Coleman - Instant Up 8P Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent

An SUV tent aimed at overseas markets are a terrible idea. One rainy, windy or hot day is going to ruin your foray into camping if its not watertight or cannot be sealed properly. Also, not all campsites are long enough to accommodate and a separate tent will give you more flexibility and comfort. My family started off with the Coleman Northstar Instant Up and it was great in all sorts of weather. It now comes in an LED version that I would have gone for if it was available 10years ago. This model (https://www.snowys.com.au/instant-up-8p-lighted-northstar-darkroom-tent) is great for a 4p family. We had ours for five years before upgrading to a camper trailer (for a trip across the Nullabor). I recommend pairing this with an Oztent gazebo (https://www.snowys.com.au/deluxe-30-gazebo?c=Blue) so that you have somewhere to hang out (outside of the tent) for meals and midday if needed. We did start out with a different gazebo but it was destroyed after a particularly gusty trip. I walked around the campground after and the only gazebos still standing were the Oztent Deluxe models. Haven't come across a better model yet.

I've used the Coleman Instant Up 8P for years. If you peg it down well it holds up well in strong gusty winds and bucketing rains.

Agree with the instant ups. I bought [this 4 person](http://Northstar Instant Up Darkroom 4 Person Tent With LED Lighting | Coleman AU https://share.google/nqE4uh9hjw63VFEz0) and can set it up and pull it down by myself (F45). My friend is 5'10 and can stand up in it. Not sure if there would be a ton of extra room with two cots in it but they would fit. 6P might be better if they need more space.

If the budget can afford it, stepping up from the Coleman Silver to the Gold/Northstar range is a significant increase in quality and experience. Treat it well and it will last for years.

For car camping I like: Reasonable durability Instant up Standing height Large volume Relatively cheap. My ethos is , It's gonna last 5-10 years. I want to be comfortable in the space, be able to stand and change. Have cots or air mattresses, and get into camping mode fast to enjoy my time. I also want to be able to pack it down fast or ditch it without money factoring into my decision in worst case scenarios if there is dangerous weather that pops up The Coleman instant up 8p is what my wife And I have ran for the last 8 ish years The gripe I have with that era is that there is no rain fly. They have since fixed that. It's a lovely tent that can be lazily pitched completely in 5 minutes, and popped up in 90 seconds. I've taken it camping over 20 times, probably spending 100 nights in it. Not huge numbers, but it's honestly held up. The new generation ones have dark out fabric as well. Growing up my mom had this vintage eureka cabin tent, it was like a six-person, but the walls were damn near slab side, and it had an over 6-ft internal height. That one wasn't instant up, But it was pretty close. I think I could get that one set up in 5 to 10 minutes

I’ve had this tent since 2018 and used it probably 70-90 times. It’s been great. Only reason I’ve more recently stopped using it is we got the larger version of the same tent that’s been just as good. I’m sure there’s higher quality brands that people will recommend, but it’s been great overall.

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,

Just get a Coleman easy up and be done with it honestly

The one touch pop-up then twist to close types can be deceptively difficult to close unless you're used to that twist and turn type. I'm shit at it and broke one so I got an "instant up" type that you can push down to open up squeeze to close. You can see an example if you Google: インスタントアップサンシェード 

I got mine at Kohnan like 4 years ago for 6000yen I think? It's still going strong with 2 kids and multiple outings over the years. 

Dark room tents were just appearing right after I got my instant tent so I missed the boat, but instant tents are a heck yeah from me. I call them relationship savers. No hunting for tent poles, trying to fit this to there, having to roll the tent tight to get it bagged up. Yes, they're heavy and not meant for backpacking or lugging any distance. They're bigger packed than regular tents, but I can put it up and take it down on my own and don't need to crawl around on the ground for anything.

