Enclave

Go for a blackout tent if possible. This was my upgrade last year and it worked great. This is 10-person, but definitely not comfortable for 10, and is better suited for 6. [Coleman 10-Person Blackout Tent](https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/tents-by-size/10-person-dark-room-instant-cabin-tent-with-rainfly/SP_270937.html) I cannot stress enough that blackout makes a huge difference. You'll get an extra hour or more of sleep each day.

I recently bought a Coleman 10 person dark tent I recommend it for families who are car camping like you describe. Lets the kids sleep in more. I have pics of it in my profile in one of my posts. For my kids I just use a reflective heat pad thing under their sleeping bag and then bring a lot of extra blankets in case people get cold. Bring fun little dollar store activities like glow bracelets or those little whistling slingshot helicopter things you shoot in the air. Main issue will be if the 2 year old requires a lot of attention at night. Some are good sleepers and some wake up screaming. I’ve gone through both situations and when it goes bad it can be very tiring but you know what your kids can handle. Not sure what else to say but I’ve taken my young kids camping every year multiple times for many years so if you have specific questions I can try to answer. I think it’s super good for them to do it even when it’s hard for the parents. Edit: white noise app on a phone hooked up to a battery overnight can help a lot with the quiet/random loud sounds at campgrounds. I recommend that too.

I had a 10-person Coleman for about 15 years that I loved and was an amazing tent. It finally got worn out to the point I needed to replace it. This year I got 9-person Core tent that is really nice. It’s instant set-up and lighted, so pretty nice features. HOWEVER, even though we bought the footprint that is made for the tent, the floor of the tent started wearing through anywhere there was little bump on the ground the very first time we used it. It ended up leaking through those spots. I’m wishing I would’ve gone with Coleman again.

I use a Coleman 10 person tent, we set up 2 queen size cots/beds in it and have an additional table for storage in between our beds. It’s super easy to set up but really requires 2 people to make it painless. The biggest drawback with a tent like this is you’re not gonna want to carry it far it’s heavy you can bring a wagon to carry things in as well to make transport easier. I’ve been camping a long time. And when I go solo I usually just take my backpacking gear as it’s all much lighter and easy to carry. When I camp with the wife and kid space, comfort, and luxury are all important factors. We over do it for comfort ability when we plan outings. Feel free to message me about any gear questions.

I don’t have this specific tent but a similar 10 person Coleman and it’s great for 2 adults and 2 kids, with a good amount of space between beds so we can have luggage or hang out if it’s raining. If it’s just two people it’s a really big tent but if you want a lot of extra room, it’s great. Our setup was done with 1 person and it went up in about 15 mins.

I wanted to add that, as the kids get older, you/they may want more space. We're a family of 5. We used to all camp in a 10p Coleman. Once my eldest turned 11, he wanted his own tent. Now my kids are 11, 15, and 17, and we use a 6p (me and husband), 4p (11 & 15 yr olds), and a 2p (17 yr old). It is definitely much easier to find a flat spot to set up with smaller tents. The kids also set up their own tents. It's easier to keep a smaller tent warm too. For a family of 7, I'd suggest 2x 6p tents. We used our 10p Coleman tent for 11 yrs before we stopped using it. Our smaller Colemans get used at least 7 times per year. They're still going strong.

Do what I do... got a shift pod mini used. then a used 10 man colemen tent. I got mine shift pod for 200 and my cole man for 40 bucks. I need to seal the one I have now. You just put the Shift pod mini in the 10 man. Keeps the pod more dust free. also adds air insulation. but you need to seal the windows e 6000 and cover any open mesh with tent fabric and e6000. you need to have a fan bringing in filtered air. I use a 12v boat bilge blower fan. and n95 masks to keep the dust from coming in. I might see if I can find a canvas tent....