When I got a new knee, after surgery, and we had a small tent, my bf got us a McMansion tent..for like 8 ppl! I could stand up in it and we could use an air mattress for ease of getting up/laying down. No one said a word, but it was sort of laughable, but I didn't care! It also had space for more stuff in the tent!
What's "normal" anyway? Just have a great time camping!!
i have owned 2 of the coleman 8 person tent (b2). was a great tent except very air flow on the floor. if u are camping in warm weather bring a little fan.
my first one withstood - 60 mph wind storm. use all the guy lines for full wind protection .
Coleman makes decent lower cost tents. I had an 8 person that withstood several crazy winter storm fronts in florida while island camping (60-70 mph)...I did use all the guy lines and they were secured to trees or tree roots.
I have also had a 4 person 10x10 dome tent from coleman that worked great
https://preview.redd.it/f61egic2lptf1.jpeg?width=960&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a7894d5619f7bcf8c2db3f933bfa9419af460dc4
I would stick with Coleman or Ozark Trail. I think they are in your budget range. Ozark Trail probably is best for your size/budget requirements. A Coleman that size is going to be a bit more. I have an 8 person Coleman that probably would get the job done, but with that many people, a 10-12 person might be better for you. An Ozark Trail model would run about $200, a similar Coleman would be at least $150 more.
I have used my Coleman 4 person for solo trips for about 3 years now and have had no issues at all. This includes a storm with 50 mph gusts. Besides the money, I think Ozark Trail offers more variety in design than Coleman, so that may fit your needs better. I cannot speak to it's durability as I haven't had any personal experience, but everyone I know who has one is a fan.
I have a large 8 person Coleman. Hard to put up alone but doable. Even tiny hands are a help putting it up though. I put a queen size cot and two single cots inside comfortably.
Location and budget would be useful. If I’m on budget in North America, I would just buy at least an 8person Coleman tent. For poor rainy weather buy cheap &10-20 tarp and thrown it over the tent
If you are car camping, go big on the tent. The space is great. I use a 6-8 person tent for myself and two dogs. I can fit a queen sized cot, side table, and double camp chair in the tent with plenty of space left over. Really nice when there is bad weather. Plus being able to stand up and move around in a tent is great.
The exped megamat is one of the most comfortable sleeping pads you can get. I recommend putting it on a cot to get yourself further off the ground.
I don’t bother with an electric cooler and just have a good Rotomolded cooler from Ozark trail. Can hold ice for a 5 day trip when packed correctly. For cooking I bring a Coleman stove and a tripod so I can good over the fire or on the stove depending on what I’m making. Between that and a cast iron pan and a pot I can make just about anything.
I just bring my pillow from home. I’m by my car so space isn’t an issue. Especially since I switched to a minivan this year. Even with two large dogs along I have a ton of space to pack. I used to have a small sedan and packing was a bit more interesting in that. A roof bag came in handy.
For water I bring a 7 gallon igloo container that I put under the table. I have a USB powered faucet and a hose runs down to the container. Works out great and so much easier to use.
I get a lot of heat on sale, second hand, and from Sierra. My tents are Coleman and Ozark trail. The Ozark trail one is a 6 person instant tent that I bring if it’s a quicker trip and good weather. The Coleman is an 8 person but not instant. Has better weather resistance though so if rain is in the forecast I bring that one.
Top Camping Tents on Reddit
1
The North Face
Wawona 6
86% positive of 132 users
Spacious vestibule, strong in storms, but rainfly tricky solo.
skiergrl
