Coleman - Instant Up Darkroom 8 Person Tent
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Jan 5, 2026 Scoring
Liked most:
1103
405
"The roborock I have kicked and smashed with my foot so many times out of anger when it doesn't collaborate, and still he rocks 4-5 yrs later and no broken parts"
"they are extremely durable. ... I’ve got well over 1000 miles out of a pair and they still have grip and the uppers are in great shape"
"I've used them for 1500 miles of multi-day hiking with no issues!"
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"We have traveled to 3 countries with it, set it up on taxis etc."
"Super easy. ... Took about 20-30 minutes"
"sets up in under 3 min including stake out time. ... Take down is just as fast and it fits in its storage bag with out much fuss. ... set up in under 90 seconds 120 if you putting in stakes."
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31
"A two-person tent for a solo traveler makes stuff management SO much easier. ... When you have a one-person tent, its interior space is gonna be pretty close to the footprint of your sleeping pad, meaning A) it's impossible to lay out the stuff you need at night in an organized way such that you know where it is at all times, and 2) loose objects like an AirPod or whatever are gonna get misplaced and tend to end up under your sleeping pad, which means you have to sit up and dig around under there to find it. This is a constant hassle, a huge pain in the ass."
"I picked up my 10x10' - sleeps 4 VERY comfortably and you can stand up and get dressed for $400 used. ... I don't recommend anything else for car camping."
"We had a rainy trip one year and having the extra room to hang out in the tent playing board games made the kids happy."
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"Stays cool/dark enough to sleep in once the sun comes up if you want to."
"Stays cool/dark enough to sleep in once the sun comes up if you want to."
"Having the Skydome with the dark room allowed me to sleep even when it was light out. ... looking forward to having a dark room for 24 hours of daylight."
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3
"I’m pretty tall so I really appreciate the standing room. It made getting changed or just moving around so much easier than ducking in a tiny pup tent."
"Set up two cots, with plenty of room to stand and dress or whatever."
"I like to have enough room to stand, and bring a chair and small table inside incase it rains."
Disliked most:
14
43
"too heavy for backpacking"
"it's not designed to be deflated and carried around in a pack ... deflation is a hassle ... complete deflation isn't even possible ... packed volume is substantial ... It also won't stay rolled without something restraining it. ... foam will only compress so much, hence the substantial packed volume."
"But it's huge. ... If you're hiking more than 10-20 yards I'd get something else."
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"Both of my Coleman Instant tents have holes in the floor after just 2 uses. Both of them leaked water in a moderate storm. ... The Coleman Instant Tent has a known issue with leaks so they sell an additional aftermarket rainfly. ... I have the rainfly. Doesn't even cover the windows.... The windows fill up with water and then the water started dripping right off the keeper for the windows screen...."
"After finishing up a trip this past weekend up in Maine I found out that my new 6 person Coleman tent is not water resistant to rain. ... I always thought Coleman made a decent tent until this past weekend when I found out the hardway with water seeping through every seem of the tent"
"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. ... Yep, it leaked for me the first time I used it. Colorado mtn storms can be crazy, but short."
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9
"The pole design means they are under twist pressure, and after I'd replaced the third set of poles I decided to go inflatable. ... and the poles kept breaking."
"It was a great tent up until the fiberglass pole snapped on a trip last year."
"Personally snapped a three season tent on rainier from the wind a few seasons ago. Granted it was a big Agnes tiger wall."
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"I believe the Lanshan is silnylon, so based on your climate I would go with an xmid. It won't sag in heavy rain and won't absorb water if you have to pack it up slightly wet."
"The sagging fabric of the Lanshan is a bit annoying, especially when hiding out from the rain and I feel the tent becoming smaller and keep reorganizing my stuff so nothing touches the inner."
"We found that in bad weather the Coleman was too cramped whilst we crowded in and kept out of the rain."
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4
"Repacking is not fun ... found that using straps helps getting it back in its case."
"much more difficult to pack down. ... Coleman was a real pain packing down - aligning the tent poles so it it could fold over was tricky"
"Not quite as easy to pack away."
Good buy! Man I had a dark rest tent for a while and freaking loved that thing
r/camping • Coleman, skydome w/ dark room tech 10P ->Are you saying there's no point in camping if you don't want to be up with the sun?
r/camping • Am I missing something with blackout tents? ->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.
r/camping • Am I missing something with blackout tents? ->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.
r/camping • Am I missing something with blackout tents? ->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.
r/camping • Coleman 4 man "instant setup" tent. Any good? ->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.
r/camping • Coleman 4 man "instant setup" tent. Any good? ->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.
r/camping • Affordable 6 person tent ->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.
r/camping • What should I look for when purchasing a tent for 2-3 people? What should I avoid ? ->6-8 person tent. Coleman makes dark ones. They’re great and help to sleep in. Love the vestibule options. I’d recommend something you can stand in. It’ll just be more comfortable. The more straight sided tents are nice because you have more standing space than dome tents.
r/camping • Parents who camp, need a tent rec! ->I have the 8 man. Overall good tent
r/camping • Coleman 4 man "instant setup" tent. Any good? ->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
r/camping • I need a new tent; what do you recommend? ->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,
r/camping • Looking for a solid 6-person tent — any recommendations? ->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.
r/camping • Easiest setup tent? ->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
r/CampingGear • What do you personally look for in a car camping tent? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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