Who makes a good tent?

[TimT]

I'll start by saying that I just got off of the phone with Coleman, and I can rule them out altogether. The quality of their big "weathermaster" is extremely poor.

So, any feedback on wenzel, hillary, american camper??? I'm looking for a good family sized tent that we average 10 trips a year in.

[CUB44]

I have been tent camping for over 20 years and have owned many brands of tents. My advice to you is follow the general rule: "you get what you pay for". the best tent I have owned is the eureka willow 14x12.(paid about $300.00) 18 yrs old and still works like new, easy set up , no leaks & fairly warm on cold evenings. This tent has been used hard for hunt camps and week long family trips. Another real good tent manufacturer is Kelty. I wouldn't consider any other tent but Eureka or Kelty.

[Mags]

TimT,

Check out Cabela's. They've got all kinds of tents for just about any conditions. Their reputation and customer service is excellent.....I've been dealing with them for many years and have never had any problems. I know you'll be pleased with their products if you've never tried them before.

Rich(Mags):)

[Hoot]

Tim,

I agree with CUB44. I have two Eureka tents, one for backpacking and one for car camping. They have both seen a lot of use and a lot of weather. I've never even had a minor problem with these tents.

[Neapolis]

I'll go with Eureka also. I had one for 20 years, no problems. My daughter wanted to use it for an outing with her clan, I haven't seen it since.:rolleyes:

[TimT]

Well, by the responses here Eureka would've been the clear choice. However, being a family of 4, having extended 4-5 night trips (read; need decent size) and needing it by this weekend I went with a Hillary from Sears. It's actually made by Wenzel. None of the Eureka "luxury family" tents were stocked at any of the stores that I checked out. (Not to mention none of their floorplans were really appealing.) I honestly didn't have any brand or price preference going into this. (Other than Coleman wasn't getting any of my money.)

http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summary/productsummary.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0188145979.102 8295624@@@@&BV_EngineID=cciiadcfldmifeicehgcemgdffmdfim.0&vertical=SEARS&bidsite=&pid=00672096000

If any of you stay at MIS, you know that the campsites are only 20' wide. I noticed a lot of tents that gave us the width we looking for, but the fly staked down way off to the sides, making those tents a non-option for 3 of our summer camping weekends. Also, a lot of tents have those irregular shapes that make setup rather difficult or cause the tent to take up too much space in a limited site.

I appreciate everybodies feedback. I'll have at least 2 weekends in this tent within the next 30 days, so I'll have a chance to return it for a full refund at the first sign of poor materials or design.

[TimT]

OK, I have an update! This tent is being returned to Sears for a refund.

I've called the support line they have, and they recommended returning it for an exchange. (I'll have my money, thank you anyway.)

In a nutshell, all of the straps on the outside for various attachment points go through to the inside for various attachments/tie-downs. Each of these straps "wick" the water into the tent. So, in a rain, the water that runs over these straps will be absorbed and then leak into the tent. (Actually, a great deal of water will enter the tent in a relatively light rain.)

So, the hunt is back on!.

I'll have to use my cheap tent this weekend in HB. Hopefully I'll have something shipped here by next weeks MIS trip.

If anybody can recommend a retail shop that sells GOOD tents, please let me know. None of the major outdoors chains sell anything worth while.

[Liv4Huntin']

http://www.northface.com/index_flash.html ......

you may check their site for retailers, but their quality is superb...Had one of their expedition tents for over 27 years and have absolutely NO complaints. We would buy another one in a minute.

I BELIEVE we purchased it through Raupp Campfitters in Lansing (ph. 517 - 484-9401) ..... been so long, though, I can't be sure.

~ m ~

[Lunker]

Eureka !
The new quick setup model with metal rock climbing clips on the pole and quick setup hub on the top middle for easynass. Just dont buy the one Im going to on clearance at Mc Sporting goods. Its 150.00 on sale .

[TimT]

Alright, I looked at some more Eurekas, but I just wasn't finding one that fit right. However, the Titan came awful close.

This is what I've ended up with this time.
http://www.kelty.com/Kelty/index.cfm?fuseaction=Tents.ShowProduct&type=tents&ID=32

And, to go along with it, I also picked up one of these.
http://www.pahaque.com/screenset.html

I'm really looking forward to setting up camp at MIS on Wednesday. I'm especially stoked about the screenhouse, particularly with the drop down sunscreen/awnings on all 4 sides.

I'll post a review of these items on Monday. We're supposed to have some funky weather over the next few days, so I should have a good test for both items.

[The Nailer]

Tim,

I have the Mantra 2 and used it for winter camp this year and it worked real well. Although I would have liked a little more room the quality certainly seemed to be there. We had a ton of wet snow fall one day (near 14") and it didn't collapse or leak. I did reseal all the seams before I used it and would reccomend you do the same. I would also recommend either a footprint or just a blue tarp on the ground first to help extend floor life.http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/537/123Mine.jpg

[TimT]

Awesome pic.....man, that's some extreme camping!



Well, after 4 days and 5 nights with the Mantra 7, I couldn't be happier. We've had a good mix of weather to test it out in, and I can't wait 'til my next camping trip. The Paha Que screen room is the cats meow. The only draw back is that it doesn't stop all of the heat from radiating through when the shades are down. But, it still does a great job. Our camping neighbors probably thought that I was goofy for all the times they watched me raise or lower the shades, but it was effortless and helped out a lot when the sun was shining.

Anyway, it was nice for me and the wife to be excited about camping again. It's truly amazing how much of an impact your gear has on your overall enjoyment.

[Robert W. McCoy Jr]

You know you perfer GP medium's:D

[kroppe]

I realize I'm a little late here, but I vote two thumbs up for Eureka.

Tim, I have a family of 4 also and have the Titan, I think. Not sure what didn't meet your criteria on that tent. It's huge, and the fly and poles fit pretty much on the footprint, meaning no lines to trip over. It's well designed and looks nice. The only drawbacks are it is pretty heavy to pack up and is a little pricey, I think over $400.

I have looked at Cabela's tents and it looks like they have one for every purse and purpose.

However I do love my 1980 J.C. Penney 3 man wall tent. It has stood the test of time on countless camping trips, and I still use it to this day.

[TimT]

Kroppe, when we started looking for tents again we thought that we'd have to find something large enough that our bedding would not touch the walls of the tent, because of condensation or weather. What we really needed, as we found out while shopping, was a tent with a full coverage fly. The reason we didn't go with the Titan was because entry into the 2 sides are on opposite ends of the tent, or you have to walk through one half to get to the other. Also, while there is a very nice sized fly, it wasn't full coverage.

I can honestly say after a few days in rain, heat and humidity, I didn't know what I was missing. The actual "tent" itself remained completely dry throughout all conditions. The fly is what developed condensation or held back the weather. The most irritating part of family camping is when everything in the tent gets damp.

Being of limited knowledge of how a good tent is designed, It's entirely possible that I ruled out a lot of good tents that have good materials and well-designed ventilation without full coverage flies. But, with the entry doors, vestibule, quality of materials and layout of the Mantra 7, I would've chosen this anyway. (Plus, at $379 from Cabela's, and $399 everywhere else, It's reasonably priced.)