Boondocker hotel 6 person tent review năm 2024
After a decade of testing different camping tents while working at an outdoor education camp, we found the best camping tents that are easy to set up and durable enough for repeated use by teenagers. Show
To research, we read dozens of review sites and hundreds of customer reviews. The right family camping tent is critical to getting a good night of sleep, weathering a storm, or having the right place to play cards and eat a meal. One of the best ways to move from "surviving" to "thriving" in nature is a well-ventilated, durable 4-person tent (or 6-person tent) to sleep in. We researched and tested to find the best family tent that’s waterproof, windproof, and easy and quick to set up. We create reader-supported, objective gear reviews independently selected by our editors. This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission — without costing you an extra cent. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! Learn more. Comparison TableCAMPING TENT TREELINE AWARD # OF PEOPLE FLOOR SPACE DOORS/ VESTIBULTES VESTIBULE SPACE FREESTANDING? PEAK HEIGHT The North Face Wawona 6 Best Overall 6 86.11 SF 1/1 44.7 SF Y 76" Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Most Versatile 3 42.5 SF 2/2 20.9 SF Y 48" REI Co-op Wonderland 6 Best Family 4, 6 83.3 SF 2/0 n/a Y 78" Eureka Copper Canyon LX 4 Best Budget 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 64 SF 1/0 n/a Y 84" ALPS Mountaineering Lynx Best Backpacking Hybrid 1, 2, 3, 4 64 SF 1/1 25 SF Y 52" Coleman Sundome Best Backyard 2, 3, 4, 6 100 SF 1/0 n/a Y 72" Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 Best Winter Camping 2,3,4 40 SF 1/1 16 SF Y 50" Eureka Boondocker Hotel 6 82 SF 2/2 58 SF Y 62" REI Trail Hut 4 2, 4 55 SF 2/2 15.5 SF Y 48" MSR Hubba Hubba 3 3 39.5 SF 2/2 15 SF Y 46" Marmot Tungsten 3P 2,3,4 40.9 SF 2/2 18.3 SF Y 46" SOURCE: Manufacturers SubscribeSign up with your email address to receive news and updates. By entering your email address, you agree to receive our weekly newsletter in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Thank you! The Best Camping TentsNumber of people: 6 (also available in 4-person model) Floor space: 86.11 square feet Vestibule space: 44.7 square feet Height: 76 inches Doors: 1 on tent body What we liked: generous usable space, features, stability, durability, pockets What we didn't like: instructions for set-up could be more helpful, rainfly doesn't extend over back of tent If space and features are what you’re looking for in a camping tent, then The North Face Wawona is here to be your home away from home. No tent in our test matched the functional spaciousness of this tent, with its ample floor space and massive vestibule. If you pack heavy or travel with the whole family in tow, this tent is the ideal companion to offer all the space and features you could dream of while at camp, without sacrificing stability or durability in the tent construction. The floor space of the Wawona 6 is a whopping 86 square feet. Steep walls peak at over 6 feet tall, leaving plenty of space to stand and move around the tent. The spacious vestibule is about half the size of the tent itself, leaving room for gear, bikes, or even space to sit when the weather rolls in. COMPARE PRICES OF THE THE NORTH FACE WAWONAThe North Face Wawona tent fits a table, four camp chairs, and a bike in the vestibule with room to spare. On one camping trip, Treeline founder Naomi Hudetz was able to fit a table, four camp chairs, and a bike in the vestibule with room to spare. The tent has one door on the main body of the tent and the vestibule has doors on both sides. On the rear of the tent body there is a large zippered window plus many other venting points that work well on hot days at camp. The windows are vented and the design is set up with thoughtful features to keep you comfortable and dry. To top off the feature set, the Wawona is loaded with stash pockets in the interior of the tent. They’re on the walls and ceiling with plenty of space to maximize storage and organization. It also has hooks along the top to hang a lantern or other items. The Wawona Tent is tall and generous, giving you more room than a car. When it comes to setup, the instructions provided by The North Face are a bit less than helpful, but once you’ve figured it out setup is simple. The poles, sleeves, and grommets are all color coded (which TNF did not mention in the instructions), so once you understand that the setup is much less confusing. The stakes are sturdy on The North Face Wawona, even for a tent this large and tall. The tent stakes out well and has a sturdy structure, even for such a large and tall tent. On a camping trip in the notoriously windy Columbia River Gorge, the tent held up well against consistent big gusts. (The tent has additional guy lines to further stake out the tent if needed.) A 6-foot person can. easily stand up in The North Face Wawona Tent. One downside to the tent’s construction is the coverage of the rainfly (and this is a common complaint with many large car camping tents). The rainfly does not completely cover the body of the tent, leaving the potential for precipitation to get it. Specifically, the rain fly does not fully extend over the back of the tent. While we haven’t had a chance yet to test this tent in heavy rain, this is the one area where we have reservations about its performance. We took The North Face Wawona to a music festival and it felt right at home on the grass as it does in the forest. Overall, the Wawona is made with sturdy, durable materials and it’s clearly built to last many seasons of camping. If you frequent the campground and space and features are your top priorities in a tent, then this one should be at the top of your list. Number of people: 3 (also available in 2-person version) Floor space: 42.5 square feet Vestibule