which tent to buy looking for a 3 season family tent

[pbgbottle]

hey guys .which tent should i get or if you have other suggestions .
i know they are big but it is not for camping in the back country in my cruiser.
i have my small marmot limelight for that
it is for our family wateskiing trip we do every year 5 of us and we like the room for junk we go for 14 days .twice a summer.
and it has been know to rain for 6 days straight on us .
and i hate my stuff getting wet and i don't like to hang up tarps.
anyways i am looking for a quality tent .
i am looking at these two . cabelas

Cabela's: Cabela's Alaskan Guide® Geodesic Tent

or a big agnes

Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 Tent at REI.com

any ideas or suggestions .both tents looking at the 8 man .also have a dog .


Jake
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[phatairman]

What about this Cabelas tent? I would stick with Cabela's since they have a lifetime guarantee. Both Cabela's tents got great reviews.

Cabela's: Cabela's Outfitter Series™ XWT-Xtreme Weather Tent

 

[The Dude]

FWIW We just bought the Big Agnes flying diamond 6 from MEC (still in the mail) after reading reviews and seeing a buddies flying diamond 8. That is a HUGE tent. He sleeps 5 in his as well and loves it rain or shine.

good luck on the purchase.

 

[hkeller]

I am suprised there have not been more comments. I have no experience with either of these tents, but have read a lot about the Cabelas Alaska Guide tent and Big Anges tents in general. They both get great reviews and are very highly thought off. I think I'd pick the one with the features you want and go with it. It sounds to me like you can't go wrong.

 

[patrickfinley]

When it comes down to 2 good products like this, I try to go with the company with the most expertise in the item they manufacture.

Cabela's makes everything under the sun. Are they able to R&D and specialize in every item they make? Or how good is the company they hire to make their items?

Big Agnes makes tents and sleeping bags, that's it. It makes me feel that they really know how to design and manufacture these 2 products very well.

 

[pbgbottle]

thanks guys for your replies Istill haven't made up my mind yet . i was hoping for more feed back .price may come in to play here now after looking at the two from cabel's and the big agnes .

who knows .gonna have to do more research and check out some you tube videos .im still leaning towards the cabelas. alaskan guide .because of it footprint the agnes is long.

i checked out MEC ."the dude" but i live close to the border real close .and i can save a few bucks buy picking it up in the US MEC is expensive.


jake



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[The Dude]

Ya, we got lucky and had a MEC gift certificate

We are REI members and they list the tent at $539 same as the MEC price... but you do get that REI dividend.

They are all nice tents.

 

[Splittilps]

I have the Big Agnes flying diamond 8 and would recommend it to anyone! We have spent many rainy days in the tent nice and dry, not a drop in the tent. We even woke up one morning with a bunch of water under the tent, bad tent placement on my part but no water got inside. Like the Dude said it is big, we have a queen sized mattress, a playpen for the 18 mo, and the two boys and still have a good amount of space.

 

[B-RAD]

I have the Base Camp 6 tent from REI, not to throw another option into your mix, but it has worked great for my family of 5 with gear. It's held up great in wind, rain, sleet, hail, blowing sand etc. all that we get in the Rocky Mtns. and Desert West. So, I would think that the Big Agnes would be equally as good.

Either way, I think you will be happy with your new tent! Good luck and have fun!

 

[gil12]

llbean

I'd suggest llbean's Northwoods 6 person tent. Sometimes they also have a 12 x 12' version which we have used for years, in heavy rain, taken on airplane many times. Great tents!

Gil
ventura

 

[canman]

I was thinking of getting this at some point.