If your taking tents 1. Black wolf turbo 240 tent is great for 4p plus storage also has a awning it’s up in 30 seconds lots of room to stand up in but by the time you put the fly on and guy everything out it’s a good 30 mins I personally have the turbo plus 300 I had young kids and mum and father in law used to come it’s a massive tent hence me recommending it but if I could do it again I’d get the 240 I’m bias to this tent had it for 12 years never missed a beat and I like the style This is glamping 2. Oztent rv5 a close 2nd for me 3. Coleman instant up These above tents are for car camping only some destinations and sites require you to walk in and you ain’t walking these guys in Swags Want an actual 5 min set up get a double swag ive just recently downsized to darche dusk to dawn double swag plenty of space inside I wasn’t worried about being claustrophobic but I did worry about the sag in the walls and the mattress as my wife has a bad back and she didn’t complain and the walls didn’t seem to sag in for me Really simple and easy to set up literally like a min I feel like you don’t need a bed frame just extra weight and space to carry If your worried at about sagging grab a pool noodle and wack it in the middle like a arch but we didn’t need it To change clothes either lay down in swag or change in car If you need shade or protection from rain either gotta get a awning or a couple hiking tarps tarps (Alton)and guy ropes and poles pegs (groundhogs) Some swags are out of control and they more like a tent and defeats the purpose of a swag which is simplicity so don’t get carried away simple is best Hiking tents Want versatility of both car camping and the ability to walk into a camp because of the destination like newnes plateau hiking tents is the way to go very light simple easy to use and probably for your purpose you would want a free standing tent I would recommend getting a 3p for 2 people for space as 2p is a snug sardine fit I really like the Mont Moondance tent it’s pretty bombproof there is ultralight non free standing which require hiking poles or zflick poles to set it up like the durston x-mid 2 Mont only have one sale a year Black Friday which just passed All of the tents except the swag require mats And sleeping bags or quilts The higher the r value of your mat the more warmer the insulated the mat is and this is the key to a warm nights sleep as the coldness comes from the ground up So get a really good quality mat 1st before the sleeping bag Lights are very important coz you can’t see by the moonlight Get a larger tent for 1p-2p up for the amount of people camping to store bags and stuff inside And an icebox not esky to keep things chilled 40-60l is a good size chill the box down 3-4 days prior to leaving with bags of ice (not meth) from the servo let that cool down and melt drain the water once in a while then chill all the products in fridge/freezer before wack in ice box and top up with ice right after 1-2 bags will do that will last like up to 7 days as long as you draining water out I’ve lasted 2 weeks with an icebox as long as top up the ice and drain water at blue waterholes campground These are things I wish I knew and learnt earlier on and over time Once you start down this path you will eventually own all 3 sets ups like me multiple tents, mats and bags and quilts Enjoy

Get one you can stand in or almost. Coleman ‘’instant tent’’ is not hard to set up. Best by tarp for rain fly so rain doesn’t go in windows

I second this, I've bought 2 Coleman instant up tents and they are perfect. I do have a more hardcore tent but that's for hikes.

Only used it once so far but we just got the Coleman Instant. Stayed dry in a huge rainstorm. Up in a minute and much roomier than our last REI tent.

Coleman Instant Tent. We love ours. Ton of space.

If casual and your car is nearby, the Coleman instant someone mentioned is awesome. My kid could assemble it in like 5 minutes by 6 years old and it’s tall enough for me (5’4”). Also that bad boy had been through nephews and nieces and drunk friends and is remarkably unscathed.  Bonus points: can fit an air mattress. Because sometimes I feel fancy. 

4 man (or up) Coleman. I do not recommend the Instant Up as mine leaks, and there’s an aftermarket rainfly so it’s a known issue. If you have an Ollie’s, check there first

The Coleman Instant Tent has a known issue with leaks so they sell an additional aftermarket rainfly. But the other tents don’t have that problem.

These replies are spot on. My wife and I have a couple options depending on what type of camping we're getting into. Our favorite by far is our canvas bell tent. It's a Biggins and is incredibly comfortable for a long weekend regardless of the weather. In the summer they stay cool, and in the winter a little buddy heater can keep it near 70*f even if it's below freezing outside. If the trip is shorter and weather fairer we'll set up a Coleman instant tent (id love a gazelle though) but what we've been doing more often than not is just sleeping in the bed of our truck under a softopper? with a nice air mattress and a tarp setup in case of weather. It's quick to set up, minimal staking guys if any, it's the way to go if your trip has you moving day to day.

How much boot space do you have, the Coleman Instant Up is excellent, BUT takes a lot of room. Quality... a mixed bag, I had a mate who developed a hole in the tent within the first year, and managed to get to replaced. I had an issue with one the the buttons on the instant up pole just giving falling apart. That might just be 2 people, and everyone else is fine!