space: 20.9 square feet Height: 48 inches Doors: 2, plus 2 vestibules What we like: easy set-up, full coverage in rain, weather-proofness, stargazing mesh, ventilation, stability, packs smaller than other car camping tents, light enough that you could backpack with it What we didn't like: can't stand up in it, too small to put camping chairs or tables inside The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King is an ideal tent for campers seeking versatility in their gear. While this tent doesn’t boast the livable space of others in our test, it’s a very comfortable, functional, stable, and weatherproof tent that can be used in a variety of places and situations. We loved this tent for its airy mesh tent body and stargazing potential, plus the fact that it packs much smaller than most other car camping tents. COMPARE PRICES OF THE MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR MINERAL KING 3The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 has easy-to-set-up poles, lots of mesh for ventilation, and well-tensioned walls to reduce sag. The Mineral King tent is a double-walled tent with snaps instead of sleeves on the tent body. We prefer this design for a couple reasons. The first is that it’s overall easier to set up. The second is that this design allows the rain fly to sit further away from the tent body, mitigating any condensation from getting inside the tent. It has two large doors on either side of the tent that are easy to zip and easy to get in and out of, and each side has its own vestibule when the rain fly is on. Treeline editor Liz Thomas was able to fit a whole beach towel spread out in the vestibule for relaxing at camp when testing. There are 5 mesh pockets in the tent’s interior for stashing essentials like sunglasses and hanging a camping lantern. The Mineral King tent has a vestibule generous enough to use as a porch. This was our camping set-up for fly fishing in Montana. The Mineral King tent is intuitive and easy to set up. We had both well-experienced backpackers and brand new campers use this tent, and didn’t have any issues with the setup. When testing, Liz found that the curved tent poles helped make this a cinch, with the poles easily slipping into the grommets. The tent body of the Mineral King is almost entirely mesh, and is amazing for both venting and star gazing. The rain fly even has the option to roll up halfway to check out the Milky Way in the eastern Sierra without worrying about a storm suddenly rolling in. This is our Mountain Hardwear Mineral King set up for a week of camping at a campsite in the Eastern Sierra. When it comes to weather protection, this is one of the best of the 3 season tents that we tested. Unlike many large car camping tents (budget ones especially), this rain fly covers the entire tent body. Liz tested the tent for a week-long fly fishing trip in Idaho and Montana in some significant rain and the tent did a great job of keeping her dry. Each vestibule door has a peak at the center that does a great job of channeling rain and condensation right off the fly. The beaked dome supports the rain fly and directs water off the tent in rainy conditions. In dry conditions, it adds extra headroom and reduces droop. The dome design of this tent does mean that there’s not room to stand up fully, though there’s plenty of headspace when sitting up. But the advantage to this tent design is that it’s sturdier overall in inclement weather. Even in strong wind and rain, this tent was right at home and had no problems keeping the weather out. This tent is well made and we did not have any durability issues when testing. It’s a great piece of gear that should last seasons of use. Abundant mesh means the Mountain Hardwear Mineral 3 King has the best views of any camping tent we used. The Mineral King comes packed in a durable stuff sack and it packs smaller and weighs much less than many other tents in this test, which is part of what makes it so versatile. Its packed weight is just over 7 pounds, though you can shave a pound for a 6 pound trail weight. While this is definitely a car camping tent, it’s light and small enough that you could backpack with it if you really wanted to. If you backpack often we’d recommend a lighter and smaller tent, but we think this could be a great option for someone who loves to car camp and might want to get a small taste of backpacking without having to have a separate tent. Number of people: 6 Floor space: 83.3 square feet Vestibule space: No vestibule, two awnings above doors Height: 78 inches Doors: 2 What we liked: design makes spacing out sleeping arrangements easier, room divider, interior roof zippers fo easier access to attach clips to poles, large doors to move in camp furniture, lots of storage pockets, value for the price What we didn't like: fits 6 people tightly, not built for harsh weather If you’re looking for an even more family-friendly option than The North Face Wawona, look no further. The REI Wonderland 6 is compared to a royal palace for a reason. Its Quonset hut-esque design makes spacing out sleeping arrangements much easier: You can sleep six people down the line, or break it up into three-and-three, with each group facing one of the two doors. (Note: This doesn’t leave much room for comfort, but technically, yes, you can sleep six adults in this tent.) The biggest bonus of all? The room divider. If the parents don’t want to be a part of the pillow fight, just pull up the curtains and now you have a two-room haven. There are multiple loop options to attach these dividers, too, if you want a spacious back bedroom and smaller hangout area (think ⅔ and ⅓) or just a half door for changing privacy. VIEW THE REI WONDERLANDThe REI Wonderland 6 is a multi-roomed tent for a big group or family. Other features help this family tent stand out: interior roof zippers give you easier access