Need a tent for car camping.. Have some criteria

[jm1607]

Alright guys, looking for a tent for car camping so weight isn't really an option.. Most tents I'm looking at are in the 5.5-7lb range which is fine..

Here's my criteria:

1) 3P Tent 3 Season. Will be for 1-2 people over 6' tall and want a good/comfortable amount of room
2) Standard 2 cross-pole & 4 stake free-standing design. I want something super crazy easy/fast to setup and take down
3) Need 2 doors, one on each side, not at head/feet
4) Under $250. Preferably under $200. Don't want a $50 Walmart tent though
5) More important that it's fairly rugged than light since I won't be packing it. With that being said still want it to breathe well..

This is the best I can come up with at the moment (although it's a little out of my price range when it's not on sale):

REI Co-op Half Dome 3 Plus Tent | REI Co-op

Wanted to see if anyone else had any other ideas?

 

[corylee4870]

I’m going to try a pop up canopy for car camping/ base camp this year.

This or something similar - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DSGGDEU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Or8mCb35VGGXK

Easy to set up. You can stand in it. You can hang clothes to dry in it. With the sand bag weights on the leg it shouldn’t go anywhere.


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[icb12]

Wanted to see if anyone else had any other ideas?

I'd check out the 3 person offerings from marmot. I'm pretty sure they have 2 or 3 that fit your criteria. Catalyst, Fortress, and maybe the limelight?

 

[jspradley]

The REI half dome plus is a killer tent, especially for the price when its on sale. Wait it out and theyll put it on sale, and check the outlet too

 

[sneaky]

Nemo Galaxi 3p

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[MTElkChaser]

The REI half dome plus is a killer tent, especially for the price when its on sale. Wait it out and theyll put it on sale, and check the outlet too

My Son and I both bought REI Half Dome 2+ tents for a 20 day backpack trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. Awesome tents, but I’d feel really cramped with two people in it. I’m 6’0” and 175, so not huge, but I look at the 2+ as a 1-person tent. I’d definitely buy it again and love the design and ease of setup. Also looks brand new after that trip and 4-5 shorter trips. I’d highly recommend the “footprint” as well. Maybe the Half Dome 4+ would fit 3 comfortably? I’d still say it’s a 2-person tent max, but I like some room to move around myself.

 

[deertrout]

I'd second the marmot recommendation. I have the limelight 2p and it's a great car camping tent, works well for backpacking, too, especially if you split it up between two people. Dont k ov about the 3p, but the 2p sleeps two guys without having to spoon. Vestibules are decent sized for gear.

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[lvtuna]

If you decided on the REI Half Dome 3 Plus. There is one right now, in there used gear section for 35 percent off. just a little dirt on it.

 

[jm1607]

Wanted to give an update. I found a tent I had never heard of (same general style as the Half Dome) but it is considerably cheaper and I have yet to find a bad review on it. It's the Peregrine Radama 3. It's 89x78x47 which seems like really good dimensions for 2 people. I found it on a disgusting sale for $110 (usually about $200). Then, 2 things happened:

After I ordered it the company e-mailed me saying they were very sorry but it was out of stock, would I like the 2P version instead. I replied no, that's too small.

Then, it hit me that if I'm car camping I should use a freaking cot?! Why am I buying a tent too small for my cot?? The reason is I'm not used to using my super comfy cot at all cause I usually backpack and it slipped my mind.

So now I'm on a renewed quest to find a tent that will comfortably fit my 80" long and 15" high cot. So.... I had an idea. I looked into the specs of the Peregrine Radama 4 and it looks ideal. 109" long (should surely fit my cot?) and 80" wide (seems perfect for 2, will have a solid foot and a half of space in between us) and 52" tall (should fit with the 15" high cot?? Doesn't look like the sides slope too fast). Called back Al's to see if they would honor the price on the Radama 4. They said they couldn't because it wasn't on sale and is a $260 tent BUT they made me a solid deal for $160 shipped and they threw in the footprint for free.

I started getting buyers remorse since I had to make a decision on the phone quickly (I guess I could have called back but w/e). Looked around some.. Only other tent I could really find is the Alp Mountaineering Lynx 4. Looks like I could save $50 if I got one.. But, they are 7" shorter and that could possibly make or break the cot length. I can also tell from looking at pics that the Peregrine is built with better materials. Probably why it's normally a $300 tent and the Alps is normally a $150 tent. After thinking hard I believe I made a good decision..

So...... Hopefully this tent will work out. Will report back once it comes in and I can play with it

 

[camelcluch]

Coleman sundome 6 and ad a tarp. You will be way under your budget and have plenty of space.

 

[ReefJones]

Wanted to give an update. I found a tent I had never heard of (same general style as the Half Dome) but it is considerably cheaper and I have yet to find a bad review on it. It's the Peregrine Radama 3. It's 89x78x47 which seems like really good dimensions for 2 people. I found it on a disgusting sale for $110 (usually about $200). Then, 2 things happened:

After I ordered it the company e-mailed me saying they were very sorry but it was out of stock, would I like the 2P version instead. I replied no, that's too small.

Then, it hit me that if I'm car camping I should use a freaking cot?! Why am I buying a tent too small for my cot?? The reason is I'm not used to using my super comfy cot at all cause I usually backpack and it slipped my mind.

So now I'm on a renewed quest to find a tent that will comfortably fit my 80" long and 15" high cot. So.... I had an idea. I looked into the specs of the Peregrine Radama 4 and it looks ideal. 109" long (should surely fit my cot?) and 80" wide (seems perfect for 2, will have a solid foot and a half of space in between us) and 52" tall (should fit with the 15" high cot?? Doesn't look like the sides slope too fast). Called back Al's to see if they would honor the price on the Radama 4. They said they couldn't because it wasn't on sale and is a $260 tent BUT they made me a solid deal for $160 shipped and they threw in the footprint for free.

I started getting buyers remorse since I had to make a decision on the phone quickly (I guess I could have called back but w/e). Looked around some.. Only other tent I could really find is the Alp Mountaineering Lynx 4. Looks like I could save $50 if I got one.. But, they are 7" shorter and that could possibly make or break the cot length. I can also tell from looking at pics that the Peregrine is built with better materials. Probably why it's normally a $300 tent and the Alps is normally a $150 tent. After thinking hard I believe I made a good decision..

So...... Hopefully this tent will work out. Will report back once it comes in and I can play with it

Looking for tents now. Would love to know how this story ends! What happened with the new Peregrine?!
Reef

 

[magtech]

His last post felt kinda like an AD, but whatever.

 

[jm1607]

I've used it half a dozen times now.. Spent about 15 nights in it. For the price, its good. Size for me alone in a cot is right on.

My only real complaint is it's a little "creaky" in the wind. It's solid, I don't think it's going to cave in or anything. It just gets noisy in a breeze. More so than any other tent I have or have had. It's probably cause it doesn't use the best materials around lol..

For now I'm keeping it.

 

[accuracy]

Do you have a pickup truck? Cuz truck tents are the way to go, imo. Keeps you off the ground too.

Kodiak makes one geared specifically for hunters, made from heavy duty canvas. However, i just went cheapo and bought a sportsman guide one that I have been trashing, for $90.