Kodiak Canvas Tent - 6 Person 6133 9 ft. x 12 ft. + Deluxe Awning Canopy

 

[Honu]

Since we are selling our trailer we started the ground tent searchFamily of 4 and a dog
Got a nice marmot and returned it reasons were to bright like canvas and sleeping in alao the comfort of canvas in the heat being cooler and in the cold retaining heat better


So we endednup with a kodiak canvas 10x14


Kinda wanted a springbar sewn in the US etc.. Why the kodiak ? Got it at cabelas so could check it out first
I really wish I could have seen a springbar in person ? And think of ordering one to compare then return the one I dont like


My pros cons for vs kodiak and of course only from what I have seen or read
Thicker floor in kodiak
Two doors in kodiak and thhe larger door opening
The color of the kodiak
The organisers in the kodiak seem nicer


Things I wonder is the fabric nicer on the springbar ?
Would the adjustable poles come in handy ?
Will the tent stake loops be more durable on the springbar ?
Will kodiak be around in ten years if I need warranty ?




But we love our kodiak so far and happy with it

 

[The Dude]

Set up the BA this morning. Took about 10 minutes by myself not knowing which poles went where. Fairly straight forward. My initial impression are good. Nice sewing, all seems are taped, over all construction seems on par with my mountain hardware and exped tents. The fabric does feel lighter. We will see if the longevity is there.

Lots of room inside. it's nice and dark so have a light of some sort. It's going to be perfect for our family. It's a big sucker and fills up our small yard. It's going to rain today and they are calling for snow tomorrow so it will be a good test of the fly. I'll sleep in it tonight to see if I get wet.

 

[pbgbottle]

Nice ! thanks for the pics,tent looks great .i decided to pick up the Cabela's Alaskan guide 8 man because it was on sale . i also picked up a small 3 man on sale ,
Eureka Tetragon 3 says it is a 3 season ,we'll see how it does i the rain . i haven't set up the Alaskan guide yet waiting on dry weather ,I don't want to dirty it up yet until our trip in July


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[pbgbottle]

here are a few pics .nothing fancy i cheaped out and also went with the fiberglass pole i didn't really want to spend that much coin on a tent we only use twice a year.but $413 for a quality isn't too bad. . it is huge .this will be like staying in a cabin for me .i haven't been in a tent this huge ever. anyways here are a few pics i snapped .the fly is a bit of a pain to get on .tons of little hooks that keep catching on all the poles .and the waterproofing on the underside is quite grippy making the huge fly a pain in the butt to get on by yourself .but with two people it should be a breeze ,the inside pockets and cup holders will come in handy

 

[pbgbottle]

another also showing pockets and cup holders 6 of them in total ,the fly was just thrown on real fast for a pic.



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[Otamiway]

Jake, nice tent. I have had a Cabela's Alaskan guide model tent for many years (5+) and love it. I also have the floor save that matches the tent's footprint. Easy setup and dry even in thunder storms. I am think of replacing it with another one next summer

 

[pbgbottle]

used ours for 14 days it was huge and awesome .no issues at all .

even when the storm came in ripped down our tarps .destroyed my kitchen screen tent
and swamped my ski boat ,that sucked . took 4 of us half an our to bail it out also with the bilge pump roaring .had her floating by nightfall and running in the morning. only ran it over to the boat ramp and put her on the trailer. lots of fun .

but all in all the tent didnt even flinch .kept us dry and warm.



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[kybishop]

Looks like you already found a tent. Looks nice, hope it goes well and let us know how it fairs.

A little late but... I really like my Eureka! tents. Great quality build and not too expensive. I have the Timberline 4 man expedition tent and a Eureka Twister 6 I think it is called.

The Twister 6 they don't make anymore, I don't think. It has 3 doors and 3 windows, an opening on each of the six walls. Has an open roof under the rain fly. Ventilates good and holds up well in wind and rain with the aluminum poles.

The Twister 6, the blue tent. First two pictures are at Hunting Island SC. Third one is at Bahia Honda in the Keys.

 

[pbgbottle]

great pics . i love the Eureka tents also . we have two of them more of a summer tent tho mine are .i had one there in the storm also it had no issues .Eureka tetragon 3 ,
the marmot LimeLight 3P in my above pic
is a very nice little tent with aluminium dac poles. it held up fine in all the rain and wind .


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