to attaching clips to poles from the interior, rather than struggling on the exterior. The doors are massive, unzipping nearly all the way around for maximum easy access. That means moving bags, air mattresses, cots, tables, chairs, the dog, or your portable espresso machine just got easier. Last but certainly not least, the Wonderland 6 sports a whopping 22 storage pockets to hold just about everything (except the dog). Like other tents similar in shape and size, this tent isn’t exactly built for harsh weather and when the wind rips it does struggle a little. We think the Wawona tent from The North Face fared better in bad weather (strong winds), thanks to its extra guy lines to stake the tent out. The Wonderland does have much better coverage with the rain fly than the Eureka Copper Canyon. The only other downside to this tent is the price. It’s a bit more than the Wawona, and nearly double the price of the Copper Canyon. However, if the features this tent offers are a priority for you, then this tent is an excellent choice. Number of people: 4 Floor space: 64 square feet Doors: 1 Peak Height: 7 ft What we liked: value for price, can stand up, easy to set up even for beginners What we didn't like: no vestibule space, not as weatherproof as other tents With its Copper Canyon series, Eureka has developed an affordable, quality family camping tent for mild conditions. It's a great budget choice for summer camping and a warm part of the spring or fall. The Eureka Copper Canyon tent is easy and intuitive to set up—easier than the more expensive Wawona. It’s very spacious with plenty of floor space, but it lacks the vestibule space that other tents have. (It has no vestibule at all). The pros of the Copper Canyon are simple: it's massive, easy to set up, and affordable. But most importantly, it is about as close to an " instant cabin tent" as we've seen. It sets up fairly quickly for a cabin-style tent — 10 minutes according to most reviewers. In comparison, you can expect as much as 15 to 20 minutes for other comparable large tents. We had camping beginners set it up in the dark while camping near hot springs in the Eastern Sierra and they had no issues. It comes in 4, 6, 8, and 12 person tents. We reviewed the 4 and the 12 person versions. COMPARE PRICES OF THE EUREKA COPPER CANYON LX 4The Copper Canyon tent at a campground in the Mojave Desert National Preserve. The Copper Canyon is a standard cabin tent: comfortable and large enough for “3 children...[to] walk (well, run) around inside the tent” according to reviewers on Busted Wallet. It’s also affordable. It’s hard to find a quality cheaper tent (there’s one — read on). This is the real perk of the Copper Canyon. As Mountains For Everybody put it on their review, “the price and quality combination you have here is hard to match.” While you can find similarly designed cabin tents, almost all of them will cost more or have a less reliable warranty. The Copper Canyon tent has a great mesh roof for stargazing. A camping lantern can be attached to the hook at the top to use as a light. One of the things we liked the most about the Copper Canyon is that it has plenty of gear storage pockets. They're located higher up from the floor than its competitors, meaning the pockets are accessible for cot users. There's even a hanging mesh storage pocket in the middle of the tent. As with the Boondocker, Eureka also offers an optional add-on gear loft that attaches to the sides of the tent for even more storage. Treeline Review editor Naomi Hudetz tested this tent on a trip near Mount Saint Helens in a damp, heavily-forested area. There was no rain, but the tent did not have any issues with condensation. Treeline Review editor Liz Thomas tested this while camping on the California Coast near Point Mugu and also didn't have condensation issues. We camped on the California Coast with a dog. It survived little paws and claws. However, the rain fly on this tent covers the top buut not cover much of the tent body. It's survived desert wind while camping in the Mojave Desert National Monument. For trips where inclement weather is likely, there are tents with much better weather protection. But, this tent offers great value compared to others that are a similar size and capacity. Particularly impressive, Eureka has solved an age-old problem of tangled guylines on the rain fly by building in a small pocket for each line, so they don’t get tangled during set up. The Copper Canyon is well-loved by other professional reviewers, too. Wirecutter called this tent “the best car camping tent for most families.” BustedWallet gave it an 8.8/10, and Mountains for Everybody an 8.4/10. The Eureka Copper Canyon has generous low storage pockets, which are helpful for for floor sleepers to access items like headlamps, glasses, and midnight chocolate bars. The cons of the Copper Canyon are worth noting before you buy: the price comes at the expense of materials. This is not a wilderness tent or one designed for bad weather. You’ll want to be gentle when packing, unpacking, and setting up poles. While we had no durability issues with the tent—even when camping with dogs—the carry sack wasn’t quite as durable as the tent itself. Though it’s fairly durable once set up, you wouldn’t want to weather an extreme storm in it. It’s a fair-weather tent that needs to be treated with some gentleness. The ALPS Mountaineering tent on a spring backpacking trip in the deciduous forest of Ohio. Photo courtesy Treeline Review reader Bobbi Walters. Number of people: 4 Floor space: 64 square feet Vestibule space: 25 square feet What we liked: lightweight, durable, affordable What we didn't like: snugger than other car camping tents One of the big challenges with camping tents — especially the others we recommend — is that they are just camping tents. Many camping tents are too big and heavy to be easily