Core Equipment - Instant Cabin Tent with Dark Room

Be aware Ozark Trail tents are by their manufacturers own statements, not intended for use outside of backyard camping setups. I have used them, they need some TLC to make them work right with LOTS of waterproofer. I have a 10x14 Dark Rest quick setup tent. and it got hosed down with waterproofer and seam sealer before it ever left my lawn... Unless you are planning group adult activities that might still be felonies in some jurisdictions, there really is no good reason to have a single tent ecompass everyone. Try this instead... The larger the tent, the harder it is going to be to find a suitable flat and cleared space to set it up, and it will become exponentially more difficult to set it up. A couple, or several tents for your sleeping areas. The 10x14 Dark Rest works great for 4 people, or 6 if 4 of them are kids... Set up a large tarp shelter, or open sided tent as a common meeting area / mess tent. You can buy, or rig something up with conduit, connectors and a giant poly tarp. OR if you know what you are doing a tarp, stakes, rope and trees...

Core has a darkroom tent. I’m a fan of core tents.

Love our 12 man core tent. We’ve had it since 2019 and it’s gone on a bunch of trips with kids and dogs. Simple and affordable without all the gimmicks. We do put down a tarp before setup to protect it though. Just fyi tents are like bike frames - most are made in the same factory with different logos slapped on them and then different distribution companies selling them… just make sure they have a good warranty policy.

Do you already have the air mattresses? If not, consider getting cots instead! We have a CORE 12-person instant cabin tent, it’s got plenty of room and is super easy to setup! It’s not the nicest tent on the market, but we are casual car campers and it works great for our family.

I picked up the 12 person version and just used it this past weekend. It ended up raining one day and it was dry on the inside. Everyone loved how big and spacious it was. I bought this just for my wife, my son, and I lol.

We have the core 12 person for just my husband and me. Highly recommend for a family

I've got a Core 12 person tent. Holds four people, two dogs, and all of our stuff. It's been out probably 20 times, one zipper is a little wonky, but is perfect otherwise. You might not need the 12, but they make them in different sizes. Highly recommend, less than $300.

Check out a core instant. I have a 10, maybe 12 person, I don’t remember, but it’s a 10x14 footprint and easily holds 3 cots. If you have a Costco nearby check there, that’s where I got mine, and it was $250 last year when I bought it

So I haven’t experienced much rain with that one, but my other core tent that I have has held up well in rain. As long as you stake out the guy lines. Don’t make the same mistake I did 😅😅. It’s a great tent though, I was hesitant about the instant part of it having not used one before, but I love it. I can put it up/take it down by myself, plus it’s lighted so can’t complain about that either haha

Pretty sure I have the same one and I think we have had it for 10 years. Use it 3+ times a year too. And some times we rotate to a Core 12 person that’s also instant up.

I did the same. Bought a 10-12 person Costco behemoth for 2 people (usually). It was embarassingly large, we only used a small bit of the space, and I ended up getting a 4 person that is still very spacious but reasonably sized.

I originally bought the Timberline 2 for backpacking in rugged terrain during Fall/Winter seasons in northern VT and NY. The simple A-frame style is superior to most designs in high wind or snowy conditions, but most folks today demand more space and comfort. As a retiree, with creaky bones, who can no longer manage hiking, I now normally use an Alps 3-man dome tent or a Core 4 cabin-walled tent. These two are not as rugged as the Timberline, but are spacious and inexpensive. I drive an F150 with a full 8' canopy so I keep the Timberline is case of full-storm weather. The Pacific coast can have wicked winds and sheeting rain during the colder months.

If you've got plenty of space in your vehicle(s) to pack the 10 person, do that. We have their easy up style one (poles are already in it, you just pull the joints into place and extend the side poles). I can't remember if it's 10 or 12 people, but we went big for our future family. Right now, it's just me, my husband, our toddler, and our 20lb dog. We comfortably put a queen sized, 18" tall air mattress and pack and play on one side , my husband's large cot on the other with his box fan and our blanket tote. Plenty of room for activities in the middle and down the road we can lay our toddler and his future sibling in the middle and still have space to move around. My husband and I both are 5'10.

We just picked up the core instatent and love it. Takes about 90 secs to set up, plenty of room. It’s not a backpacking tent but we’re really happy with it!

https://preview.redd.it/a9me8t9y7gee1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0294785910567290d6e8cf18d7a18a8e22a48b45 Here’s a view of the inside. Plenty big for 2 cots. We went with 6 person for the extra room when our kids go with us.

Family of 5 here - we did the Core instant pop tent, it was a game changer, makes camping with the r family so much easier. They are bigger to pack than the standard pole tents.

Love the Core Instant Cabin. Goes up super fast and is cheap at Costco

Get an instant cabin tent for the adults (5 minute setup) and possibly smaller tents for the kids. Your mom will likely also need a cot or tall air mattress, getting up off the floor or even sleeping on a hard floor can be too much as you get older. Core, Coleman, and Walmart all make inexpensive instant tents. Our core tent has lasted for 3 years of monthly camping trips. It's not great at heavy rain, but the newer models are supposed to be better.

Look at Core Cabin tents. I think Costco sells them. Easy to set up for first timers and you can stand in them. Get a 6 or 8 person. Keep in mind that the number is the number of average sized sleeping bags it will hold crammed next to each other.

I have a core cabin tent and I adore it. It’s my home in the woods. My partner and I bought it five years ago and we use it at least 6 times a year going camping with my parents. We only had one issue with one pole snapping (after a toddler got hold of it) and it was easily repaired with a kit we got at Walmart.