Wonderland X

I picked up the Wonderland X tent on sale for about $500 and it is excellent. Setup is easy and full height to stand inside and still with a good size vestibule. Pitches fly first which was awesome the first time we had to setup in the rain. Retail is expensive but if you have time flexibility it's worth looking for on sale. Rei sale is coming up soon too so there's that. Previously I was looking at the Kingdom series also by REI and Wawona 6 from TNF. Wawona is neon orange though which isn't the shade you're looking for but otherwise is really nice design.

On the X? It holds up very well. We used it in Texas but in areas of less humidity around Houston and currently in Southern California and I think we only had the one trip that had any significant rain other than some overcast drizzle. But that being said the little rain it did see it handled well. There are vents along the top to allow some air movement. You can also open up the sides for more if it's a warm dry night. Lots of thoughtful design in it though.

For a while, I had similar thoughts (but imagining needing to keep small children entertained inside a tent during rain), and I didn't find many tents at all over 8 people. The budget brands account for the vast majority of them. But most of the budget tradeoff is weight, not stuff like pole quality. With some of the giant tents like you're looking for, the designs also don't seem very good in high winds or snow, but since cub camping is glamping anyway (have to have flushing toilets, medical aid nearby, and running potable water) that tradeoff doesn't hit that hard that I've ever seen. (Cubmaster.) Then there's the REI Wonderland X. See for example https://gearjunkie.com/camping/tents/rei-wonderland-x-tent-review It has the exact kind of kid hangout space I was looking for. But then someone pointed out to me that soon I'll need two backpacking tents for me and my soon to be Webelos instead, and in light of that I'm trying to stay married I decided to pass on the Wonderland X. But then again I'm not claustrophobic at all, so your needs may look different.

REI wonderland has been great and often goes on sale. You can also buy the “gear garage” which is designed to attach to it which gives you a massive vestibule sort of like the wawona

I LOVE my REI Wonderland tent (discontinued in favor of the Westward, which is similar, but still available on sale from REI). The taller gents in my life can stand comfortably in the majority of the floorspace; it feels spacious and very comfortable.

Check out the REI Wonderland. It’s an update on the Kingdom (which I have and am the same height). It’s big and good for car camping. Been quite happy with it and have gone through summer monsoon and stayed dry.

I’ve never had issues with it. It is big and heavy so def for car campers. I have the six person with an 8 person footprint so I have some extra space for the additional covered area. Plenty of room for a couple people and a dog. And I can basically stand up in it.

I have a similar heat intolerance, I have a REI Wonderland 4/6, an old surplus cot, and a portable tent air conditioner. This set up requires a power source.

That really does look like a decent option. I appreciate the input! Yeah, I currently have two REI tents, one solo backpacker - I think it’s called the Passenger 1 - and a four person tent I can stand up in (also can’t remember what it’s called). That one is exclusively a car camper as it’s big, bulky, and weighs like 12 pounds. Both have design flaws I’d like to see improved, while excelling in other ways. That one you’re pointing me to is cheap enough I can try it out and if I’m not wild about it, I won’t feel like I got screwed. Thanks!