carried in a backpack. That’s where the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4-person tent comes in to solve that problem as the best camping tent that is also a backpacking tent. While it isn't a large tent, the Lynx is a lightweight tent that is durable and affordable. The value of its versatility and lower price cannot be overstated. COMPARE PRICES OF THE ALPS MOUNTAINEERING LYNX 4-PERSON TENTThe ALPS Mountaineering Lynx is an affordable 4-person camping tent that can also be used for backpacking. Here, kids use the Alps as part of an outdoor program run by the author. Photo courtesy Micah Leinbach This 4-person tent is one of the most affordable tents we looked at, period. It offers campers a generous amount of vestibule space. It's a time-tested tent that multiple online reviewers said had lasted them years. Backpacker.com says it is “as roomy, easy to set up, and durable as the ones made at the beginning of this decade.” As a brand, ALPS Mountaineering has consistently produced affordable, reliable backpacking gear. Their tents have been a staple of some of my programs, and stand up to the “teenager test,” rarely breaking despite repeated use by novice 13-year olds. The Lynx is made in this tradition. As a backpacking tent, the Lynx is snugger than other family camping tents, but still large enough for one reviewer to put a full-size foam mattress, pillow, and tote of clothes into it. Campers can store extra gear in the vestibule space. The author uses the ALPS Mountaineering tents on a educational programs to teach kids and teenagers camping and backpacking skills. Photo courtesy Micah Leinbach. It’s not as light as other backpacking tents, but it’s light enough to carry, especially when split between four people. This balance is what makes the Lynx a great deal. Backpackers.com compares it to the Copper Canyon, which we also recommend, but says it is better for backpacking. They say, "it’s not a sprawling four-person area, but can fit four adults if necessary. Three is more comfortable. If any of the people are children, you’ll be fine." There aren’t any major cons other than weight — and it’s still the lightest camping tent we considered. It comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Affordable, easy to set up, and capable of handling the weather or trails, the Lynx is a great option for a small family that wants to keep the door open to camping further from the car than the Copper Canyon allows. Related: Make Your Own Emergency Preparedness Kit Camping in the redwood forest with the Coleman Sundome and camping chairs and a robust firepit. Number of people: 6 Floor space: 100 square feet Vestibule space: No vestibule What we liked: gets the job done at an affordable price, headroom, can fit camp furniture What we didn't like: weatherproofness, durability Inevitably, tent purchasers will discover the Coleman Sundome, and for good reason. A Coleman tent is a staple of budget camping. While not the highest quality tents on the market, not everyone needs a four-season mountaineering tent. Coleman tents cover a range of low-budget options for your extended family to the always-reliable once-a-year family camping trip. After decades of reliability through summer road trips and weekends in the woods, Coleman has proven its place on this list. Although there are several models of Coleman tents, the Sundome is the best Coleman tent we've found. It comes in 2, 3, and 6 person sizes, and it can be found for anywhere from $40 to $100. At that price, it’s hard to ignore. In fact, Wirecutter, Popular Mechanics, and Outdoor Gear Lab named it their top budget pick because of the bargain prices. Price is ultimately the Sundome’s greatest perk, and it is not without other pros. Mountains For Everybody ranked it an 8.5/10 (though mostly for price). Online reviewers collectively said a few versions of “not bad” — calling it “great for light to medium-duty use,” but not a heavy camper. That’s essentially true — it’ll work in the backyard, over the weekend at the lake, or as a sunshade, but we would not recommend it for much else. COMPARE PRICES OF THE COLEMAN SUNDOMEIf you choose to camp with the Sundome, use it in dry areas with low wind and no weather in the future. Here, the author uses the Sundome as part of an outdoor education camp he is teaching. Photo courtesy Micah Leinbach. Before you jump at the price, be very thoughtful about the kind of camping you need to do and the Sundome’s limitations. The 3 person option is barely 5’ at the top, hard for most to stand up. (The 6 person version is 6’ at peak height.) And with only one door, getting in and out will likely involve climbing over others. Perhaps the Sundome’s biggest flaw is that it lacks weather protection. The rain fly barely covers the tent. While it appears to have a solid bathtub floor, Mountains for Everybody reports that "the biggest drawback was that it leaked in the corners when we water tested.” They cite a flimsy duct tape material that was peeling upon purchase. We've also had the experience of waking up to a wet sleeping bag in the Sundome. The Coleman Sundome camping tents are fine for beach and backyard tents but lack the durability and weatherproofness of the other tents we considered. Here, the author used the Sundome as part of an outdoor educational program that he led. Photo courtesy Micah Leinbach. The Sundome has gear storage pockets that hang on the inside halfway up, but they are modestly sized and will only hold a few items. And with only one door, getting in and out will likely involve climbing over others. It has enough vestibule space to store shoes, but don't count on storage space for a bike or backpacks. My own experience confirms this. We used the Sundome on our camping trips with teenagers at a previous outdoor educational program that I ran. Most of the Sundomes broke after a few uses. We