Fast Frame BlockOut Lumos 4P

I’ve got the oztrail tent and it’s fantastic. Takes 15-20 minutes to put up solo using screw in pegs. Takes even less to pack down. Make sure if you have the blackout fly closed completely to set an alarm as the sunlight won’t come in and wake you up 😆

I use mostly to camp at the Bathurst 1000. Last year they had winds up to 80-100km hour gusts that was enough to destroy many marquees and tents and mine was still standing but my marquee wasn’t so lucky.

I've got the 4P and we've just copped a few days of marine wind warnings by the coast with 60km/h + winds. Tent is absolutely fine. Haven't bothered pitching up the awning as the vestibule gives good shade anyway. Noticed other tents close by really copped it but ours was standing proud with no dramas.

I’ve used a couple 4 person instants and have been impressed. Gazelle (excellent) and an Ozark Trail very cheap but still quite good).

Hey, thank you so much for this! I’ll definitely check out the items you listed. When people say car camping I’m thinking more like country camping, where you pack everything in the car and set up at a campsite, but definitely not sleeping in the car itself. Though I’ve done both, and they’re both fun! I want to start going more often, sometimes solo, sometimes with a friend. I really appreciate the breakdown in terms of the big three as it makes everything way easier to wrap my head around. Tents make the most sense to upgrade first, especially something that works for solo and two-person trips. The tent I had in the picture actually melted last July when I camped at Kernville, CA on a really hot day. Now I have an Ozark 4-person all-season tent, but I’ll check out those Naturehike models and some of the higher-end options to see what feels right. Sleep system is next on my list too! Comfort and warmth matter way more than I realized. Thanks again for laying it all out so clearly, it makes all the options feel way less overwhelming. Appreciate it!

I hated that tent too, lol. I used it for the first time for my first solo camping trip and it literally melted on me, like plastic pieces coming apart. I got it off Amazon and ended up returning it and they actually accepted it. I have an Ozark 3 season 2 to 4 person tent now that I’ve used a few times and it’s held up so far. I agree with the first upgrade suggestion. I camped in Yosemite National Park last December and I was cold af, so a down or synthetic throw over my bag probably would’ve made a big difference. Appreciate the tips, I’ll look into that next!

I had issues with the tent in the photo. It literally melted on me, lol. I ended up returning it to Amazon and replaced it with an Ozark brand from Walmart, which I’m still using now.

Go for a 4-person tent. Ozark Trail at Walmart has some decent ones. I still have one my wife and I used a few times a year for many years before the kids came along.