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Best Family Tents | Family Tent and Camping Gear Reviews

Ranked #15 in Sports & Recreation, #937 overall

Bear With Me While I Review Some Family Tents

The best family tents as reviewed by expert campers, outdoor enthusiasts and beginner campers alike. Large family tents need not be ugly and heavy there are some very stylish and functional family dome tents with plenty of room for your family, and family cabin tents for when you need a little more room. The best family tents are the one's that get used the most of course, and 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 large family tents.

So what are the best family tents for Spring 2012? 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 best 2012 family dome and cabin tents. Since Spring camping season is right around the corner if you haven't grabbed the latest camping gear for your family already take advantage of tent and camping gear sales and gear up for the 2012 camping season!

Camping Tips and Buying Guides

A little light reading -just the "bare" necessities

Don't get caught with your pants down this 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.

A Tent Polling We Will Go

Put those instructions down and take our new poll

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Spring Sales on Coleman Tents and Camping Gear: Save 25%

Enjoy these Close-out Coleman Tent Sales

If you close your eyes and imagine real hard Summer is almost here. That means great deals on family tents are springing up in hopes of enticing you as winter slips away for another year. Check out these select deals on Coleman gear and slip in a few short camping trips as Spring camping heats up. Or just set up the tent in the basement and play "games" while the kids are off at school...

Save up to 25% on These Coleman Tents
Summer may be a ways off, but it's a perfect time to scoop up a great deal on a tent from Coleman. Enjoy up to 25% savings on Coleman's best-selling tents.

The Ultimate Campfire Kitchen & Camping Guide

A Mouth Watering Camping Cook Book to Beat all Camping Cookbooks

The Ultimate Campfire Kitchen & Camping GuideStuck for what to eat on your next family camping trip? Would 580 delightfully delicious camping recipes be enough to keep you busy for awhile - yeah me too. If you always struggle on what food to bring on camping trips that is easy for you to make perhaps you are in need of some great recipe inspiration. Take a peek at The Ultimate Campfire Kitchen & Camping Guide written and compiled by Karen Manning. This camping guide and cook book is chock full of your soon to be camping favorites such as Eggs on a Raft, Jamaica Bananas, Hell In A Bag, Eggs On A Raft and Brighten-Up Hobo Breakfast (trust me they really do taste better than they sound).

Jetboil Flash Mini Campstove

Perfect for hot drinks, oatmeal and quick camp meals

Jetboil Flash for Sale at Backwoods.comIf you are enjoying some camping in cooler weather this winter and early spring there is nothing better than a cup of hot cocoa on a chilly morning. This mini camp stove is perfect for individuals as well as a family of four. With a boil time of only 2 minutes it won't take long before everyone in your group is enjoying a steaming mug of hot chocolate. This 32oz Jetboil Flash in a cool carbon black is also perfect for quick meals like oatmeal or freeze dried instant meals. The Flash runs on 100-gram Jetpower fuel canisters, which provide enough energy to boil 12 liters or 100 cups of water each. Your Flash is available in blue, carbon, green, gold, violet, and sapphire.

Jetboil 1.0 Liter Heat-Indicating Cup

A second Jetboil cup is essential for group camping

Jetboil 1.0 Liter Heat-Indicating Companion Cup

Jetboil 1.0 Liter Heat-Indicating Companion Cup

Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Purchase a second as a spare so that you have more than one cup to work with. Includes a handy heat indicator so you know when the water is ready. The Jetboil system is incredibly durable and reliable so you'll get plenty of great camping trips out of it!

Amazon Price $34.95 - Free Super Saver Shipping

Columbia Cougar Flats II Family Cabin Dome Tent: 6-10 Person tent Sale

GoBe Dry rain protection system keeps rain outside

Columbia Cougar Flats 10 Man Tent for SaleIf you've done some serious family camping or even just gone a time or two you'll understand me when I say it gets a bit stuffy in there as the sun beats down on you in the morning. Well this Columbia Cougar Flats II Family Cabin Dome Tent (model number CB-9001-10) has a Cyclone venting system which helps the air circulate when it gets hot in the summer or steamy during a rain storm. And while we are on the subject of rain the Columbia Cougar II has a GoBe Dry rain protection system that keeps the rain outside so you don't wake up in a puddle. Trust me not fun - last summer we had a blast huddling in the center of the tent soaking up rain with spare towels and dirty laundry. (We were trying out a free tent and found out fast why it was free..)

