Marmot - Halo 6 Person Tent

Canvas tents if you can deal with the pack size and weight. Springbar, Naturehike, Cabela's, Kodiak etc. Large family camping tents like the Marmot Limestone, Marmot Halo, Big Agnes Bunk House, Eureka Spacecamp, MSR Habiscape etc will also work well. These will be better for storm worthiness and bug protection than Canvas. Get additional guylines nes and upgrade your tent stakes. The ones included with the tent are not great.

Family of 6 means at least an 8p tent. The Big Agnes Bunk House 8,p would work great here but it's quite expensive. For less money you could get a pair of Marmot Limestone 6p tents for $300 each from Sunnysports for the older 2022 model or $370 each from Moosejaw, Backcountry or Marmot directly for the newer 2023 model.. Use Activejunky or Topcashback to save a few more bucks with cash back. https://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmtls6or/marmot-limestone-6p-tent-orange-spice-arona https://www.marmot.com/equipment/tents/6-person/limestone-6-person-tent/AFS_195115133498.html I used to own the Limestone 6p and have reviewed it previously. I own the Halo 6p and Halo 4p now. .Believe me you will be more comfortable putting 6 people into two tents than 6 people into a single 8p tent. And it will be cheaper. People need space for their sleeping pads, walking space, gear etc. It will be easier with two tents for everyone to be able to go to the bathroom etc. https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot_halo_4p_and_6p_tent_review/ This guy's comment about having two 6ps is key: https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/EptGlBXlYU The Halo is more storm worthy and has a better vestibule but is quite a bit more expensive. The Big Agnes Bunk House 6p is also great but quite a bit more expensive. Other good alternatives are the MSR Habiscape 6p, Eureka Space Camp 6p and Sierra Designs Nomad 6p. I would stay away from REI tents due to their poor warranty (1 year) and poor after sales support (they won't sell you parts or repair gear). My review of the Halo has a link to the Limestone review. And I also recommend upgrading tent stakes and guylines. I have links to the Paria and Lawson stuff I recommend. Also get the tent footprint to make site cleanup easier.

You ideally will want a 6p family camping style tent. Most 4p family camping tents are not standing height, especially for someone your height. Most major sales will start in a couple weeks when REI starts their Anniversary sale. I will have a Memorial Day megathread like last year tracking these sales. Tents that will work: * Marmot Limestone 6p * the 2018-2022 model is quite a bargain right now. [Steepandcheap.com](http://Steepandcheap.com) has it for $200. The newer 2023 model is over $400. * I used to own this. I did a review in 2021: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/n27iui/marmot\_limestone\_6p/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/n27iui/marmot_limestone_6p/) * Marmot Halo 6p * I own this. I did a review a couple years ago. Very storm worthy design: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot\_halo\_4p\_and\_6p\_tent\_review/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot_halo_4p_and_6p_tent_review/) * Big Agnes Bunk House 6p. The 4p also is standing height but not as tall as the 6p model. Has a really nice storage bag, front porch and big vestibule * Eureka Space Camp 6p. * Eureka is going out of business as Johnson Outdoors is discontinuing the brand. They have been running clearance sales off and on for a while. The Space Camp 6p was at cheap as $250 a couple weeks ago. * MSR Habbitude and the newer Habbiscape 6p * Sierra Designs Nomad 6p * Various cheap Coleman 6p tents. Note the quality is not great. Fine for fair weather, not great in heavy rain or the wind. Cheap fiberglass poles and not allot of mesh for airflow. * Nemo Wagontop 4p, 6p or 8p. Note Nemo has discontinued this tent and it is single walled (it will have more condensation issues than other family camping tents). People who have purchased it seem to love it. * Nemo Aurora Highrise 6p. Some people like this one, but I don't. It's not a full coverage rainfly so it's not as storm worthy. * REI Wonderland 6p. Not a full coverage rainfly but some people love it. Note REI only warranties for 1 year, does not sell you parts and does not repair gear. * REI Base Camp 6p. Much more storm worthy than the Wonderland, but same issue with warranty. * Big Agnes Mad House 6p or 8p. Bombproof shelter but quite expensive. Also great for winter camping. * Nortent Gamme6p or 8p. This is a single walled hot tent but with the optional bug inner shelter could be used in the summer as well. Very expensive. * Gazelle 6p and 4p tents. Like you said there are quality issues with these tents. They also have enormous pack sizes and weigh a ton. Look up the review from The Outdoor Gear Review on this tent, Luke did a rain torture tent on it and it didn't do the best. * Various canvas tents (Springbar, Cabela's, Naturehike etc). Heavy, large pack sizes. Canvas has to be waxed every few years to retain water proofness. Takes a very long time to dry out if it rains vompared to silnylon or silpoly.

