Coleman - Skydome™ Camping Tent XL

Coleman or core. I’ve used both regularly and in some bad weather without problems. I like core instant tents for the quick setup and breakdown. Coleman Skydome are also great for a mix of dome and cabin style. Will likely want a 8 person or more for the space and headroom.

Go with the Coleman. You are a beginner that plans on camping a couple times a year. It’s fine. When the forecast calls for significant rain put a tarp under the tent (no exposed tarp) and a large tarp string over your site. The hat not only gives your tent extra protection but gives you useable space out of the rain. This is all presuming it is camping near your vehicle and weight is not a significant factor.

I have a variety of tents based in the situation I am camping in. Backpacking -REI half dome 2SL Car camping short trip - Ozark trail 6 person instant tent (used to have a core instant tent that was better quality. Started leaking on a trip after around 100 nights of use and did a quick replace at Walmart due to continued rain in the forecast. This is also the one I lend out to friends when needed.) Car camping longer trip - Coleman 8person skydome Car camping but walk in site of 1 mile or less Core 6 person dome tent with vestibule.

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.

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are both super easy

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.

I didn’t bother to buy it after testing the instant tent in the rain. But my Sundome and Skydome are great in bad weather

Coleman Sundome or Skydome, at least 8 man

Poor design. The Sundome and Skydome don’t leak like that

Go with a darkroom Coleman Sundome or Skydome

I have had excellent luck with Coleman Sundome and Skydome. The “Instant Up” leaked so badly that there is now an add on Instant Up rainfly sold separately. I had one Sundome that leaked in one corner. After that, I set up my new tent before a thunderstorm without guying it out to see if it will leak or not. They haven’t leaked. I’ve left one set up in the backyard all year; after over a year and almost 3 inches of water in one day, there was a small bit of water in that one. Ollie’s has Coleman on deep discount right now. At that price you could get two or three for the same price as other people’s suggestions.

I stayed in a 8 person Skydome last week in absolutely torrential rain. We stayed dry, other than were the tent fabric "cupped" as a result of not being pulled taut.

Look and see if there is an Ollie's discount warehouse near you. You can get a Coleman Skydome for half that price.

Well Coleman Skydome is a tried and true tent you should have no trouble with.

I have the non lighted version I got on sale from Walmart for $70 four years ago and never had an issue. But I set the tent up under a 10x10 pop up canopy so really the tent has never seen rain.

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

Location and budget would be useful. If I’m on budget in North America, I would just buy at least an 8person Coleman tent. For poor rainy weather buy cheap &10-20 tarp and thrown it over the tent

Keep in mind the rating for how many campers is effectively half of the number given. We bought a Coleman for 8 and it was reasonably useful for 4. If car camping - not backpacking - weight is less constraining so choose for comfort.

I bought a Coleman 8 man tent a long time ago for that, and found it fit 4 adults comfortably. We could spread out a bit ie no stacking. The system that gives makers a number to rate the occupants is definitely on the close and comfy side - packed like sardines. That tent was three season at the very best, it was late June at the Grand Canyon and I swear we got up to see our breath frosting in the early morning twilight. We had too much venting - the tent never got damp - so there was that.

Case in point I bought a Coleman "8 man" tent and we had enough room for 4 on a trip to the Grand Canyon. Other than military its the most spacious we have had after a Daisy Geodesic which we stuffed six in - four were under the age of twelve. Putting 4 teen boys in it ripped out the floor later. Tent ratings are based on people in mummy bags, no gear and no spare room at all. At the least you go up 100% and it's decent, the idea is some might be backpacking that tent as as the number goes up they just keep stacking them with very little room. That 8 man however I kept my gear under a military cot as per habit and I wasn't the one hogging floor space, despite my wife's protests.

I have the 8P, love this tent and it may be the easiest tent to set up that I’ve ever owned.

Sundome is much lower quality than the other options. If you're looking at Coleman, step up to at least the Skydome. Funny enough I was going to recommend the Basecamp. Ventilation isn't great with the fly on but that's very common with cheap tents. I like wooded campsites anyway where you can angle the mesh portions of the tent into the trees and keep the non-mesh facing the walkway for privacy. Kelty kinda owns the cheap-but-mostly-quality space. The Discovery Trail 3P is very meshy which helps with ventilation but still a lack of fly vents. If you can stretch the budget or find a good sale, the Kelty Rumpus 4 is a killer deal. Lots of ventilation, vented fly, and a great vestibule that you can keep wide open to help with ventilation. The Teton looks fine. I like the look of the higher denier fabric and vented fly. Teton has historically been a cheap crap brand but they've really made some improvements in the last few years. I don't love that their "lifetime warranty" explicitly mentions that things like bent poles are considered normal wear. The marmot is an excellent option if you can get it at a good price and you're genuinely okay with a 2p.

Skydome is a worthy upgrade over the sundome and flatwoods. Several different variations of skydome so you should be able to find one on sale somewhere. 6 person is usually the minimum person size to get standing height.