Tent review, need advice

[Karla]

Gary and I are thinking of buying a tent. Saw many at the Spring this weekend. We want one we can have plenty of room in and stand up in and yet be warm in the cold and plenty of ventilation, easy to put up and down. One that doesn't leak. Any recommendations from ones of you that have experienced different tents.

Also, on sleeping gear, I would prefer a cot, any suggestions.

Karla

[okieboater]

Lots of tents out there.

Gonna be hard to find the tent you described. Given the right conditions all tents will leak some what, winter tents are a bit warmer than summer mesh inner tents - but it is hard to find a tent that works just right both winter and summer. recommend you go to REI dot Com and go to tents and use their tent selector option or just look at their tents to start the search.

on the cots, the best I have found is the roll a cot made in america by the same folks who make the famous river camp table, roll a table.

Toss a genuine paco pad from Jacks Plastic Welding on top and get set for good sleep.

I use the 4 inch silverback and it is just like sleeping at home, the three inch model works pretty good and packs a bit smaller. I recommend either the 3 or 4 inch paco pad. You need a good pad during the winter for insulation.

Buy the real paco pads and real roll a cot, spend a bit more money than the other brands but both will last decades and given minimal care many decades.

[chris martin]

Karla,

I've got a Coleman That I got @ Wally World that works great. No leaks and lots of room. I also had a Eureaka that was awesome but got washed away on the Mulberry at 21' few years back. I have a couple of cots you can borrow to try out before you buy one if you would like.

[robkanraft]

Karla, Just bought an REI Basecamp 6. It rained buckets and wind was pretty stiff a couple hours on it's first trip and stayed dry. Pretty nice big tent. They were on sale at good savings several weeks ago. Bigger tent (lots of fabric) does take longer to put up and take down, but not bad. 10-15 minutes. Maybe we'll get faster. I bought it with the idea of comfort and staying put...I would not want to move it everyday like on overnighters, but should be a great multi-day base camp.

We haven't graduated to cots yet but the Rolla brands look steady and portable. If you go the heavy duty pad route, we accidentally bought CASCADE Silverbacks, not to be confused with Jacks Plastic Welding Silverback Paco Pads. Same name, two different animals. Not so happy with the foam and support of our Cascades. Others swear by them.

[turboturtle]

The late model Coleman Three season tents aren't too expensive and offer a five year "no leak" Guaranty. Their are many sizes and styles to chose from, but no one retailer offers all of their models. Try their website for more information.

Just Bob

[okieboater]

Do not feel bad.

I also got taken in by the Cascade "silverback" pad. I purchased one on a trip thinking it was the real JPW Paco pad, it was not.

The foam broke down in less than a year. Fabric was ok, foam just broke down.

Called Jack's Plastic Welding to complain. First thing he asked was what type of valve. Jack's pads have the stem type screw top valves. Cascades do not.

come to find out Cascade uses cheap foam from China that breaks down pretty fast. Jack's uses genuine american made foam and fabric. They are made by hand in Jack's factory in Asteck New Mexico by genuine USA citizens.

That was over ten years ago. I ordered my silverback paco pad direct from Jack's that day and have not looked back.

I spend a lot of time each month camping out and sleeping on that pad. When I took care of Dad for some 6 months, I spent most nights sleeping on the pad by his bed so I would know when he got up to ramble around with his Alzheimers Night walks.

Never had a uncomfortable nights sleep on my genuine paco pad and have lost count of the times I have used it. Just throw it on the ground and enjoy a good nights rest. Throw it on the cot and you have a first class bed, complete with stars for a roof.

Price goes up every year so buy one now and it will probably be around for many decades - mine shows little wear just a lot of dirt but foam is still nice and cushy

[Crane]

We had the same experience with Cascade's paco pads... I have 2 or 3 that have lost all the resiliancy of their foam... I bought Pat a 4" Jack's Plastic about 4 years ago and use it on every trip she can't make. They are the BOMB!! I think the 3" ones are also supposed to work very well and roll a little tighter... but, I haven't tried them.

