Skydome Camping Tent

I have the 8 and 12 person version of this tent, no issues, and pretty sure I paid more than that for the 8 person. Just be aware that not all tent pads are longer than 8 to 12ft so this may not fit all campsites, which is why I have both.

I just bought the 8 person version this year. Have set it up and taken it down 3 times so far, no issues getting it back in the bag. There's also a strip on the bottom of the bag that can be cut to make the bag larger that I still haven't cut, but in theory will solve the issues you're describing.

I have the 8 and 12 person version of this tent, no issues, and pretty sure I paid more than that for the 8 person. Just be aware that not all tent pads are longer than 8 to 12ft so this may not fit all campsites, which is why I have both.

Hot take, but one big tent is the right choice. The tent I grew up camping with was a 10 person dome tent from Cabela's. It was huge, a pain to set up and tear down, and indestructible. Fond memories of putting that tent up with my dad from a very young age, and it was very novel to sleep in one giant space with my parents, brother, dog, and whichever friends came along. It definitely taught me how to set up basically any tent without instructions and with an abundance of patience. Pick a dome tent without pole sleeves, only clips. The hardest part of large tents is getting the poles through any sleeves at the top of then tent, then making sure nothing snags as you're lifting it. Clip pole attachments don't have that problem, and you can lift the bulk of the tent in stages, which is convenient if you're setting up alone or with a tiny helper. The Coleman Skydome 12 person tent is currently available at Sierra for a good price and only has clips.

You won’t get “totally wet” The fly does a great job of sloughed the main water onto the sides, and the rest of the fabric is waterproof anyways. Seams have held for me in downpours, and the bottom is tarp so you won’t get wet through it. Just make sure like always that you don’t have sleeping bags touching the inside walls and you’ll stay dry!

I'm sorry that you were let down! I have had great luck with Colemans. High end companies need full flys because they have more mesh to be lighter, and they are able to withstand harsher conditions longer. No, I wouldn't take this tent backpacking for weeks on end. But it does the job on overnights.

I haven't ran into this problem with the 2-person model.

A few of our scouts use Coleman tents; one has a two-person, and one has a 4-person. They lack a vestibule for storing gear to keep it out of the rain, but they are quick to set up and they aren't horrible quality. Our scouts have been using theirs for a couple years now. You probably already know, but a 2-person tent will only sleep two tiny people, and 4-person MIGHT fit three.

For a kid I'd get a Coleman 2-person.

My parents got me a two-person Coleman tent when I was 10 and I used it for 18 years until I outgrew it, still have it in the garage!

I have the 8-man version of this tent. SOLID tent, easy to setup, and my main go-to!! The darkroom rainfly also makes it nice for skipping out on early-morning sun and for better privacy during night too.

8 gives me plenty of room as a 6’ 2” guy to stand in and stretch and keep all my stuff in. But you mention 3-4 people….I’d spring for the 10-man model. I’d use the 8-man for two people max, unless you plan to pack everyone in like sardines each night, depending on their size. Also the models below 10-man have no walls in them, it’s just one big space.

Sure thing!! Yeah unless Coleman has changed things since I got mine two years ago, it’s just one big dome tent with one big space. It’s easy to setup and tear down. I’d say the rain fly is the most complicated part of the tent for setup, and even then it fits only one way and will be obvious because of how the logo lines up with the tent door.