Don't waste your money on Coleman tents. Im so very disappointed in both of mine. Im super careful, always use a thick tarp, and mostly camp in established campsites. Both of my Coleman Instant tents have holes in the floor after just 2 uses. Both of them leaked water in a moderate storm. Just get a Gazelle or Core Tent. I have a Core Awning that is 7 years old and still works great. Im just now needing to replace the canopy cover after a stick poked a hole in it.

I started with a simple dome tent. Easy to put up, but terrible in bad weather. Upgraded to a Coleman instant up. Much better than the dome tent, but much more difficult to pack down. The pole design means they are under twist pressure, and after I'd replaced the third set of poles I decided to go inflatable. Bought a Zempire Evo. Only slightly bigger than the instant up, but the tent design means it stands much taller. The inflatable ribs are super sturdy, can't imagine how you would puncture them. Easy to put up and also pack down. Really happy with my choice.

The Coleman and the Zempire are both 3 room tents (10 person, but of course not really10 ). The Zempire is slightly bigger when packed but weighs 6Kg less than the Coleman. We do car camping in winter, so size not so much of a factor. Both of them I can put up on my own, but the inflatable is much quicker. When it is up it's taller and wider than the Coleman. We found that in bad weather the Coleman was too cramped whilst we crowded in and kept out of the rain. Double the price of course, but worth it in our situation. Coleman was a real pain packing down - aligning the tent poles so it it could fold over was tricky, and the poles kept breaking. No worry now with the Zempire.

The removable bottom does not seal the tent. More bugs get in than normal. I will say that I had a Coleman instant tent for 13 years with no issues.

I had a Coleman instant tent for 13 years with no leaks. One trip to the same campground with the T4, leak, and bugs. It made me sad.

I am glad you have had a better experience. It leaked. It was too small for me. The door was a total pain. I would never remove the floor either, but that was one of the reasons I purchased it, only to find out that it allowed bugs in the tent. I didn't even use those pockets. It was easy to put up and take down. However, the Coleman instant tent I had for 13 years prior was just as easy and a fraction of the price :)

I'm glad you have had a better experience. In 20 years of camping at that same campground, I have never had bugs inside my tent. Other than flies. I never said I refuse to use Amazon because I can't return. I do not and will not use Amazon. It has nothing to do with their return policy. The cost of shipping it back was the issue because the manufacturer does not cover the cost of a return. That is why I mentioned buying locally.

I had a Coleman tent that I used for the past 13 years with no issues until the zipper broke. It was an instant tent, tall, no bugs, no leaks, and plenty of room. I suppose my expectations were high considering my experience with my Coleman and the price of this tent. I am used to the outdoors, but I still don't want bugs or water in my bed. I'm not sure why people are getting so heated. I posted my experience so others will be more prepared. If I had known all that I do now, I would not have purchased it. Someone else mentioned other brands, so im going to do more research and wait to buy until after the season. It will be locally purchased, and it won't be this brand.

Maybe I did. I used a Coleman for 13 years with no issues, and it was only 129 bucks. I think that is why I was so shocked and disappointed after paying 420 for this one. I'm glad others have had good experiences. I have not and am searching for a different tent now.

Coleman instant up is the one I have and I love it

We bought Coleman instant tent last year on sale, super fast setup and take down.

I like my coleman instant tent. I use an 8 person for 1-2 people just cuz its so easy to put up and take down Its withstood 20mph constant winds with gusts higher for 2 weeks straight for me as well as other windy dusty rainy situations I use 16 inch tent spikes for the tent and rain cover

Oh this one I have covered. Taking two young kids camping solo for years as my wife doesn't like to camp. Colman instant paired with cots. It has poles always attached and sets up like an easy up. Realistically I have it up in less than 5 minutes even with the kids helping and then we can play. I learned the most important factor to look at is easy. Not what's the best or the most sturdy. Nope what's quick and easy that way you actually use it.

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.

I got one of the Coleman tents with dark room technology 2 years ago and when I tell you it’s so worth the investment! Stays cool/dark enough to sleep in once the sun comes up if you want to.

You’ll definitely want a canopy, I’ve always had my dark room tent partially under one to help protect from the sun even more. You can probably place a pickup order for a canopy at a Walmart in Indio.