Happy to help. We also have had reviews on the North Face Wawona, REI Wonderland, Marmot Torreya, Nemo Wagon top, MSR Habitude and Sierra Designs Nomad series here on this subreddit in the past. Might be worth a read. The Limestone 6p is absolutely going to be your best bang for the buck right now. Real DAC aluminum poles, SilPoly construction and a lifetime warranty for under $200 is quite a bargain. The other thing to consider is if you only want to car camp or if you also want to backpack. If you want to backpack as well you will need to decide if you want to sacrifice tent space for pack size and weight. Of course you can just buy both types of tents as the budget allows. I use the Durston X-Mid 2p as my backpacking shelter. Can easily fit someone your height due to the trapezoid floor design. Then the Marmot Halo 6p and 4p are my car camping tents.

Standing height tent = no crouching at all. However they take longer to setup because they are taller, wider, heavier and more glamping of an experience. 6p family camping tents are definitely something you should have partner to help you setup. Otherwise there are several 4p tents, like the Marmot Halo 4p, Big Agnes Bunk House 4p, MSR Habiscape 4p, Sierra Designs Nomad 4p, Eureka Space amp 4p etc that will be faster and easier to setup but he will have to dip his head to get into the tent. He will not be able to stand up in them. Tents like the Marmot Tungsten 4p, Sierra Designs Meteor 4p, Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 4p and Tarptent Hogback 4p will have the smallest pack sizes and the lowest weight. However these all require both of you to crawl into the tent and you would have to sit on the ground if you want to relax inside your tent. I did a review on the Marmot Halo 4p and 6p (I own both of these) and the Marmot Limestone 6p (I used to own that model). We also have reviews on here for the North Face Wawona, MSR Habitude, Sierra Designs Nomad, REI Wonderland, REI Kingdom etc. Search is your friend. https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/G0paPbYT89 If you get a tall family camping tent you will want to upgrade the tent stakes and buy additional guyline. Buying the tent footprint is a good idea too. Details on what I recommend are at the bottom of the Halo tent review above. I recommend family camping tents for car camping and UL backpacking style tents for backpacking or if you are going to travel via air or rail to a campground where space in your luggage is a premium.

NP, happy to help. There are many historical posts on the Stoic Madrone series of tents. I also have done a review of the Marmot Limestone 6p (the older 2021/2022 model) and the Marmot Halo 6p: [https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/n27iui/marmot\_limestone\_6p/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/n27iui/marmot_limestone_6p/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot\_halo\_4p\_and\_6p\_tent\_review/](https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot_halo_4p_and_6p_tent_review/)

u/dandurston had a good post recently on this topic. Retail brands like Marmot, Nemo, Big Agnes, MSR etc start selling new tents after the summer camping season and hiker season end. Usually in October to March time-frames. Retailers try to clearance and sell out all the old models to make room for new models. Black November is a great time to buy tents as they usually are heavily discounted. What are you looking for in a tent and how much is your budget? I love my Marmot Halo 6p and 4p tents.

The Halo 6p is an awesome choice. So is the Big Agnes Bunk House 6p or 8p. Other great choices are: MSR Habitude MSR Habbiscape Sierra Designs Nomad Eureka Space Camp. This one in particular is a great bargain as Johnson Outdoors is discontinuing this brand. You can get this one for as cheap as $250 or so. Marmot Limestone 6p Marmot Midpines or Pacifica 6p. This is the exact same tent except the colors. The Midpines is sold exclusively at Amazon and the Pacifica is a Dick's Sporting Good/Public Lands exclusive. This one only has one door as vestibule. Most family camping tents have 2 doors and vestibules. The footprint for the Midpines fits the Pacifica. Big Agnes Mad House Nemo Aurora Highrise. This one is decent but lacks a full coverage fly. North Face Wawona. As cheap as $300 on sale. Has a giant porch vestibule. Lacks a full coverage rainfly though.

6p. Get one with a full coverage rainfly from a reputable manufacturer with a lifetime warranty. You want a mesh inner so you have better ventilation. * Marmot Limestone 6p * Marmot Halo 6p * Big Agnes Bunk House 6p * Eureka Space Camp 6p * Sierra Designs Nomad 6p * MSR Habbitude 6p * MSR Habbiscape 6p FYI July 4 sales are coming up. We will have another deal megathread posted in a week. I would wait to buy anything.

