Family Tents

Family Tents are large sized tents that are made to accommodate a relatively large number of people, usually 2 adults and a child up to 8 adults and or lesser adults with children. They are a necessity for outdoor camping, hiking and road trips. There are many things to be considered when shopping for the ideal family tent for your family or bunk mates. This includes pricing and budget, function, capacity, quality of materials, width and height of tent, portability, room size with consideration of privacy and finally ease of use.

How to Choose the Best Family Tent

When choosing the right family tent, you should carefully consider the following order:

• Frequency of Use. Firstly, ask yourself how often are you going to be using the family tent. If you are using it on a regular basis or frequently enough, consider investing on a lasting and high-quality family tent which is often reflected by the price and trusted brand names. Another thing to consider at this point is the function of tent.
• Weather and season. Another point to consider here is the climate and season that you will be using the tent. Family tents are divided into two categories here: 3 season or 4 season family tents. 3 Season family tents suffice for seasons Spring to Autumn, while the 4 season tent covers Winter as well.
• No. of people using the tent. Next, determine the number of people the tent is going to be sheltering for. This should also include occasional or unexpected guests or bulk equipment you want to store and protect from the elements. As there are many types of family tents available such as one for sleeping and resting, complete with screens and separator; a separate tent for bathing, decide beforehand if your crew requires a separate tent or a partitioned one.
• Tent material. Material-wise, tents are made from canvas or poly canvas cotton blend which are generally waterproof, along with fiberglass windows. Tents you choose should also be optimized with cross mesh windows or wall coverings for adequate ventilation. Flooring should be also of a flexible yet waterproof material such as welded polyethlene or nylon.
• Design and style. There are many designs when it comes to choosing your type of tent. Some manufacturers offer cabin style tents, some others offer tents with dividers with their own separate entry points, since it is catering for a bigger party. There is a benefit for ease of use with additional entry/exit points. Others have a built in porch for card games or al fresco dining. Width and height of the tent should be equivalent to the number of campers but its is often a better choice to choose one with a higher ceiling for a spacious and non-claustrophobic feel.
• Ease of use and set-up. Lastly, the most crucial factor is the ease of use. The ideal family tent should also be made of light-weight metals such as aluminum,o you wouldn’t be dragging tons of steel around. The last thing you want is to have your whole family waiting on you or struggling to help with the set up, panicking to get it up before the sun sets. Set-up should be easy and hassle-free. There are pop-up collapsible tents that are easy to assemble.

Certain brands of tents are well known for their quality and offer larger sizes to accommodate a larger amount of people. Black Pines is a company that makes 14 high quality family size tents that pop out easily with fun designs. Turbo Tents and Sierra hiking tent manufacturers make superior tents with a lot of lifestyle accessories options available. Sierra Designs carries a 4 season tent that sleeps 8 people called Mothership 8.

The Australian brand OZTENT is an award winning family tent that has gained reputation and fame for being easy to setup and has a waterproof blend of lightweight ripstop poly cotton canvas. Wenzel as well as Gigatents makes tents of good quality and are priced affordably at around 80-150 dollars. REI Hobitat has a cabin style tent for 4 with a high ceiling.

Coleman Weathermaster has a tent with a fully automated lighting system with remote control and a high-low switch called Elite 6. Another brand is Big Agnes, a brand that caters to larger number of campers while providing comfort at higher price from 500-800 dollar range. Finally there is Eureka, a trusted brand name renown within the camping circle for the quality of their tents. They feature double walled tents with superior weather protection, and shock-corded poles.

Best Family Dome Tents (for 4 to 10 people)

Family dome tents are defined by their basic shape. They have a rectangular floor and the tent poles usually cross at the top. Dome tents are light weight and very easy to set up. They are one of the most popular options for all three seasons and can hold up to stormy weather rather well, depending on its features and design.

Swiss Gear Montreaux Ten Person Family Dome Tent. The Swiss Gear Montreaux Ten Person Family Dome Tent offers extra space provided by the two side rooms. It’s 137 square feet with two separate living areas, which is a great feature. The pin-and-ring system is easy to set up. The tent has a full mesh ceiling. The full rainfly goes over it. And there are four windows. The air ventilation is great, even when it’s raining. My only complaint is that there’s only one door, but with all the other terrific features, I figure it’s a tradeoff for getting such a great value on such a roomy tent. If you need plenty of space, this tent is a great purchase.

Best Family Cabin Tents (for 4 to 10 people)

True to its namesake, family cabin tents are designed to look like a cabin in the woods. They often come with nylon walls and a polyester roof with awnings. Dividers are built into the tent ensure that the cabin is divided into separate rooms. Most of the tents have either 2 or 4 rooms. In general, cabin tents for the family are defined by their sloping roofs and almost vertical walls. The ability to divide the tent by rooms provides additional privacy.

Eureka! Copper Canyon 1312 Eight-Person 13-Foot by 12-Foot Family Tent. This is an excellent and roomy tent. I absolutely love the sheer vertical walls. My family of five has more than enough room in the 156-square foot cabin-style tent that holds eight campers. Assembly is quick and easy. A removable curtain can create two rooms, and each room has its own door. Actually the curtain, which is the only negative I find about the tent, seems like it was an afterthought. You can virtually see right through it and it doesn’t actually divide the rooms all the way. The six large windows are great and make for good ventilation. The detachable awning that shades the front is a very nice touch. What enhances our camping experience the most is the clear-panel skylights that let you stargaze from your tent. I love this Eureka! tent and would recommend it to anyone.

Columbia Cougar Flats II Family Cabin Dome Tent. This spacious tent sleeps up to 10 people. I love the design of this airy tent. We usually camp in hot weather, and the terrific ventilation all around keeps us surprisingly cool. It has two windows and two doors. Having two rooms in the tent is a very nice touch, and we very much enjoy the extras – hanging cupholders, storage lockers, internal pockets, and gear loft. We’ve camped on lots of rainy days, and there’s been no leaking whatsoever with the GoBe Dry rain protection system. I even love how easy the tent is to put up; there’s a color-coding system. After we take it down, it conveniently and easily goes into a roomy, wheeled carrying bag. My only complaint is that the rainfly doesn’t cover the doors well enough. If you use a door when it’s raining, some water will get into the tent. Overall, though, this is an awesome tent. I love it and so does my whole family.

Click here to see all my reviews of the best family tents!