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macfantn · Feb 17, 2008, 01:37 PM

I am looking for a good tent to take to bonnaroo, i have a tent now but it's too small for long camping. I need one that sleeps 3 6ft+ adults. I am thinking about this one from wal mart.

Ozark Trail 13' x 10' 2 Room Dome Tent (Sleeps 6) - Wal-Mart

I don't want one that doesn't last or one that leaks. I am not familiar with the ozark trail brand.

climber · Feb 17, 2008, 01:58 PM

I tried once to use a cheap tent for a trip into the mountains. It was great until it rained. Then I made some classic bargains with my maker to get through the night. I now own more appropriate shelters.

A good tent is much more expensive. But what exactly are you going to do with it? Do you have to carry it? How close to shelter? Do you need something that will work in the snow?

For most people I would suggest something from REI. If you need light, strong for mountaineering, etc. then I can make other suggestions.

RAILhead · Feb 17, 2008, 02:56 PM

Dude, you need our help to pitch a tent?

Doofy · Feb 17, 2008, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by RAILhead

Dude, you need our help to pitch a tent?

:guffaw:

Cold Warrior · Feb 17, 2008, 03:00 PM

I don't know if I'd want to share a tent with 3 dudes for a long trip.

Why not think smaller? It'd be more fun having individual tents. Not to mention cleaner and with fresher air.

Andhee · Feb 17, 2008, 03:05 PM

Yeah you can get some cheap pop up tents, I went to Glastonbury Festival (and english music festival), and I lobbed it down all weekend, worst rain the festival has seen, and it was perfectly fine was my tent, apart from the occasional drip due to a bit of condensation on the inside, but otherwise, pop up tents are proper good!

climber · Feb 17, 2008, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

I don't know if I'd want to share a tent with 3 dudes for a long trip.

Why not think smaller? It'd be more fun having individual tents. Not to mention cleaner and with fresher air.

He never said "dudes". Maybe he has a date in the woods with a couple of tall blonde models. That must be why he wants a sturdy tent!

Cold Warrior · Feb 17, 2008, 03:32 PM

Well, if he's managed to get 3 6ft+ chicks to share a tent with him on a long trip, then you don't want a large one. You want a small one so you all huddle together.

alligator · Feb 17, 2008, 03:58 PM

If you are buying a tent, buy it to last a while. Don't buy from Wal Mart. Instead, shop online at REI or something similar (if you don't have an REI in your area).

First, decide if you want a mountaineering tent (4 season) or a family tent. It sounds like you want a family type tent. Second, buy one rated for 2+ more people than you plan to put in the tent. I'm not sure how they measure the average person, but I can't get 2 full sized adults into a two person tent. A four person tent would sleep two, etc.

I'd go with a recognized brand name like REI, Kelty, the North Face, or Sierra Designs.

A cheap tent will leak when you don't want it to. My last tent held up even when the area I was camping flooded with 2" of water. It felt like a waterbed, but it didn't leak.

Finally, look for how hard it would be to replace poles, etc. when it breaks. A snapped pole in a high wind may be a pain, but it's a real killer if you can't find a replacement when you get home.

Good luck!

(s)macintosh · Feb 17, 2008, 09:29 PM

Originally Posted by alligator

If you are buying a tent, buy it to last a while. Don't buy from Wal Mart. Instead, shop online at REI or something similar (if you don't have an REI in your area).

++

Buy a 3 season or, even better, a decent 4 season. You never know when the weather will turn to CRAP and you'll be wishing for the best that money can buy when you're shivering in a sleeping bag. The difference between a 3 season & 4 season is mostly in its structure; A 4 season can handle snow accumulation better than a 3 season. If you do any camping where inclimate weather is a possibility, pony up for the better tent. I know, you only camp during the summer - why would you need a 3 season tent? Here in Oregon I camped in Christmas Valley during the summer (June) when it suddenly dropped to 23 degrees while we were asleep. A random rain storm can turn to sleet overnight if you're not careful, even in the summer. God forbid that cheap tent collapses on your feet while you sleep. Frozen num nums all around.

d4nth3m4n · Feb 17, 2008, 09:45 PM

if you're just using it a bonnaroo, i'd say a walmart tent is perfect. anything too expensive could get stolen/melted/burnt by stoners. since at most of these things you camp right by your car, you cal always shack up in the car if the weather gets too hairy.

i say go for it.

powerbook867 · Feb 17, 2008, 10:07 PM

If you want a keeper, check out here:

Tents and Tent Reviews - Trailspace.com

Also, go to REI.com. They have a pretty big selection and lots of user reviews..

d4nth3m4n · Feb 17, 2008, 10:16 PM

alright, to bring the rest of you up to speed, bonnaroo is a HUGE music festival. he'll be camping in a field and the use of the tent is for little more than priacy.

instead of the usual requirements on a tent which are weight, seasonality and packed size, for this usage, he needs little more than the largest space for the least amount of money.

he's car-camping.

@pplejaxkz · Feb 17, 2008, 10:18 PM

If you are planning on going camping a lot I would recommend buying a really nice Coleman or Ozark is pretty good too. I would go with a tent with a few rooms in it. Some now even have fenced in porches. And it is true, usually you are next to your car so if it gets too bad you can just hop in it if it gets too bad. Camping is definitely fun and enjoyable so why not spend the few extra bucks so that you can at least ensure that?

I once went camping 2 years ago in a really crappy old tent and we had a massive thunderstorm and the whole left side collapsed and my friends stuff got all wet, my stuff was fine though lol ^_^

alligator · Feb 17, 2008, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by d4nth3m4n

alright, to bring the rest of you up to speed, bonnaroo is a HUGE music festival. he'll be camping in a field and the use of the tent is for little more than priacy.

In that case, just bring a tarp. Put it on the ground and sleep out under the stars. I've done this down to about -5° F (with double sleeping bags, mind you). Even with light snow falling, this isn't as bad as you might think. Pee in the bushes. Forget privacy and just get dressed in your sleeping bag.

If you have members of the opposite sex with you, buy two bags that zip together. Much fun!

macfantn · Feb 17, 2008, 10:47 PM

i camp maybe twice a year once in the spring once in the fall, and i've been using a small dome tent. The main problem I have with it is it's so so short, maybe 4 ft high at the center which sucks when you're tall. Since I'll be spending 4 days in a tent, I figured I'd get something bigger. I can last a night in the small but 4 is too many.

MacosNerd · Feb 18, 2008, 09:38 AM

I camp, usually a couple times a year. I get by with a cheap coleman tent. It usually works pretty well for me, even in the rain. Just apply some water-proofing from time to time and its fine. Of course when I camped last march/april in the white mountains, I let the lantern get a little too close to the side of the tent and the hot metal melted a hole in the side. So I'm going to use that as an excuse to buy another tent.