anyone have a car camping tent they recommend for a family?

[Tony Trietch]

I am looking for a "car camping" tent as well. Drew two seperate elk tags this year that might not be backcountry type hunts.

 

[Brendan]

Kodak Canvas fans - have any of you ever had an issue with leaking in steady / heavy rain? Have you had a chance to use yours in conditions like that? Looking around the net, most people seem to love them, but there are reviews out there that say they leak and aren't great for weather like that.

I'm torn between a Kodak canvas and a wall tent with fly...

 

[IanF.]

Have looked at this one, only online though...

http://youtu.be/ubT6i50YwJM

 

[twall13]

Kodak Canvas fans - have any of you ever had an issue with leaking in steady / heavy rain? Have you had a chance to use yours in conditions like that? Looking around the net, most people seem to love them, but there are reviews out there that say they leak and aren't great for weather like that.

I'm torn between a Kodak canvas and a wall tent with fly...

I've had mine in a couple multi day long storms and it's never leaked a drop. On one of those occasions the other two non canvas tents in camp were like a bathtub full of water. I didn't pick the best site and when I took the tent down I realized I was in a puddle about 2 inches deep under the tent but I never had any water in the tent.

Follow the instructions and set it up at home, run a hose on it and let it dry before using it in the field and you should be good to go.

 

[92xj]

Kodak Canvas fans - have any of you ever had an issue with leaking in steady / heavy rain? Have you had a chance to use yours in conditions like that? Looking around the net, most people seem to love them, but there are reviews out there that say they leak and aren't great for weather like that.

I'm torn between a Kodak canvas and a wall tent with fly...

Mine has leaked one time in it's many uses and it was 100% user error. I forgot to zip the bottom of the door closed and the door flap was flipped inside the tent and it poured that night. Luckily my wife has a pretty dumb husky shepherd mix that laid right by that door all night catching all the rain, he was soaked! But, that was the only time the tent has ever leaked. I spend many nights in the Pacific Northwest and rain and snow is a possibility anytime you're in the woods. Last late elk season it rained 3+ inches in 24 hours with 35 mph winds that then decided to change to snow but the wind died down when the snow started. When the storm had passed we had 4-6" of snow on the ground and was mid 20's. We hunted about 2 hours in that 36 hour storm and hung out and stayed in the tent the rest of the time. The tent held up great, kept us dry and never had the first drip make it into the tent.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm torn between a Kodak canvas and a wall tent with fly...

The only time I run a fly with my wall tent is when I'm expecting heavy snow, so it will slide off the roof. I had my wall tent up the entire archery season in 2013 when we got over 15" of rain in a two week period and the tent never leaked at all.

 

[92xj]

If you're torn between the two I think the answer to these questions will decide your tent.

1-Is a 10x14 foot print with slanted walls to the roof a large enough area for you on your adventures or do you need more space?
2-Is being able to erect the tent solo in under 8 minutes a desire? (a wall tent can be done solo, but it sucks and takes a lot longer)
3-Do you have enough room to transport a wall tent with it's pole kit? (the Kodiak canvas is two bags, one, the tent, that is about the size of a medium duffle bag and the second, the poles, is about a 5" cylinder that's 3.5-4 feet long. Pretty much can be packed in any vehicle without an issue)
4-Do you want a sewn in heavy duty floor? (you can have floors sewn into wall tents or take your own separate floor for them when desired, but the Kodiak has it's floor 100% of the time.

 

[bbrown]

Keep in mind, if you are actually camping at a camp ground most of them have size restrictions so the tent will fit on the established pad. Might be worth getting 2 smaller tents instead of 1 larger one. Then again sometime the campground will limit you to 1 tent per site which would force you to rent 2 camp spots next to each other.

As far as tents, my brother in law had the Kodiak and it has held up well. I have the Davis Tent 10'x10' Range Tipi which is going on many year and lots of nights but still looks like new. Either option would fit the number of people you are talking about if you are sleeping on the ground but cots or big air mattresses would make it too tight and neither have the divider.

 

[efnm]

I had a small leak in mine during a day-long rain, which confused me since I thought I seasoned the kodiak. I'm not worried about it since I live in the desert and figured it only seasoned some more with that rain.

One big piece of advice - get a 10x14 tarp for the INSIDE of the tent. It's extra protection from rain I suppose, but it also makes cleaning the tent floor a piece of cake. I love this tent.

 

[karaRobert]

For car camping with family, Coleman is a great option. You could also try Kodiak Canvas and/or keep an eye on Steep And Cheap.

