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Reddit Reviews
I have a 4,6 and 8 person Coleman Insta-tent. I take the 8 person when my wife goes with me. Plenty of room, actually has a divider to section it off into two rooms. Get the biggest tent you can afford. You'll never regret extra space,
I've used 4,6,8 man Coleman Instant Tents for years. Goes up in about 3 minutes, comes down in about 8 minutes (you have to roll it and smash it back in the carrying bag.
I have a Coleman instant up cabin tent and it’s completely waterproof. I suspect your tent is flawed and should be returned
I loved having a Coleman instant cabin when I had toddlers and putting up a complicated many pole dome tent was not an option. Lay it out, extend the poles, rainfly, done. But it was a heavy beast. Now that the kids are bigger, I got a Kelly bodie 4 dome tent. It's less than half the weight of the cabin tent, still tall enough inside for me to stand, and with a 5 year old helping me I can still get it erected in 5 minutes or less. When all 5 of us camp together, the biggest kids take the oldest's little dome tent that he uses for cub scouts leaving 2 adults and a 5 year old in the big tent.
I do spring and fall car camping in a Coleman Instant cabin tent and have done well. One-person setup is quick and easy. I would advise keeping an extra tarp on hand for a fly if heavier showers pop up. I like being able to stand up in the tent. Edit: I just watched a video for the Wawona 6. While it may be great tent, the reviewer said setup is easier with two people, but doable with one, and it took him about ten minutes. I see lots of poles. That kinda unchecks boxes for me - the Coleman Instant cabin is easily set up with one person. And I’ve done it in one minute, by the clock.
I’m partial to the Coleman instant cabin tent. It’s just me but I have the six person size. I have room for a cot (I don’t sleep on the ground), a night stand (Ozark Trails, folds up into a skinny bag) and a fold-up chair (Harbor Freight version). I like to be able to stand up and the chair holds my clothes overnight. This is what works for me.
I've never had a CORE tent, but Coleman and Kelty have both worked well in the past for car camping. The Coleman "instant cabin" would probably be an easier setup, but not much easier, and at cost of some sturdiness. Coleman Dark Room and Kelty Daydreamer are also neat; they're designed to black out sunlight, so the material is a bit heavier... and yeah, you can sleep in past dawn much more easily.
We use an EzUp canopy tent and it packs down into a duffle size but requires a shade canopy to attach too. The Coleman Instant cabin is what we used our first burn. It is kinda bulky, but worked well.
Honestly, just grab a Coleman Instant Cabin. The poles are pre-attached, so literally just unfold it and click them into space. Since you're car camping, the extra weight isn't a big deal.
30 of my 32 years i spend camping weeks at a time in a Coleman 8 person tent from Walmart. My parents couldnt afford anything else when we were kids and the tent worked great. When I turned 20 my parents got me my own coleman 8 person from Walmart and it rocks. I use it any time im campground camping. Its huge. We call it the tent condo. One time we had 2 queen air mattresses, a play pen, and 3 suitcases in it for an entire week in total comfort. And once my mom cut a hole in the side of her tent, sewed a sleeve on the tent and put a window air-conditioner in it. Talking about lap of luxury. Lol mom said she wasnt that worried about messing up because the tent wasnt that expensive.
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