Core Equipment

9 Person Instant Cabin Tent

Core Equipment 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent

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Overall

#63 in

Camping Tents

according to Reddit Icon Reddit

Sentiment score80% positive
12
2
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Top Pros

Top Cons

Last updated: Apr 17, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit Iconrpaige1365
9 months ago

I have the one without a full fly and I’m bitter that the fly for this one doesn’t work for mine. I like it! It’s up in a few minutes but if you accidentally bend one of the legs the wrong way you are in for a terrible time unless there are other people to help you. I love the interior, the amount of windows, and that I can stand up inside it. I don’t think it’s as sturdy as some of the competitors and I’ll be upgrading to something higher quality in the next year or so.

Reddit IconSea-Caterpillar-3474
9 months ago

Just bought this for our annual camping trip later this week. Put it up in the backyard a few weeks go. Super easy set up and take down. No poles to deal with (except for over the door). Everything is great quality. I’ll come back here after the trip and let you know how it holds up in the rain since some is in the forecast

9 months ago

We never ended up with much rain. Little showers here and there, but the tent stayed dry!

9 months ago

We go camping with kids each year. Just got back from a camping trip in the Northwoods with 6 kids under 10! My daughter is 4 and this was her 5th trip. (Sorry for the long post!!) Definitely 1 big tent or 2 smaller tents with 1 adult in each. Kids tend to wake up throughout the night. We just got a Core 9 person tent and it worked out well for us this year. We use a little potty chair in the tent in case of emergencies. Lots of clothes and all types of weather options because who knows what they might need. Lots of socks because they are somehow always wet. If you are going somewhere with bugs- just go for bug spray with deet straight away. Being covered in deet is better than the kids being covered in swollen mosquito bites (even though it’s inevitable). Bring lots of outdoor activities to keep them busy. Glowsticks, coloring supplies, bug catchers, books, etc. We colored walking sticks and “went fishing” with a rod that had a practice lure (no hook) on it. We always suggest to be flexible and not worry about naps and bed time. The kids will sleep when they are tired and it’s better than fighting with them to take a nap when it’s night in the tent. For safety- don’t let them walk near the fire and make sure to bring a first aid kit with ice packs. For the food cooler- we use frozen ice packs and don’t put ice straight into the cooler. It makes the food less waterlogged and seems to keep things cold for much longer. And the most obvious suggestion- bring lots of snacks 😆

Reddit IconSSWillowGrace
9 months ago

Bought this exact tent in May and put a coat of Scotchguard on the rain fly. Went on a three week trip with zero problems. Rained about a third of the days with 3 or 4 severe storms, no leaks or wind problems. Would buy it again.

Reddit Icon25AT4
3 months ago

I was in the same boat - I was looking at RTTs but went against it because we didn’t want to have to break it down if we wanted to take the truck out to explore away from the site. Realized I only wanted one since it was easy to set up. So, found the easiest ground tent on the market to set up. Went with the CORE 9-Person Instant Cabin Tent. Just got it in the mail, excited to try it

Reddit IconFire_Ant_Bite
10 months ago

I really like our full rain fly Core 9 tent instant tent. Think it was 350 msrp and we got it on sale like 100 off. Last year.

Reddit Iconjeswesky
9 months ago

If you want easy, get a CORE instant tent. The poles telescope and stay attached so it sets up in seconds. If you have a Costco membership, they may still have some set up for you to see. I would go with the 9 person with the 2 kids. It has 2 rooms which would give you tons of space and at least a 6 foot center height. And if you want more recommendations from women that are used to camping totally solo, check out r/womensolocamping

8 months ago

I’ve had Core instant tents and never had an issue. Easily over 100 nights before any leaking, and I wasn’t taking the best care of it so likely could have lasted longer.

11 months ago

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.

Reddit Iconmicroflorae
11 months ago

I have the Core 9 person instant cabin tent and LOVE IT! The biggest pro is that I can set it up by myself in about two minutes. That way the other parent can watch the kid and then we’re set up quickly. It’s big enough to stand up in, and we fit a queen + twin mattress in there plus room to move around. It’s big enough for my toddler to play in if it’s rainy. The overhead light is also useful. It was inexpensive for a tent that size, so I wasn’t expecting super high quality, just wanted something easy to set up.

Reddit Iconnerdariffic
9 months ago

I have the 9 person, but it didn't come with that full fly. Setup and takedown is super easy. But now I want one with the full fly!

9 months ago

I have the Core 9 person. Set up and take down myself. Love it! Seal the bottom seams though. They will seep in heavy rain otherwise.

9 months ago

I have a core instant tent. 9 person and I can put it up and take it down by myself.

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