Bear With Me While I Review Some Family Tents
Hey baby it's camping season! And what better time than now to take advantage of tent and camping gear sales. In my opinion early summer offers some of the best camping days of the year. The night air is still cool enough for a nice roaring camp to feel just perfect. Early Summer is also a great time of the year to get good discounts on family tents as retailers gear up for the 2008 camping season.
Some of the best family vacations I remember involved a tent, a crackling fire, and of course toasted marshmallows! I also remember quite a few nights waking up in a puddle, and I don't think that was because I had an "accident". Those tents in the old days just didn't stand up too well to a nice summer storm. Good thing for us (and my wet bum) tents have come a long way - and there are some beauties out there in family tents.
So what are the best family tents for 2008 and what's to come for 2009? That's a tough order but I'll attempt to do justice to that question with some personal family tent reviews as well as highlight some tents reviewed by fellow campers. So stop by often and see the latest in family dome and cabin tents.
Camping Tips and Buying Guides
A little light reading -just the "bare" necessities
Don't get caught with your pants down this coming camping season. Make sure you get the right family tent for your family. But before we delve into the family tent reviews check out the Ultimate Camping Buying Guide from the fine folks at eBay. It contains some great information on camping backpacks, tents, cooking supplies, sleeping bags, and other essential camping gear and accessories. Wenger Lugano Two-Room Eight-Person Family Tent
Customer Reviews
The Wenger Lugano wins out based on price, volume of five star reviews and higher quality tent stakes (although one person did comment that he would still recommend buying more sturdy stakes)
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Wenger Lugano 16- by 10-Foot Two-Room Eight-Person Family Tent with Canopy
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
"Sweet Tent!"
I purchased this tent before Christmas and was skeptical of the great reviews that it got. I thought it may be too good to be true. Let's just say that I'm VERY pleased with it. It was very, very easy to put up, easier than smaller "dome" tents. It's perfect for any type of camping (except backpacking since it's large). The quality and care that was put into this tent is amazing!
"Great, solid tent"
We camp 20-30 nights a year and just declared our old tent "dead". Bought the Wenger Lugano and are pleasantly surprised at how sturdy it is. We often camp in windy areas and will feel very safe in this one.
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Tent Seam Sealer
Just to be safe
Family Tents for Sale
Great tents from the wonderful world of Amazon
Listed below are some of the best selling family tents for 2007 and some of the hot new introductions for 2008.
Columbia Hawk Ridge 10-Foot by 7-Foot Three-Person Dome Tent
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $51.58 (as of 07/26/2008)
Wenzel Timber Ridge Sport 9-by-7-Foot Four-Person Dome Tent
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
Wenzel Cottonwood 18- by 10-Foot 7-Person 2 Room Dome Tent
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $96.97 (as of 07/26/2008)
Wenzel Piñon Sport 7-by 7-Foot Three-Person Dome Tent
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $32.85 (as of 07/26/2008)
Columbia Cougar Flats Two-Room Cabin Tent
Customer Comments
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Columbia Cougar Flats Six to Eight-Person Two-Room Cabin Tent
"Best tent ever!"
Very easy to put together - literally took less than 10 mins (after the first time). This tent can easily sleep 8. There is just 4 of us, so we lay 2 inflated queen size mattress on the sleeping side (side by side) and put a table, our clothes, food, etc on the screened side. No ants have been able to get in.
"Solidly built tent that is spacious and dry"
This Columbia tent lived up to all of its great reviews! Materials on this tent feel more rugged that the Coleman brand. In 4 very strong thunderstorms, only 1 resulted in any water within - amounting to just a teaspoon of water during the entire night.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Amazon Recommendations
If you loved Columbia Cougar Flats Six to Eight-Person Two-Room Cabin Tent, you might also enjoy:
10' X 15' UltimHeavy Duty Tarp
Hygrades Ultimate Poly-Tarps feature heavy-duty po more...0 points
Coleman Tent Kit
Nesting wisk and dustpan Tent stake puller Rubber more...0 points
Columbia Thunder Scout Rectangular Sleeping Bag
Columbia Thunder Scout Sleeping Bag... an excellen more...0 points
Columbia Shoshoni Falls Shower Tent
Colman Indoor Tent Light <li>Magnet more...0 points
Quality Tent Stake Review
A personal recomendation from an experienced Scoutmaster
Good news though is that they are pretty cheep. The MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit is the top rated tent stake kit on Amazon - comes 8 stakes to a pack. If you aren't happy with the quality of the included tent stakes with your tent, or if you just feel safer with stronger stakes pick up a pack or two here.
MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit
Amazon customer review - if you can't trust a Scoutmaster for a good tent stake review I don't know who else to trust.
"Simply the best tent stake on the market today. I've been a Scoutmaster for 23 years and have gone through dozens of different designs of tent stakes looking for the most perfect one out there: this is it. The three sided design grabs the soil, placed sideways it hold in sand and snow. The anodized aluminum is very lightweight but drives into the hardest ground. ...and the lifetime warranty means you'll never have to pay for a tent stake ever again!"
Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Family Tents on eBay
Save a little money for buying more marshmellows
eBay is another place I tend to look these days for great deals. They certainly have some fine family tents for sale. Take a look below for family dome tents, or if you need even more room family cabin tents. What's next family condo tents? As I jokingly say that I notice eBay has an apartment tent available. Funny.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Great Camping Resources
Other camping related lenses by fellow campers
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Family Vacation Ideas-Take the Best Family Vacation for Your Family
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Purchase Camping Guides and Books
A little light camping reading to get you in the mood
SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/26/2008)
SAS Survival Guide Handbook (Collins Gem)
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/26/2008)
Have a Little Fun With Camping Apparel
If you're a camping geek you'll love it, if not well then stay away from my nuts
Happy Camping... see you in the woods
Leave me a note on your way out
Before rushing off to hit the mountains in your new family tent, leave us a little note, or give us your opinion on what is your favorite family tent, after all the best family tent is the one that gets used the most wet bum or no wet bum. =)
And please don't forget to add this page to
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Victor-Perea
Wow, very good tips for getting good tents. Max. stars given. Posted June 10, 2008 |
Great info on this lens! Have you reviewed any camping foods yet? I'd like some input on what type of camping foods to sell on my new website, http://mycampingfood.com
Your help would be appreciated!
Posted May 04, 2008
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Evelyn_Saenz
There is a new group being formed in Squidooville. It's called A Walk in the Woods. Because you have done such a nice job with your camping lens Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is inviting you to join him in this new venture. The exposure that your lens gets by joining will boost your lens rank and add to the number of web pages linking to your lens. Come take A Walk in the Woods. Posted March 07, 2008 |
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hoppimike
hiya, cool lens - good to see some good camping product reviews! Posted February 25, 2008 |
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thomasz
Cool lens. Interesting info. Posted February 13, 2008 |