decided that the Sundome would be our standard “beach and backyard tents.” We never took them on the road for camping trips away from more robust facilities. Still, the price is good and the Sundome does work. It just works best on sunny days, warm nights, and barely any wind or rain. For a cheap backyard outing to get your kids used to tents, it’s hard to beat. For an extended camping trip in anything but certain bluebird conditions, we’d recommend any of the other tents in this story over the Sundome. Related: The Gear we Love for Backyard Campouts Price: $850 Minimum Weight: 8 lb, 9.7 oz Floor area: 40.0 ft² Peak height: 38” Capacity: 2-person What we liked: sturdy basecamp for high altitude weather, time-tested durability What we didn't like: weight, walls can slope under heavy snow Some pieces of gear truly stand the test of time — and the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 is one of them. We found reviews for this beast going back 10 years (with some reviewers having owned theirs since 1995!). Each one said the same of this 4 season tent — comfortable, tough, reliable, and absolutely bombproof. Treeline Review senior editor Brandon Lampley, who spent the last several years working at the Khumbu Climbing Center in Nepal, says this is among the most popular tents he’d see Himalaya mountaineers use and is one he has a lot of experience with doing expedition-style climbs. VIEW THE MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR TRANGO 2Treeline Review tester Stasia Stockwell camping in the snow with the Mountain Hardwear Trango. EXCEPTIONAL DESIGNIf you want a large, comfy 4 season tent that will keep you sheltered through high winds or heavy snow — whatever nature throws at you, this is the one. The four tent pole, dome tent design is the strongest and most stable geometry for the weight. For the past few decades, the design has been popular among other brands looking to include a mountaineering tent in their lineup, including our former winner, The North Face Mountain 25. With a peak height of 38 inches, a 40 square footprint, and tons of internal pockets, including a light diffuser pocket, the Trango 2 checks all the right boxes for livability as well. A bonus! Four snow stakes and all the fiberglass poles are included–though the footprint is sold separately. We found the peak height to not be the best of the tents we tested, but it's liveable, and our 5'11" tester had no complaints. Treeline Review tester Stasia Stockwell camping in the Colorado Rockies in the spring in the Mountain Hardwear Trango. Her verdict: it’s too hot for this tent for this time of year! WEIGHTAt 9 pounds, 10.2 oz, this tent is heavy. But that might be misleading. Even if you’re often a solo traveler during warm season adventures, you’ll most likely be with a partner in winter. Ski touring, mountaineering, and winter backpacking trips are safer and more enjoyable in teams. Most of the time you will split the weight between two people. Four and a half pounds for a winter shelter is reasonable — actually, excellent. While we wouldn’t recommend this tent for quick and light trips for the solo winter climber, we chose the Trango 2 as the overall winner because it works in a majority of other winter or high altitude use case scenarios. The is better suited for fast and light teams of mountaineers and alpine-style climbing and the Jannu is a better fit if you have a little more to spend for something faster and easier to set up. Winter tents are all about knowing your use case scenario, conditions, and the projected weather. But thousands of mountaineers have found that The Trango 2 is the tent that can match a majority of their expedition-style situations where a winter tent is necessary. Camping with her dog in the Colorado Rockies. TESTING NOTESTreeline writer Stasia Stockwell has used this tent for several years and taken it on mountaineering and skiing trips in southeast Alaska and winter and spring trips around the Colorado Rockies. After years of use and abuse, there have been no issues with the tent’s durability or functionality. On a backpacking trip in late fall deep in Kulane National Park in Canada’s Yukon Territory, she encountered winds so strong and sustained on the first night that the noise kept her up all night, but the tent didn’t budge. On the following nights, there was constant torrential downpour while camped at the foot of the glacier, which then turned into freezing rain and snow. Extra plans to explore the area were snuffed out by the nasty weather, but she stayed warm and dry while huddled in the Trango playing games as the storm passed. The tent also proved itself a worthy companion on a ski trip in damp whiteout conditions while summer snow camping on White Pass on the border of Alaska and British Columbia. Despite the fog and humidity, condensation inside the tent was minimal and manageable. The tent is heavy and eats up space in your pack, but if you need a shelter that can withstand just about any storm in any season, this is the one. And it should go without saying that this is certainly a tent for use in cool and cold conditions. Don’t take it out in regular summer conditions where there’s warm temps and a lack of snow or glaciers; we tried it and it was indeed an oven in there. Camping in foul weather in Kluane National Park in the Canadian Southwest Yukon using the Mountain Hardwear Trango. WHAT TO WATCH FORWhile we haven't had any issues with seams, some customers reported issues 2 years ago when working with Mountain Hardwear's Warranty program. We're guessing that customer service may have lagged during the pandemic. More recent customer reviews seem much better with regards to experience with customer service. WHO ELSE LIKES ITThe Trango 2 is beloved by reviewers from Switchback Travel, to Rock & Ice Magazine to Backpacker to Outdoor Gear Lab. It has 4.6/5 