momofkhm Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I've asked before, months ago. To remind you - as I'm sure no one but me remembers. 2 adults plus a dog. We camp once a year with the youth group. The kids are in other tents. I really never see us camping on our own. Between dh and I we couldn't hit a weekend where we'd both be happy - too cold for me or too hot for him. http://www.rei.com/product/829184/rei-kingdom-4-tent- http://www.rei.com/product/829292/kelty-acadia-4-tent http://www.rei.com/product/829979/rei-taj-3-tent-2012-special-buy http://www.rei.com/product/848007/rei-taj-3-tent-2012-special-buy DH likes the boy scout troop tents - they are all REI. He likes the lack of pole sleeves. I really want a vestibule or a screen room. It feels like it rains every.single.time. Is the extra price for the Kingdom tent worth it? It's the only one you can stand up in. OK, I was also looking at other Kelty tents - Palisade 4 ($260) and 6 ($300) and Acadia 6 ($280). You can stand up in all those too. I'm thinking the only difference between the 2 Taj-3 tents is the color? Our current tent is a 4 person tent that's about 30 years old. It leaks. I get wet. Wet is no fun. All my local tent peeps are out of town - public school spring break. They have Kelty and REI tents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 For the amount and type of camping you do, any of those tents will be fine. I also recommend the tents without pole sleeves because it's quicker and easier to set up tents that just require you to snap on the poles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I do not suggest a Kelty tent. We bought one two summers ago to replace our aging tent and have been very disappointed in it. Their quality just isn't so great anymore.We had been very happy with our Sierra Designs tent, so I just used a 40% off coupon code to order this one two weeks ago (REI also sells Sierra Designs.) We haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I can already tell that it is of much higher quality than the Kelty that we have out in the garage:http://www.sierratradingpost.com/sierra-designs-zia-3-tent-with-footprint-and-gear-loft-3-person-3-season~p~7063f/?filterString=tents~d~228%2F&colorFamily=01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wabi Sabi Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 This is also an amazing tent and a great price. Very high, expedition quality, roomy, and you can stand up in it. We loved our Paha Que. Only caveat is that they're quite large and don't pack down very small. Not a big deal if you're car camping, but probably not the best choice for backpacking:http://www.afterschool.com/p/paha-que-wilderness-green-mountain-4-person-tent-burntorange-96x96x72-inch-840519?site=CA&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc_as&utm_term=FPS-176539&utm_campaign=GoogleAW&CAWELAID=1923783908&utm_content=pla&adtype=pla&cagpspn=pla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skimomma Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 I do not suggest a Kelty tent. We bought one two summers ago to replace our aging tent and have been very disappointed in it. Their quality just isn't so great anymore. Not to dispute, but we have two Kelty tents. One about 20 years old and the other 5 years old. The older one has been set up 200-300 times over the course of its life. The newer one only about 60 times. Both are awesome and we have had zero problem with them. We have weathered very heavy rain and wind in both. Once even a flood. I recommend this particular brand to newbies because I think you get a "pretty good" tent for a good price. Spend any less and you will get wet. Spend more and you might get some nicer features but dry is dry. I will say (and this might be where the difference comes in), the bigger the tent, the more the quality matters. Our two tents are small. When you start hitting the 6+ persons range, a cheap tent, perhaps even a Kelty, might not do as well. I will also say that the OP is on the right track. STAY AWAY FROM WALMART TENTS. Even "respected" names like Coleman are pure junk. I am not sure how they have gotten away with selling these tenet for so long. Most will not hold up after 20 set-ups and none can handle more than a drizzle. REI will take back and/or fix any tent you buy from them and they do not sell much that would be considered junk. So, once you find the set up and price you can live with, I think you will be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 We have an REI name brand tent and it was very expensive, but it's great. It's held up well and has not leaked. We've had it for years.ETA - I do agree with the above poster about larger tents. Our REI tent is an 8 person tent. We had a 4 person Kelty that leaked pretty regularly and easily. We've had a couple junky Kmart/Walmart tents and those were all garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Such an individual decision! This is what I am happy with Eureka Sunrise 8 ft and ditto 10ft They have poles that go into sleeves, takes a bit longer to set up, but makes tent exceptionally sturdy -- bigger tents can wobble in wind. Since I smell not backpacking and breaking camp every day, the longer setup is no problem. The window vents have a flap inside that closes over the mesh -/ nice for privacy when you are dressing. I can stand up in the 10 ft one -- Eureka stopped that model and now makes 11ft one. Two families I camp with have that one and love it. I stay dry in rainstorms. I like having all my stuff IN the tent, so I opt for larger tent, no vestibules. Ds has a Kelty Gunnison that is well made, a snap to set up, with two entrances and two vestibules. But it is tight inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom2pandc Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Let me preface my recommendation by saying I love. LLBean. I would recommend this one..http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68613?feat=1096-GN2&page=king-pine-4-person-hd-dome-tent&attrValue_0=Sage/Khaki&productId=1124609 We have a huge llbean tent, a small llbean tent, and a separate screen room. I love all of them and the guarantee from bean is unbeatable. We had an issue with our poles once and they sent us replacements right away. If it doesn't work or it breaks, you can return it no questions asked. They are so simple to put together that I can actually muscle our big one up by myself if necessary. This is the one I have. And yes, you can actually put chairs inside the tent it's so big....http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63697?feat=1096-GN2&page=big-woods-8-person-dome-tent&attrValue_0=Limestone/Bay%20Leaf&productId=1050091 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 fwiw, we find a free standing dome tent works most easily in most places. if its going to rain, then we tie it down. we have rules ;) a) clips, no sleeves b) dome c) at least three poles, four are better (for wind resistance). we often see people's tents blowing almost flat d) i like to have my gear with me, so we tend to go with a four person tent for the two of us, but with no large vestibules, etc. e) and no little plastic bits that poles fit into one another on the tent (these are things that can break) this looks like a good one: http://www.mec.ca/product/5027-674/mec-monadnock-4-tent/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 We have the REI Kingdom tent (6 or 8 person though) with a vestibule and I really like it. The height is nice. The screen windows are great for ventilation. Ours has a door at each end which comes in handy. My DH can put it up by himself, but I usually do help. There are lots of little netting cubbies to put small items. The rectangular floor seems to give more useable space than with a dome tent. And the bag that it comes in has backpack straps. This was an upgrade for us from an older REI dome tent. Actually, the dome tent was still fine. We just outgrew it and newer domes were shorter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 We do a smaller tent and set up a dining fly over it. It is a similar setup to the one shown here:http://www.campingblogger.net/camping/camping-in-the-rain.html I think our current tent is a Sierra Designs....? I am not at home, so I can't check. It has pole sleeves, but it is easy to set up, even when I am by myself. But, for our next tents we are actually moving toward lighter backpacking style tents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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