Boy Scout mamas- need a tent recomendation

[mamakelly]

My 15 year old boy scout's birthday is coming. DH and I were thinking we'd buy him a new tent for his birthday. He's only been in scouts for about a year and a half and has been using an old walmart tent. The last time he camped in it, he woke with a puddle of water in the tent. I can't really spend more than $150, and even that is going to be a stretch. Any suggestions? We live in San Diego, the coldest weather he would be camping in, is maybe high 30's and that doesn't happen too often. 

[BlsdMama]

Did you waterproof the old tent? That makes a WORLD of difference btw. Even a new tent you will want to proof the seams.

[momofkhm]

Both of the above questions first.

 

I was just telling dh that REI must love Boy Scouts.  All of ds's troop's tents are from REI.  But you need to know if you need a backpacking tent or not and how many people before you head out.  Once you know those 2 questions, the people t REI can help you find a tent.

 

 

[Tess in the Burbs]

campmor might have some older styles on sale for that price.  We use REI brand.  I like getting the 10% back each year!  And they have a very liberal return policy.  Ds got a 2 man tent for troop outings.  Loves it.  We have a 4 man for our family.  

 

I know for my ds....there are plenty of tents in the group.  Not every kid has to have one.  Just the person you want to tent mate with AND our troop always has extra tents for boys who need one.  

[sparrow]

My son has been using this tent for all his Boy Scout camping trips for the past 2 years. We waterproof it 1-2 times/year.  Less than $40 :001_smile: .

 

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000007822-Sundome-2-Person-Tent/dp/B004J2KDH0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430866488&sr=8-1&keywords=coleman+two+man+tent

[catz]

We've had amazing luck with an REI tent. 

[Alessandra]

I searched around a few years ago to find a tent for ds. We chose a Kelty Gunnison 2.2, the new design is a bit different from what we got, but still has the main characteristics -- 2 doors and 2 vestibules. Reasonably light and compact for carrying, although not strictly a backpacking tent. It is the style that clips on to the poles, rather than the type with poles that go into sleeves.

 

The vestibules are great for keeping gear dry. And the two doors saves a lot of stepping over people.

 

REI does have a similar tent, award winner, that might suit you. It had too much stunning rather than fabric for our NJ weather. I go to Campmor, because I am near it, people are more knowledgeable than REI, and prices are better. But REI expertise varies by store, imo.

 

Check out backpacker magazine reviews online. And Google name of your tent plus you tube -- lots of info out there.

 

I found the Kelty on closeout

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/2797/Kelty-Gunnison-22-Tent-2-Person-Closeout.html

 

Probably other places have it, this was just the first hit.

 

The Kelty Salida and the RE Half dome have also got great reviews. The half dome has 2 doors and 2 vestibules. The Salida does not.

 

Years ago, a number of boys had the Eureka Backcountry 2. We tried one (inside) and returned it. Ds wanted vestibules and 2 entranced.

[mamakelly]

Thank you so much for all the info. He's turning 16, so he really prefers to have his own tent that he can choose to share or not, lol. He wants a 2 man tent. It doesn't have to be a backpacking tent, our troop has those for backpacking trips. HIs current tent probably doesn't have waterproof seams, but it's falling apart, so we thought it was time for a newer one. 

[FriedClams]

Does your troop have tents? Ours does - so the boys don't need their own (and they're expected to use troop gear). If that is the case, I'd buy whatever he wants and not worry about scout needs.

[Soror]

Eureka is the popular brand here, lots of adult scout leaders have these from when they were Scouts themselves. We bought ds a 2 man one from Amazon and it was a pretty good deal- under $200 for sure. I just used it myself this weekend and loved it, easy set up and take down and good design. 

[mamakelly]

Our troop does have tents, but nearly everyone has their own. They camp 2-3 times a month and it's a real PITB to borrow a tent everytime. 

[TechWife]

Another vote for REI - they have great products! 

 

This one is a great tent - easy to pitch. 

[skimomma]

You have gotten lots of great advice so far.  REI makes great stuff.  We have two old Kelty tents and those have served us very well although I have heard their quality has gone down more recently.  We also have an REI that has been great.

 

One thing I say in every tent thread and will say again here is that a quality tent should NOT need to be seam sealed (or waterproofed) when new or after just a few uses.  We camp a lot.  We have many friends who camp a lot.  Regular seam sealing is not normal.  Our 20+ yo Kelty has been sealed once....around year 10 after what I would guess was 150+ nights of HARD use.  This was after it leaked a few drops during a major storm.  It has logged around another 50-100 nights since then and still does not need sealing.  Our others have never been sealed.  If people are happy to do it and think they are getting a good deal, that is 100% cool with me.  But don't think this is just part of owning/using a tent.  The whole point of the tent is to keep you dry.  If I bought one that didn't, I would want my money back.  

 

 

 

[Alessandra]

I smile every time I see the Kelty tent (and pack names). They're all from our neck of the woods. We own two Gunnisons--1 2-man, and 1 4-man. Great tents. Bought ours from Campmor.

One reason we have the Kelty Gunnison is because of your recommendation several years ago when I had a tent help needed thread! :-)

 

I prefer the Kelty over the REI Half Moon, because the Kelty pole system is simpler and easier to set up. Less susceptible to misuse from boys. I don't want some other boy wrecking my ds's tent, lol. It is also great to set up in the dark, which happens frequently as our troop often begins a weekend on a Friday evening.

[Miss Marple]

We have had Big Bertha, Kelty, ALPS Mountaineering, North Face, and Mountain Hardware - all are great tents (different uses)...the one thing I look for is easy set up.  I prefer the tents that have the outer clips rather than the pockets.  REI and Sun N Ski are the places we've had the best luck.  We had 3 in scouts so we got several tents.  Oh, Steep and Cheap (www.steepandcheap.com) has some really great bargains sometimes.  We bought our Eagles new tents from Steep and Cheap.  There is a Kelty Gunnison on sale right now for $155.59.  They usually close out last years models.  

 

http://www.steepandcheap.com/gear-cache/summer-camping-essentials