Below we break down the best camping tents of 2020. This line is also popular with casual solo…, The Kelty Grand Mesa has gone through a few changes in its time, but we’re excited to see where it’s at now. This way you can have your kids sleeping area on one side, and your private sleeping area opposite. Want to know more about tent footprints, season ratings, ventilation, and a whole lot more? The Limestone has large doors on either side and a mesh ceiling for great views and ventilation when the rainfly is off. This is ideal when you need up to 3 or 4 private sleeping areas with an equal number of queen beds. Creating a subtle breeze, clearing out any odors and circulating fresh air continuously. First off, given the size, it’s rare to find a big tent like this that has a fast setup. The fabric steals the show. This gives you, even more, privacy and distance. Also, consider the option of using multiple small tents in place of one large tent to accommodate groups. Affordable camping tent for beginners & occasional campers: REI Groundbreaker 2. The Grand Hut 4 is tall enough for 6’2” Dave to stand up fully. Large dimensions at 17×9 ft, there’s plenty of room for your family, I’d say up to 6 people would be ideal for this particular model. PROS: High-quality poles/materials, 2 large doors/vestibules, smooth zippers, quick/easy setup, compact, CONS: Can’t stand up inside, slightly limited ventilation, not enough stakes/guylines included. Anything else on top of this is just a bonus, and will further improve your trip. You really need to know what are your priority features before dipping into your wallet. Providing air circulation from multiple angles. Attached by hooks or Velcro, or hang like a curtain. The set-up is easy and fairly quick for such a large tent. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. If you found this guide helpful, please give it a share on social media! Best MSR Camping Tents for Two #3. Keep reading My Trail Company will help you to find out the best family camping tents. A good rule of thumb is to upsize by at least 1 or 2 people for comfort. REI Co-op Kingdom 6 ($499) Floor area: 83.3 sq. Your email address will not be published. They now live in a converted school bus with their cat in Sandy, Oregon. Most spacious camping tents: REI Kingdom Tents, REI Grand Hut tents, and Coleman Octagon 98, Ease of Setup - Larger tents tend to have a more complicated set up process than small tents, but many of them are still easy to pitch. A wall mount gives you full control of the lighting, with 3 variations of brightness. Lightweight backpacking video guides and reviews of the best ultralight tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, stoves, and more. So, afternoons remain cool. NUMBER OF DOORS - Having multiple doors is a must for group camping. It provides a helpful series of family camping tent reviews giving detailed information about the various tents available to you, focusing on those most suitable for outdoor gatherings with your family. MORE: If you’re looking to expand your bug-free living space there’s also a Rapid Screenhouse Shelter available at REI. Although this isn’t always a negative, yes, the setup is longer, but they are generally much more stable with stronger poles. With a 6.5 ft center height and over 260sqft of space, you’ll have room for everything and the kitchen sink (or a camping sink at that). If your guylines did not come pre-attached, the best way to attach them to the rainfly is with a bowline knot. camping tents vary in size from compact and light to heavy and bulky. The walls are lined with storage pockets, made of mesh, so moisture doesn’t accumulate in the corners. Black Lives Matter Saving your electronics from disaster. A standard model and a double-walled model. DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 108 x 84 x 59 in. 10 Best Family Camping Tents 2020 – Do Not Buy Before Reading This! See our full review here: https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/outdoor-research-helium-rain-jacket-amp-pants-review, Need a gift for the outdoorsy person in your life? EASY TO SET UP & MADE WITH HIGH-QUALITY MATERIALS. We’re lifelong learners and we’re always open to constructive criticism. Another feature is the cabin design. Generally, this has the highest area of footsteps, continuously. Sticking to the +2 rule, try to find a tent that has the capacity of 2 over your group size. The OR Helium Rain Jacket and Pants (updated for 2020) are among the most affordable options in the ultralight rain…, Ozark Trail 8-Person Family Cabin Tent w/ Screen Porch. It’s not much fun being cooped up in a muggy tent without vents when the weather turns foul. Dave (6’2” tall) Inside one of our top picks: the REI Kingdom 6, Price - Camping tents can be pretty expensive; some of our favorites cost as much as $500. More space for hanging lanterns, fans and the like. Best Camping Tents for Families (A Complete Guide Reviewed-2020) Overview: ... We