family tents

[Gwen]

so long story short my husband and i are talking about taking a week long family camping trip this summer (haven't been camping in awhile). there are 8 of us in all. by the time we take this trip the kids will be 15, 9, 7, 6, 5, and 2. yeah... i think i got that right. lol so anyway we need to get a new tent. the kids are to young to stay in their own tents. so we've been looking at the BIG tents.

so here is the debate.....

spend a lot and get a really big one. logic is will still work when they are all teens, keep it forever.

spend less and get one that will work for our family right now. logic is by the time the kids are all 11 and up they won't want to stay with mom and dad. they will want their own tents and most tents need to be replaced by then anyway.

another thing i think needs to be considered is the setting up camp aspect. a really big tent takes several ppl and is a bit more involved. if you don't see the issue here go back and read the age range of my kids. lol

what would you do? what tents have you used and what did you think of them?

and of course any alternate suggestions or ideas that don't include "are you insane?" or "what's wrong with hotels?". lol

[Guest Alana]

Walmart has an 18'X10' that divides into two rooms for only $134.00. I think this is a great deal. Looking at the tent, it looks really easy to set up, it's the kind that has the elastic that runs through the poles, not the harder kind. I bought a $20 tent from walmart years ago and it still is going strong. In fact, I just took it down this week, after being outside all winter and it's still fine.

At that price, I'd get two:P

[Guest]

Just my opinion - I'd get the 15 and 9 year old, and even maybe the 7 year old their own tent and gear. Then just go with a regular size tent for both. My tents are all designed to be "portable in an emergency". That is - I can sling them onto a backpack if we need to evacuate. The 15-year-old would have his own survival pack, so his tent would be part of that. The giant tents are very heavy and bulky. I'd rather have smaller, lighter tents so I can have it part of our emergency preparedness kit.

[MarginOfError]

This is my dream tent for a family, but it still might be a bit small for yours. I know it's expensive, but it's one of the highest quality tents you can get. The tent portion will sleep 6, but you've also got a pavilion on the front that could sleep 2.

King Pine Dome Tent, Six-Person: Family Tents at L.L.Bean

The big issue I see you having is that if you get everybody into one tent, you're not going to have room for gear, which means schlepping it to the car or leaving it to the elements.

Here are a couple of 8-man tents at a decent price

Wenzel 18'x10' Grand Pass 2 Room Family Dome Tent, 36412 | Family Tents | Tents | GEAR | items from Campmor.

Wenzel 17'x13' Big Bend Family Dome Tent w/Screenroom, 36416 | Family Tents | Tents | GEAR | items from Campmor.

and if you go with an 8-man, you might want to consider something like this to stow gear

ABO Tripod 12 ft. x 12 ft. x 12 ft. Shelter, 30275 | Screen Houses & Gazebos | Tents | GEAR | items from Campmor.

Our troop uses these Coleman tents for scout camp, and they hold up very well. They have very thick bottoms that take a fair amount of abuse and aren't too difficult to set up.

[dazed-and-confused]

i agree with anatess. seems to me the 15 year old should be able to supervise his two younger siblings, and two tents would have it's advantages, easier transport, more sense of "adventure" for the 9 and 7 year olds....being away from mom and dad (except by a few feet) and out with their older brother.....the bonding for them.....

that's the way i'd go.

[Gwen]

i don't know much about any of these brands....

here is one i found today. from what i'm reading the center section doesn't have a door that closes off so just the "sleeping" areas close up which seems questionable to me....i'm in the south, keeping bugs out is a must... Amazon.com: Polaris 14 Man Family Camping Dome Tent: Sports & Outdoors

a couple others i looked at...

Amazon.com: Utah 10 Man Family Camping Dome Tent: Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Swiss Gear Elite Series 12 Person Huge Family Dome Camping Tent SG33151: Sports & Outdoors

and i found this one i think would fit for now, inexpensive. but no gear space like moe was talking about. would fit anatess' thinking. Walmart.com: Ozark Trail 3-Dome Connection Tent (Sleeps 9-10): Camping

another thing i guess we have to consider is a big tent requires big campsites.... would limit some of our options on places to go. my husband is out of town and i've been doing all this "thinking" without him. lol he will probably think i'm complicating this.

[mrmarklin]

Your older kids are big enough to be on their own so I would get at least 2 tents.

Buy the best you can afford if you want them to last. Coleman is a good brand. I have one that is 35 years old this year and still going strong after only minor repairs. I have give it to one of my sons. I don't think you will find good quality at Wally World. Go to a decent sporting goods store.

[lydlou]

my sister got that tripple conecting tent. she loves it. (by tis summer her kids will be 11, 9, 7, 5, and 6months)

[Roseslipper]

i like the out doors but give me a motel or hotel please lol

[Moksha]

I used separate tents for my kids. They enjoyed that.

