I have the Coleman Montana and the Coleman Carlsbad.
Love the Montana, but the footprint is huge. We don't camp a ton, but this is our most-used tent and is plenty spacious for our family of 4.
I hate the Carlsbad. Ours is only 4p, so idk if the 8p is taller, but I can't stand up in it. But the *worst* feature is the vestibule. The zippers come together at the ground in the middle. There's nothing holding it taut, so you can't unzip it one handed *and* it's on the ground. It's extremely frustrating if you're carrying anything. Plus, there are large holes on the sides of the vestibule for cords or whatever, so you'll get plenty of bugs in there.
Family of 5 here. We upgraded from a Colman Montana to a NorthFace Wawona 8 this year. We love the new tent, it’s so much easier to errect and disassemble.
We bought the Coleman for $80 in an Amazon sale.
The NorthFace cost us $500 at REI (it was on sale and we had sone dividends to use).
We broke the Coleman twice during the year we owned it. We haven’t broken the NorthFace yet.
The Coleman was perfectly serviceable, but the NorthFace feels more spacious (smaller floor area, but more vertical space and a huge vestibule).
The Coleman was more prone to condensation buildup, especially camping in the spring.
A2 hinged D door is a game changer with little kids. We never zipped it during the day and it would close automatically. I’m sure some bugs got in, but nothing like a zipper door that the kids just leave hanging open. Also, the floor of those weathertech’s are amazing.
The Sundome or Cabin series are car camping staples. Great value, easy setup, perfectly adequate for 40-75°F. The ventilation is decent and they're bomber in light rain. Downsides: heavier materials, can get condensation if you seal it up too much.
Honestly for your use case, Coleman is probably the practical choice. The price difference could go toward a better sleeping pad or quilt which makes way more difference for comfort.
Two people in a two person REI Backpacking in a four person Coleman with a blanket on the top of the two person. The four person had ice on it , but we were cosy warm inside. Some gear inside the 2 person. Some gear between the 2 and the 4 person and some gear in the vestibule.
5pens
