I'm looking for suggestions for a new car camping tent. With a new addition to our family the four person tent isn't going to cut it anymore.

Unfortunately it seems like once you get over the four person size everything gets supersized and the market is flooded with cheapo 8 person multi-room tents. I'm hoping to just find a good tough rain-proof tent that will fit 5 and set up quickly and easily. I prefer simple and could care less for a screened vestibule, separate rooms, gear lofts, "camp ports", etc.

I was looking at an Alps Taurus Outfitter 5, but wanted to see if there might be some better options.

Europeans generally make good "group" size tents. Hilleberg is an example.


Hilleberg group tents

If I were taking the whole family on a mountaineering expedition I might get a Hilleberg, but for campground use I can't convince myself to spend that much. ;P

I would and have just done 2 tents.

quote Grandma L: "I would and have just done 2 tents.


"

I was considering this as well, but question if my two older kids are old enough to be comfortable in their own tent (oldest is six). I might try it this spring to see how it works in the yard, but still want to explore the 1 large tent option.

While I don't have any personal experience with larger Eureka tents, I been generally pleased with the 2-4 man tents of theirs that I have owned over the years. They do make some larger 6-8 man family type tents......I'm sure that they would be better then a lot of the cheapo tents out there.

You don't state a budget so that's really tough to make a suggestion.

If I were shopping for a family tent to car camp I would go with something you can stand up in. You will be forever grateful for that option.

Budget is basically $300 though I may be persuaded to go higher.

Didn't Eureka have a Timberline tent called the basecamp. Pretty well built and all if I remember correctly.

I had a Big Agnes Big House 6 for several years and loved it. It was through all kinds of weather conditions and never so much as squeaked (or leaked). I eventually returned it to REI because it had a clear poly/vinyl window on the front of the tent and the UV rays got to it and it started cracking(it was used a lot). It looks like they have eliminated that window so it is now bulletproof.

I have an Alps 2 man tent that has been through about everything you can throw at a tent and never let me down. I am high on Alps products. But the Big Agnes 6 has a 3rd pole for more stability and although about the same floor size, is a little taller. Big Agnes has a reputation for quality products and great customer service. Alps doesn't have much of a reputation, but they may be just as good. The only downside is that it is more than your budget and appears to be the same price everywhere at $369.95 although it must go on sale from time to time. If you are an REI member you could use your 20% discount come Spring and get it down under 300 bucks. Big tents mean big surfaces for wind and rain to hit. Weatherproof and sturdy tents can make the difference between a great trip and a miserable one, especially with a family. I wouldn't hesitate to buy Big Agnes again.

Here is a photo of the Big Agnes 6 in use. My buddy was a camp host at a State Park in MN for 43 days (late Sept to early Nov) and borrowed my tent - this was his home during that time. You can see the vinyl window that cracked and is no longer part of the design. Comfy...



I eventually brought the fly back to REI hoping for a replacement at no or low cost. They gave me a 100% refund for the whole tent after several years use - wow.

quote lindylair: "I had a Big Agnes Big House 6 for several years and loved it. It was through all kinds of weather conditions and never so much as squeaked (or leaked). I eventually returned it to REI because it had a clear poly/vinyl window on the front of the tent and the UV rays got to it and it started cracking(it was used a lot). It looks like they have eliminated that window so it is now bulletproof.


I have an Alps 2 man tent that has been through about everything you can throw at a tent and never let me down. I am high on Alps products. But the Big Agnes 6 has a 3rd pole for more stability and although about the same floor size, is a little taller. Big Agnes has a reputation for quality products and great customer service. Alps doesn't have much of a reputation, but they may be just as good. The only downside is that it is more than your budget and appears to be the same price everywhere at $369.95 although it must go on sale from time to time. If you are an REI member you could use your 20% discount come Spring and get it down under 300 bucks. Big tents mean big surfaces for wind and rain to hit. Weatherproof and sturdy tents can make the difference between a great trip and a miserable one, especially with a family. I wouldn't hesitate to buy Big Agnes again. "

I can't find any info on the fabric weight for the Big House. Does anyone have an idea? Did it seem to be pretty tough?

One of the attractive aspects of that Taurus is that 210D nylon floor. Kids are hard on floors and I don't believe in footprints... Our current tent has a decent (70D I think) nylon floor but it does have a couple Gorilla tape "patches" from heavy use over the last 5 years.

For CARcamping, I'd go with Taurus 5 Outfitter. Oxford floor, big zippers, plus ALuminum...spend the other 100 on a 16 Noahs Tarp or something for a big porch.

Wasn't able to find anything real specific about the floor but I did find this review which applies to your situation.

