I ran a instant up Ozark trail for well over a decade. Went a few years with a small camper and sold it to get into a nice gazelle and I couldn't be happier. I don't do hiking/backpacking due to disabilities but it's perfect for car camping. Throw it on my roof rack get to camp and 10 min later my tent is set up.
I for one love my gazelle tent. It really feels like a buy once cry once purpose. My Ozark trail lasted many years fairly easy to put up. Then I got my gazelle and was blown away. Goes up so much easier. Materials don't feel like 1 month of combined sun exposure will make it all brittle like the cheap tents/canopies.
I also just updated to a set of xped megamats for the wife and I. A bit pricy. But so much better than a air mattress or cot both in comfort and insulation for those cold nights.
I'm not an expert but IMO your sleep systems are gonna be a lot more important than the tent. I'd save money on the tent and start there. Especially with a family outfitting everyone with outfitting them all with sleeping pads, bags, clothes, etc. is gonna add up. If you're actually planning on a stove then IDK, I've never done that.
I camp on Vancouver Island with a family of 4 and just use a cheap Ozark Trail cabin tent from Walmart, but invested in some decent self-inflating sleeping pads and sleeping bags. It's gonna be chilly in the tent in the morning no matter what. Just get up before them and start a fire for them :D
A large tarp or awning is something you could consider? We have the classic and affordable Ozark/coleman 10ft pop up canopy and it has been amazing for rainy days. It covers the picnic table and gives us a dry place to hang out, cook and keep kitchen stuff without it getting wet. It’s bulky but great for car camping.
Having a way to organize all your items to be grab and go and minimize setup at camp setup will help with getting out more.
I personally view backpacking and car camping as two separate things. Yes you can use backpacking gear for car camping, but usually I don’t want to. If I’m going car camping for a few days I want to be comfy, otherwise I may as well just hike to a remote spot and use the backpacking gear lol.
Backpacking gear is pretty expensive. Not because it’s the best, but because it needs to pack down small and be lightweight. Those two things mean durability suffers and you pay a premium for the better gear.
If you aren’t set on backpacking yet, I would say don’t buy your gear with that in mind. Once you are ready, that is when you should go down the backpacking gear rabbit hole so you can dial in the setup and make sure you have what you need and can actually carry it all.
Of all of the things there perhaps you want to upgrade your tent for more space and weatherproofing? For car camping personally I enjoy tents you can stand up in - much comfortable and it feels way more spacious once you’re with other people. A 4-6 person tent would let you bring people with you no problem and still have room for your personal items in the tent.
The point is, when upgrading, find out what features you want in gear before upgrading! For example we finally upgraded from our cheap and very large Ozark Trail cabin tent (that served us very very well) to a more premium Snow Peak Alpha Breeze tent. We knew for the tent we wanted to downsize to a smaller tent, wanted to stand up, wanted an integrated awning so we aren’t rained on while putting our shoes on/off, a better rain fly, but also has lots of windows with the ability to close them up for privacy inside if needed. For car camping I don’t like the idea of tents that have all this mesh, but once the rain fly is on it becomes a cave with no windows (or maybe a tiny widow). I love being able to lounge in the tent and enjoy the views outside! We haven’t tried the new tent outside yet, but I’m looking forward to getting out once the weather warms up!
I'd also recommend an ozark trail instant tent, They're the new coleman from decades past.
The average mans tent, for whoever is just getting into the hobby and doesnt want to break the bank. Great for familys who may go camping a handful of times a year in mostly fair weather. They'll last some rough handling for minimum a few years to a decade, plenty of time to get use out of it and upgrade.
Any from the instant tent line will be big, bulky, and heavy but quick and easy to set up even if its just one person going it. Ive personally set up a 10 person myself in less than 5 minutes. I've also used mine during souther arizona monsoon storms, high winds and sideways rain and I stayed nice and cozy with room to sit around to relax in unlike a dome tent.
The kingdom tents from REI are great. the tubeshape and features are quite nice so are the extras.... but if you want easy to put up an down the instant tents from Ozark Trail I used with my family when kids were young in cub scouts for 5+ years. I the integrated poles made for putting it up and down very quick and easy even by myself, and I could stand up and had 4 cots in them. The may be cheaper than others but there are a few brands that make the instant tents with integrated poles. I was surprised how well my ozark held up. also
check out the alps brands, they are built well, but heavy.
I have an OT instant tent. Went through a few rain storms and held up well. It’s my goto for short car camping trips. I can have the tent setup and all the gear in and setup in under 15 minutes. Usually enough time for the dogs to sniff all around the campsite and want to head out for a hike.
I’m in Wisconsin and primarily car camping as well. To start I would check out Marketplace for used gear or pick up a Coleman or Ozark Trail tent at Walmart. If you have a Costco membership they often have good deals on Core tents as well.
Personally; I would recommend larger than a 2 person tent. That is really just room for two people laying shoulder to shoulder and basically no space for gear or anything else. Since you are near your car go with a larger tent for more space. I like at least 6 person tents since they tend to be tall enough for me to stand up in. The ability to stand in your tent is a huge benefit, especially in crappy weather.
Until you know you want to continue camping, just use what you already have for other gear. If you have an air mattress, bring that (as long as it is warm weather) and put a fleece blanket over it to help with heat retention. Use blankets and sheets and pillows from home. Same with other gear; if you have cast iron pans they work great over the fire. But if there is other gear you need, Walmart camping section is surprisingly good and well priced for the beginning camper. Don’t put too much money in it until you know it is something you want to do a lot.
Top Camping Tents on Reddit
1
The North Face
Wawona 6
84% positive of 134 users
Spacious vestibule, strong in storms, but rainfly tricky solo.
Boosted_Vet