star customer reviews at Mountain Hardwear and similar reviews from everyday customers at REI, Backcountry, and Moosejaw. Other camping tents we consideredWe read 12 of the most popular side-by-side comparisons of camping tents, compiling a list of every model mentioned. From there, we checked which models got multiple accolades. Then, we cross-referenced those models with customer reviews to ensure that everyday users were experiencing the most promising models in the same way as media reviewers. These are the shortlist camping tents that stood up through those steps but ultimately weren’t chosen as a winner. We still think all these options are great tents and explain below why we ultimately didn’t choose them as winners for this 2021 guide. EUREKA BOONDOCKER HOTEL 6 TENTNumber of people: 6 Floor space: 82 square feet Vestibule space: 36 square feet (Front), 22 square feet (Rear) The Eureka Boondocker Hotel 6 was our previous overall winner for best camping tent. However, it has been discontinued and is only available at a few retailers now, so we moved it down to our honorable mentions section. That being said, if you can find it, we still recommend it. The Eureka Boondocker was our recommendation for family camping because of its ventilation, spaciousness, generous vestibule, and waterproof and leakproof features. VIEW THE EUREKA BOONDOCKER HOTEL 6 TENTThe Eureka Boondocker features a generous vestibule that can fit bikes, camp chairs, or anything you want to keep out of the rain or morning dew. "Boondocking" is a common term in the outdoors for setting up long-term camps in the wilderness (often in an RV). The Eureka Boondocker lives up to its name as a car camping tent that can help you simulate that for a fraction of the price of a camper vehicle. The Boondocker is a large camping tent that features two large doors, a 6 foot peak, and near-vertical walls. FamilyCampTents.com notes that the vertical walls “allow for the use of bunk cots.” Cots are elevated beds that work with blankets or your sleeping bag. Tents with angled walls end up in your face if you use cots. Tents with tall, straight walls give you room to breathe, even when you sleep in a cot. The Boondocker's rain window can be zipped up from the inside, which many reviewers appreciated. In contrast, many inferior tents required you to go outside to seal waterproofing up. If it happens to rain on your camping trip, the Boondocker’s rainfly covers the entire tent, with a durable structure that should hold up in all but the most extreme storms. While being able to stand up to extreme storms is a requirement for a, it shouldn’t be taken as a given with camping tents. In fact, stormproofness is surprisingly far less common in the category. Far and away the coolest feature of the Boondocker is its “garage vestibule.” This can hold a bike, a small boat, a few chairs, or all your camping gear. You can even roll up the side and turn the vestibule walls into a sunshade. The Boondocker tent has generous headroom to stand inside. We’re not the only ones to think the Boondocker is the best tent for most people. Outdoor Gear Lab ranked it 4 on its list of 11, and says “this is a different tent, but different can be good." Man Makes Fire called it “one of the most versatile and reliable 6-person tents” and a “can’t go wrong” pick. FamilyCampTents.com ranked it 8.3/10.We also like that the Boondocker has floor-side gear storage pockets for each person it can fit (6 total). It comes with a “gear caddy,” a portable mesh bag that can hold anything from headlamps to dirty laundry. The caddy hangs right inside the tent but can be carried around camp as well. Eureka also offers an optional add-on gear loft that attaches to the sides of the tent for even more storage. Our biggest concern with the Boondocker is the price (which honestly, isn’t uncommon for tents of this size—see the REI Wonderland 6 for reference). Still, we were surprised by how often you can find it for about 25% off at certain retailers. For more budget-minded folks, look to our. However, this generously-sized, well-built tent will serve you well for many years if you’re looking to take extended camping trips. Remember our math — if it lasts 10 years (it should) and you use it three times a year on a weekend at full capacity of 6 people, the price breaks down to $3.80 per person, per weekend. A few words of caution — the Boondocker is a solid 3-season tent. Like all the camping tents we considered, it may not handle winter conditions well. But senior editor Brandon Lampley notes that tent manufacturers base season ratings on a tent's ability to survive a snow load, and secondarily, high winds. This tent will perform well in spring, summer, and autumn conditions. The tent body is heavy on mesh — great for ventilation and views of stars when the waterproof rain protection is off. REI Trail Hut 4Number of people: 2, 4 Floor space: 55 SF Vestibule space: 15.5 SF While the REI Trail Hut 4 is one of the winners in our Best Backpacking Tents story, we think you'll be better served with the as a hybrid tent. If you plan to spend more time camping than backpacking, the Alps is more affordable and more durable. Plus, it’s cheaper. VIEW THE REI TRAIL HUT 4MSR hubba hubba 3Number of people: 3 Floor space: 39.5 SF Vestibule space: 15 SF While the MSR hubba hubba 3 has a lot of fans for being such a sturdy tent, we just can’t justify the price for plain ol’ camping. While MSR is known for their quality outdoor gear, the level of sturdiness this tent provides is suited better for an expedition than a weekend at a National Park (and we would recommend lighter tents or one of our 4 Season Tent picks for that kind of trip). If you plan to camp for extended periods of time in inclement weather, go for it! But if not, this tent would be overkill. VIEW THE MSR HUBBA HUBBA 3Marmot TungstenNumber of people: 