Big Agnes Big House 6 review

I an tell you I usually used a cot in the tent and dragged it around a bit. Never had a problem with the floor. I did use a tarp underneath the tent - always use a tarp underneath any tent. Innie vs outie is a big debate. Outies save wear and tear on the floor and maintain the integrity of the waterproof aspect of the floor. Innies are a bonus in my opinion.

Another Big House fan, 2nd from left. 4 person version cots and table inside. Floor is light weight polyester not much heavier than the walls. Even so I have no problems with it, because it's a walk in I'll put a floor covering inside. That campground is a gravel pit on a hill that gets lots of wind, the Big House was very stable in spite of it's height.

family tents

my new tent

butthead

Does it seem like the Big House floor would hold up well enough without a ground cloth/innie?

Personally I feel like if the tent needs a footprint they sold it to you incomplete in the first place so they could upsell you the rest of your floor. That and it allows them to keep the weight specs down on the tent. Maybe I'm just cynical, but that's the way I see it.

I tolerate the thin floor with my backpacking tents and canoe tripping tents in order to save weight, and I just accept that they will probably require some repairs at some point, but don't feel like I should have to for car camping.

Whatever tent you go with, will most likely be tall enough to walk around in. Putting much more wear on the fabric than crawling and sitting will. Thin or thick I'd cover traffic areas.

butthead

Most places where I've car camped have a tendency to be some sort of gravel base, which is hard on any tent floor. I have an old canvas tarp that I use under the floor to protect it. It's not slippery, takes a minute to put down, does a good job.

If you're dealing with two kids under 10 years old, you shouldn't expect a tent floor to be bullet proof, kids are hard on anything. So, protect your floor and you won't get so aggravated when the kids act like kids in the tent.

First, I too come from the camp of two smaller tents being better than one big one. But, I get the concern about whether your kids are ready for it, and I know many places (most Minnesota State Parks included) only allow one tent per campsite, which is super annoying, but I digress...

There's a pretty huge price range in the 6-person tent field, ranging from your Wal-Mart crap to Everest base camp stuff. Both extremes are inappropriate here, but in the middle you have stuff like Eureka, which is decent, no-frills, still fairly inexpensive, up to Big Agnes, which is a little nicer but still reasonably priced. In deciding where to go on that, the question is largely are you looking for something to last two years until the kids want their own tent, or ten years? Also, what weather conditions do you expect to need to handle? A lot of the bigger tents are square-walled things that crumple in a storm, but have great headroom in fair weather, while more expensive dome tents may feel a little more cramped but stay standing.

The BA Big House looks like a decent option, and the closest to your budget at $370. Personally, these days I insist that all tents have a vestibule, but that's just me. Others I'd add in for consideration are the REI Base Camp ($430) and REI Kingdom ($440), the latter of which is interesting largely for its compatibility with the accessory Connect Tech Garage extended vestibule ($100). While significantly more expensive, I'll also mention the BA Flying Diamond ($600), because it's an option with a "kid's room" that looks like it would actually stay standing in wind. If you can wait until the next REI 20% off coupon, those prices become $296, $344, $352, and $480, respectively.

quote awbrown: "Most places where I've car camped have a tendency to be some sort of gravel base, which is hard on any tent floor. I have an old canvas tarp that I use under the floor to protect it. It's not slippery, takes a minute to put down, does a good job. "

What a great idea!

I would highly recommend the Marmot Limelite 6P tent. It has served my family of four very well when car camping.

I have a Big Ag Big House 6. Its a great tent. I am looking to sell if it you are interested in Keth0601. It comes with the big vestibule, and footprint. My only reason for getting rid of it is that we are downsizing. I bought the Big House 6 for 2 people. Too big for 2 but perfect for 4 or more.

REI Basecamp 6

quote mc2mens: " REI Basecamp 6 "

That's a great tent! We've used (Bedouin 6) by Sierra Designs this .

It's been a great tent for 4 of us (two adults, two kids) but we don't car camp as much with it because the kids are bigger now (middle schoolers) and we go into the backcountry.

I'm going to get it up for sale on the forum shortly -- just having new zipper sliders put on by thrifty outfitters -- then it will go cheap :)

Just in case you haven't seen over in the Gear For Sale

HighnDry

01/03/2015 11:07AM

We're selling our old reliable family car camping tent as we haven't used it much in the last couple of years. Our kids are growing into middle schoolers and we now hit the backcountry a lot with our four person tent. :) which works great!

