4-Person Dome Tent

I do a lot of beach camping, and have a 4 person Coleman dome tent that has stood up to 35+mph winds on Cape Lookout. The only issue was that the wind was blowing the sand so hard it came up and into the vents in the top of the tent. It has gone through other thunderstorms too. One wiped out 3/4s the tents at Ocracoke and ours was standing strong. Probably not the best tent, but it has survived a lot of heavy weather. Ours has the little patio entrance thing, which is nice for sand. Just make sure you have good stakes.

Assuming car camping, a simple Coleman 4 person dome tent that they are capable of putting up/taking down with a friend. 

I've had a couple of the instant set-up cabin tents throughout the years, I will keep buying this type until I make the jump to travel trailer. However, I cannot recommend the 10p Core with the built in screened porch. The porch is basically useless in the rain, it doesn't detach & holds the front part of the rainfly. If you decide to keep the screen open it just collects bugs that quickly make it into the tent when you unzip the doors to get in. This is my first Core & probably my last, will probably go back to the Coleman in the same size for my very last tent. Choose Wisely.

My wife and I faced the exact same problem this year and bought a Coleman 4-person for about $100. FWIW, the only time we've used it we got caught in a rainstorm and came out fine. It's not a totally stupid tent, and going with their reputation as making solid non-glamorous gear seems to have worked out. It makes no pretense at all at being light, which for car camping doesn't matter.

A few of our scouts use Coleman tents; one has a two-person, and one has a 4-person. They lack a vestibule for storing gear to keep it out of the rain, but they are quick to set up and they aren't horrible quality. Our scouts have been using theirs for a couple years now. You probably already know, but a 2-person tent will only sleep two tiny people, and 4-person MIGHT fit three.

I'm a big fan of our Coleman tent. I can't remember the exact model, but we have both a 4-person and a 6-person. The 4-person is realistically good for two people if you're using an air mattress inside. When we camp with our kids, the we get the 4-person and they get the 6-person with the dogs and their beds. The bath-tub bottom on the Coleman kept me dry in an insane hurricane-driven storm in WV when many other people's tents were failing so I'm committed to the brand! We also use a Coleman camping stove. We have LED lanterns we got in a 4-pack off Amazon. Our sleeping bags we've picked up at various places - some are from Aldi! We like Goal Zero for solar power banks. We also like having a 10x10 pop up canopy (even better if it has netting to keep bugs out) to put over the food area. A couple big totes to store everything in is nice as well. We keep everything together in the garage in those totes and just grab those when we go on a trip. We keep dedicated food prep tools in the totes - our stockpot, utensils (including some for stirring/serving/grilling), a set of plates, a basin for washing, a small thing of dish soap and our "hand-washing station" which was a laundry soap dispenser in its former life. If you have an REI near you, I would suggest asking them for advice on some of the other items you want - the salespeople there tend to know their stuff. But I also agree that a Walmart or similar superstore will have most of what you need if you know what you're looking for.

We moved from a Coleman 4P to a 6P, and it was a game changer, WAY more space for cots, and you don’t feel like you’re rolling over someone to get out at night. I’ve heard great things about Gazelle tents, especially for their quick setup, but I also agree they run a bit tight if you’re factoring in cots rather than foam pads. If vertical space matters (standing up, changing clothes, or convincing the dog to not sleep on someone’s sleeping bag), I'd say go for the biggest tent you can justify lugging in your car. Comfort > convenience when you’re camping with the fam.