[rameumptom]

Gwen,

Don't forget that the younger kids aren't going to take up that much space. A couple smaller tents, one for the 15 yr old to command, would allow you more modularity. As kids get older, you can expand by adding an additional tent, and not have one too bulky for the future.

[Gwen]

that's kinda how i'm feeling the more i think on it. i'm just not convinced we need a tent house. the idea is most your time will be spent out of it anyway. we've never had a tent last more than a few yrs so i expect to have to replace it. i really think the kids will want their own space by then......

but boys and their toys.... i think hubby is infatuated with the idea of a massive tent.

which leaves me debating.... do i insist my view be heard and considered or let him have his fun (it's only money?) and go with it.

[pyxiwulf]

Well, I only have two kids, and I want a huge tent like your hubby, so in my perfect world, I'd get one of those massive ones and then still schlep the 6-15 yr olds to a separate tent Lots of room for mom and dad and gear, and lots of character building for the kids old enough for it win win!

[Traveler]

so long story short my husband and i are talking about taking a week long family camping trip this summer (haven't been camping in awhile). there are 8 of us in all. by the time we take this trip the kids will be 15, 9, 7, 6, 5, and 2. yeah... i think i got that right. lol so anyway we need to get a new tent. the kids are to young to stay in their own tents. so we've been looking at the BIG tents.

so here is the debate.....

spend a lot and get a really big one. logic is will still work when they are all teens, keep it forever.

spend less and get one that will work for our family right now. logic is by the time the kids are all 11 and up they won't want to stay with mom and dad. they will want their own tents and most tents need to be replaced by then anyway.

another thing i think needs to be considered is the setting up camp aspect. a really big tent takes several ppl and is a bit more involved. if you don't see the issue here go back and read the age range of my kids. lol

what would you do? what tents have you used and what did you think of them?

and of course any alternate suggestions or ideas that don't include "are you insane?" or "what's wrong with hotels?". lol

The best tents are the spring bar but they are also more expensive. Here is a link.

2007 Springbar tent models

You can get one big tent or a number of smaller tents that can be connected. I have a spring bar that I use and I have purchased another tent for when someone wants to borrow a tent. Our Springbar we have had for almost 30 years and it is still as good as the day we bought it.

The Traveler

[rameumptom]

but boys and their toys.... i think hubby is infatuated with the idea of a massive tent.

which leaves me debating.... do i insist my view be heard and considered or let him have his fun (it's only money?) and go with it.

Tell him that he gets the big tent, but he's responsible for setting it up without your assistance! You will help with smaller tents.

[Gwen]

if anyone cares lol thought i would share the decision. we purchased this one The Camping Equipment Company - Family camping i think it balances the debate i was having. haven't camped with it yet but have put it up. looks to be very well made. the 6 yr old and i can put up the smaller unit. takes hubby and i on the center. i was very surprised it doesn't have that "new tent" smell, which i was thrilled about. lol i'm sure i will find all the pro's and con's when we get to really use it. but i am more excited about our trip now. lol

[Guest mormonmusic]

I like the separate tent idea. Much more modular for trips with different needs. If there's a father and son trip, you can take the smaller tend with its ease of setup and smaller footprint -- which widens the choices for tent-pitching. If you go on a canoe trip or hike, then a bunch of smaller tents are better because the weight can be distributed across different people.

I really liked the Eureka Timberline tent. I bought one of those for my kids and I to go camping. I bought one when I was 16 years old, and after it wore out, bought another one.

Also, the Kelty is a good tent. Our scout troop bought a whole bunch of them.

Kelty - Grand Mesa 4

Pick the model you think is best.

[Winnie G]

there is one thought in mind as well most parks charge by the tent the more tents the larger the cost of the camp site.

[Gwen]

also a lot of parks (here anyway) have small sites so there is a limit on the big tents. we will have to look into that but if ever needs be we can get 2 sites and break the tent up into smaller pieces. it works for my thinking, only time will tell i guess on how good that theory really is. lol

[NeuroTypical]

I'm not too brand loyal. Once every 6-7 years or so, we go to Costco/Sam's club and buy a big family tent. They always seem to have big ones for cheap. There are always new cool features. Once it was a skylight. Then a hanging pantry. Then a closet. I see they now have pet doors.

LM

[Gwen]

i wasn't to impressed with the "closet" on the ones i looked at. i do like the ones that open up more. i figure i can't have it all. lol

now that hubby has his big tent i've decided we also need a camp kitchen for our week of camping... ideas? lol i've been looking at this one Cabela's Standard Camp Kitchen

[Dravin]

My family's camping kitchen growing up:

[Gwen]

that looks like the one we use now.

[Dravin]

that looks like the one we use now.

Tis a popular set-up. :)