Amazon Price: $253.51 (You Save: $86.49 (25%) ) Buy Now
with Free Super Saver Shipping

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree Sleeping Bag

A cold weather camping must have

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree Sleeping Bag Lead for Sale $99-$109If you plan on doing any winter or early spring camping with the family you'll need good warm sleeping bags. I've been very happy with my mummy sleeping bag that is rated for 15 degrees. If you enjoy snuggling up in a cozy sleeping bag after a day of hiking with the smell of campfire lingering in the air this is the bag for you. Marmot makes great bags and the Marmot Trestles 15 Degree Sleeping Bag Lead is a nice cozy sleeping bag on sale now at Backwoods.com

If you want the high tech sounding stats marmot delivers with its Spirafil High Loft insulation sewn with Wave construction, a snagless draft tube, velcro-free face muff and classic trapezoidal footbox. If you just want a sleeping bag that keeps you warm in colder temps you can forget all the fancy terminology and just buy yourself and the fam a Marmot Trestles sleeping bag.

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree Sleeping Bag on Sale at Amazon

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree (2011) Sleeping Bag - In Your Choice of Styles

Marmot Trestles 15 Degree (2011) Sleeping Bag - In Your Choice of Styles

Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Amazon also carries the Marmot Trestles sleeping bag in a larger selection of sizes and zipper styles: prices ranging from $79.95 - $119.00 depending on the size and style you need.

Eureka Tetragon 1210 Family 12- Foot by 10-Foot Eight-Person Tent

Large family dome tent with divider for two rooms

Another top family tent for you is the Eureka Tetragon 1210 Family 12- Foot by 10-Foot Eight-Person Tent which is an 8-Person two room dome tent that gives you a lot of quality features for your money.

Pros: Plenty of room but not too big, 2 doors for easy access, good ventilation, easy set up for 2 people, a lot of tent for the price
Cons: Seal those seams and get quality stakes! (pretty much a must with any tent), Zipper can be a bit tricky to zip because of added rain flap, a bit too much ventilation for cooler weather camping, poles are so-so quality (your typical corded poles that sometimes separate when pulling them through the guides.

Overall, this Eureka Tetragon Eight-Person Tent is a nice affordable family camping tent. If you have a family of five or six you'll fit right in - I grew up using Eureka tents so I know they hold up well. Here's what Scout says from Eagan Minnesota about her experience with this tent:
Eureka! Tetragon 1210 - Tent (sleeps 8)

Eureka! Tetragon 1210 - Tent (sleeps 8)

Amazon Price: $240.00 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now
List Price: $239.99

"This is a great family tent! We had two adults, one toddler and one infant (in a Pack'n'Play) in this tent - and still had room for all of our stuff. LOTS of ventilation, which is great for warmer weather. We did seal the tent - and had no leaks during a huge storm. It's nice being able to stand up in the center - and the kids love all of the room! "

Tent Seam Sealer

Seal Those Tent Seams - Just to be safe

While tent construction has improved over the years, tent seams are still a week point even on some of the best tents. And since I'm sure you don't really like waking up with a drip of rain to the forehead spending a few bucks on seam sealer is probably a pretty good idea for next Summer's camping season.
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Poll: Favorite Places for Family Camping

We all have our favorite places to spend time in the outdoors - often times we stick closer to home, but if you are looking for some great places to take the fam this coming summer here are some of our favorite camping States. Of these listed which is your favorite?

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Important!

