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Here are the perfect family camping tents for your outdoor adventures.
Planning a camping trip for a family and picking an appropriate tent is a much different endeavor than picking up a backcountry tent for one person. This is especially true for families with small children. If you have a large family, you're likely looking for something with room dividers or otherwise separated sleeping areas. It also doesn't hurt to have a little storage for camping gear and extra headroom to get dressed. That's why we've compiled this list of some of the best family tents on the market right now. They will help you make a lot of memories in the outdoors this season and for years to come!
Choosing a Family Camping Tent
There are a great many styles, sizes, and brands to choose from so how do you decide? It really comes down to personal choices, but we'll try to help. It doesn't always relate to the number in the family, but the comfort level desired, such as closer than usual proximity to your kids for a time. Many times a bigger rated eight-person tent can be great for a family of four since it can create a lot of extra space. A week-long camping adventure also comes with a week's worth of clothes, toiletries, towels, camp shoes and camping games, not to mention all the cooking equipment that also needs to be stored.
Since we all know that camping can come with inclement weather sometimes, how much room will be left over for a foray back inside when the rain starts? Sleeping space is one thing, but keeping your sanity is another! Having separate sleeping and living space can be the key, even for campers who aren't going to the state park to hang out in the tent, just that eventually you're all going to be in there. Having that "porch" or meshed in area before getting inside of the tent can be a great idea for some since it can keep out the dirt and also be a refuge from the bugs for kids that are getting bitten up. (even a good spot to put the bug lotion on) Not only that, but this kind of vestibule can be a great place to stop bugs from getting inside of the sleeping area. Since most camping enthusiasts rate versatility highly, then there are tents out there that can fill that desire as well. Now you may go back and look at those with multiple entrances, flysheets that can be folded back to stargaze, or the ones that have removable dividers to create space.
1. The Best 4-Person Option
Big Agnes Dog House Camping Tent - Amazon, $279.95
The Big Agnes seems to pop up on every camper's list of mid-size family camping tents. It has the room for four adults or a family with young children to rest easily and still keep the things they want and need most close to them without losing room inside the shelter.It has plenty of floor space, but some may find the peak height of five feet (60 inches) a bit tight for changing clothes. It still has some great features such as a partial fly the is pre-attached and pre-rigged guylines and tensioners that makes this system a breeze to set up.
2. The Best 6-Person Tent
Coleman WeatherMaster 6-Person Tent - Amazon, $239.99
A tent that should work great for families of four to six people, this Coleman WeatherMaster has solid reviews online. The 17x9 foot floor plan features a 6x9 foot room that is screened. The entire tent is made of a 75-denier polyester taffeta and the floor is a beefed-up 1000 denier polyethylene. This tent has many weather-specific features. Handy if you're like me, and it rains every time you go camping. Specifically, Coleman has taped the rainfly seams. They have also added zipper cuffs and reverse angle windows to allow cool air in, while keeping water out. All the other parts are treated to endure the elements. Once again, this is a great option for taller family members. The interior height is a towering 80 inches!
3. The Best 8-Person Tent
Browning Big Horn 8-Person Tent - Sportsman's Warehouse, $359.99
This tent features a spacious 10x15 foot floor plan with a center height of 7 feet, 3 inches. Perfect for a taller family because getting dressed in a tent where you can't stand up is always a challenge. This tent features a wall divider and dual entrances so you can have two rooms and a clear separation between the space for the kids and the space for mom and dad. The poles are fiberglass and steel, the floor is a durable 150-denier oxford polyester and the rain fly features 185T polyester. The whole tent is factory-sealed on the rainfly and floor to help keep the tent as water resistant as possible. Browning is a solid name for any type of outdoor gear the online reviews seem to back that up for this family tent.
4. The Best 10-Person Tent
Wenzel Pinyon 10-Person Cabin Tent - Walmart, $167.96
This tent's divider curtain allows you to create two separate rooms in this large tent. It's advertised as being able to sleep 10, but we would say it's probably most comfortable for families of four to six sleeping on multiple airbeds. If you're looking for storage as one of your main selling points, this one features 12 different internal pockets and a gear loft. This tent features a small awning and mud mat right at the front door. No more tracking mud and dirt all over the interior. There are also plenty of mesh windows to help provide ventilation on warmer trips. The rainfly on this cabin tent is already seam sealed to help keep out the elements. The frame is comprised of fiberglass poles that are shock-corded for easy assembly. Like most of the tents on this list, this one features an E-port to run an electrical cord in for charging small devices, or powering fans or lights.