The Marmot Halo 6p is an excellent choice in this price range.

You will need a bigger budget For car camping you want a double walled shelter done style tent. Marmot Halo, Eureka Space Camp, MSR Habiscape will work. Get the manufacturer's footprint, additional guyline and upgrade your tent stakes to something more substantial. I recommend the Paria Outdoor Products tent stakes, specifically the Spiral Y beams and Snow and Sand stakes. For guylines I find Lawson Equipments offerings work well. If you plan on going out in more extreme conditions in the winter you realistically need a dedicated winter tent. Something like the Marmot Thor, Eddie Bauer Katabaic, Nemo Chogorri, Sierra Designs Convert, Black Diamond tents etc. These are smaller crawl in tents. They are lower to the ground and are way more aerodynamic than larger family style tents. The Big Agnes Mad House would be an example of a large shelter that can withstand some pretty terrible weather but it's not cheap.

A Limestone 6p for that price is an incredible bargain. DAC poles, lifetime warranty, SilPoly construction. You will not find a tent as good for that price. I used to own the Limestone and now own the Halo

What's your budget? The Marmot Limestone 6p 2022 model is back up to $300 (at Sunny Sports) and will be a much better choice than the Wawona. The Wawona is perfectly fine for mild camp weather and most rainy days but I would not use it in the winter or during a windy storm. The Wawona does have the cool porch vestibule and would be a fine fair weather tent. I reviewed the Limestone 6p back in 2021 and replaced it with the Marmot Halo 6p and 4p https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/DF8D7Vj7GH Sunnysports should be starting their Memorial Day sale any day now so the price on the Limestone might drop. Other tents around the $300 range with the same specs (aluminum poles, full coverage rain flies, lifetime warranty) include: Sierra Designs Nomad 6p - $299 at Sunnysports.com MSR Habiscape 6p - $360 at REI and Moosejaw has it for $350 Eureka Space Camp 6p direct from Eureka for $311 https://eurekacamping.johnsonoutdoors.com/us/shop/tents/camping/space-camp-6-person-tent Note: Eureka is being shut down by Johnson Outdoors. You will still be able to get warranty support for a while as this is the same brand that owns Jetboil. Get aftermarket guyline and upgrade your tent stakes. The stakes that come with these family camping tents are not great (except the MSR, it comes with Groundhogs). I recommend the Paria Outdoor Products Spiral Y beams and Lawson Equipment Glowwire guyline.

The Wawona is a good fair weather tent that can handle a downpour. It has a unique porch that other tents do not offer. Note the Wawona 6p does not have a full coverage rainfly and there has been a back and forth on if this is a concern or not. https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/nlF6ZA1XJp I personally recommend the Marmot Limestone or Marmot Halo 6p however since it has a full coverage rainfly. I have reviewed and own the Marmot Halo 6p and also used to own the Limestone 6p. https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/comments/wiz8fm/marmot_halo_4p_and_6p_tent_review/ https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/bIgRCu7xz7 The 2022 version of the Limestone 6p is available again at sunnysports.com for under $300. If you prefer the newer version (which are available in different colors and have some small improvements) is is about $375. Other recommended tents include: Big Agnes Bunk House 6p. Fantastic stuff sack, front porch etc. MSR Habiscape 6p. An improved version of the Habitude with dual doors. MSR Habitude 6p. Great tent but only 1 door. Sierra Designs Nomad 6p Eureka Space Camp 6p. Johnson Outdoors's classic dome tents that can handle bad weather. JO however is discontinuing the Eureka brand and is ckearancing out their product line. REI Base Camp 6p - note this only has a 1 year warranty and REI does not sell parts or repair gear REI Wonderland 6p. Does not have a full coverage rainfly and note the warranty concerns of REI private label tents. No matter which tent you get buy aftermarket tent stakes and more guyline. The stakes that come with most tents are not great and manufacturers never include enough guyline in the box. Guying out the tent is important in bad weather because large family camping tents act like wind sails and can be easily damaged in high winds. I suspect the reason why the Wawona is down to $300 and the footprint is OOS is because The North Face is looking to come out with a new revision of this tent. The last time they did this back in 2021 they fire sale discounted the Wawona. They got rid of the old version due to criticisms of TNF using a single walled design with little to no mesh. The current criticism on this tent is the lack of a full coverage rainfly; maybe they are going to offer a full coverage rainfly version?

