Coleman - Sundome Dark Room

Coleman sundome. Get the one with dark room technology. Not all the mesh is zipped up, but it’s pretty close. Keep the fly on and you’ll be OK

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.

Blackout and waterproof. I rock a Coleman 8 man Skydome or a 4 man Sundome

Coleman Sundome and Skydome are both super easy

I recommend a 6 man (or 8 man) Coleman blackout Sundome or Skydome. Check out Ollie’s if you have one for deals on Coleman

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.

If you check out the Sundome on Amazon, I think it’s the most reviewed tent they sell

And IMO, the difficulty of putting it away offsets the ease of setting it up. Gimme a basic Coleman any day.

Coleman tents are generally VERY waterproof. I’ve used one many times in severe thunderstorms. Check out the Amazon reviews for the Sundome.

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

I had a stoic madrone 4 and water came in through the floor. On the other hand, my 8 man darkroom Sundome keeps me totally dry in severe thunderstorms even though the rainfly doesn’t reach the ground. The tent body is also waterproof.

The Sundome is a classic for a reason. Get a darkroom version if you can

They work the same as the non darkroom versions

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.

Several of our other adult scout leaders have them. I’m not a fan. Rainfly is a separate purchase. It is fast to set up, but weird. And awkward to take down and dry out. It isn’t worth saving 5 minutes of set up to cause more hassle later, Door is only on one side, which makes it hard to use 2 cots (6 person). I would rather do a Sundome for similar size/ease with more utility.

HikerDirect member? I generally use a Coleman Sundome 6P Darkroom. It is what my cot fits in and I can stand up. I joke with the other leaders that I camp like a Cub Scout leader. A few times I’ve gotten much better rest due to the Darkroom and ear plugs. Occasionally another adult will share with me, but depends on the location and which troop I’m with that weekend.

Coleman Sundome 6 Dark Room

I mean, it isn’t anything super fancy, but I’ve had it since 2018. First few years were family campouts/Cub scouts 1-2x a year. The last 3 have been an average of 1 weekend a month. I have replaced 4 pole sections after they cracked and have 1 more remaining, then I have a newer one to start using. The current one has also been set up and played in by Cub Scouts a good dozen or so time. The skin is greeting worn, but still waterproof. My daughter’s scout troop has been using 4 person ones exclusively for a few years. A bunch got flattened in a wind storm, but it was like 80mph gusts. Coleman replaced most of them and we repaired the rest. They are not ALPS or REI, but for low cost simple tents, they will last a long time if you treat them properly.

I use my Darkroom Sundome 6 year round in all kinds of weather. About wore the first one out after 7 years of scout trips. Next one is ready to go when it dies.

Yes! Especially with my kids, who are used to having blackout shades. Love my Coleman 6-person darkroom tent for car camping with 4 people.

The sundome is a solid tent

The coleman sundome was my go-to for 2 decades of car camping. Great ventilation and it’s waterproof for at least the first few years, after that either spray it or replace it.

If you’re looking for an affordable tent, get one of the coleman dome tents.  Keep in mind that a 6 person tent will be very tight for 6 full grown people. If the boys are 15+ get at least a 8 person tent.

Honestly for the durability and price I love my old Coleman sundomes, I have a 2 man and a 4 and they haven’t let me down in over a decade of use.

Yep. Get either of the 4p tents (1 man tents suck when it rains). Also grab a few extra tent stakes. Then head over a department or two and grab a tarp (significantly larger than the tent footprint) and some lightweight cord (paracord or light clothesline). Use the cord, stakes, and tarp as an additional rainfly/awning and you'll be fine.

My vote is for the Sundome. It was my first tent when I got into camping. I've upgraded to a bigger tent, but I still have it. Great tent for the money.

They hold up well in my experience. I just bought the regular sundome 4p for 79 which was marked down from around 100. I was replacing one from 2018 which finally met its end when we got hit with a storm, winds over the 35mph for which it's rated. It's a no-brainer for that price.

I have the 4p and 6p and they definitely block out the light

Love my coleman dark room tents!