[kman43]

I'm looking for a family tent with two rooms. I'd like one to fit a queen sized air matress and the other to be big enough for a pack-n-play. It's just for nice weather car camping and we'll probably only use it for a couple of years so it doesn't have to be the highest quality. All of the cheap family tents with multiple rooms seem to be for 8-9 people which seems like a big family.


Anyone with good experiences?

[Rumor]

Check Costco.

[ebuddy]

... if you have a membership to Costco of course. Otherwise, you could go to Walmart for this one.


$100 bucks, 3 rooms (you don't have to close the rooms off, you can always leave the flaps separating the rooms tied back) which gives you room for your queen mattress and the pack-n-play. This tent is 14' X 9'. The whole "8-person" thing is a bit of a marketing gadget to get you to bite, but it seems to me this would be a decent option for a "family" tent for 3 people and some "ruffin' it" gear.

[Railroader]

In my experience a "8-person" tent will sleep eight people touching shoulder to shoulder with no room left for anything. As a 8+ person family I have yet to find one big enough for all of us within a reasonable ~$200 price.

Realistically a "8-person" tent is good for about 5 people with little gear or 4 people with a lot of gear.

[kman42]

Originally Posted by ebuddy 

... if you have a membership to Costco of course. Otherwise, you could go to Walmart for this one.


$100 bucks, 3 rooms (you don't have to close the rooms off, you can always leave the flaps separating the rooms tied back) which gives you room for your queen mattress and the pack-n-play. This tent is 14' X 9'. The whole "8-person" thing is a bit of a marketing gadget to get you to bite, but it seems to me this would be a decent option for a "family" tent for 3 people and some "ruffin' it" gear.

This looks good, but I don't see anything that indicates it has more than just a single large room, which is why I discounted it when I first searched the Walmart website. Do you some additional information that I am missing?

[turtle777]

Hey kman, I never realized you co-existed in different number iterations.

-t

[residentEvil]

Originally Posted by kman42 

This looks good, but I don't see anything that indicates it has more than just a single large room, which is why I discounted it when I first searched the Walmart website. Do you some additional information that I am missing?

if you look at the ends of each tent; those are called rooms. they have dividing walls (just plain tent material) that fastens via those loop/hooks on the interior (the same loop/hooks you use to roll up the tent windows with). thus, creating "rooms". they would be small. since the total tent size 14x9; i'm betting based on experience that the main "room" would be 6x9, leaving each end to be 4x9 and 4x9. not very big for 2 people in each end room. so, as suggested, only put one wall up, leaving then one room 10x9 and one 4x9. plenty of room for your queen mattress and gear/stuff in the big room, plus pack n play/stuff in the small room.

since that model is only sold at walmart you wouldn't find much more about it unless you go there.

for tents, go to the sources and they will have better photos/floor plans:

for your price range (plus $25 or so if you buy from their sites; or shop around and find them cheaper):

www.coleman.com
http://www.eurekatent.com
http://www.kelty.com/kelty/products.php?type=8

out of your price range (plus $100 or more):

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/...ent-tents.html

and if you have a http://www.cabelas.com/ near by, you can go there and try them all out.

[kman42]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

Hey kman, I never realized you co-existed in different number iterations.

-t

It's my summer version bump

Actually, I was posting from my iphone and couldn't remember my password. I entered my email address and I got a response with the 43 account which I created at some other point when I couldn't remember my password. I need to check keychain and update my password on my phone for consistency.

[torsoboy]

The one from Walmart should work just fine for what you are looking for. We have pretty much the exact same tent (a different year's model, but still a Coleman from Walmart), and it fits our queen-sized air-mattress in the middle "room", a pack & play in one of the other "rooms", and an additional kid in the other "room". We still have room for shoes and bags and things after everything is in there. We also use ours only a couple of times a year, and it works great for that.

[kman42]

Originally Posted by residentEvil 

if you look at the ends of each tent; those are called rooms. they have dividing walls (just plain tent material) that fastens via those loop/hooks on the interior (the same loop/hooks you use to roll up the tent windows with). thus, creating "rooms".

"Only thing I wish it had a room divider!"--from the reviews on the walmart site.

I guess I could go with the old hang-a-sheet method, but as a Mac user, that offends my aesthetic sensibilities.

I might be moving up in price:

http://www.rei.com/product/777768#pr-header-777768

http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-Couga...ef=pd_sbs_sg_3

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-200000...345&sr=8-2

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Weathe...345&sr=8-3

[residentEvil]

i would go with your second from the bottom link. the manual at coleman.com includes/states it has the room divider. do a little searching at your local sports authority or dunhams, and i bet you will find it for under $200.

[kman42]

Decided to go with the Cougar Flats II from Columbia after much consideration and research. Spent the last two evenings in Walmart, Sports Authority, Target, etc looking at low end tents and just wasn't satisfied with the features and quality. I was willing to sacrifice to get a cheap tent, but just not that much.

Amazon.com: Columbia Cougar Flats II 15-Foot by 10-Foot 8 Person 2 Room Family Cabin Dome Tent: Sports & Outdoors

My second choice was the Kingdom 6 from REI, but it is smaller and about $100 more.

kman