Marmot Limestone 6p or Big Agnes Bunk House 6p if buying exclusively at REI. If you are open to other places then I would also add the Marmot Halo 6p. These are standing height family camping tents with tons of room and you can literally walk into the tent; no ducking or crawling necessary. I would avoid REI branded tents since they are limited to a 1 year warranty, they won't sell you parts and they do not repair gear. Full coverage rainfly, lifetime warranty, DAC aluminum poles are found on Marmot and Big Agnes tents. Also purchase the footprint to protect the tent floor. I always recommend purchasing aftermarket tent stakes and additional guyline. Paria Outdoor Products spiral Y beams work well and Lawson Equipment Glowwire or Ironwire works great for this. REI doesn't have the best prices but they have the best return policy for 1 year. They do not price match any competitor. They only price match their own sales for a 14 day period. If you can wait I would recommend waiting until November. REI's Get Up Gear Out sale will be in the second week of November and more than likely some tents will be on sale. This sale historically has not had as good of deals on tents vs their Anniversary Sale (May), July 4 or Labor Day sales. Typically Backcountry, EnWild, Campsaver, CampMor, SunnySports etc have better deals and a way better selection. We will have another deal megathread thread for Black November in a couple weeks. Another note; those cheap Coleman and Intex air mattresses will leave you very cold in the fall and winter in the PNW. There is ZERO R value and the ground will literally suckall the warmth out of your body. Consider getting a foam semi self inflating mat with a high R value such as the Stoic Cloud or Cloud Lux, Exped MegaMat, ALPS Outback Mat, Nemo Roamer 3D printer Big Agnes Captain Comfort. These have R values over 8 and will insulate you well against the cold ground. They are also way more comfortable than cheap air mattresses.

Marmot Halo, Marmot Limestone, Big Agnes Bunk House, MSR Habiscape. Buy the footprint and buy MSR Groundhogs or Paria Spiral Y beams to replace the junky included tent stakes.

DAC poles, lifetime warranty and full coverage rainfly. Marmot Halo 6p Marmot Limestone 6p MSR Habbiscape 6p Eureka Spacecamp 6p Big Agnes Bunk House 6p Sierra Designs Nomad 6p The North Face Wawona and Nemo Highrise are also good but they don't have full coverage rain flies. Buy additional guyline and upgrade your tent stakes. The stakes that come with lost tents are not good.

For that many people it would be best to have two smaller tents (like two family camping 40p or even 6p tents) or a single 8p tent. 4p family camping tents are not usually standing height. You want tents with full coverage rainflys and semi mesh bodies for better ventilation and ability to hold up to crappy weather. Aluminum poles, not fiberglass. You also want to buy the tent footprint and I recommend buying aftermarket tent stakes and additional guyline. Personally I like the Paria Outdoor Products Spiral Y beam stakes for family camping tents. 4p and 6p options: * Marmot Limestone * Marmot Halo * Big Agnes Bunk House * MSR Habbitude * MSR Habbiscape * Eureka Space Camp * Sierra Designs Nomad There are not allot of 8p tents on the market anymore. They're also pretty expensive. * Big Agnes Bunk House 8p * Big Agnes Mad House 8p * Nemo Wagontop 8p (discontinued, might be hard to fine) * Marmot Limestone 8p (discontinued, might be hard to find) * Cheapo Coleman, Core, Ozark Trail tents. These are not full coverage rainfly and don't hold up very well to strong weather. You get what you pay for here.

If you want a bargain the Eureka Spacecamp 6p is a great buy at $259. Very storm worthy and has a full coverage fly unlike the Wawona. The Wawona is a good tent if you want the porch vestibule area. The Limestone Ilis Marmot's classic done tent. I used to own this and iw rock the Halo 6p. REI Basecamp is a great tent with a terrible 1 year warranty and no after sales support from REI. Aurora Highrise doesn't have a full coverage rainfly; I would skip this one. Between the MSR tents the Habiscape is newer and a better design with larger vestibules. The Big Agnes Bunk House 6p is fantastic with it's awesome stuff sack, nice vestibules and tall peak height. The Marmot Halo 6p is a killer storm worthy tent and the one I went with.

Campmor has the Halo 6p for $469 https://www.campmor.com/products/marmot-halo-6-person-tent?variant=42105585762465 Or SunnySports has it for $489. Both sites are legit.

