Big Agnes - Big House 4

I actually own(ed) and have camped in the Wonderland 6 and the big house 4. We bought the big house 4 looking for something a bit smaller, lighter, and easier to set up when we're only doing a 1 nighter. Unfortunately, we HATE the door design, so much that it's needed to be returned. The door on the big house closes only in the bottom corner, you can't have it closed with the zipper higher up. It also has a lot of snagging issues, and overall not as easy to open/close as the wonderland. In a heavy or blowing rain it is very easy for water to enter here, even when you have the zipper guards velcro'd on the outside. So much water came in during one thunderstorm it saturated one of my beach towels and then some, and the leaking here was a recurring issue driving us to decide we needed to return it. The only down sides on the Wonderland are: Price (if you can wait for REI anniversary sale or similar try to hold our for 25-30% off MSRP at least. Size/Weight yes it takes up a decent chunk of room when packed and weighs a lot. Also need a large space to set it up which not all camp sites have. Set up time, it takes longer than a classic dome tent as it has 4 total poles and a few extra guy outs. We love the wonderland and own 2 of the additional "mud room" attachments that we can bring as needed. Super spacious and the doors work a dream, never had any issues with water leaking in during a storm.

I’m currently sitting in a tent similar to the first one (Coleman Carlsbad Dark Room with Screened Porch). Personally, we love it! We also have a Big Agnes Big House 4 which we love too and is of higher quality than the Coleman, but with little kids, having the blackout feature is really nice. Happy to answer any questions!

I have the Big Agnes Big House 4 and it’s awesome.

It is spacious. My family of four fits great in it and I can stand up in the tent! (I’m over 6’ tall). Plus you can buy the vestibule add on which I highly recommend. That’s where the dog sleeps and it covers our stuff and gives you a place to take off shoes. I bent a pole a few years ago and Big Agnes was quick to send replacement poles. 10/10 recommend. Mine is yellow but it’s gotta be 8-10 years old.

Big Agnes, Big House 4. I'm 6'3" and am able to stand upright.

Gazelle T4, North Face Wawona or Big Agness Big House. Agree the T4 is a bear to.load and carry. We use our Wawona a ton once we learned how to set it up hahaha

If you want a higher quality buy-it-once family tent take a look at the Big Agnes Big House. Got a great deal on it because it was a previous year’s model. It has withstood the abuse of toddlers and hardcore wind and in Newfoundland. Also packs up small for such a large tent. I’m 6ft and can stand up in it.

I have a copper spur 2 person that I’ve taken both my kids in on separate occasions. I didn’t want anything too fragile so stayed away from the platinum models. I’ve since picked up a xmid 1p and obviously use that for solo outings. We are now at the point where we need two 2p shelters and I’m looking to add a xmid 2p+ at some point. We have a 4 person big Agnes tent but it’s a bit heavy and 4 people in a 4 person tent is a little rough when they get older. The best part of the copper spur is pairing it with a two person pad and two person quilt. The entire floor becomes a bed and is very comfortable. The two person quilt keeps the jimmy legs in without having to carry two sleeping bags, so for the person carrying it saves a good bit of weight. If I had to start over I’d probably make the same decisions. A freestanding tent is a bit easier if you aren’t used to trekking pole tents. My first outing with my xmid was on hard packed ground in the desert where it was really difficult to get stakes in the ground. The tent blew over during a thunderstorm that evening. If I were going on the same trip again I’d probably just take the copper spur. So for me it was about having some flexibility and diversity of functions when building out my gear closet.

Go with a four person tent if you are car camping. Especially if you want to be able to stand up. It's only me camping. I got a 4 person Big Agnes on sale. And I have a large size Teton cot. The tent is ok for one cot, with room for gear and space to stand. Two large cots, would fit. But no room to stand. Two normal size mats and gear would be fine. As others have said, err on the big side. Unless weight is a major factor.

I had a bad experience with the north face 6 person tent, 2nd time using it and the bug netting on the doors started ripping at the seams. I had to send it in and they did fix it but beware. It’s a shame cause my other tents from them lasted at least a decade before starting to fall apart. We also have a Big Agnes 4 person tent since 2018 and it’s been flawless.

I’m so glad this was mentioned. I went colder weather camping with my sons a bit ago. Initially, I bought a big giant tent with an added screen room. This sub pointed us in the right direction. I returned the behemoth and went with my Big Agnes 2p and bought the boys their own 4p to use with their friend. OP, I did buy a propane heater. I would warm up my tent when I was getting ready to go to sleep and then again in the morning g before getting out of my sleeping bag. In the tiny tent, it was hot in there within minutes!