Thе οnlу camping I’ve done wаѕ іn mу backyard wіth 1 seasonal tents thе one fοr kiddies. Now thаt mе аnd mу wife аrе done wіth college wе want tο spend ѕοmе time going around οn trips, personally I’ve always wanted tο gο camping аnd fishing аnd now thаt I hаνе time tο I want tο pick thе rіght tent thаt саn withstand rain аnd a bit οf wind nothing serious οf course. Instead οf buying one οf thе MTS οr giant family tents lіkе axis/zulo, polaris, nexus etc. I thουght I wουld ѕtаrt wіth something a lіttlе cheaper lіkе thе following, Wenzel Klondike. Thе reviews look grеаt bυt I don’t know іf thе grеаt ones аrе јυѕt fοr advertisement. Please give mе advice, аnd thіѕ іѕ mostly fοr South Florida аnd οthеr fishing areas.
Thanks!
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wenzel-Klondike-16-x-11-Tent-Taupe-аnd-Light-Grey/13228635
http://www.amazon.com/Wenzel-Klondike-11-Feet-Eight-Person-Family/dp/B002PB2HPS%3FSubscriptionId%3D06XHZDFZ5XYYKM59AFR2%26tag%3Dbuycampinggear.org-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB002PB2HPS
A lot οf bаd opinions οf thе tent, I know bіg іѕ nοt always nесеѕѕаrу better. Bυt wіth thе reviews thіѕ hаѕ bееn getting withstanding downpours аnd even high mile winds (whісh tο mе wаѕ hard tο believe іt саn withstand high winds.) Mу main worry wаѕ thе fiberglass, pretty much anything under 200 uses fiberglass, bυt nο one reported οf аnу breaking/snapping уеt οn thе reviews. Thе tent аlѕο includes double-stitched, lap-felled seams throughout thе body thаt аnd adding seam sealer аnd a tarp tο thе bottom tο avoid abrasion tells mе іt shouldn’t hаνе аnу water problems.
Thou I’m very lіttlе experience аlmοѕt none, mу main concern іѕ thіѕ wіll fall apart οn mе іn аnу season οf Florida.
Alѕο, I lονе thе models уου guys hаνе mentioned ѕο far, mаkеѕ mе want tο scrap thіѕ іdеа аnd јυѕt thіnk аbουt backpacking wіth thе wife аnd dο a lіttlе exploring аftеr I gеt ѕοmе experience.
The backpacking tent I have is one of the more expensive ones. It is a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2. It only weighs a bit over 3 pounds and is very sturdy. One nice thing about it is that the main tent body is pretty much just netting. If you have a clear night but the bugs are bad I take the rainfly off so I can look at the stars before I fall asleep. It has been through two severe thunderstorms and basically laughed at them. It did not leak at all.
You really do get what you pay for with a tent and the nicer ones will last fairly long if you take care of it. Make sure you do plenty of research on what is out there. You will want one with metal poles because fiberglass poles are pretty weak. My tent was over $300 but I have used a less expensive one that did pretty good and would suit your needs. That tent was a REI camp dome 2 and was about $100. Make sure you get a matching footprint or a small tarp for underneath your tent. If you use a tarp fold the edges under the tent because if they are hanging out and it rains water will pool under your tent.
Even though I typed all this information on specific tents the most important thing is to get out there. So get what you can afford now because you can always upgrade in the future if you want.
Have fun camping! You will love it!
Those are huge tents for two people. Women usually love to be able to put the king size mattresses in, stand up to change and have walking room with a front porch but it does come at a cost in exchange for that very low price.
You know Florida, a rolling afternoon thunderstorm is always a threat and when the wind picks up it can get ugly. Woe to you if you are stuck in those tents during one even if you do spend 2 days sealing the seams.
The hydrostatic heads on those are around 800 or less so it will get saturated and it will leak without a doubt.
Those thin fiberglass poles will not do too well in a windstorm of any sort.
Wenzel, Ozark Trail, Eddie Bauer, all those bargain tents are all pretty much the same.
My advice is to spend a bit more on maybe a 5-6 man tent from Eureka, Kelty ,LL Bean, or Cabelas.
Not the highest end names, but they will offer you better protection and a better investment then the other ones. Coleman is an option as well but they seem to be sliding a bit in the quality department when they started selling in places like Walmart and Sears . Regardless, good luck on your choice and I hope you’re happy with whatever you choose. Look for a rating of 1000 mm rainfly/ floor material or bring a tarp , that I do know.
If you’re going to learn to camp, I recommend learning to do with less. Don’t haul around a giant pavilion sized tent. Get something that is sized appropriately, or with 1-2 extra persons worth of room. A 3-4 person tent is quite large for 2 people and will provide you with plenty of room.
I would not recommend any of the “Walmart” brands, ever. I will say that Coleman makes an okay tent and they’re very cheap. A small step up in price are the REI Camp Dome tents, which are very good quality and can last years or even decades. REI has a very wide range of selections for size, weight and price. Their exchange/return policy is also one of the best out there. If you buy a tent, use it once and decide you don’t like it, as long as you return it in good condition they will help you pick out a new tent.
Car Camping is a great way to travel and see the country. Your tent choice should be based on what brings comfort to both you and the spouse, so a tent she can stand up in and change clothes comfortably will score you the most points. Secondly is weather protection if your dry in all sorts of weather again you will be happy campers.
I don’t like the cheap copy cat wenzel tents they just don’t last and for price and guarantee the Colman stands tall in comparison. For a young family starting out with room to grow I recommend,
The Coleman Sundome 5
http://www. coleman. com/coleman/colemancom/detail. asp?product_id=2000001976&categoryid=11020&brand=
Here is a tent with a 6ft center height and room for 5 which if you want to use a cot or an air bed you will still have room to stand up or sit a chair in it and be comfy. It has a stay dry guarantee and breathes really well for those hot muggy nights. It sets extremely easily and folds into a nice package for easy storage. I have one of these going on ten years now and use it at least once every month with Boy scouts and its still holding strong.
Add a canopy or screen house or one of those pop-ups. Just a tarp suspended from trees for sudden squalls or beating sun are essential. For extra space to escape the rain or sun and bugs and to house the kitchen/eating area a screen house is best. I prefer the pop-ups because most brands you can get the additional walls to create a wind break or privacy.
http://www. coleman. com/coleman/colemancom/detail. asp?product_id=2000001443&categoryid=11050&brand=
Any one of these will give a long service life if properly cared for. Look for the non REI tents at sources like campmore or SIERRA trading post for discounted prices.
http://www. rei. com/search?cat=4500001_Tents+and+Shelters&cat=4500044&hist=cat%2C4500001_Tents+and+Shelters%3ATents+and+Shelters%5Ecat%2C4500044%3AFamily+Camping+Tents
Look at it as a long term investment. My best tent (REI, similar to the base camp but lower profile) is well over 15 years old and I still have one that is from the early 80’s!
3-5 days in a motel or 100-200 in a tent!