have given you our views and opinion on the best family camping tents based on the pricing point of view. Last is the wind, and with a natural aerodynamic design with the tunnel shape, you can be safer than dome tents and miles safer than cabin tents. Required fields are marked *. To showcase the variety of what’s on offer, and define the purpose of each. Family camping palace that requires multiple people to set up: … This can be a real pain when storing electronic devices, which is happily avoided here. Featuring a center height of 80”, this tent offers plenty of space to accommodate 12 persons. Some vestibules can also be converted into awnings for shade using pole accessories (not included). DIMENSIONS (L x W x H): 120 x 100 x 75 in. A nice family-friendly feature is the awning extension that goes over the access door. They’re designed with more weather protection in mind and seek to offer a balance of ventilation, strength, and heat retention. The Klondike from Wenzel has been around for just over a year and has taken the camping community by storm. And a straight no for winter camping. Be sure to use the appropriate stakes and guylines to help support larger tents and avoid issues. The Kingdom is fully rain-ready with sealed seams, a protected front entryway, and a huge vestibule for storing wet gear. The larger models tend to have more spacious rooms, straight walls, and taller head heights. August 31, 2020 Best Family Camping Tents of 2020: Complete Reviews With Comparisons. If your tent has a lot of guylines and stake-out points, consider bringing a small mallet to make the staking process quicker and easier. For a larger than life tent that can easily fit all the family without hassle, this would be your best bet. If you’re looking for a specific size, many of the best tents have designs that translate into 4-person, 6-person, 8-person, 10-person, or even 12-person models. “Water resistance to the automatic sprinklers was above average,” he notes. One of the best 4 room tents on the market that stays within a humble price range. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn." The main downside of the Space Camp 4 is that it isn’t quite tall enough to stand up in if you’re over 5’6”, but the Space Camp 6P has a peak height of 6’4” if more headroom is what you’re looking for. This 2-room family tent from Alps Mountaineering is a great example of the feature-full tents you can get in this category. I would personally consider a family of 3 or 4 to be best for this. Check out this quick list of our favorites if you’re in a hurry, or continue scrolling to see our full top 10 list with in-depth reviews. The Kingdom is a truly excellent and roomy camping tent, so if you pick one up, you won’t be disappointed. EASE OF SETUP - Setting up any tent for the first time can be challenging, but it gets easier with practice. We constantly update our guides when new products launch. Things like taped seams, welded flooring, waterproof rainflys (that cover the whole top) and seam-sealed zippers are all attributes that improve weather resistance. MORE: Check out our full review of the Grand Hut here. The 6 person capacity models comes with a 12ft by 7ft floor plan, more than enough room for 2 queen-sized air beds. For even a week or 2 week-long trip. Especially low-profile dome and backpacking tents for example. ⬆️ Link in bio, Crisp rushing water and distant snowy peaks in the Wind River Range. This will help you decide between for example; a multi-room tent, a blackout room model or a tent with a screen room. BOTTOM LINE: The Coleman Sundome 4 is a very affordable tent that’s relatively light and compact, and comes in a variety of sizes. The Montana is one of the best-selling tents from Coleman and is a great option for car camping. They have made sure to kit the space out for family camping too. I caught this fellow hiker coming around a bend and boy does he make a great prop! Of course, one of the first things we look for if we are camping with a large family group, is size. This will avoid all of that, also giving you a dry spot to kick off your boots when entering the tent. It’s a beast. THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Luxurious for 2P, comfortable for 3P, and tight for 4P. What kind of water rating does the tent have? The Basecamp looks like a colony all on its own, with 4 separate rooms for each sleeping area. When we are without these, it soon becomes apparent that everything feels like a hassle. Inflatable tents are also a great choice if you have an electric air pump, they can go up in minutes too. Being able to enter, exit, and access gear in the vestibules without disturbing each other makes camping trips far more enjoyable. Space is just as important anything else, so room around your camping mattresses or pads, is key. Not only this, but some models can also then use the heat stored to warm the tent in the evening. Canvas tents are no doubt the best choice for durability. Best affordable