Coleman - Skydome Camping Tent

We went with Coleman 12 person as a family of 5 We can fit three queen size air mattresses, a pack and play and still have some room left over. The biggest reason we went with the Coleman over the Costco is the base. The Coleman has a thick water proof tub whereas the Costco does not. And since the Coleman was $100 off it was a little cheaper than the Costco.

Yes! My wife & I upgraded from a 6 person dome to a giant 12 person dome for car camping. We did this when the kids were little so we all could have plenty of space. Now it's just us 2 & 2 dogs & PLENTY of space! We got ours at a Coleman sale & maybe paid around $125 less than 10 years ago. For backpacking we use a Marmot 2p.

Several recommendations for the Coleman tents. Of the two models mentioned, Sundome and Skydome, the Skydome is the far better tent in my opinion. The Skydome has an all clip suspension, while the Sundome has partial pole sleeves. An all clip suspension tent is much easier to pitch solo than a tent that uses sleeves. Stake the corners, assemble the poles, insert poles in the corners. Unzip the door, take off your shoes, step into middle of tent, clip the top clip over both poles. Attach the rest of the clips and add the fly. The Sundome, you'll have to raise the tent body as you insert the poles in the corners. That adds weight and resistance. Lastly, the Skydome has a full coverage rainfly, while the Sundome only comes down halfway. Spend a little more and get the superior tent.

Agreed. Coleman dome tents are a great starting point for family camping. If you end up going more frequently or decide you want specific features (weight/temperature ratings/etc), you can always upgrade later. I love my Coleman Skydome tent. It's a little more expensive than the standard dome, but still affordable. It sets up quick, is a little more square shaped to give more headroom, and has large mesh panels that are great for airflow or watching the night sky when the rainfly is off.

Coleman? Crappy? Bro, the only downside to a Coleman is weight and bulk. I had a freaking *river* flow under my Skydome last summer during a huge rain storm, and it was 100% dry inside. You're incredibly ignorant of the brand if you think Coleman is garbage.

But it is high quality. It's just not a high quality *backpacking* tent. You can spend 3x as much and get a tent that'll perform just as well, and the biggest difference will be that it weighs half as much. If you aren't carrying the tent medium to long distances, Coleman is the way to go. You can buy a new one every 7-10 years and still spend less before you're too old to camp than if you bought one mountaineering tent.

Coleman Sundome or Skydome. I leave one in my backyard for years at a time - one eventually failed after 2 years

A Sundome or Skydome is still easier to set up and a lot more waterproof. The fact that they added an extra sold separately rainfly to the Instant shows it’s bad.

Was your Coleman a Sundome or Skydome? Those types hold up great in thunderstorms.

I’ve used a Sundome and a Skydome through multiple severe thunderstorms, not even guyed out. I have had ONE that would leak in a corner. I tend to leave a tent in my backyard year round to have a bug safe area.

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are both super easy

I like a Coleman Sundome or Skydome better than the Madrone - water came up through the bottom of my Madrone and I gave it away

Yep, Sundome and Skydome are great

Coleman Sundome or Skydome. Check out an Ollie’s if you have one. The other Coleman tents will probably be just fine too. But I would avoid the instant up - sets up fast but leaks so badly they made an additional rainfly for it.

Try a Coleman Sundome or Skydome from Ollie’s, blackout if you can get it. I’ve bought both to festivals with multiple severe thunderstorms and was much dryer than people who brought much more expensive tents. The bathtub floor will be much better in bad weather than this tent. Sometimes you can get a dud Coleman that leaks in one spot, but that’s only happened to me once. Just set it up and test it in rain before your event. I will say avoid the instant tent, that thing is so bad they sell an aftermarket rainfly to fix it.

Coleman Skydome. Done.

I bought a Skydome 6-person tent for $70 at Ollie's for my wife and I, and occasionally our niece, and it's the right size.

All of these are car camping tents. The Wanona and Homestead are 13 lbs, and they're absolutely massive when packed. The skydome 6p is enormous and weighs 19 lbs. You wouldn't ever want to hike with these tents. The North Face tents suffer from outdated design philosophies. There are no clips. You have to feed all of the poles through sleeves. The fabric can bunch up, so you have to be mindful while feeding the poles through. Slow to set up, slow to take down. The Wanona 4P performs well in the rain. It's lovely in the rain, but not so terrific to set up or break down in the rain. These taller tents don't do well in high winds. They're like giant sails, and the poles tend to bend. Questions to ask yourself: What type of camping do you envision for yourself? How many people will you be camping with? Do you plan on thru-hiking? Your ideas about camping will evolve as you gain experience with equipment.

We have a Coleman 8 person dome dent that my 2 nephews use when camping with us & it's the perfect size for 2 people + gear. A queen size mattress fills the 4 man tent almost completely.

I ended up going with a skydome today!!

My Coleman sky dome is tall enough i can stand, and I'm 6'1"

I’ve had instant tents from core and Ozark Trail and a Coleman dome tent. Any will do fine for getting into camping. I always stress not spending a lot when you get started. I’ve known people to start camping then quit after a few times or decide to buy a camper or get into back packing inside. Go budget amid use as much stuff that you already have to start out