Check Out This Amazon Deal

Save 50% on Tent Lights, Stakes and More

Coleman 6-Person Instant Tent for Sale: Spring Sale 14% Off

Finally you've found an easy to set up family tent!

Buy the Coleman Instant 6 Person TentI've bought plenty of "easy to set up" family tents - and many of them were pretty easy to set up - if you had three people and were doing it in the daylight with no wind. The Coleman 6-Person Instant Tent is the first large tent that lives up to the "easy to set up" moniker.

The secret to the quick set-up is the pole system, which comes pre-attached to the tent. You'll find set-up almost fun, well maybe I won't go that far but at least you can get the tent up quick so you can get that fire going and hit the toasted marshmallows.

Amazon Just slashed the price on the Coleman Instant 14- by 10- Foot 8- Person Two Room Tent basically selling it out, and this 6-Person Coleman Instant is going to sell fast too.

This was a brand new family tent from 2011 and I think Coleman has a winner on their hands with this one - camper's agree as it is one of the top selling family tents right now. Amazon anticipates a hot camping season and wants this Coleman Instant Tent to stay the best selling family tent so look out for some pretty good sales as camping season hits full swing this summer.

Amazon Price: $155.17 (you save $24.82 (14%) Buy Now
FREE Amazon Super Saver Shipping

2012 Family Tents for Sale

Top rated tents from the wonderful world of Amazon

Before I buy tents or other camping gear I often stop by Amazon, if for no other reason than the great reviews from real campers. If you are looking to buy a tent for your family read what fellow campers have to say about the tent you are considering - then make your buying decision.

Listed below are some of the best selling family tents for 2011 and some of the hot new introductions for next summer's 2012 camping season. And best of all many of them have Free Shipping.
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Gerber Gator Pack Saw for Sale

Buy this compact, durable, camp saw with a Gator's bite!

When I think about the name of this camp saw first I think Gerber... baby food, and Gator sharp tooth monsters loose in the sewers of New York. Put them together and you have one fine camp saw with a gator's bite and the comfortable grip even a baby could use... um, well maybe that wouldn't be a good idea.

Bottom line this is a nice light weight camp saw with a thin flexible blade with 2 different cutting edges, one for your heavy cutting, and the other for light cutting. You'll find the handle is easy to grip and pulls with ease. Enough said.
Gerber 22-49481 Gator Pack Saw

Gerber 22-49481 Gator Pack Saw

Amazon Price: (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

Coleman WeatherMaster Screened 6 Tent on Sale 36% Off

A large family tent review without the bite

The Coleman WeatherMaster Screened 6 Tent provides the best of both worlds. If you've been camping on a sultry summer night you are sure to make friends with some hungry mosquitoes, well 'friends' may be the wrong word... What I love about this Coleman WeatherMaster 6 person tent is that it has the built in screened porch so you can stick your tongue out at those pesky bugs without loosing a pint of blood.

The Coleman WeatherMaster Screened Tent wins out based on price (it is a reasonably priced tent for that size), volume of five star reviews and weather durability (although more sturdy stakes and a dose of seam sealer wouldn't hurt)

FREE Amazon Super Saver Shipping
Coleman WeatherMaster Screened 6 Tent

Coleman WeatherMaster Screened 6 Tent

Amazon Price: $160.00 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

"Great, spacious tent!"
I go camping at least once or twice a year for a full week. I bought this tent and absolutely love it. It's pretty easy to set up and has plenty of room. The screen house is a nice addition as you can leave shoes, wet/dirty items outside your tent while keeping them out of any of the elements.

"Good Family Tent"
Cons. The tiny little metal stakes that they use are junk. If you buy this tent, plan to buy some better stakes to go along with it.

Pros. The door is pretty cool and really handy, especially for my kids who were always jamming up the zippers on my old tent or going in and out all the time. The screen room is cool. Small, only enough room for two people and their camp chairs, but still pretty cool.

Quality Tent Stake Review

A personal recomendation from an experienced Scoutmaster

Something I have noticed while researching family tents is the poor quality of the included tent stakes. Rather disappointing since come a heavy storm your stakes are pretty important, unless you are a fan of para sailing at 2 in the morning.