small camping tent: REI Passage 3. BOTTOM LINE: The Coleman Octagon 98 is a unique and affordable shelter with a high ceiling, spacious interior, and window zippers that tie back like curtains for 360° views. PACKED SIZE - The packed size of your tent is much more important for backpacking, but it’s smart to consider how much space you’ll have for your camping gear in your car and storage space at home. Best testing story: One tester’s Dog House 4 has become his family’s shelter-in-place backyard getaway during the spring 2020 pandemic. Adequate doorway and vestibule space are key when it’s rainy and everyone wants to clamber into the tent and get out of their wet or dirty clothes as quickly as possible. For starters you will see it is a cabin design, combined with a 7-foot center height, this creates a huge open plan space inside. This was one of my favorite shots from the hike. A given that children appreciate the light when its dark out in nature, and not all tents provide adequate lantern and light hooks. "Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. The Big House is our pick for the best overall family camping tent because it has plenty of space for the whole crew, yet it is much more stable in storms than tents … It also can affect your sleep if you’re just not comfortable when laying down in a short space. Offering an extra shaded area to store coolers, boots and other family necessitates safely out the way. If you just need a simple and cheap tent for a few nights of fair weather camping here or there, the Sundome will do a fine job. No need to worry the fabric is also fire retardant. Gearing up for the activities ahead. This is a 5 person model, so fit for the average family size and space enough for 2 beds. Our team has subjected them to Pacific Northwest rainstorms, California coastlines, the desert of Joshua Tree National Park, cold high-altitude nights, and, most recently, the wilds of North Texas. This shows the strength of treated canvas, it can stand up to snowfall and resist water penetration even when pitched on top of snow. It is easily turned into mush with even light rain. Usually, it can take anything from 15-25 minutes to set up a 12-person tent. 3 Room Tents vastly increase in size in comparison to their predecessors. Given the size of it, it has quite a demanding initial setup that can take around 20 minutes. Not only does it contain top quality blackout bedrooms, that will send you off to the land of nod with a smile. Industry-standard says anything above 1000mm is decent, 1500mm is ideal and 2000mm+ will hold up really well in stronger rain. Not a budget tent by all means, but well priced given the insane features it offers for families. Simply unfold the tent, extend the legs, and raise the structure. The framework comes pre-assembled from the manufacturers, so it only needs to be extended. SPF 50 + UV protection is integrated into the fabric during manufacture, so water and sun are checked off our list. WATERPROOFING - Most high-quality tents come fully seam-taped or sealed to stop water from penetrating where the fabric has been stitched. ft. This provides a mosquito-proof shelter for storage or extra chairs. Intricate family-friendly features are integrated subtlety, providing a much smoother and more practically camping experience. The options are endless, but we will categorize them into meaningful, well, categories. 21 Best Family Camping Tents for 2020. If you’re tall, claustrophobic, or you share a tent with children or pets, a little extra elbow room will make your trip much more enjoyable. Our Family Camping Tent Picks. MORE: The Octagon 98 is also available in a less expensive basic version with a half-fly and fewer features. Best 10-Person Tent: Ozark Trail 14- x 10-Foot Family Cabin Tent Buy from Walmart Buy from EBay This 10-person tent from Ozark Trail is ideal for scouting trips, large families or even smaller groups who want a lot of room to spread out. We live for outdoor adventure, and we take these guides very seriously. If you have more questions or a suggestion, we’d love to hear from you! The 11 Best Camping Tents for 2020 ... From small lightweight units to beefy behemoths that can sleep the whole family, Tepui makes some of the best. SLEEPING CAPACITY - Capacity ratings tend to overstate the number of people (and sleeping pads) that fit in a tent, so it’s best not to rely on that number unless you enjoy sleeping like sardines. You’ll have no problems fitting anything from 8-10 campers in this with still plenty of room for your camping gear. We’ve got you covered from stocking stuffers to big-ticket items. The Coleman Octagon 98 offers a unique camping experience at an affordable price. Reviews of 13 Best Camping Tents of 2020 #1. The thing that makes this a cut above many models, including its own predecessors, is the addition of lighting. You must decide if you are camping in only summer, spring and autumn, or will you need it for winter camping too. This