 

[seldomseensmith]

We use an 8 man tipi with a 1/2 nest. Car camping, backpacking, family vacations. I'm even allowed to take it hunting. Nothing beats keeping the kids warm on a cold morning around the stove cuz you know they aint staying in their bags.

 

[bulzeye11]

we have an 8 person cabelas guardian tent. we have had three oversize cots setup in it and 1 dog kennel. I have pieces of carpet we use for the cot feet. pretty nice tent for just family camping. have had it in a couple nasty rain storms as well as some decent winds.

 

[william schmaltz]

Arctic Oven’s are on sale for 10% off this weekend! After a ton of research, I that’s the route I’m going. Me and my wife started using a tipi with a wood stove a couple years ago and being able to dry out clothes and warm up my boots in the morning is legit. I’d suggest a large tipi if you don’t have to worry about wind where you are and your kids are older and can handle cold. The wood stoves need a lot of tending to but the weight can’t be beat backpacking. We are going to get the Arctic Oven with a propane stove for road system trips and for base camp on trips where there isn’t a tight weight restriction on bush flights. Added bonus to be able to fit a pack and play inside, keep the bugs out, and keep everyone warm and safe. I would recommend you look hard into an arctic oven. As a bonus it really extends your camping season!

I’ve never heard of that Kodiak canvas tent but that thing looks like a kite. I don’t think the people that named that thing have ever been to Kodiak, it would be lying flat or in the trees before breakfast……

 

[efnm]

I've been in 50 mph wind storms with my Kodiak. It flexed but stayed up strong, unlike the other tents on the ridge that folded flat. I would not hesitate to recommend a Kodiak or springbar style tent for families.

 

[william schmaltz]

I've been in 50 mph wind storms with my Kodiak. It flexed but stayed up strong, unlike the other tents on the ridge that folded flat. I would not hesitate to recommend a Kodiak or springbar style tent for families.

Good to know. Thanks for the follow up. It's the 100 mph crap that scares - that's when noone can come and save a guy. I've had to take down the heated tent a couple times and set up the emergency shelter.

 

[chippewawarrior]

Cabela's Alaskan Guide 8 man. It's a bomber tent. The one I have is over 4 years old, and my family has over 50 nights in it. Worth every penny thus far. It sheds water and rain with no problem. No signs of wear yet either. It takes 2 people to set up, it would be a pain by yourself.

 

[sk1]

this is an older post, but since it got brought back up, thought i would post what i ended up with

NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person - you can get it on amazon prime for $290. I was a bit skeptical at first, but wow for the money its great quality. extremely happy with it and lots of room for the kids. i have zero concerns about wind or weather. i feel like there aren't very many options of this quality in the sub $400 price range. this is a heavy tent and obviously not for packing.

 

[LateRiser]

We have a Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6. Not cheap, but it's been perfect.
Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6

Has a divider for the kids, big vestibule, completely wind and waterproof. We stayed completely dry several times when our camping companions in Coleman, LL Bean and REI tents were soaked.

Edit: Just noticed this was an updated older post. Oops. But still a great tent!

 

[sk1]

We have a Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6. Not cheap, but it's been perfect.
Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6

Has a divider for the kids, big vestibule, completely wind and waterproof. We stayed completely dry several times when our camping companions in Coleman, LL Bean and REI tents were soaked.

Edit: Just noticed this was an updated older post. Oops. But still a great tent!

yeah i looked into BA stuff because im all about quality, my wife just wanted a bigger tent and something she could stand up in. we don't rough it when we take the kids camping, multiple air mattresses, etc etc. i cant say enough about the NTK Arizona GT 9 to 10 Person, it really out performs its pricepoint. however, my wife is always trying to make me buy something cheap which usually means poor quality. we went through two different tents before this one, both were refunded after they leaked. she pointed out this one and finally got me to agree to try it, i think i paid a bit more than its going for now. im extremely happy with it

 

[commandoNate]

We have a Big Agnes big house 6 with the vestibule accessory. Very nice tent and when properly staked it handles some high winds. I use steel stakes that are made for concrete forms for the outer tie downs from the fly, this stabilizes it very well in soft soils and high winds. I also bought a hunk of that blue indoor/outdoor carpet and cut it to the floor size so that if we come ad go with wet, sandy or snowy boots I can pull the carpet and shake it off when we pack up to go. I've been very happy using this setup for 4 years now.

I don't have any pics with the vestibule on but it covers the front door area. You still have the other door to come and go from the tent. We've cooked in the vestibule in bad weather before, nice having a floorless area where you can sit in chairs to prep and eat dinner.