Coleman - Pop Up 4-Person Tent

I'm still trying to wrap my head around how the boat destroyed my tent!!! I'm sure this will make a great story once I have the details. My Coleman was good to us, too. It was going to need another waterproofing, but it did a great job. I'll consider another one for sure.

If you're trying to tiptoe into camping, I wouldn't necessarily recommend high end gear, although if you do get into it, higher end gear is better in the long run. For now, if you have nothing, start simple. I'd recommend something like a 4 man Colman tent. Coleman make great car camping gear that isn't going to break the bank, and if you really get into it, you can splurge for the higher end tent later. Get a tarp that is about the same dimensions of the floor of your tent and put it under it for protection. Also, the stakes that come with tents usually aren't all that great, so you may want to get something heavier duty, and get sand stakes if you plan to camp on the beach. For cooking equipment you can find some great deals on Marketplace, but a simple two burner propane stove is cheap and easy. Some folks really like the Blackstones, and so do I, but I find them heavy and find a two burner to be a little more versatile. It's really a personal preference. For cooking equipment, if you want to save money, just grab stuff from your kitchen and put it in a storage container to take with you. GSI makes good cooking gear and I personally like stainless steel stuff from Stanley, as it compacts for storage and I can be rough with it. Go with compostable paper plates to save yourself some cleanup. Start making a list of the small stuff as it pops into your [head.Med](http://head.Med) kit, flashlight, headlamps, towels, etc.

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.

By the way I’m a member of r/snowpeak and thought your question asking about the Alpha Breeze entertaining to a bunch of Snow Peak nut jobs. lol I’ve had various tents for various situations over the years. Earliest memory was using a Coleman four man tent with my family when I was a kid, an acceptable tent for a child, but I also didn’t know any better. I would say any sub $200 tent now probably falls in the same quality of cheaper tent fabric and lower quality poles. In my teens and throughout my 30s, I got big into backpacking so it was with brands like MSR and Big Agnes. In that time of lightweight backpacking tents, I really loved the original MSR Mutha Hubba (3p), it was lightweight and very packable and was spacious relative to its total weight. I’ve since gotten a newer MSR Hubba Hubba (2p) which I like, slight lowering in quality since the 2000s era of MSR quality. Which brings us full circle to the Alpha Breeze, it’s now my dedicated car camping tent, having also slept in and seen other tents that friends bring on car camping trips. It’s something I view as a long term investment that features thoughtful tent design along with the durability that comes with quality. Last thing, the price is high, but I’m seeing this as something that will last me +10 years, if not 20. Which over time breaks down to about $60/year if using 10 years.

I have a Coleman pop up that is very similar. I use it for backyard camping, I enjoy camping in the safety of my backyard. I always set it up on a tarp cause the evaporative condensation from the ground seeps thru the floor elswise. But the nice thing about the pop up function is that it is easy to pop down if the weather turns. That said I often pop it up under my dining canopy for just in case the weatherman is wrong. If I was truly camping I’d make sure I was under a tarp or canopy. I see your tent has an extra window mine does not which is good cause it become a little warm greenhouse once the sun hits it…also a good reason to be under a tarp.

Colman pop-up tents are great for quick setup and teardown. I own a blackout version. The downside to these tents is they are single layer so they can get condensation more than two layer tents. So they are not ideal for nights were frost is a thing. They are also not good for strong winds. They are adorable, reasonably durable with kids is important.

And Coleman has a super popular four person tent, that will accommodate two comfortably, has that expanding bag, and easy set up and take down. The stakes are junk of course.

Our family camps at assateague regularly most recently Labor Day week-into the weekend. We also love assateague even though it can have harsh conditions. We got stuck in a couple days of high wind last October. Fortunately the Coleman 4 person tent held up just fine. That’s terrible peoples set ups are breaking. The only thing I see here I would do differently if I was worried about the wind is possibly keeping your vestibule canopy down. It will provide less lift if the wind blows in that direction. It sounds like you’re well experienced and know what you’re doing. Happy camping!

We went from a Coleman 4 person tent to a Coleman 12 tent. We also have a queen blow up mattress & having the extra room is amazing. Since I'm not carrying it, I don't care how much it weighs

I've had a couple of the instant set-up cabin tents throughout the years, I will keep buying this type until I make the jump to travel trailer. However, I cannot recommend the 10p Core with the built in screened porch. The porch is basically useless in the rain, it doesn't detach & holds the front part of the rainfly. If you decide to keep the screen open it just collects bugs that quickly make it into the tent when you unzip the doors to get in. This is my first Core & probably my last, will probably go back to the Coleman in the same size for my very last tent. Choose Wisely.