Base camp/family tent

[rpm4463]

My family has grown in size and I'm shopping for a car camping tent that has plenty of room and tough enough for weather conditions but also little ones. I will also use the tent for hunting when I'm camped at my truck or as a large base camp tent. All of my previous tents have been lightweight backpack tents so this is a little different for me. The Cabelas Alaska Guide dome tent in 8 man looks like a good choice. It maybe a little over kill for good weather, but during fall/winter hunting seasons it would probably be a good fit. Does anybody have any good/bad experiences with this tent? It needs to be freestanding, decent ventilation, and a durable floor. Weight and pack size is not a big deal. Any other suggestions?

 

[Trr15]

I have an 8 man cabelas Alaskan guide for the same purposes you mention. Works great.

 

[SHTF]

http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/tents/ Check them out. Great tents sturdy easy to setup and walk in head room. Ive been eyeballing them for a while just havent made the jump Got a buddy who uses one though for his family of 4. Nice thing is you can get stove jack put in for some late fall early winter camping too. I was impressed with them for sure.

 

[todd kelly]

Check out the cabelas bighorn tent. Fast set up and having the ability for a good sized wood stove makes a big difference in comfort with the family and during hunting season. I`ll set mine up as a base camp tent and spike out from it. It only takes me 15 min solo to set it up. Add the vestibule to it and you have a good sized cook shack.

 

[Beendare]

I think if you spent any time in a canvas wall tent- it would be an easy decision.....

 

[RUTTIN]

I had a cabelas Alaknak I used for hunting last year and loved it other than condensation was an issue in the mornings even when we fired up the stove. Water would puddle in the corners. I sold it and just ordered a 10x14 kodiak canvas yesterday. After a lot of research it was the best option for me for the size, ease of setup and the price. Competitive Edge has all models on sale right now with free shipping in the lower 48. Still deciding wether to put a stove jack in it or not.

 

[pyroducksx3]

Springbar makes nice tents as well. Watch some of the videos of them standing up to big wind.
http://www.springbar.com/springbar-tents/

 

[twall13]

I second the Kodiak. I own one and compared it side by side with the springbar before purchasing. I think it has better features for the price and it really is a solid tent. I love that at 6'1" I can stand upright in it. It's definitely a base camp/family camping tent though, heavy and heavy duty.

 

[Brodie]

My wife and I spent 3 weeks car camping across Canada/Northern U.S. This summer and after a week our old Eureka 6p died. Bought a Marmot limestone 6p it is a great setup, we can fit a queen size blow up mattress in it with loads of room to spare. Also has two doors/vestibules.
Definitely can't pack it around as it's something like 16lbs but for car camping it's perfect and big enough that there's room for additions to the family!

 

[husky390]

I would go with a Kodiak Canvas or a wall tent from Davis Tent. I have a Cabelas silnylon tent that pitches similar to the Kodiak and it's been bombproof in major thunderstorms and hail. The only problem with it is the floor has started to get holes. I don't think you'd have to worry about that with the Kodiak or Davis tent. I just picked up my new 16'x20' Davis tent, just need to buy the poles and cut them now.


http://www.davistent.com/index.cfm?id=D6AD921E-9897-3BFE-B304D96A477EA97F

 

[pyroducksx3]

The springbar uses the same sunforger treated canvas as davis tent. It's one of the reasons why the springbar is better then Kodiak

 

[Travis Bertrand]

Montana canvas tipi? I have one but haven't used it in years. Awesome tent though.

 

[actionshooter]

The Cabelas Alaskan Guide tent is actually a pretty stout tent. I have a 4 man that has been getting used for car camping, horse packing and fly-in hunts for 15 years. The rain fly is pretty much shot at this point and the tent treated me so well that I'm going to buy another to replace it.

 

[Ben Nicholson]

My Cabelas 8 person has served our family of four nicely.

Good luck,
Ben

 

[NJDiverDan]

I have a Cabelas Alaknak that I use for base camp as well as our family camping tent. I have had it since 2008. For the last three years it has spent the month of September set up in the mountains. Still in great shape. I have never had bad condensation issues that others in counter but I also leave the vents at least 1/2 open all night. The only area that gets condensation is in the vestibule. Not sure if that helps keep it out of the main tent or not.

 

[5MilesBack]

I think if you spent any time in a canvas wall tent- it would be an easy decision.....

Absolutely! There is no comparison. I had the Alaskan Guide 6 man and that thing was big enough for 2 people tops......especially for anything longer than one night. I'm sure the 8 man is similarly adequate for maybe 3 people.

Get yourself a good wall tent and be done with it. Plenty of room for a table, cots, wood stove, storage, stand-up height, and room to move around. I have a 14x16 that I use just for myself during the season, but I can pack my family of 5 in there if I have to. Thinking about adding another one with two doors that I can set up door to door for the whole family, or just getting the 16x20 as well.

There really is no comparison to a good quality canvas wall tent, especially for extended periods of time.

 

[LaHunter]

I had an 8 man Alaskan Guide tent for nearly 20 years. It eventually bit the dust. That tent is bomb proof. It was in 70+ mph winds, rain, and snow and held up well. It is not really an 8 man tent. It gets very small with kids or more than 2 adults with gear. This tent is good for sleeping in, but due to the shape, you can't really move around well in it. I would recommend a wall type tent for a base camp. I now have the Alaknak 12 X 20 tent with a wood burning stove. I have had it for 2 years now and like it alot. It will get condensation in it, but keeping the fire going will eliminate it for the most part. It has seen winds of 30-50 mph, rain, and snow and has done well. Just make sure you get some long stakes for the guy out lines. Great thing about a wall type tent is if the weather is bad, you can stay dry and warm and move around a little bit.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[rpm4463]

are there many wall tents that are freestanding? I've stayed in a few but all of them used multiple guide lines.

 

[Ranger619]

The Kodiak Canvas are not freestanding, but only have guy lines on the awning. I bought the 10x10 last year for 2 of us to stay in and loved it. After staying in a 1 man tent for all previous trips, it felt like I was cheating by staying in something I could stand in, move around, or have a chair inside to sit in. There are videos on set up. They set up very quickly. It takes longer to put in the stakes than actual tent setup.

 

[twall13]

The Kodiak Canvas are not freestanding, but only have guy lines on the awning. I bought the 10x10 last year for 2 of us to stay in and loved it. After staying in a 1 man tent for all previous trips, it felt like I was cheating by staying in something I could stand in, move around, or have a chair inside to sit in. There are videos on set up. They set up very quickly. It takes longer to put in the stakes than actual tent setup.

The Kodiak tents are free standing. The awning can be rolled up if you don't want to use it. Though not a true wall tent they are a nice canvas tent.