Instant Up 6P Gold Series Evo Tent

I wrote way too much sorry. TLDR - Zempire & Dometic are great tents but consider a cheap dome first to see if your family likes camping. If money isn't an object then the new Zempire tents are as big as you want them to be (they are modular). They don't go up quite as fast as the instant-up Coleman's but they aren't that much slower either. I regularly camp side-by-side with an Instant Up (the kids are in it) and I'm in an Evo TS. The coleman can't handle as much wind and rain as the Zempire before collapsing or leaking but it is like half the price - and we are talking wind storms and some pretty heavy rain. The awning out the front in the Evo is fantastic for going in and out of the tent in heavy rain though the zip-on awning door isn't quite as usable as I'd like (it's mesh or solid, not both). The big thing you want to pay attention to with any tent is going to be much space it takes up when packed down - length but also height & width - i.e- will it fit in your car boot and allow you to take anything else like clothing, toys ,sleeping bags etc. Even my TS takes up quite a lot of room. The TL or Santorini would be pretty large. Also weight - if it's 30+kg, can you even get that in and out of your car without ruining your back? To me, that's always been the killer for any canvas tent. I guarantee if you get a large tent you will soon find yourself checking out for roof racks and a roof pod for your current car (or a trailer). You'll definitely need to if you plan on having another child. Tents I have experience with that are relevant to your situation: Coleman Instant Up 6P Gold Evo Tent - good and easy to put up but they are prone to damage if the tent fabric gets caught where it hinges and the metal parts aren't that strong. Our scout group has had 3 break in the last 12 months and none had been used more then 4 times. My tip- don't rush putting them up or taking them down. If going for a coleman consider the 'Lighted Northstar Darkroom' version instead. $100 more but it looks like a better awning design that would stop rain pouring in while you get in and out of the tent. We use this for 2 kids usually but it fits 3 stretchers comfortably with a little room to move around. 4 stretchers is a 'no room for anything else' situation. I can't fit this in my boot without putting one side of the seats down. Zempire Evo TS - I use this for camping with myself and up to 2 children. I needed something I could put up and down solo and would be reliable. It's never let me down. It fits 3 stretchers and I can put the awning door on if I want a bit more room to store things. The optional roof does make it much darker inside but leave it attached permanently as it's a right bastard to attach solo. The TS does take up a lot of room in the boot though but I can fit it without putting the seats down. My next tent will probably be a TL if I get it soon, or the modular ones if it's a few years from now. Dometic Pico 2x2 swag - I use this for just myself when I need to camp for more than a single night and the site requires me to carry the tent a fair distance from the car. I've never had it leak and it once held up to a week of steady wind and rain unattended on a site without issue or leaking. The inbuilt airbed sucks, get a proper mat. It's also really expensive and should only be bought if you find a crazy sale. Now I'm not saying you should get a swag - but I've been incredibly impressed by the quality of Dometic and how well designed it is (barring the mattress), so that Santorini is worth giving strong consideration. But my actual recommendation would be - something like a Wanderer Magnitude 6 person dome tent. We have an older version that has been in use for 10 years now and it's still going strong. We got the most use out of this when it was just myself, my partner and our first child but it still gets used now. It only fits 3 stretchers so these days when we use it, the wife and kids are in this and I'm out in the swag or a hiking tent. But it packs up super small and easily fits in the boot and leaves space for the rest of our gear. It's a bugger to put up compared to the other tents we own but we've become a bit spoiled with inflatables & instant up's. It takes 2 people and it's not difficult, just time consuming. It has a big room at the front that we've used for many, many rainy weekends. We even just 'camp' in it in the back yard sometimes. As to why I recommend it - it's cheap. You're first time campers, you don't know if it's something you'll continue with. You plan to eventually buy a camper when you have a car big enough to tow it - but you'd need a bigger car anyway for the tents you're looking at. I reckon considering getting something like the Wanderer and buy a separate gazebo. You'll save a huge amount of money. Domes can stand up to a lot of wind and rain but if shit hits the fan, go to a motel for the night. Even with a great tent you won't get any sleep at all out in a thunderstorm and everyone will be tired and grumpy for the weekend.

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.

Another vote for Coleman Instant up  4P, or maybe 6P for 2 people!  I camp solo, and am a shorty, can easily setup in 15 mins, and fits in smallish car!

I recently sold my Coleman instant up 6P. It was ok, but packed down it was huge. It didn't fit in my palisade without the seats down, needed to go on a roof rack. It was ok when the kids we little, it went on the floor under their feet but now they are older it doesn't fit there anymore. I will be buying a spring bar Kodiak tent in the new year [https://longwayleisure.com.au/product-category/kodiak-canvas/](https://longwayleisure.com.au/product-category/kodiak-canvas/) I saw these at the Scout Jamboree last January. The scouts I talked to loved them. Easy to pitch and pack up. only need 4 pegs to get it up. The tent and poles store separately so are easier to pack things in around them. We are also looking to buy them for our scout group after some significant fundraising. Only issue is the cost up front but I expect it to outlast any poly tent.

While I don't have the full answer for you, buy a larger tent than you think you'll need. I'm one person comfortable in a 6-person EZ Coleman snap-up tent, I don't want anything smaller even if I'm hiking in. And kids grow fast. So while you might think a 4 person tent is fine, it is not - treat yo self.

I just bought Coleman 6p instant up and used it for the first time this weekend, family of 4 with two young kids. Very happy with it, size is right for 4 of us, I definitely would not want to squeeze into the 4p version with 4 of us. I can set it up by myself in about 20 minutes with all the guy ropes out etc. So far so good and would recommend it. Check that you can fit the packed up bag in your car, it is quite long.

Used Coleman Instant 6P for scouts trip, legit 1 min setup, zero stress, tons of gear space.

I third this as long as you are car camping. Where you only have a very minimal walk from where you park to where you put your tent. For a newcomer/1st time these tents are fantastic. They go up in a minute or two. They are well-made. They’re quite tall in the middle and in the 4P will give you extra room, with near full head height depending on how tall you are, and a secure zip so no critters can get in. If you’re feeling really luxurious get the 6P so you don’t both have to share one air mattress which makes the other bounce around all night. If you want a backpack-able tent, consider a three man, 3 season tent with a fly, but where the tent attaches to the poles with little clips, rather than having to thread the poles through sleeves. It just is a lot easier to put the tent up that way. And again, if you are car camping, there’s nothing wrong with bringing your bedding from home to ensure you have a warm night. I would lay a blanket or sleeping bag down as my top sheet and then have a blanket/doona or unzipped sleeping bag as my top layer. I use my actual big and lovely down pillow from Home as well. But if you are backpacking, consider a three season sleeping bag that is lightweight but still warm. And if you are taller or bigger, get the oversized ones so you’re not scrunched up like a caterpillar crammed in a cocoon all night. It’s a tiny bit of extra weight, but the extra comfort is worth it in my opinion. And finally, for that extra bit of extravagance, if you have the money and are car camping buy the instant up gazebo. Put it up right next to your tent opening for some shelter so you can step right out of your tent and be undercover.

This is exactly what I have. It is wonderful!

Yer I got the same one it’s wicked