5. The Best 14-Person Tent
Ozark Trail 14-Person Family Tent, Walmart, $149.00
If you've got a large family and you need your personal space, go big or go home. That's what this Ozark Trail tent offers. It has a huge, 18x18 foot footprint offering a whopping 203 square feet of space. That's larger than some tiny homes! Ozark Trail says this tent will fit up to three queen-sized air mattresses. It fits more people if they're on the ground in sleeping bags. The 78-inch center height means even the tallest members of the family can walk around without slouching. Most online reviews say the tent was much larger than they were expecting. This tent offers eight large windows to help provide ventilation and plenty of pockets for organizing all your small items. This tent has a little versatility to it because one side can be converted into a screened "front porch" area. A good place to store dirty clothing and keep it separate from the rest of the tent. This tent also has an awesome price point. For the family doing some casual camping in your local state park campground, this is a good choice.
6. The Easiest Tent To Set Up
Wenzel Klondike 8-Person Tent - Walmart, $178
This tent garners up plenty of positive online reviews for its large size and ease of setup. The entire tent is covered with a water-resistant 600mm polyurethane coating to help shed the rains. Additional water repellent has been applied to the zippers, threads and seams. A polyethylene floor will help keep the dampness from seeping in underneath. This tent offers a spacious 98 square feet of floor space thanks to its large 11x16 foot dimensions.
One cool feature of this tent is the screen room that allows you to keep coolers, boots and other gear in the tent inside and not scattered around your campsite. It can also be a great place to relax if the bugs become a little too much. This tent has two doors and six windows to help with ventilation and access. This is a good option for a small family that wants a spacious tent with headroom.
7. The Most Durable Option for Multi-Season Campers
Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe Tent for 8-People - Cabela's, $699.99
Maybe you're looking for something a little more durable for your family's camping experience than the usual offerings on the market. You would probably be interested in Kodiak Canvas tents. Their 10x10 foot model uses 100 percent cotton duck canvas. This tent has hundreds of perfect five-star reviews on the Cabela's website for its durability and for how waterproof the setup is. This tent is a little on the heavy side at 68 pounds, but that is to be expected with a heavier and more durable material.
This tent utilizes a galvanized steel tube frame and features a nice awning. It may look old-school, but it has plenty of pockets and a gear loft for storage. Four large windows help provide circulation on warmer days. For opening and closing everything, Kodiak used heavy-duty YKK zippers, the kind you find on hardcore backpacking gear. If you're looking for a multi-season tent that will last, Kodiak makes some of the best tents on the market.
8. A Six-Person Family Camping Tent With Added Shelves
Alps Mountaineering Camp Creek Tent - Amazon, $309.99
This tent is constructed of high quality materials that should allow it to last many a season as your family grows. The straight wall design offers a little extra room than other models and the seven-foot center height means no one should be bumping their head. It has two doors and six windows for ventilation. The fly and walls are a 75 denier 185T polyester. The floor is a durable 150-denier polyester-oxford and has a waterproof coating to help keep anything from seeping in overnight. Alps Mountaineering seam seals the fly and floor seams ahead of time, meaning less prep work before you head into the field. The fiberglass and steel poles help provide durability to stand up in any conditions. For the family with a lot of outdoor gear, the Camp Creek features two storage shelves to keep everything organized.
9. A Cabin-Like Option With Three Rooms
This family camping beast has two entry points, three separate room dividers, a large front awning, seven windows, pockets, access for electrical cords, and much more. It can be set up in such a way that the far ends can be the sleeping areas with the center a staging point, or a family room for games, storage, even dinner during a turn in the weather. If you're serious about bringing the whole crew or truly have a large family, it fits three full queen-size air mattresses and purports to sleep 12 on the floor.
10. A Sturdy Option With A Power Port
Eureka Copper Canyon LX - Cabela's, $449.99
This eight-person family camping tent is massive and sturdy thanks to a steel and fiberglass frame. It's the perfect place for you and the family to set up base camp for a few days. It's made of a tough 75-deniter polyester material that's sure to stand up the elements no matter what weather nature throws at you. We also appreciate the power port in the corner so you can run an extension cord in the tent to charge electronics and provide some extra light at night. There are also multiple gear storage areas to hold all your small odds and ends neat and organized in camp.
For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Instagram For original videos, check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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