is a true family tent with plenty of room inside to accommodate a large family, 2 smaller families, a decent size group of scouts or a group of buddies just heading into the woods to relax after final exams. They have 4 different sizes available from 3-6 meters, and 2 designs. The Rapid looks a bit frumpy if it’s not staked out, but once it’s pulled taught it’s much tidier. Now utilizing 2 dividers instead of 1, this is ideal for larger family groups that require 2 sleeping areas plus storage, or 3 sleeping areas. Another time getting rained out, only to find out the tent had a 300mm water rating (no wonder). We are going to show you one of the best examples of family tents for each feature. Keeping the kids or pets safe while at camp. These are removable sections that help you to divide up the internal space, creating privacy rooms and sleeping areas. These tents are more stable in high winds due to their lower profile, they take up less space in your car, they’re built to last, and they’re very easy to pitch and take down. Our team of experts examined the best cabin tents on the market. Sound familiar? If you think we’ve missed a product or got something wrong, we’d love to hear your feedback. Blocking visibility when connected, it provides some privacy between sleeping areas. We will kick things off with some sizes, moving into more feature-full models. It’s usually a good idea to size up with camping tents (ex: get a 4-person tent to sleep 2-3 people) because manufacturers typically overestimate how many people can comfortably sleep in them. Again, multiple family-orientated features are the reason this makes our list. Plenty of other outdoor gear are also part of…, Your email address will not be published. Wind river part three. Act Blue - Bail Funds CORE 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent - 14' x 9'. Believe me, I’ve been there and made many poor choices in purchasing. VESTIBULES & AWNINGS - Vestibules are covered areas meant for protecting and storing gear or shoes outside of your tent. When choosing a tent for family camping, some specific features that make the experience smoother should be the priority. We spent countless hours researching and testing to narrow this list down to the very best of the best. If you want 3 sleeping areas opt for the 4 room. Then it’s important to incorporate the family tent to enjoy the trail to its complete extent. Best Tents for Family Camping: Our Review. We suggest using at least 2 people to pitch this. However, you certainly make the money back in the long run, due to the longevity of the tent. The Kingdom came in at a very close second to the Grand Hut on our list, and that’s mostly due to its price. Best Coleman Dome Tents for Camping with Screen Porch #7. We're Dave & Annie, the outdoor adventurers behind CleverHiker. It will stop puddles and muddy areas forming outside the tent access door. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund We wouldn’t suggest using this in torrential rain without an additional waterproof coating, and perhaps a canopy. But for those who mostly camp in favorable weather, the Cabin is a fun and spacious option. We won’t lie, the family tent market is vast and it is easy to get lost in. As an organization, we feel this issue is too important to remain silent and do nothing. Be sure to choose a tent that’s a manageable size and weight for you to handle easily, especially if you’ll be pitching it alone. Those of us who thought otherwise have quickly learned, possibly at the worst time, that they are cut from a different cloth. You both also have a whole 3rd room of space between you, as opposed to being adjacent like other tents. A durable floor keeps the ground dry and a waterproof polyester rainfly will protect the tent during moderate rainfall. Are you thinking of hitting the campground or the trail or the park with the family? Best Family Tent For Winter Camping 2020 Table of Contents Show This is great for multiple reasons. Giving you a deeper sleep, and waking feeling well-rested. VENTILATION- Good ventilation is important for controlling internal condensation. We are not going to just throw 10 tents at you, oh no. COMFY TENT WITH NEARLY VERTICAL WALLS & GREAT VENTILATION, PROS: Room to stand (under 5’6”), quality poles/materials, 2 large doors/vestibules, smooth zippers, quick/easy setup, includes all guylines & stakes, good ventilation, CONS: Can’t stand up inside (5’7” or taller), won’t do well in heavy wind due to height (though staking out all guylines helps), guylines not pre-attached. Scroll to the bottom of this post for our Critical Considerations section where we cover everything you need to know. For more background information, see our comparison table and buying advice below the picks. Due to sufficient space for 3 queen air beds, we’d say 6 is ideal, using the remainder of the space for camping gear. Canvas Tents sure make a good family tent. THE SIZE WE TESTED FEELS: Comfortable for 2P, tight