2, 3, 4 Floor space: 40.9 SF Vestibule space: 18.3 SF The Marmot Tungsten is a much-beloved car camping tent with excellent user reviews from REI and Backcountry. We found the stats very similar to our fast pitch pick, the Kelty Night Owl. Our experience with the Kelty Night Owl 4 proved that the Night Owl was a better option for a 4-person camping tent. The Night Owl is more versatile and affordable. The Tungsten is lighter weight, but we didn’t find the difference justified the upcharge. ViEW THE MARMOT TUNGSTENWHAT IS A CAMPING TENT? how is it different than a backpacking tent?There are thousands of tent designs in the world — but they don’t all serve the same purpose. Consider cars. A bus and a sports car are both wheeled vehicles, but there’s a reason we only use one to go camping with groups. Tents are a technology, and different technologies meet different needs. Like so many outdoor goods, the tent market has exploded in recent years. In this article, we will focus on general camping tents. These are great for trips in cars (or rafts and boats) when weight and size are less of an issue, and setting up a comfy home for multiple people is the priority. By “camping tent,” we mean the kind of tent you use for a family outing in the backyard or at a well-developed state park. A good family tent should offer a painless transition from sleeping inside or in an RV to camping outdoors. It allows you to visit more places and travel more without the costs associated with hotels. Camping tents are not light tents you will want to carry on your back for miles. Instead, they are perfect for pre-established camping areas just off the road. For a review of smaller, lighter backpacking tents check out our article here. Practice, practice, practice! Don’t be the person who shows up to camp in a rainstorm who doesn’t know how to set up their tent! (Ask us how we know.) BUYING ADVICEWe researched the most popular comparative reviews of camping tents over the past few years. We mostly focused on all-time classics. While some models are new, you will see some proven tents that have been on the market for years. Our recommendations came from our own experience with the brands and scanning dozens of professional and customer online reviews. SIZETent size can be measured in one of two ways: WALL HEIGHT AND ANGLES ON THE TENT BODYA camping tent benefits from vertical walls, giving more headspace right away. But camper beware: these walls can catch the wind! Backpacking tents tend to be more streamlined. The ideal camping tent balances plenty of height with windproofness. TENT INTERIOR FLOOR SPACEHow big is the tent floor? This is best understood as to how many sleeping pads, cots, or sleeping bags (read: bodies) can fit into it. Note that when a manufacturer references a “footprint,” it also can mean the tarp or extra floor fabric you can buy for a tent to keep the tent’s floor safe. More on that later. Treeline Review editor Liz Thomas camping with the Eureka Jade Canyon 4 tent. NUMBER OF DOORSThe more people you add to a tent, the more comfortable it is to access both sides of the tent. We would recommend at least two doors for more than three people, especially for families with kiddos. TOTAL FOOTPRINT (HOW MUCH GROUND SPACE DOES IT NEED?)While more space is more comfortable, keep your total footprint in mind. Massive tents may not fit into some traditional campsites, especially in busy campground areas. Bigger tents may also be harder to place on level surface, which is way more comfortable for sleeping. VESTIBULE AND STORAGE SPACEThis may not be a big deal if you’re car camping, but storage space can be a make or break. Look for overhead gear storage, headlamp pouches near your head, larger vestibules, and other storage nooks and crannies to keep your essentials handy. WEIGHTIf you’re backpacking, weight becomes a bigger concern. For car camping or your backyard, you may not even notice the difference in a few pounds. If weight is a concern, look for lightweight, ultra-light, or backpacking tents. EASE OF SET UPHOOKS VS. SLEEVESFor years, tents had little sleeves you had to run a pole through to connect them. But many modern tents are using hooks that connect to poles, sparing you the trouble of having to guide a 20’ piece of aluminum through a narrow sleeve. Some of our reviewed tents do have sleeves, but they’re minimal and only cover part of the pole. NUMBER AND TYPE OF POLESPoles are a necessary evil of tents. They are long, awkward, and (in some models) fragile and easy to break. Tents with stronger, simpler poles are easier to deal with. The tents with better pole systems use color-coding or reducing the number of poles needed altogether. Tent pole technology is also rapidly evolving. Fiberglass poles are light and inexpensive but crack more easily. We generally suggest aluminum poles, which are more affordable than carbon fiber but harder to break. SEASONABILITY AND NUMBER OF SEASONSWhen looking for a tent for summer camping, you will see a lot of tents labeled as "3 season tent." This is a reference to when you can expect them to keep you warm and dry. Winter is the “fourth season.” In technical terms, a four-season tent can hold a greater snow load or stand up to stronger winds (typically due to stronger fabric and more durable poles) — this makes it warmer, but also heavier than a three-season tent. In your own research, you may also find “single wall’ tents (where there is only one layer and no rainfly). All our recommended tents are “double wall” tents. These tents are easier to use in many conditions and include an outer layer (the rainfly) to keep moisture from seeping through and reduce the impact of condensation (moisture) naturally forming inside your tent. FACTORY TAPED SEAMSSeams are where two pieces of fabric on a tent are sewn together, making them prime candidates for leaks. Technical tape