Camping - Berwyn,IL

I really don't have a suggestion for you... I am just commenting so I can find everyone's suggestions again when I want to start shopping for a tent.

Coleman and get a large tent, like an 8-10 man tent for comfort. Especially if it may rain. We like the rectangular ones that have D doors for longer camping events. Room to stand up in. I agree on no dividers. Just go for space.

I would go with a family size tent (no less then 8 people) this way you will have room for other stuff as well. I prefer the Coleman brand but I am sure there are others that are just as good (I have seen some that have separate areas with room dividers). Just make sure you get some kind of seam sealer for it in case of rain.

Happy Camping!!

We have the same size family and got an 8 man tent for the extra room. We usually bring our dogs and I don't like leaving our personal items out of the tent at night so I need room for the dogs and suitcases as well. We also like a place to carve out to play games at night etc. We bought a Magellan at Academy and it's held up well. Have fun!

Hi!
So great to see another camper on here : ) I would most certainly say NO to a 4 man...I would GO BIG if I were you. If you plan to put any kind of baggage, sleeping beds etc, they take up about 2 "spots" each. We had an 8-10 person tent, and we fit 2 adults, 1 kid and 2 dogs with just enough room to walk around to get dressed etc. And the ones with little porches are great with kids so they can take off dirty shoes/ wet jackets before entering the tent. A nice place to store these things out of the rain/morning dew. And the bigger ones arent that much heavier/bigger than the small ones really, unless you are backpacking to your campspot or something.

Brand - I have always bought Coleman. They have great customer service and are moderatly priced. Our 2nd Coleman tent, we used in a fluke snow strom and the weight of the snow broke the poles 1 night. I contacted Coleman to purchase new poles, and they sent me ALL new poles for FREE. They have always been kind to their customers.

Good luck, and have fun camping!!

I have gone through several tents and the only one that has lasted more than a few years is my Kelty. I love that tent. ours is a 6 person and fits 4 of us just fine although if you are planning on using air mattresses you need to go bigger. a 8 person tent would probably be big enough for 2 queen sized air mattresses. Our next tent will be an 8 person

Things to consider:
1. What kind of camping do you plan to do (sheltered, developed sites with amenities vs. hiking, rural, primitive sites)??
2. How often and for how long do you plan to go?
3. What is your area (environment, weather, wildlife) like? ! :)
4. Ages of kids--and how much stuff they will bring.

Growing up in Mississippi, a 2-4 person tent was perfect for sleeping--most of our time was spent outside anyways and clothes were safe outside. In New Mexico, a bigger tent with more room for blankets, dressing, storage was better. Cold nights in a 50% screened tent is not a good idea! Once the kid came along, we needed space for her to sleep and a small play area. We also get a lot of wind in NM (and not a lot of trees), so sturdy poles (and a lower profile) are important.

I don't really have a preference for brand. You can buy the most expensive "name-brand" tent and realize that it's a PITA to set up! Or, you can buy a "cheap" tent and LOVE it--and use it for years!
#1: Keep your receipt and know the store return policy!
When we first moved to NM, we quickly realized that our perfect MS summer tent was not ideal to NM seasons! We bought (and returned) 4 tents before finally finding The One! :) 6 years later (just last summer), we finally upgraded to a camping trailer! Yay!

Good luck, mama! I think family camping is such a wonderful thing! A lifetime of memories!

We love to tent camp but have only been doing it for 2 years. We also have 4 people in my family and we opted for an 8 person Instant tent because it's quick and have relatively high ceilings. We got a rainfly for it and it held up pretty well during a thunderstorm. We also have a disc-o-bunk cot and another single cot. They were wide as far as cots go and very comfortable.

We have an eight man Coleman with a room divider. It provides plenty of room for two queen size air mattresses and room to move around. I was also able to set up the Pack-n-Play with a queen size mattress and a single mattress when the kids were really young. We have weathered a few rain storms and never had any problems.

What size depends on what kind of camping you do. A 6 man can be more comfortable but the size may be restrictive depending on where and how you camp. We have a 4 man from REI we love, it never leaks and all 4 of us fit in it just fine.

Depends on how many days you usually camp. I could cram 4 people in a 4 man and be comfortable for a night or two. But really a 4man means you can lie 4 sleeping bags in there with not much room for stuff, or movement. We camp for up to 7 or 8 days in the summer, so we have a much bigger tent. I think we have a tent that supposedly sleeps 9 or 10. And actually we just had a 3rd child and I'm thinking it's going to be a little tight in there with 5 of us now.

Keep in mind that kids love a tent and like to hang out in it and spread out their stuff. Whereas you and I would only go in there to sleep or change clothes. So I think bigger is better for kids.

I always trust Coleman but honestly I'd buy any brand if I liked the tent. I had an "Ozark Trail" one where the zipper eventually went bad, but we did use it a ton so I wouldn't write that one off either.

ETA I totally second HellonHeels recommendation of a smaller tent as a playroom. We have done this as well and it keeps a lot of clutter and mess out of your main tent. So don't toss or give away that 2 man.

We camp a lot and have a 6 person tent from REI, I wouldn't want it any smaller. It fits two adults and our two kids, 4 and 5 comfortably. I would not recommend the dividers, it's easier to just have one open space. I also do not like air mattresses, they make it difficult to move around in the tent during the day when needed. My husband and I each sleep on a camping cot with a therm-a-rest sleeping pad on top. We bring an old thick comforter and lay it down on the floor of the tent and the kids sleep on that in their sleeping bags.

Columbia Cougar Flats tent--8 person, I think. Two rooms, lots of ventilation, easy to put up with colored poles, never leaks, big enough to sleep all of us (5 in my family) on one side with the second room used as a staging/storing area. I love our tent so much--

Happy Camping!!

My parents take my kids camping from time to time. What they've done is to get the 2-room tent (so there's enough room for everyone, air mattresses and all). Then, they use an old 4-person tent as a "play room" at the campsite as well. The kids use it like a cave, and stash all of their sticks and rocks and who knows what else in there.

Keep your 2-man tent for the kids. If not to sleep in then to play in.

We spent 4 years camping in Europe when my dad was stationed there with the USAF. We had an 8-man tent for the four of us. It had two partitioned bedrooms and a "living room" where we cooked and ate.

The mistake most people make is to believe a 4 man tent is good enough for 4 people. If all you do is sleep in it, maybe. I'd recommend an 8 man tent so you have some living room when the weather I too bad to go outside.

Brand. I'd go with Coleman or another equal quality brand.

Good luck to you and yours. Hope you have lots of fun!

I am a camping junkie and can't wait for our first camping trip of the year to Yosemite. We have been through a few tents. I have researched a bunch of tents and the one we have now is a Coleman Naugatuck. It has the rigid/hinged door, which I LOVE! It says its a 6 person tent but I wouldn't try fitting more than 4 people in it. We love this tent so much I bought a second one for the kids. Me and Hubs use one tent and my 2 daughters use the other (they are 12 and 16). I can't tell you how awesome the hinged door is! I hate zipping an unzipping the tent all day and at night when I have to make a potty trip. I love my Coleman tent. And it's super easy to put up. The kids do it.

I would suggest a 6 person tent at least. And the recommendation of using a small second tent for play or "stuff" is a great idea.