Buy Coleman with the Dark Room tech, or a brand with similar like Logos. Don’t buy the cheap shit people are telling about. They will get insanely hot and keeping out the sun is the only way they are useful.

Love my coleman dark room tents!

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.

I had the 8 man for about 6 years. Get the rain fly for it and make sure you treat it every season. It worked so well during a downpour the floor turned into a water bed but we stayed dry inside. Dont touch the walls while they are wet though. It likes to condensate inside so keep it well ventilated. I lent it to my roommates inexperienced friends and they busted one of the legs but I was able to use it for another full two years. Money well spent. That said I'm upgrade to a canvas tent this year because most of my camping is done in the fall and winter now and I need a hot tent. That said, that Coleman will treat you well as long as you treat it like you're supposed to.

I have the 8 man. Overall good tent

Keep in mind the rating for how many campers is effectively half of the number given. We bought a Coleman for 8 and it was reasonably useful for 4. If car camping - not backpacking - weight is less constraining so choose for comfort.

I bought a Coleman 8 man tent a long time ago for that, and found it fit 4 adults comfortably. We could spread out a bit ie no stacking. The system that gives makers a number to rate the occupants is definitely on the close and comfy side - packed like sardines. That tent was three season at the very best, it was late June at the Grand Canyon and I swear we got up to see our breath frosting in the early morning twilight. We had too much venting - the tent never got damp - so there was that.

Case in point I bought a Coleman "8 man" tent and we had enough room for 4 on a trip to the Grand Canyon. Other than military its the most spacious we have had after a Daisy Geodesic which we stuffed six in - four were under the age of twelve. Putting 4 teen boys in it ripped out the floor later. Tent ratings are based on people in mummy bags, no gear and no spare room at all. At the least you go up 100% and it's decent, the idea is some might be backpacking that tent as as the number goes up they just keep stacking them with very little room. That 8 man however I kept my gear under a military cot as per habit and I wasn't the one hogging floor space, despite my wife's protests.

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 agree that the Coleman is a great value. I have a 8p one and use it for troop outings. When it’s just my son and I, I opt for my smaller 4p one as it is easier to set up and tear down.

I have had the eight person for about four years now. We use it maybe three times a summer. It’s very heavy. So definitely a car camping tent. It is easy to set up. Not quite as easy to pack away. We did camp through a torrential downpour. With the rain fly, it did leak a bit near the windows. I subsequently bought tint wax and waxed all the seams near the windows. Haven’t used it in the rain since so I don’t know if it worked. One thought. We are two adults and one kid. We can all sleep in half the tent. That leaves the other half as a living room if the weather is no good or at night, I put a blanket down, a couple of camping chairs, and a table, and we have our own little tent cabin.

OMG. We have the same tent, same size family and we called our "The Condo" as well. Each boy had their own area and mom and dad had the middle with a queen size air mattress. The big old 100 lb lab even had plenty of room.

I have the 8P, love this tent and it may be the easiest tent to set up that I’ve ever owned.

I love the Coleman 6 person dome tents. I use them for my Girl Scout troop. If you want to use them in colder temps, I recommend the Darkroom over the Sundome. The rainfly goes lower and provides more insulation.

Love my Coleman Darkroom for car camping. I need to use a lantern to see during daylight hours with the rain fly on. I've had it for about 5 years with no major issues.

Get the cabin tent!!! I work stage crew for festivals, so I live out of my tent in the summer. My issue with the other tents is the flimsy poles that split and break with use. I got caught in heavy storms in a field with a Coleman darkroom tent last year, it completely flattened and the poles split on two sides. I sprung for a cabin tent and have lived through at least a dozen storms (did you see what happened at Secret Dreams last month?) with no issues at all. That tent cannot be bothered!

Good buy! Man I had a dark rest tent for a while and freaking loved that thing

Are you saying there's no point in camping if you don't want to be up with the sun?

So you've kind of answered your own question. It doesn't make sense to you so don't buy one. I've been camping for going on 30 years and we bought one and it's fabulous. I don't find that it adds any extra bulk or weight, it wasn't really more expensive, and we enjoy the extra sleep in. Don't buy one if you don't want one but leave everybody else alone about it if they do.

Then it isn't a good one. My dark rest tent does not let any light in whatsoever except a few specks where the zippers are.