Our first trip was 5 nights with a big range of weather. There was plenty of space inside for anything that needed to stay dry, a queen-sized air mattress, and to still have room to move around. At 58 my husband had to duck a little, but at 52, I rarely even touched the roof edges inside.
All and all a good investment. It took longer to place and stake the tarp we bought for underneath than to set up the tent. (Photo: view from camp...failed to get the tent in the photo)
Review below broken down by weather we experienced:
40 degree night (+/- 5 degrees): coldest I ever remember being when camping, but much of that likely had to do with not properly insulating the air mattress and using linens instead of sleeping bags. It was probably in the mid-50s when we went to sleep and inside the tent was a comfortably temperature. The next day we bought sleeping bags, it was probably in the high 50s that night, and we were perfectly comfortable.
Rain (misting to downpour): the rain picked up just when we finished cooking breakfast. A couple of camp chairs on the front porch and we were able to stay mostly dry. Really not sure why they didnt make a longer rain fly for the porch. It rained all day and the porch was a red mud mess from us coming in and out. We used a moving blanket as a doormat and that helped keep the inside clean. Inside the tent was perfectly dry; no leaks or wind-driven rain getting in.
Wind: last morning we woke up to 20+ mph sustained with 30+ mph gusts. Tent was still standing and sturdy, but it had just enough wiggle to buffet our heads and serve as a rude alarm. Next time well just scoot the air mattress down closer to the porch divider.
Recommended extra gear:
10X Tent Stakes Bag
Aspen Meadows Sleeping Bag (you can zip two together for a queen-sized sleeping bag)
11 Ft. 4 In. X 15 Ft. 6 In. Silver/Heavy Duty Reflective All Purpose/Weather Resistant Tarp
Trip 1: Cold, Rain, Wind and a Pretty Decent Tent
Our first trip was 5 nights with a big range of weather. There was plenty of space inside for anything that needed to stay dry, a queen-sized air mattress, and to still have room to move around. At 58 my husband had to duck a little, but at 52, I rarely even touched the roof edges inside. All and all a good investment. It took longer to place and stake the tarp we bought for underneath than to set up the tent. (Photo: view from camp...failed to get the tent in the photo) Review below broken down by weather we experienced: 40 degree night (+/- 5 degrees): coldest I ever remember being when camping, but much of that likely had to do with not properly insulating the air mattress and using linens instead of sleeping bags. It was probably in the mid-50s when we went to sleep and inside the tent was a comfortably temperature. The next day we bought sleeping bags, it was probably in the high 50s that night, and we were perfectly comfortable. Rain (misting to downpour): the rain picked up just when we finished cooking breakfast. A couple of camp chairs on the front porch and we were able to stay mostly dry. Really not sure why they didnt make a longer rain fly for the porch. It rained all day and the porch was a red mud mess from us coming in and out. We used a moving blanket as a doormat and that helped keep the inside clean. Inside the tent was perfectly dry; no leaks or wind-driven rain getting in. Wind: last morning we woke up to 20+ mph sustained with 30+ mph gusts. Tent was still standing and sturdy, but it had just enough wiggle to buffet our heads and serve as a rude alarm. Next time well just scoot the air mattress down closer to the porch divider. Recommended extra gear: 10X Tent Stakes Bag Aspen Meadows Sleeping Bag (you can zip two together for a queen-sized sleeping bag) 11 Ft. 4 In. X 15 Ft. 6 In. Silver/Heavy Duty Reflective All Purpose/Weather Resistant Tarp