9 Person Instant Cabin Tent

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

I currently have a Gazelle T4 Overland, and I’m really happy with it. Packed up it’s bizarrely huge, but I love how easy it is to set up; it goes up in only a couple of minutes. I’d like to go larger however, and I’m looking at the Gazelle T8. My priorities are interior space and ease of setup. The T4 has been great in wind. I live in the southwest, so rain and snow aren’t a huge issue, especially since if the weather is bad I’ll just stay home. So what’s everyone’s favorite large tent that falls into this category? I’m ok spending about $3-600. If there’s a better option than the T8 I’m all ears. Edit: I’m also looking into the Gazelle T4 Plus which has the same footprint as the T8 but with a screened in room that is sealable for the same price. Edit 2: thanks so much for everyone’s input! This has been a really fun discussion and I love this group. I’ve decided to go with the Gazelle T4 Plus. It arrives on Tuesday, just before my trip to the Grand Canyon with my kid! Edit 3: tries the T4 Plus. It was amazing when set up, and rock solid. The problem is that it’s so heavy and cumbersome, you run the risk of damage the material just moving it around and trying to pack it up, which is really an ordeal. I wound up going with the Core 9. Not as solid as the Gazelle, but much lighter and easier to set up, take down and move around for one person.

If you love your current Gazelle, then the T8 makes a lot of sense. I personally enjoy CORE tents, and we usually camp in a CORE 9 Person Instant Tent, which I think is a tad bigger, but the same height. The new version with the full rainfly is great IMO.

Me and my girlfriend use a 9 person CORE instant tent most of the time, it unfolds and goes up within 2 minutes with just me setting it up, and it breaks down just as fast, the process is almost automatic with how simple it is. Staking it down amd adding the rain fly is essential so do not skip that step (it will come with stakes). The only downside to the instant tents is that they're pretty bulky when packed away but I find it acceptable

I have the core 9 person instant with a full rain fly. I’ve only used it a couple times, but I love it! It’s so spacious for my family and the full rain fly is a game changer in rain! Even though you don’t plan to camp in storms, it’s nice to have that option in case one randomly pops up. I didn’t have an issue with wind but I make sure every guy line is staked down properly.