking for a throwaway tent for extremely mild weather for around $30-$40.

I have had two Wenzel tents, both were "guest tents" that I brought to beach camps in mild weather for people who didn't have their own gear. The smaller tents (solo, 2-man) aren't terrible; they're lightweight, and of very simple construction, which kind of counters their cheap materials used. The larger tents won't hold up for more than a few uses, and are not suitable for any kind of weather or extreme temps.

The next step up would be the Target-licensed "Greatland" tents, which are similar construction, and Target will take them back if they're defective. Then Coleman, which varies from tent to tent. Target also licenses the Eddie Bauer name on tents, which are kind of the top of the line of the bottom of the line tents. I had an Eddie Bauer tent which surpassed all my expectations and kicked ass in all kinds of weather, holding up well for many trips.

It depends on your price range, but you can find some good deals on Campmor.com's Hot Deals website. Spend a few more bucks and you won't have to Wenzel your bro in law.
 
cheap tents suck. nothing says, 'i hope you and my sis get soaked by a freak storm at 2AM in the middle of nowhere', like a wenzel.

sierra trading is always good for a deal. i'd look around for a closeout name brand tent somewhere on the net or just opt for a gift that could be of quality for a lower price.

either that or package in a large blue tarp from home depot with 4 extra stakes.

jp
 
Shahram said:
With a name like "Wenzel"...;p

It depends on your price range, but you can find some good deals on Campmor.com's Hot Deals website. Spend a few more bucks and you won't have to Wenzel your bro in law.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips. I actually found the deal for the Wenzel on Campmor in their hot deal section, so that's why I was hoping they were decent. They were close to the price of Colemans, which I know aren't the best, but get the job done. This tent will sadly probably only get used once or twice in its lifetime so I didn't want to spring for a nice one; we were going to get some sleeping bags and other stuff too to make it a "camping package." Maybe I'll have to go another route, just trying to get them to the outdoors somehow.
 
If you have a marshalls or tj maxx in your area, look at what they have on clearance. I was able to pick up a coleman exponent seige 2 backpacking tent for $16.00 new in the box. That tent's msrp is $159.00. I also picked up a coleman 20 degree hybrid mummy bag, and a couple of coleman canyon 32 degree mummy bags to keep around in case the power goes out. Those bags retail new for between 59.99 and 79.99. I got em all for less than 20.00 a piece. One stays in the truck if i get stranded and need to sleep in it. I live in NC, so the odds of actually needing a -40 degree bag are slim to none.
 
they also have some of the larger coleman tents there at the marshalls by my house. the kenai and eagle rock. The new Sundowner tents are pretty nice, and guarantee they are waterproof.

If they are new campers, chances are they are gonna be fair weather campers. Something enough to handle a good rain shower, but not 3 weeks worth of 20 degree snowy nights.

Shoot, I finally got around to throwing away my 28 year old pup tent.....
 
As stevezero said, if you can get anything from the Coleman Exponent line (their "top end" line) for cheap, it'll be worth it. I had a two-man "Galileo" tent that I picked up for $50 that I recently gave away, but that was one hell of a good tent. Lightweight, aluminum poles, two doors and vestibules, and it stood up to heavy winds and plenty of rain storms.
 
i saw the stuff i ended up buying when i tagged along with my wife doing some Christmas shopping. Prices were marked down from regular, but i kept waiting. After Christmas, they dropped again. And again, and again...I got greedy and waited a day too long on a 32 degree hybrid/mummy bag (mummy at the top, rectangular at the bottom for movement) they sold the last one...instead i picked up the other two mummy bags. I've slept in one a few nights in the house, its comfy. i think it might get a bit cold around the lower edge of the ratings, but for the price, i couldnt beat it.

My siege has three poles (all color coded to the slits they side into (red, gold and silver). It also has a large vestibule, and packs down very small. I plan on using it for kayak camping.

If you do get em a tent, get one with large no-seeum mesh panels for ventilation, and a full rain fly. An attached vestibule is nice. keeps you dry when getting out of the shoes in the rain. The full rain fly will keep the winds from getting under the fly and tent, liftin em off the ground.

I like having a seperate screen room to put all the cooking stuff in. This way, no smoke in the tent(if the vestibule is attached), and worst case, if the stove catches the screen room on fire, you can still have somethin to sleep in (didnt happen to us, but someone further up the beach.

Eureka's are also very nice. Middle of the road in pricing. We bought 6 of them in the 80s to use for group outings. They held up very well to kid usage...

The absolute best advice I can give is, give them a tent that youd like to have....that way, when they have an absolutely miserable time camping, they will just give you the tent back.....
 
What Marshalls?? I stopped by a couple and they had the cheaper tents, very cheap tho, $20-30, some smaller for $12. Saw an exponent mummy bag for $20 and almost bought it, but I usually camp with my wife, so I might be warm but wouldnt sleep with her giving me crap..
SC
 
i went to the marshalls in greensboro, nc... i pretty much cleaned em out of the good stuff. you should grab that mummy bag just to keep in the truck for emergencies. or sell it on ebay.

It's pretty much slim pickings there now, with the really cheap stuff left. The coleman eagle rock tent (the now 20.00 one) is the same one target sells for 70.00.

tj maxx is owned by the same company, so they have alot of the same stuff, might be worth checking them out too.
 
A little late but I finally got it, a Coleman "Corvus" 9x8 tent from Costco. It was only $49.99 and seems to be a good starter tent. We would have gotten a nicer one but unfortunately I don't think it will get used much. I tried my hardest to get the boy to buy a cruiser but he wanted a camry...oh well, at least he'll get good gas mileage.
 
I saw that tent at Costco last week. Let me know how you like it. I'm thinking about it for a family beach trip (where the high ceiling and losta screen would be nice).
 
It's the same one. I bought it for my brother-in-law so hopefully it will get some good use. We're planning on going on a camping trip with the newly weds in a couple of months so I'll let you know.

My wife bought me a similar Coleman tent when we were first married about 10 years ago and it was twice the price and a foot shorter. It has done well in the elements but the short length is a pain because my sleeping bag hits it and gets wet from the condensation. This one seems to have much better dimensions, and it has one of those cool "shoe lockers." I know it's gimmicky but I love gimmicky gear.
 
It also has the Guaranteed not to leak floor. That was the biggest fault of the old coleman gear. Even though the seams are welded, make sure you still go over it with seam sealer.
 
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