[Randy Dodson]

We have two roll-a-cots that have held up well for about two decades now although they don't get used much any more cause we prefer to throw our pads on the tent floor, but they did get used a lot during the first decade we owned em.

[Shark Attack]

Karla, my son and I have been putting a tent though it's paces this spring. It's a Cabelas Alaskan Guide 8 person model. We used it in April and a couple of rainy weekends in May with absolutely no leaks. It even stood up to a storm that blew every other tent around completely down or away. It also is very cool without the rain cover on it. Only problem is they are very heavy.

Wes

[Jaytee]

Lots of good advice above.

As a transplant from Colorado, here's my advice in this neck of the woods. Assuming you don't want multiple tents, forget the idea of a "warm" tent. Looking to a tent for heat retention is an issue when camping below freezing regularly, in which you'd be shopping four season varieties, etc. etc.

None of those kinds of tents are really any good here because 99% of the time, good airflow and a little extra gear space will be worth its weight in gold. Something with a ton of screen but a FULL rainfly (Eureka Tetragon series is a good option) will give you good waterproofing but the option for tons of moving air. Too many models to name that offer that.

My view: lots and lots of screen but with a full rainfly (not those little "caps" that you get on discount store tents), "bathtub" floor, and a groundcloth (don't forget -- it will function best slightly SMALLER in the footprint than the tent) will take good care of you in terms of rainproofing.

[mesuki91]

Gary and I are thinking of buying a tent. Saw many at the Spring this weekend. We want one we can have plenty of room in and stand up in and yet be warm in the cold and plenty of ventilation, easy to put up and down. One that doesn't leak. Any recommendations from ones of you that have experienced different tents.

Also, on sleeping gear, I would prefer a cot, any suggestions.

Karla

Tent is great especially if you and your family are going anywhere like camping. It is nice if you have a tent that have plenty of rooms.



_________________
[url=http://www.@#*%*.com]Pop up tents[/url]

[boofmaster]

Yeah, tents are good. I think I smell some SPAM cooking. Commercial link removed (they weren't the right kind of tents anyway); user dealt with appropropriately.

[AR-Nimrod]

I would look real hard at Kelty tents. Not exactly inexpensive but well worth the cost. We have one that has stood up to couple of serious Ozark T-storms real well. Has full fly and large vestibule to store gear in. No leaks! Before you go to camp, make sure that you set it up in the backyard and seal it with a good waterproofer.

Seriously, don't scimp or go cheap. You will pay for it, I know we did (got a good soaking and was @#$%^ to put up.

[c8mb]

after using my hennessy hammock, i won't sleep in another tent. it weighs 2 lbs and with the snakeskins it will pack back into its bag easily. it can be set up in a couple minutes... its easier to me to look for a couple trees to tie it to than to move rocks, sticks, pinecones, and look for the flattest spot. it leaves no footprint and uses flat nylon straps to wrap around the tree to tie to.

[thebob.com]

When you get there; check out the 6 man, Timberline outfitter tent.
It has the size you want, it will stand up to a lot of abuse, it will easily accomodate 4 people without cots, 3 people & cots, or 2 people & cots & a mound of gear. The ventilation is excellent, and it is quite easy for 2 people to set up.
I have never gotten wet in a Timberline outfitter tent; I have two of them(a 2 man, and a 4 man Timberline outfitter), and I've been using them both since the mid 1980s, in every type of weather you can imagine.

Price: About $399.00
You "can" find something cheaper.
If you want a quality tent; expect to pay for quality.
Just for the sake of argument......... if you take care of it, the Kelty could last you maybe 10 to 15 years. Divide number of years into retail price for your yearly cost for a quality tent. Yearly cost is about the price of one good meal at a restaurant for 2 or 3 people.

Spend $200.00 for a less than quality tent, and you'll be replacing it before long...........

BOB