So, if you are looking for a good car camping tent, this has been easy to set up, lots of room inside (our criteria was that we, as 6 ft adults had to be able to stand up in it!), dry, no leaks and new zippers :)

Asking $100 so that it will sell quickly! (hopefully)

We've had a Eureka Equinox 6 for almost 20 years and have been very happy with it. Still in like new shape and sheds water like a duck. It does come with a vestibule as I recall (not shown in photo).
Eureka Equinox 6

Last year I bought a Sierra Designs Meteorlite 6 person tent for car camping on sale as they were being discontinued. Having had the 2 person Meteorlite for the past 20 years I wanted something bigger. The 2 person is still my go to for the BWCAW but I've been doing State Parks as well lately and wanted the room. I am well pleased with the 6 person - easy set up, roomy and I can stand up in it.

The replacement is the Yahi 6 person, I don't know how that name was chosen or why: http://sierradesigns.com/product/yahi-6

This may be an alternative although a little more spendy than you budget.

2x

Sierra Yahi 6

IMO the best tents for the money, without a stove jack, are the Cabela's Alaskan Guide Dome Tents.

These tents will stand up to any weather, short of an actual tornado, that mother nature can throw at you.

They make 4-man, 6-man and 8-man models. They are a bit pricy but you get what you pay for. If you are persistent and lucky you may find some fool who is selling a used one on Craigslist or eBay.

I was able to find 2 used 4-man tents which we now use on BWCA trips. My 6-man and 8-man models were getting a bit heavy on the longer portages. For car camping, where weight isn't an issue, these tents will serve you well.

I've had the Alps Mountaineering Taurus Outfitter 5 tent that you are looking at for quite a few years (5-6?) - it was my primary Scout leader tent. Its seen heavy rains, snow, and HEAVY winds (enough to flatten it almost down to the ground). The only signs of wear came from that huge wind - a few non-waterproofing-related pole attachment clip webbing/tent seams have some stretched seams (nothing broke or ripped - amazing) and since its under the fly its fully waterproof and too tiny for bug related problems. Yes, additional poles would have strengthened it, but I have a 4 season tent with those extra poles and its a pain to set up. The two-pole Taurus is VERY fast to setup. Simple.

I had the storm guy lines attached. Don't know what might have happened if those weren't there. I leave the fly cords (paracord) permanently attached (so they dry) and tie them out whenever there's any chance of bad weather. Not a big deal.

Its been absolutely water tight. Easy to setup (LOVE the pole clips). The vestibules give enough room to stow camp chairs and a few other items underneath - to avoid dew and rain.

When I ordered it only the fiberglass poled version was available. I called Alps and they sold me an additional set of aluminum poles too at a reasonable price. So its nice to have the fiberglass poles as a backup. I never brought them along and haven't needed them. The aluminum poles are plenty strong so long as not stomped on.

When opening up the vestibule late on a dewy morning I found reaching all the way out to the zipper (near the ground at the "point") a pain - and I got wet from the dewy underside of the vestibule. I fixed that by putting a loop (bowline) on one end of the longish paracord that I use to tie the tent role when packing. I just loop the cord end through the zipper and leave the free end near the tent/screen zipper. Then in the morning I just pull the cord to unzip the vestibule. Works very well so long as I remember to attach the cord to the zipper.

By the way, I also have the Alps Mountaineering Meramac 6, only used for the week-long summer camping. It has a lot more ventilation, which is nice for hot summer camping. In general a similar tent to the Taurus, but with the hooded door openings and netted side panels. I had bought the Meramac first thinking I'd like the more open entrance, but those side panels are COLD in fall and spring camping trips, so I got the Taurus. The Taurus is a much more weatherproof tent and the vestibules make it easier to pitch (no trying to fly the fly over the top - the vestibules are easier to handle), stronger (the vestibules add strength), and give a bit more storage.

Oh, and I'm 6'5" tall ... and I can put my pants on standing up inside!! OK, I might have to hunch over a bit, but there NO WAY I could do that in one of my 4 man tents. No teenage boy wants to see this old Scout leader pulling up his pants while standing outside the tent!!!

Are there better tents? YES! ... but they are much more expensive and much more complex to setup. Would I use the Taurus for an expedition to the Antarctic? NO! Would I use it for a non-portaging week out? YES! F recreational car camping (which is the majority of what Boy Scout troops do each month) it is an excellent high quality tent on par with the higher end Eureka and REI tents (not to mention their cheap "gotta compete with the Walmart" tents).

My luck with ALPS tents is nil. Purchased from REI. First one leaked right out of the hatch, second one started losing stitching at a seam. REI took them both back, and I won't try again.

Kelty Parthenon for car camping here. They make different sizes of it. It's about 3-4 years old now and Labor Day weekend we got 3-4" of rain overnight in Wisconsin. Not one drop inside. I loved having the side windows wide open during that rain. Had other rain too with no issues, but that was a true downpour and we were cozy and dry.

Also have liked my Eurekas... depends how much space you want. My fam was never OK splitting up...

Enjoy!