Good news though is that they are pretty cheep. The MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit is the top rated tent stake kit on Amazon - they come 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.
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More Top Family Tents

Top two family tents: Most popular family tents for 2012

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Great Camping Resources

Other camping related lenses by fellow campers

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Recommended Camping Guides and Books

A little light camping reading to get you in the mood

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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

Show off your funny bone with some humorous camping clothing from the creative campers at CafePress. It is a community of creative people who design all sorts of fun stuff to satisfy the camping geek in all of us.
Hiking Euro Style Oval Sticker

Hiking Euro Style Oval Sticker

From: OvalStickers.net

Buy Now

BusyBodies Hiking Journal

BusyBodies Hiking Journal

From: BusyBodies Hobbies

Buy Now

Hikers Mark Dark T-Shirt

Hikers Mark Dark T-Shirt

From: Chachi's Tees

Buy Now

See more designs like these on CafePress
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Family Tents for Sale on eBay

Save a little money for buying more marshmellows

Once I scout out the best tent reviews on Amazon I'll swing on over to eBay to see if they sell the tent for less - they certainly have some fine family camping tents for sale if you know what you are looking for. 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.
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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. =)

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  • Reply
    daveframer Feb 8, 2012 @ 5:31 pm | delete
    I preferred wilderness camping when my boys were small, so I bought 3-1 man tents afetr we got more involved we moved up to the 2-man tent, and had a great canoe for paddling down rivers and streams.My boys are grown now so it's just the little lady and myself, and I can't get her into the canoe, but who knows maybe one day.
  • Reply
    cffutah Feb 1, 2012 @ 10:35 pm | delete
    Congrats at your purple star award, I wanna help too ... *blessed*!
  • Reply
    sherridan Jan 29, 2012 @ 2:52 pm | delete
    We have a ten man tent, bought because it had a built in groundsheet and two bedrooms in which you could stand easily to dress. We look like the Beverley Hillbillies arriving on site with our tables, chairs, fridge (yes fridge), awnings and two cookers! We have camped in high winds, sub-zero temperatures and storms, yet have avoided wet bums to date! Same cannot be said for the kids on their DofE expedition!
  • Reply
    jimmyworldstar Jan 28, 2012 @ 6:26 pm | delete
    Every essential a camper should have is a lighter (not for cigarettes but the ones that you use to light candles etc), water filter, sleeping bag, tent, GPS, and a phone that can be used from anywhere.
  • Reply
    TheHealthCabin Jan 27, 2012 @ 5:26 am | delete
    Nice informative lens, Thank you.
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Camping Crossroads

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The Camping Equipment Company (CEC) known for their King Kong sized family tents takes an incredible shrinking pill with their hammock tent offerings. The Rock Hopper Ultra Lite Camping Hammock Tent H...
May 14, 2011 @ 3:27 pmEureka Adventure Apex 2FG 2-Person Tent Close Out... from Camping Crossroads - Camping Gear, Campgrounds and More
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Apr 11, 2011 @ 10:43 amBig Agnes Copper Spur Tent Takes Home the Gold from Camping Crossroads - Camping Gear, Campgrounds and More
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Apr 3, 2011 @ 6:11 pmColeman Instant: A Tent That Really is Easy to Set... from Camping Crossroads - Camping Gear, Campgrounds and More
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Jan 13, 2011 @ 4:24 pmGrab Those Snowshoes and your Eureka Apex 2XT from Camping Crossroads - Camping Gear, Campgrounds and More
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Top Selling Adult Sleeping Bag on Amazon 

Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy Ultra-Compactable Sleeping Bag (Assorted Colors)

Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy Ultra-Compactable Sleeping Bag (Assorted Colors)

Amazon Price: $31.56 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

"I've had this bag over a year now and used it more than a dozen times in various situations and conditions. The more I use it, the more I love it."

Camping Tents and More at Camping Crossroads 

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