Big House 6

Skip the Skydome honestly. It's decent for the price but the fiberglass poles and lightweight fabric don't handle wind or rain well, and with a 6 and 3 year old you're gonna want something that feels solid when you're wrestling gear in and out. The Wawona's a solid pick but the weight is brutal for what you're getting. At that price point the Big Agnes Wyoming has better materials and the extra headroom actually matters when you're chasing kids around getting them dressed. FWIW I have the Nemo Riff and it's been tank, but for family car camping something with a proper vestibule for muddy boots and gear makes a huge difference.

Senior woman, overweight and not in the best of shape, camps alone and I have the big Agnes Big House 6. I love this tent. I think it sets up easily, huge inside height, about 9x10 outside dimensions. The cabin type walls (not dome) give it that inside open space which I love. My cot, a chair, a bench for my personal stuff, even a portable sink with fresh and grey water. Been excellent in the storms and rain while I’ve camped this far. I do not use the vestibule and don’t intend to.

Is the tent the only item you want/need to buy? Do you have the rest of your camping kit dialed in? What makes you interested in a Springbar tent? Are you considering their big canvas options? Personally - I don't want a canvas tent. They are bulky to pack and hard to setup. Maybe if I was in 1 spot for a month long adventure, or I was camping long-term in the winter. If I had a solid budget for a tent - I'd get something like this: * [https://www.rei.com/product/202982/rei-co-op-wonderland-6-tent](https://www.rei.com/product/202982/rei-co-op-wonderland-6-tent) * [https://www.bigagnes.com/collections/car-camping-tents/products/big-house-six](https://www.bigagnes.com/collections/car-camping-tents/products/big-house-six) * [https://www.marmot.com/p/halo-6-person-tent/SP\_220055/AFS\_889169250958.html](https://www.marmot.com/p/halo-6-person-tent/SP_220055/AFS_889169250958.html) * [https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/p/bags-and-gear/camp-shop-829877/wawona-6-tent-NF0A8BDV](https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/p/bags-and-gear/camp-shop-829877/wawona-6-tent-NF0A8BDV) * [https://www.nemoequipment.com/collections/tents/products/aurora-highrise](https://www.nemoequipment.com/collections/tents/products/aurora-highrise) * [https://www.snowpeak.com/collections/4-6-person/products/alpha-breeze](https://www.snowpeak.com/collections/4-6-person/products/alpha-breeze) All under $1000, plenty of money to save for a new cooler, set of chairs, canopy, cook setup, or other important gear.

What I did when I wanted to test out TV sizes was to make a paper template the size of the screen to see what fit best in the room, You could make a template with kraft paper the size of the tents that you are considering so that you will have an actual visual of how large a tent you will feel comfortable in. You may find that a 6 or 8 person tent is sufficient for your needs and easier to set up and transport. My husband and I have always camped in at least a 8 person tent, our current go to is an eight person Big Agnes Big House tent. It is perfect for us for car camping. We take a smaller Big Agnes Big House 6 person tent for trips that include airline travel but we took a smaller 4 person tent for international travel and camping in France. The different tents and campsite setups is a constant learning process. Walk around the campground and see what others do and you'll find that there are tents of all shapes and sizes. Do whatever makes the camping experience enjoyable for you. I'd suggest the 6 person Agnes as one that you can stand up in and be comfortable with plenty of space for your gear, and a large enough to not feel closed in if you are stuck in on a stormy day. See if there is a place to look at tents fully set up so that you can see how large/small they are.

I can’t speak for anything other than the big house 6. I’ve owned it for several years and it’s the best tent I’ve ever had. I added the vestibule and footprint to go with it. It’s been an excellent tent. I’ve never had any issues with it. It’s a solid tent.