Finally got to use this tent over Easter Weekend. I have the 8-person version, and it was just me and my 3yr old son. I took my time and was able to set up this tent and rain fly, fully staked out, within 30 min by myself. Overall I really liked the tent and look forward to our next trip. There are a couple notes on what could be improved, also.
We had more than enough room inside. I kept our bags in the screen area, and also a camp chair, toiletries, and a few other items. The screen area is a great feature, I appreciated it more than I thought I would.
During the day, we stacked our 2 queen air mattresses to free up some floor space. We could move around easily for getting dressed, and I could stand up straight in the center without bumping my head (Im 511). I could not stand up in the screen area.
At night we put the 2 queen mattresses side-by-side, and still had room in between the mattresses, and a few feet of space by the foot of the beds.
Could be better:
-This tent doesnt have zipper-port. I used a heater inside and had to run the cord out the middle of the tent and screen area. It would be a great addition to this tent, like most of the other tents I see.
-The rear side of the tent is all mesh. Its great for ventilation and looking out, but it cant be closed. It should have a zipper window just like the other sides. It got a bit drafty at night.
-The U-shaped door inside the tent could be improved. Only the upper half can be unzipped to make a mesh window. Id prefer the whole panel have the option. Also, it would be great to have a double-door on a tent this size.
-The 2 corners on both sides of the screen area, where they meet the tent, had ~1 holes that were not sewn shut. Manufacturing defect? Either way, this allowed some ants access to the screen area. Rather annoying!!
We didnt have weather so I cant attest to how it holds up in wind and rain. If you are looking for a good tent to take a small family camping, Id recommend this tent.
Great tent for the weekend
Finally got to use this tent over Easter Weekend. I have the 8-person version, and it was just me and my 3yr old son. I took my time and was able to set up this tent and rain fly, fully staked out, within 30 min by myself. Overall I really liked the tent and look forward to our next trip. There are a couple notes on what could be improved, also. We had more than enough room inside. I kept our bags in the screen area, and also a camp chair, toiletries, and a few other items. The screen area is a great feature, I appreciated it more than I thought I would. During the day, we stacked our 2 queen air mattresses to free up some floor space. We could move around easily for getting dressed, and I could stand up straight in the center without bumping my head (Im 511). I could not stand up in the screen area. At night we put the 2 queen mattresses side-by-side, and still had room in between the mattresses, and a few feet of space by the foot of the beds. Could be better: -This tent doesnt have zipper-port. I used a heater inside and had to run the cord out the middle of the tent and screen area. It would be a great addition to this tent, like most of the other tents I see. -The rear side of the tent is all mesh. Its great for ventilation and looking out, but it cant be closed. It should have a zipper window just like the other sides. It got a bit drafty at night. -The U-shaped door inside the tent could be improved. Only the upper half can be unzipped to make a mesh window. Id prefer the whole panel have the option. Also, it would be great to have a double-door on a tent this size. -The 2 corners on both sides of the screen area, where they meet the tent, had ~1 holes that were not sewn shut. Manufacturing defect? Either way, this allowed some ants access to the screen area. Rather annoying!! We didnt have weather so I cant attest to how it holds up in wind and rain. If you are looking for a good tent to take a small family camping, Id recommend this tent.