Coleman - Skylodge™ 8-Person Instant Camping Tent

Not sure if you mean 2-3 person in tent numbers or in real life numbers, but I have used an 8-person Coleman Skylodge for 3 adults in high winds and had no issues. It actually rained a couple of times on trips along with the wind with no issues as long as I staked it down with good stakes. Only has doors in front, but has windows on all sides.

I got the coleman skylodge 8-person on ebay for about $160 shipped. It's listed about $400 on the Coleman site. It is a quick set up tent, and has been good for me. It's a little heavy, but I will trade that for the ease of set up every time.

I have the Coleman Skylodge 8 person we mean to get the four. It is such a breeze especially when moving camp sites too. Only caveat is its size when being packed. I just throw it on the roof rack.

We have the Coleman 8 person Skylodge. It has plenty of ventilation to limit condensation. It’s easy to set up and price fits your budget. I can’t speak to the fit when using cots, we camp with a queen and a twin air mattress and it has room to spare with 10 days worth of gear.

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 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.

I have had the eight person for about four years now. We use it maybe three times a summer. It’s very heavy. So definitely a car camping tent. It is easy to set up. Not quite as easy to pack away. We did camp through a torrential downpour. With the rain fly, it did leak a bit near the windows. I subsequently bought tint wax and waxed all the seams near the windows. Haven’t used it in the rain since so I don’t know if it worked. One thought. We are two adults and one kid. We can all sleep in half the tent. That leaves the other half as a living room if the weather is no good or at night, I put a blanket down, a couple of camping chairs, and a table, and we have our own little tent cabin.

If you are car camping, go big on the tent. The space is great. I use a 6-8 person tent for myself and two dogs. I can fit a queen sized cot, side table, and double camp chair in the tent with plenty of space left over. Really nice when there is bad weather. Plus being able to stand up and move around in a tent is great. The exped megamat is one of the most comfortable sleeping pads you can get. I recommend putting it on a cot to get yourself further off the ground. I don’t bother with an electric cooler and just have a good Rotomolded cooler from Ozark trail. Can hold ice for a 5 day trip when packed correctly. For cooking I bring a Coleman stove and a tripod so I can good over the fire or on the stove depending on what I’m making. Between that and a cast iron pan and a pot I can make just about anything. I just bring my pillow from home. I’m by my car so space isn’t an issue. Especially since I switched to a minivan this year. Even with two large dogs along I have a ton of space to pack. I used to have a small sedan and packing was a bit more interesting in that. A roof bag came in handy. For water I bring a 7 gallon igloo container that I put under the table. I have a USB powered faucet and a hose runs down to the container. Works out great and so much easier to use. I get a lot of heat on sale, second hand, and from Sierra. My tents are Coleman and Ozark trail. The Ozark trail one is a 6 person instant tent that I bring if it’s a quicker trip and good weather. The Coleman is an 8 person but not instant. Has better weather resistance though so if rain is in the forecast I bring that one.

OMG. We have the same tent, same size family and we called our "The Condo" as well. Each boy had their own area and mom and dad had the middle with a queen size air mattress. The big old 100 lb lab even had plenty of room.

In general, the bigger the tent, the more involved setup is. If you want 4 people, and gear, and not feel cramped, I wouldn't suggest anything smaller than an 8 person. Packed away, this will be the size of a duffel bag. It's going to be strictly a car camping type thing. My recommendation - start with something really simple and affordable. You can find a Coleman 8 person for around $200. Go on that a few times, in a few different weather scenarios. It'll be plenty quality enough that it won't leave you miserable or be a detriment. But it's affordable enough that you won't feel like you wasted a bunch if/when it gets relegated to backup spare status. Going in that one will help you determine features that are deal breakers. Do you need better rain protection? Lighter weight? Better ventilation? Light blocking? Higher quality poles or materials? As you put that list together, you can decide your budget, and that'll narrow the field a ton. Or, you might determine that you're perfectly happy in the Coleman, and you've saved yourself hundreds of dollars.

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