Coleman - Dark Room™ Skydome™ Camping Tent

I have the coleman skydome 8 with 'dark room' covering. Our toddler needs pitch black, and the tent worked very well for that. We took heavy rain and even with the rainfly, the side corners leaked a little bit, like beads of moisture so my pillow got damp. Our dog also caught her leg while walking out of the porch and it ripped the fabric off the zipper for like 18 inches in the lower corner, it's pretty fragile.

Blackout and waterproof. I rock a Coleman 8 man Skydome or a 4 man Sundome

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are both super easy

I recommend a 6 man (or 8 man) Coleman blackout Sundome or Skydome. Check out Ollie’s if you have one for deals on Coleman

Try a Coleman Sundome or Skydome from Ollie’s, blackout if you can get it. I’ve bought both to festivals with multiple severe thunderstorms and was much dryer than people who brought much more expensive tents. The bathtub floor will be much better in bad weather than this tent. Sometimes you can get a dud Coleman that leaks in one spot, but that’s only happened to me once. Just set it up and test it in rain before your event. I will say avoid the instant tent, that thing is so bad they sell an aftermarket rainfly to fix it.

I didn’t bother to buy it after testing the instant tent in the rain. But my Sundome and Skydome are great in bad weather

Coleman Sundome or Skydome, at least 8 man

Coleman 8 man Darkroom Skydome. The shorter rainfly works just fine. A tent doesn’t help you stay warm in cold months; they are not insulated.

Poor design. The Sundome and Skydome don’t leak like that

Go with a darkroom Coleman Sundome or Skydome

My 8 man Skydome has kept me dry through multiple severe thunderstorms without additional waterproofing or even being guyed out (it’s my music festival tent.) Just set it up in the backyard and see how it does through a rainstorm.

I have had excellent luck with Coleman Sundome and Skydome. The “Instant Up” leaked so badly that there is now an add on Instant Up rainfly sold separately. I had one Sundome that leaked in one corner. After that, I set up my new tent before a thunderstorm without guying it out to see if it will leak or not. They haven’t leaked. I’ve left one set up in the backyard all year; after over a year and almost 3 inches of water in one day, there was a small bit of water in that one. Ollie’s has Coleman on deep discount right now. At that price you could get two or three for the same price as other people’s suggestions.

These are what I use the most: \- Tent: Coleman SkyDome Darkroom Tech 8-man cabin tent. Very sturdy tent and stands up to elements well. Darkroom tech, rain fly means it stays nice and dark in there, even during daylight hours so if you're the type that likes to sleep in, not a ton of light gets into the tent (just through the lower vents through the mesh, so makes for a nice dim light in the mornings. It's also room and I, as a 6'2" guy, can easily stand up in it with room to spare. \- Cot: Cabela's Alaskan Guide camp cot. I opted for a HEST foamy pad to go on top of it, and the cot organizer that attaches to the cot with velcro. The cot is sturdy and the HEST pad makes a perfect combo on it. I just bring some regular bed sheets, a blanket, and my regular pillow and sleep like a baby on there. \- Camp chair: Cabela's Outdoorsman XL camp chair. It's comfortable, folds up easily, and doesn't weigh a ton

I love mine. It's my best tent for longer weekends/trips at campgrounds. My other go-to is a Coleman SkyDome Darkroom 8-man tent for shorter trips, since it's lighter and easier to setup/tear down. But it's not nearly as sturdy/strong as the Cabela's tent. I also have an REI SL3+ half-dome for backpacking, and a Columbia Mammoth Creek 8-man 2-room cabin tent I've been meaning to try out but haven't had a chance to set it up yet.

I have the 8-man version of this tent. SOLID tent, easy to setup, and my main go-to!! The darkroom rainfly also makes it nice for skipping out on early-morning sun and for better privacy during night too.

8 gives me plenty of room as a 6’ 2” guy to stand in and stretch and keep all my stuff in. But you mention 3-4 people….I’d spring for the 10-man model. I’d use the 8-man for two people max, unless you plan to pack everyone in like sardines each night, depending on their size. Also the models below 10-man have no walls in them, it’s just one big space.

Sure thing!! Yeah unless Coleman has changed things since I got mine two years ago, it’s just one big dome tent with one big space. It’s easy to setup and tear down. I’d say the rain fly is the most complicated part of the tent for setup, and even then it fits only one way and will be obvious because of how the logo lines up with the tent door.