I have the Halo 6p and used to own the Limestone. Both are exceptional.

I have done a review on the Halo 6p and 4p before. Awesome tent. https://www.reddit.com/r/CampingGear/s/1KRXWfvzGz It's not discontinued, it's just sold out about everywhere. I wouldn't pay full price on it at Campsaver, who seems to be the only one who has it in stock other than scalpers on eBay. The Eureka Space Camp 6p is also a great choice and is an absolute bargain right now at $165 on Amazon. Johnson Outdoors is discontinuing the brand, but it's a great tent. All large family camping tents do average in high winds. They are standing height and act like wind sails. This can be resolved by using plenty of aftermarket tent stakes and additional guyline. The manufacturer doesn't include enough in the box, so I recommend the Paria Spiral Y beams or MSR Groundhogs and Lawson Equipment Glowire or Ironwire. Also recommended always buy the footprint. Protects the tent floor and makes site cleanup easier.

I bought a Wonderland and one of the poles broke in two the very first time I set it up. Thankfully we weren't out in the woods yet but that was a pretty shitty thing to have happen the day before we left. On a $400-500 tent I expected better from REI, but at least now I know to stay away. We ended up going with the Marmot Halo 6 based on a lot of recommendations here and elsewhere, and that has been fantastic. It's big, roomy, I can stand up fully at 6 feet tall, and it's simple to set up. It fits two cots without issue. Plus it has a big vestibule for storage and a full rainfly for weather coverage. That thing went through a hailstorm on our first trip and handled it without any problems. Highly recommend.

Allow me to recommend the Marmot Halo 6 for your consideration. It's probably got more interior room than the Wawona (since there's no 'garage' just a big vestibule) and it won't break on the first trip like a Wonderland will. Not sure about fitting two queen mattresses though, that sounds insane.

I have a Marmot Halo 6 and it's been great. It's kept us dry through some very heavy, sustained downpours. It has quality material and a simple dome design that is easy to set up. The downside is that it's expensive but I got lucky and found one used in good shape.

Take a look at the [Marmot Halo 4p](https://www.campmor.com/collections/family-tents/products/marmot-halo-4-person-tent?variant=42105563381921) currently on sale at Campmor. We (wife and 7 y.o. son) have the 6p and love it. You wouldn't be able to stand up in the 4p but could in the 6p. If you search Reddit for Wawona reviews, you'll find negative marks for lacking a full length rain fly even though TNF lists it as a 3 season tent. Because of its short rainfly design and the way it just barely comes down past the windows, it can be a bit drafty.

Just picked up the Marmot Halo 6 (they also make a 4). Really like the construction, DAC aluminum poles, and the full length rain fly with dual vestibules makes it a true 3 season. The front vestibule is large and with the addition of two (not included) poles you can create a shade awning with the vestibule door. We had a Coleman Steelcreek Fast Pitch and got hit at a recent outing with some 40+ mile an hour winds and even guyed out, it was flattened and cracked a tent pole and the rain fly pole. Plus it wasn’t a 3 season tent. The rain fly in the rear only just covers the large mostly mesh back wall so any amount of wind blew right up into the tent.

Marmot 6p Halo. I’m doing 2 adults, 2 kids, and an infant. No complaints.

Without attaching the rain fly, the top is mesh and very ventilated. With the rain fly, the ventilation is “okay”.

I also have the halo 6p. It’s huge and both vestibules can be opened for airflow. Very good quality tent but not sure I’d want to hike a mile with it.

Check out the marmot halo 6p

Marmot Halo 6p has been my favorite big tent. Takes severe weather amazingly well for its size.

It’s been a few years since I did any comparisons, but I have the Marmot Halo 6P for my family of 4. It’s great, spacious, good in wind and has nice sized vestibules. One of the main reasons I decided for the Halo was the simple design / set up. If I could change one thing about it, it’d be to have entirely clips to attach the tent to the poles, rather than the sleeve / clip combo. But then again, the sleeves / clip combo attachment seems pretty standard for all 6P / non-backpacking tents.

I have a Halo 6 and have taken it through some serious rain. We didn't have any pooling over the vestibule. We stake everything out including all of the guy out spots, which I believe required adding more lines than they provided and we connect all of the velcros on the fly to the poles. A lot of people don't do that and I think that's the source of some people's problems with various tents in the rain.

