I am looking for recommendations on a tent that will comfortably fit 2 larger adults and 2 kids along with gear...I am thinking a 6-person tent?? Any recommendations on a lighter weight tent? I see the Mountain Hardware Casa 6 was recommended in the past, but it appears that tent has been discontinued. Thank you!

We use a really heavy tent from REI - their Kingdom 6. Used it a lot car camping last couple of years. Next summer, we're going to try canoeing camping with it. It's heavy; but it's a great family tent. Doesn't leak and it's got lots of head room - two simple things I value in a tent.

We use Timberline 4 with 1-2 vestibules. For tripping ALL the empty packs and other gear goes in vestibule on one end. Inside tent are five (yes FIVE) sleeping pads/bags/pillows and the miscellaneous crap we always seem to have (flashlights, cameras, games, etc.). We sleep cross wise - the tent bottom is 7x9 roughly. With vestibules on both ends, you can use every inch of that floor and still keep shoes and gear nearby in the extra space. It's been working for a long time and kids are even bigger now.

OTHERWISE, I kind of have my eye on the North Face Meadowland 6, or there is a Kelty Gunnison that looks like it would work. Problem is, if you get too big it's hard to find a place up there to set up the tent. Easier to find a place for two 3-person tents, which is where I think we're headed eventually.

Kimmycanoe, welcome!

We have the Casa 6 (yes, discontinued) and a couple 3 person tents. We'll use the two 3 person tents for our next BW trip (family of 5).

One idea I had for you is that you might want to consider renting a tent from a local outfitter. Voyageur North (in Ely) rents 5 and 6 person Alps tents for $12-14 a day. The upside is that you don't need to commit to a tent right now, unless you're planning on using it quite a bit. It will also give you an idea for how well a larger tent works for your family.

But, if your looking for something more permanent, I would go for a four person tent. Anything larger and you pay quite a bit more for something 12# or less. Mountain hardware makes roomy, 4 person tents, as well as REI's own brand.

We only have our sleeping bags/pads in our tent, plus some tp and a few other small sundries. Our gear/packs are put in the vestibule. So room isn't an issue. We're cozy, but not squished.

Because it's mainly used for sleeping, we're rarely in our tent(s) and don't really need something bigger.

When are you planning your trip? :)

Thank you!

We are planning our trip for next summer...extended weekend 4-5 days.

We have a larger tent, but I really don't care for it and I question it's workmanship and how well it would hold up in winds or rain. So, looking for suggestions on what to upgrade to. I do like the Eureka outfitters 6 person tent, but am not sure. Just looking for suggestions. Thank you everyone, you are all so helpful!!

Family of 5 but usually just 4 people on BWCA trips.

We have the REI Base Camp 6 (20lbs) which we love for trips where we don't have to portage. Huge tent and huge vestibule so plenty of room for people and gear too. But heavy and bulky to carry on long portages.

Now that my kids are older and like sleeping in a tent without an adult, we picked up two REI Taj 3's. Plenty of room and I shaved about 6lbs off my pack weight. Still plenty of room for people but vestibule size is only big enough for boots. We generally leave the packs out and covered and take extra clothing into the tent if we need it close by.

I love the casa 6, bummer that it is dicontuned! The casa 6 is only 12 pounds.

I have been tempted by the golite tents. The 6 person is suppose to be around 11 pounds. But it is very expensive

http://www.backcountry.com/store/review/200008588/GoLite-Shelter-and-Nest.html

also discontinued, but still available several places (for a very good price—$190 with free shipping from an Amazon dealer) is the Kelty Grand Mesa 6. it is very light for its size (just 13 pounds for 99 square feet!).

i love this tent. it is simple and sturdy (heavy duty DAC aluminum poles), with an ample vestibule (29 square feet). even though it has a high profile (5' 10" interior height), it manages wind well with its full coverage fly. when the weather is bad, my kids have passed a lot of happy time bouncing around inside it! there is PLENTY of room for everyone and everything.

and that is its major drawback for the bwca. with an 11' x 9' footprint, it won't fit easily—or at all—in many sites. i'm actually debating whether this tent will come along on a two-dads-and-two-boys basecamp trip this summer. my only hesitation is finding a site with a suitably large/flat tent pad. i really enjoy the unified experience of an entire crew sleeping in the same tent, especially when the kids are younger. and i like having the space if there's a lot of rain.

my adoration set aside, it has two design features that i would change: i'd prefer full clips over partial pole sleeves and i'd prefer two doors over one. but those are minor concerns.

big. light. tough. cheap. worth considering, i think.

i do think that the eureka timberline outfitter 6 is a GREAT tent. but it weighs 18.5 lbs, costs $400 with an extra $100 for a vestibule. The upgraded SQ (DAC aluminum poles and upgraded fabric which cut 3.5 lbs) retails for $500, but is actually on sale at sunnysports for $380 with a vestibule available for $65). that's a heck of a deal ($445 instead of $610 retail—27% discount)! but it still has a challenging footprint (8.5' x 10') and costs a lot (in my opinion). but there's no question that it's reliable and durable.

if your family size is staying at four, you might do well to follow the advice of others here and get a roomy 4-person tent with one or two vestibules. people on this forum know that i am also evangelical about the kelty gunnison 4.1, which is on sale at campmor for just $200 instead of $260 (2010 model). 57 square feet (slightly smaller than the timberline 4). two doors with TWO 15-square-foot vestibules built in with the fly. only 8 lbs. i also love this tent. two adults and two kids sleep comfortably. and it's roomy for three adults, manageable for four.

good luck! let us know what you decide to do!