Instant Up 8P Silver Series Tent (Side Entry)

I'm looking at both. Have the Coleman instant up Silver but looking at the North Star because it's got built in lights and a vestibule which is very handy. Will probably just get a cheap king's swag for myself. Currently only have the tent for the family but I snore and keep my wife up so I'm looking at buying a swag so I can sleep next to the car or something.

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.

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.

Agreed. The Coleman instant tent is really good for beginners.

+1 for the Coleman instant. My brother has one that he’s used since his kids were 1 and it’s been a lifesaver for him. He’s a tall guy so setup and takedown is easy with one person. They’re an incredible value.

I wouldn’t get a 2+ room tent, it will be hard to setup and pack away as 1 person! What you want is an “instant tent” Coleman sells one and Aldi also sells a decent one as a special in summer. Sleeping bags you can get some decent ones on special at macpack or similar stores, just look for the temp rating Cooking wise Kmart has a butane cooker (legit brand too!) for $20 last time I checked, works great it’s just like a normal gas stove, it uses butane canisters

Single dad here - always camped with my kids and had some really difficult nights when they were too young to help and I didn't make it easy enough on myself... Doing everything yourself can make the experience exhausting, not fun, so do everything you can to make it easy. I use a Coleman instant up tent - it makes the setup easy. I dehydrate meals at home, then when camping, all I have to do is boil water to prepare our food. Definitely prioritise your down time and enjoyment as much as the kids. Good luck and enjoy !