applied on the seams helps keep water from seeping through the holes created by needles during the sewing process. When tents don’t offer factory sealed seams, you need to seam seal it yourself using a silicone-based seam sealer. This takes time and is easy to forget to do before your trip. All the tents we suggest come with factory taped seams so you have one less thing to worry about before going on your trip. "BATHTUB" FLOORINGCamping pros make sure to set up tents in places where water won’t get underneath. But for times you can’t get a puddle-free set up (like when that state park campsite is just big enough to fit your tent and a car), a thicker waterproof fabric along the bottom of the tent helps. We prefer tent floors that use a more durable fabric. This comes in handy in situations where a camper must set up over sharp rocks or sticks. Not all of our recommended tents have bathtub flooring, but we considered it a bonus. VENTILATION AND CONDENSATION MANAGEMENTMost of the moisture inside a tent actually comes from the bodies inside of it, like when a camper sweats and breathes. Ventilation helps clear that moist air and move it outside of the tent so it won’t re-form as condensation (dew) inside your tent. The best tents release that moisture without letting more in. Most do so using a combination of advanced fabric or simple mesh roof in the right places on the tent body. DURABILITY AND STRENGTH: DENIER AND THREAD COUNTAccording to tent-maker MSR, denier is density based on the length and weight of a thread. “T” stands for thread count, or the threads you can find per square inch. These variables — combined with chemical treatments and materials — affect the strength and durability of a tent’s fabric. To be clear, 99% of tent purchasers never need to know about the Ds and Ts, but they can be one of several indicators that help us judge how durable and weatherproof a tent is. Higher numbers mean stronger tents — but they’re also heavier. Ease of entry and exit (think number and size of doors):Most of the tents we recommend have at least two ways in and out. Height:Though we made exceptions in one case (see our recommendation for a backpacking-camping hybrid tent), we looked for tents with a 5’ peak at minimum. Storage and vestibule:We wanted tents that were either large enough to accommodate gear, or that provided “vestibule” space (extra space under a rainfly) that could serve the same need. Portability AND Ease of transport:While you may not be backpacking for miles with this thing, you want to be able to move it some distance. Typically this is from a car to a tent pad, or in some parks up to a ¼ mile to group campsites. Price:Camping tents vary in price dramatically — some are below $100, while others can be several thousand dollars. We looked for good deals in every instance, and nothing over $700. One fun way to look at this is as rent. Let’s say you camp for three weekends a year, with four people, in a tent that lasts a decade. At $700 that’s about $5.85 per person, per weekend, per year — not bad for housing. Build Quality:Camping tents also vary significantly in build quality — and while you usually get what you pay for, that’s not always true. If we recommend a tent on the expensive end, we make sure the quality justifies the price. Quality materials will ensure durability, reliability, and longevity. While budget options can sometimes be our first choice, make sure they’re still made from good materials. Look for water-resistant, seam sealed, and ripstop materials, along with aluminum poles. We focused on time-tested makers and models or reliable brands. Type of tent: DOME, TUNNEL, CABIN, OR SPHEREThere are three common types of tents. Which of the three tents are best suited for you depends on your trip goals, budget, and where you are going. DOME TENTSA dome tent is the most durable style and shape, with angled walls and strong structures. They are generally more rugged and weather resistant than the other two designs. They can work well in more types of backcountry conditions. They tend to have simple, quick set-ups that sacrifice space for durability. Dome tents are common designs for backpacking tents (the classic example being REI's Half Dome). You can set up just the tent body/inner tent (everything but the rainfly) in good weather for bug-free stargazing. CABIN TENTSCabin tents are the most luxurious and tall styles. That's why the classic canvas tent or glamping tent often utilizes a cabin tent style design. They are perfect for long-term camping in gentle conditions — backyards, state parks, or festivals. Cabin style tents can even fit beds—another reason why canvas tents use this design. Some cabin tents are quick to set up. However, many of the massive ones (12+ people) can be complicated and time-consuming to set-up. That's one reason why we're often asked what we think is the best "instant cabin tent." While there's no truly instant cabin tent, the Eureka Copper Canyon takes 10 minutes for the 12-person version--significantly shorter than the 30 minutes common in other cabin style tents. TUNNEL TENTSTunnel tents have the same front and back and end up looking like a tunnel (hence the name). Typically a series of identical poles runs front to back with a back door and front door. They’re roomy, but more time consuming to set up. SPHERE TENTSSphere tents are taller versions of a dome tent, which can be great for extended periods of time in your tent, but may not be the best for high winds or lightweight. Sphere tents are circular in design and generally sport multiple entrances, beefier guy lines, and can hold larger amounts of people. The above are just guidelines. For example, a massive dome tent may be harder to set up than a small cabin tent. Ultimately, what impacts a tent’s ease of set up and usability is the design and features. How to choose a camping tent
|