We are a family of 5 plus our two Labradors we love our 8 person Coleman Skydome tent. We have lots of sleeping space, plenty of headroom. And the dogs can sleep with us or sleep outside in the screened porch as it’s part of the tent. Plus you can not beet the rain fly design goes all they way to the ground for better weather protection. We have camped in 105 degree weather and 38 degree weather the tent keep’s amazing us every time we use it. https://preview.redd.it/jzo1cuaj1v7g1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb0a2d7760b7a76b0d0684185d5cd38f3ce4eec4 I highly recommend this tent for 5 people and two dogs plus everyone’s gear. Final not for warmer weather they offer a dark room version. Happy Camping🌲🌲🔥⛺️🌲🌲

I just bought the 8 person version this year. Have set it up and taken it down 3 times so far, no issues getting it back in the bag. There's also a strip on the bottom of the bag that can be cut to make the bag larger that I still haven't cut, but in theory will solve the issues you're describing.

I have the 8 and 12 person version of this tent, no issues, and pretty sure I paid more than that for the 8 person. Just be aware that not all tent pads are longer than 8 to 12ft so this may not fit all campsites, which is why I have both.

I have a Coleman Skydome 8 person tent, and it’s been mostly just me in it. But I can set it up myself, and stand up in it. My 16yo uses the Outbound 3 person, and I honestly don’t know how he does it. He’s 6’ tall. His cot barely fits(and already has to be on a diagonal) https://preview.redd.it/kw2nil5unsnf1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aef30437b3dc69fc71297e2dcbc526427a4dcb70

We have an 8 person Coleman (Skydome I think) and we comfortably fit 2 adults + 2 older kids. We use 2 double air mattresses for sleeping and still have floor space for gear. Not super challenging to put together with 2 adults. I don’t think could do it by myself but probably with the help of an older kid. It’s held up well across multiple trips. I find the brand to be a good value.

Coleman or core. I’ve used both regularly and in some bad weather without problems. I like core instant tents for the quick setup and breakdown. Coleman Skydome are also great for a mix of dome and cabin style. Will likely want a 8 person or more for the space and headroom.

Go with the Coleman. You are a beginner that plans on camping a couple times a year. It’s fine. When the forecast calls for significant rain put a tarp under the tent (no exposed tarp) and a large tarp string over your site. The hat not only gives your tent extra protection but gives you useable space out of the rain. This is all presuming it is camping near your vehicle and weight is not a significant factor.

I have a variety of tents based in the situation I am camping in. Backpacking -REI half dome 2SL Car camping short trip - Ozark trail 6 person instant tent (used to have a core instant tent that was better quality. Started leaking on a trip after around 100 nights of use and did a quick replace at Walmart due to continued rain in the forecast. This is also the one I lend out to friends when needed.) Car camping longer trip - Coleman 8person skydome Car camping but walk in site of 1 mile or less Core 6 person dome tent with vestibule.

I actually have the Coleman Skydome Dark Room model. I'm not sure if it's comparable but I'm conflicted on it as the performance in the rain was fine, but it retained heat and a section of the fly tore on the first hour. I cannot rule out if it was human error or if my expectations of remaining cool should not be placed on the tent but rather on my equipment to keep me cool (fans, portable ac units, water).

I think I had the Aussie version - looks like the same tent but it’s called the coleman quickdome darkroom. See my other comment for why it’s the worst tent I’ve ever used.

I have owned one blackout tent in my life, a coleman quickdome darkroom. Worst tent I’ve ever had. Tore open on the 3rd day of a 2 week camp. The dark did not make it cooler. If anything it was hotter in there than a beige or grey tent. I hated needing a damn torch just to find something in the tent in the middle of the day. In 20km/h winds you could hear the fabric screaming as it slowly broke apart, and many small holes were visible in the fly by day 4. On day 7 the door zip separated from the main tent, meaning the tent could not be zipped fully. I’d already used all my patches and hand sewn several running tears in the tent walls where stray threads had just unravelled. At this point we went into town to a different outlet of the store we purchased from, with a timeline of photos of the clusterfuck, and asked for a refund. Unfortunately to do that, we had to hand the tent over before they could give us the store credit to buy something else. So we had to go back to camp, pack it all down, go get the refund and new tent, and then setup again midway through the trip. Really soured my opinion of coleman tents.