for 3P, PROS: Affordable, fairly lightweight, compact, quick/easy set up, 2 doors/vestibules, smooth zippers, footprint included, CONS: Can’t stand up inside, less headroom than some, not enough stakes/guylines included, guylines not pre-attached. A “hinged” front door that swings open makes going in and out of the tent convenient as well. This will protect you from the ground up, stopping moisture and breakages. Larger wall organizers are even better, often popping up in the large 2 and 3 room models. We suggest using these for 2 beds plus storage. It is quite lightweight when we compare it with other six-person family camping tents. Just extend the framework out as usual until it clicks, attach the rainfly and stake. Here would be the most effective extra big family camping tents, a lot of that accommodate eight or more individuals and all of that will supply you and your household together with the distance, and sometimes the privacy of different rooms needed to be collectively happily while sleeping beneath the stars. USE STAKES & GUYLINES - Fully staking out a tent maximizes interior space, looks much sleeker, and is far sturdier. This will allow you to arrive at camp and pitch this bad boy within 2 minutes, tops. Usually separated by ‘room dividers’, these are often integrated into the tent, or are removable. It has a water rating of 4500mm (industry standard of 1500 deemed waterproof), 3 times the average. Ventilated well with a meshed roof area below the rainfly, ground vents and meshed windows. The 3rd benefit is the sleep-inducing effect on our bodies that sleeping in pitch black has. Ozark Trail 20′ x 10′ Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent for 12 Persons is one of the best family camping tents. Memories of cheap tents (that I thought were perfect) being ripped apart by strong winds. Best Family Camping Tents 2020 – Here, you will get the details of the best camping tent for the family. Though the Half Domes are not as spacious as some camping tents and you won’t be able to stand up in them, they’re much roomier than the average backpacking tent. MORE: The Limestone 6P is 15 inches taller for those who want more room to stand up, but the 6P is quite a bit more expensive. Airflow is a bit limited with the rainfly on since the two kickstand vents are pretty small relative to the size of the tent. Best Kodiak 8 Person Canvas Camping Tents #6. Our goal is to help make your adventures as rewarding and enjoyable as possible, and to inspire you to plan your next excursion. BOTTOM LINE: The Ozark Trail 8-Person Family Cabin Tent is great for small groups (4-6) whose priority is maximum space for minimum price. It is one thing to spend time with the family indoors, but bonding with them outside the comforts of your home is a special kind of experience. Look for tents designed with adequate roof vents that allow fresh air to circulate, rain or shine. Some of them make great tents for family camping, let’s check one out. Polyurethane flooring is a nice feature to look out for. Seam sealing isn’t difficult, but it can be time-consuming and somewhat tedious on a large tent. Just make sure the footprint you get is the right size - a footprint that’s too large can collect water and cause it to pool under your tent. At 6.8ft high, its sure to fit Mum and Dad in with enough space to hang a light without knocking you out cold. In layman’s terms this means if its raining cats and dogs, you’ll be bone dry inside. The hinges click into place automatically, then stake and guy-out, you’re done. Leaving enough room for maneuvering around the tent. Makes bedtime easy, or if they don’t like the darkness or simply need a reading light before bed, they got you covered. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means we may receive a modest commission if purchases are made through those links. These tents are often dome-shaped to shed rain and light snow with slightly more robust poles to give the structure rigidity to withstand winds. BOTTOM LINE: REI’s Kingdom 6 is well-designed for groups with its giant doors, large storage pockets, and adjustable room divider to create separate spaces. Lighted Tents are reasonably new on the market, and have been making headway with family campers. Especially when answering the call of nature at night. That said, if you’re looking for a simple inexpensive tent to sleep in occasionally, the Groundbreaker is a great option. Fear not! Read this review and save yourself time and money. Let’s check out an example below from Coleman. It’s common to size up when purchasing a tent; if you plan on sleeping a family of four in your tent, it’s probably a good choice to choose a six-person tent size. BOTTOM LINE: The Grand Hut 4 has a superb balance of quality to affordability as well as interior space to ease-of-use. Many camping tents don’t come with enough stakes and guylines for all of the guy-out points, so it’s a good idea to pick up some extra guylines and steel tent stakes.