7 best camping tents to consider: REI, Coleman, Thule and more

A groundsheet is specifically designed to fit a tent’s footprint, which is why different tents have different-sized ground sheets. In most instances, a ground sheet is manufactured with a heavier-duty material akin to shade cloth. However, although they don’t post the hydrostatic ratings, they state that their tents utilize their patented WeatherTec System. That’s why, since there aren’t too many differences between ripstop fabric and nylon and polyester, many people on a budget choose Coleman tents made with the latter fabrics.

Coleman doesn’t make the flashiest, most sophisticated, or highest performance tents on the market, but few (if any) brands can beat their combination of value, quality, and customer support at this price point. The Coleman Company is one of the most well-known and widely recognized names in the outdoors industry. They invented the modern gas lantern, set the standard for portable camping stoves, and revolutionized the modern portable cooler, all of which happened before they ever sold their first tent in 1960. The Skydome won’t be everyone’s first pick though, which is why we’ve also listed the best models out there for every sort of camper in the outdoors from large family gatherings to solo backpackers. Starting of with the cheapest of all, we find the Kids Wonder Lake Like suggested in the name it is designed primarily for children. In the “picture below” you can see it is not a toy tent, it can be used outside just like any other Coleman tent and comes with a half fly.

coleman tents

If more than 2 tablespoons of water leaks in, a tent fails the test. It’s a simple, yet efficient design which maximizes interior volume and minimizing overall weight. Interestingly, the Coleman groundsheets are made up of 450D PVC material to ensure you stay clean and dry while protecting the floor of your tent. Yet, it’s believed that every ten years of nylon exposure doubles the risk of a woman getting breast cancer after menopause. Additionally, according to the prestigious Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), polyester can cause cancer because this material contains polyvinyl cyanide. Unfortunately, numerous studies have shown that nylon and polyester can increase a person’s chance of getting cancer.

Spacious, versatile, and affordable, the Copper Canyon LX 6 has all the features most families need and none of the fussy extras they don’t. Browse Target.com to find a tent that suits your needs and style, so you always have a good night’s sleep when in the great outdoors. Now that doesn’t mean that Coleman tents aren’t durable, or that there aren’t thousands upon thousands of satisfied customers that have been using a Coleman tent for years.

This design also ensures that all sand, grit, and dirt falls to the ground below. The WeatherTec System has many features that ensure campers stay dry, like their patented welded corners, tub-like floor, inverted seams, and zipper cuffs that all work together to keep water out during a drizzle or downpour. Unfortunately, Coleman does not post hydrostatic ratings for their tents on their website, so you will need to speak with their sales department to find out the true waterproof rating of a Coleman tent you’re interested in purchasing. The higher the waterproof rating, the better a tent can resist water penetration. A higher waterproof rating will make you less likely to experience cold and wet camping evenings. Some Coleman tents even offer a small screened-in porch area where you can sit in your camp chair and be protected from insects and rain.

For any tent you buy, if it doesn’t come with a footprint (though two of our recommended tents, the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 and the Marmot Tungsten 4, do), we recommend also purchasing a companion footprint, if one is available. A footprint doesn’t take up much space, is relatively inexpensive, and is much easier to repair or replace than a tent bottom if it tears. If you’re looking to get into car camping for the first time or if you’re an experienced camper but your tent has seen better days, embracing your new reality and investing in a shelter made for car camping can make sense. With nearly 60 square feet of floor space and two large vestibules, the Tungsten 4 is an even roomier tent for two people who want to outfit their tent more or who anticipate spending more time inside. Easy to set up and pack away, the Mineral King 3 is a lightweight, two-door tent with a generous footprint and a sturdy dome shape. The Weathertec system combines five specific features for the most reliable weather protection in the Coleman range.

The tent has two small, internal pockets—fewer than on any of our other picks—and a loop at the ceiling center to hang a small, lightweight lantern or other light. coleman sleeping bags The tent weighs just 16 pounds, less than any other family tent we tested for this guide. Most of the tents we tested were roughly equally comfortable to sleep in.

So Coleman is more popular, and this is partly because of so many tents on the market. Some of its most popular tents have been around for many years, in this sense Coleman is similar to Core. Currently, there are no air beam tents from Core on the market, at least as of the moment of writing this text. Coleman-US is the same, so for the US area there are no difference here.