Coleman - Skylodge 4-Person Instant Camping Tent

I'm obsessed with mine and have recommended them to friends for years. Excellent for car camping, easy to set up with one person, and super easy to put away. Mine has internal lights that easily connect to any power bank with a light switch right inside the door.

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.

I have the model with the mesh top and rain fly. For car camping it's awesome. I've used mine dozens of times. Minutes to setup/breakdown solo. Been through some decent thunderstorms too. My model has a tub floor, which that one looks to have too. For pack-in or hiking its FAR too heavy. I'll bring a more traditional style if I'm doing trails with my gear. But tossing it out of the trunk is perfectl. I got mine on sale thinking it would last a few trips, exceeded my expectations and I've gotten multiple seasons out of it.

My 4-man Coleman has weathered some beatings over the past 10 years. Solid tent.

I own one. I bought it new and took it camping, but after four hours, I could NOT get the tent up. I had to drive home, over an hour plus, and grab another tent. When I took it home, my whole family was over for a BBQ and we decided to see what "I had done wrong". (That was said over and over.) We learned that the top spoke piece in the center was flawed and the tent could not be set up! My BIL spent a good hour "operating" on it, and fixed it. We have used it in the yard several times, but I have yet to again solo with it, given I camp a good drive away now. I will try it again this summer.

I used to have one. As a tent it worked fine, it got a little lopsided after a few years. It had the rain fly and it never leaked. It does set up remarkably fast. My main gripe was it doesn't pack down well. It gets, crumpled and rolled and fits in a large bag. It was always a pain to pack because how large the bag is. If you're car camping and have a lot of extra space it should be fine.

I’ve had this tent since 2018 and used it probably 70-90 times. It’s been great. Only reason I’ve more recently stopped using it is we got the larger version of the same tent that’s been just as good. I’m sure there’s higher quality brands that people will recommend, but it’s been great overall.

I had one and it had no rain fly, internal or not. Needless to say one sudden rain storm on a sunny day while we were out hiking and we came back to the tent with about 3 inches of water inside. Without a rain fly it's more a screened gazebo than a real tent. I wouldn't recommend it, they're super heavy, and they are not really that "instant" unless you have 4 people to help

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.