Also love my Halo. Had a 4 for years and now have a 6. Kept us bone dry when we had a stream running under our tent in a rain storm that dropped 2 inches of rain. Great interior space, though I don't think it would really sleep 6. Zippers are all really smooth. Only small complaints are with the interior storage pockets (mostly located in the mesh of the roof, seems risky) and one interior door is half mesh/half solid and no way to zip a solid covering over the mesh. They should have made both doors the same with the full zip out of mesh/solid.

If staying dry matters I’d only look at full rain flys. Marmot Halo is amazing.

The Marmot Halo 6 is amazing if a full fly matters. But its huge! Only meant for car camping.

Yeah, been camping with the Halo for years. Love it. Though unfortunately I think it may be discontinued, or at least on its way out. I don't think they make the extra vestibule poles available anymore.

I just got the Halo 6P last month and have taken it out for a couple of tent camping trips already. Like you, family of 4 with two kids growing quickly. Depending on the age of your kids, the Halo easily accommodates a Pack and Play. It’s quite easy to set up and pack away. I did most of it solo but it’s definitely easier with two people. I haven’t tested it in the rain but I have used a hose on it and seemed fine. It goes on sale fairly regularly. It’s actually on sale for $470 at [Campmor](https://www.campmor.com/products/marmot-halo-6-person-tent?variant=42105585762465) right now which puts it a little above your $400 budget but close enough?

I’m 6’2” and can stand in a Halo 6. Only at the middle of course. But you might get mostly vertical.

6'4" here, also Halo 6. Upgraded from a first gen NF Wawona, which I could also stand up in.

I have the marmot 6p tent and it's a fantastic tent. Here is my experience with it. - solid construction with metal poles and ykk zippers - with the full rain fly down, makes the tent highly wind resistant and let's the tent stay warm. My wife actually loves this as she runs cold. - no issues with condensation. It is a double wall tent with air vents at the top. - easy to set up and take down, remember you have to stake the tent first before hooking up the poles. - it's seam sealed so very good rain protection - marmot offers a life time warranty. - I'm 6'2 and I can stand in the tent and not touch the roof. I did a lot of research before getting this tent and I have no buyers remorse. That being said, I have a nemo backpacking tent and I can say that nemo is also a fantastic brand. They make good tents and also have lifetime warranty. Honestly I'd also buy the Aurora in a heart beat. For me it would be whichever one was cheaper.

Limestone doesn't have any connection issues, it has air vents and it's a double wall tent. I have the 6p and camped many nights in it with the family.

Go for a 6p tent. For my family if 4. I would car camp with my little ones and bring along a travel crib. I have the marmot 6p and love it for my family of 4. Now light weight.. I also backpack with my wife and older kid but have a much much lighter backpacking tent. If you are car camping, I would go size up.

Dude, my first two tents were coleman. Shit man, I still got them and they still work great. Oldest one close to 15 years. I went from a 4P Coleman to 6P Coleman when I had kids. So if you can get one in good condition or buy it.. go for it. I got my coleman sundome for like a 100 bucks. If you don't want a coleman, you can sang one of these from costco for a 100 bucks - https://www.costco.com/core-6-person-lighted-dome-tent.product.100892929.html Now a days I have a Marmot 6P, recognize that this is 500$ tent. Don't spend this kind of money for your first tent unless you have money to spare or plan on going a lot of camping. The difference between a 100$ tent vs a $500 tent are: - More indoor pockets - High quality tent poles - No snag YKK zippers - Easy to pack bag - better ventilation But from a core tent/sleeping POV, its the same. IF and WHEN you are ready to go backpacking, it would be good to invest in lighter smaller gear. A decent backpacking tent is pretty expensive.

I have the Halo, it really hard to put up for one person, but I have been rained on a lot and never wet. The foot print is a good idea as well, but I did have a bunch of water make it between the footprint and tent-no water seepage. I have 2 boys and a dog with long toe nails, they haven’t put any holes in it.

The Halo is on my short list. I like that the vestibule can be left open and still close the inner curtains for privacy. There were a lot of other tents I cut from the list because the vestibule has to close for privacy but I don’t want to have to mess with it for a quick change. It’s between the Halo and the Wawona.

Did it! Got the Halo!

The Marmot Halo is worth it. I have the Limelight and my mom has the Catalyst. That whole line is super solid, spacious, easy and comfortable. The porch on the Halo is great. I've had mine for 10 years, no rips or issues, and I'm just now renewing the waterproofing for the first time. Bonus -- The netting design on these is genius. It's really easy to roll back the fly and stargaze while still having privacy.