Tents

I’m gonna do some primitive tent camping this summer. Just wondering what everyone uses for a tent. It will be me my wife and a 4 and 5 year old kids thanks for the advice

Cabela’s Alaskan guide tents, they have been the best ones we have used. From our elk hunts and turkey hunts. Just a weekend camping. I do recommend getting the vestibule with it.

From a trip to NE

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Primitive camping to me means packing your stuff in. That means Diamond for your tent. A little spendy but they are built super well, the company is great on customer service and standing behind there product, they are built strong, lightweight and packable. Check them out.

X2 on the Alaskan Guide tents. I’ve had mine for 13 years and always stays dry.

One with a rain fly that goes all the way to the ground like the Cabala’s above. I have 2 kids in scouts and we camp all the time, believe me its nice when it rains out. Also having the covered entry way to put muddy boots/shoes is also a nice feature.

pete the catfisherman wrote:

X2 on the Alaskan Guide tents.

X3.
I had a Cabela’s XWT tent (one step up from the Alaskan series) from 2000 until 2017 and put on just under 350 nights camping up in Voyageurs Nat’l Park in it.
I had to replace it last year, and found Cabelas had discontinued the XWT.
So I was able to pick up a 6 person Alaskan Guide tent on sale for $349 as a replacement. Very well built and dry.

Our camping has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. about 25 years ago, we jumped into the nylon tents in lieu of the old canvas. Learned very quickly that you get what you pay for. Our first couple tents were crap. Stitching leaked, zippers were junk,….
Then the kids came along. Learned then that you need to double the “person rating” . Besides sleeping bags and air matresses, crazy how much stuff we had to bring along for the FW and FKs. We bought a Azark that lasted 2 years, fell apart. Wife bout another one like it and it only lasted 1 season. Surprisingly, I bought a model close out on a Coleman and it lasted about 12 years.
I should mention we did no winter camping in it. Just the May through Oct – going 2-4 days per trip. and 6 to 8 or so trips a year. These were good for out of the back of the truck and set up.

Now, our needs have changed a lot. We park the camper and use that as a “base” and hike back country a lot in the mountains. Nothing you’ll be doing with 4 and 5 year olds. But when/if the time comes for that, weight, water resistance, and thermal blankets are EVERYTHING.

So with my experience, if you buy the $150. tents, count on them being disposable. Our better cabin style tents were all in the 300 range. Before you buy, examine the stiching, zippers, and components to make sure your looking at apples to apples.
If I were to do this all over again from 25 years ago, I would have bought the Outfitters Panel tents I was looking at. Back then, they were all around 600-800 and I couldn’t justify spending that….which ultimately I spent a lot more on junk. I have friends that own them and 20+ years later, they have proven themselves as worth the money

bigpike wrote:

Primitive camping to me means packing your stuff in.

Agreed. Are you talking about backpacking camping or car camping?

We’ve been using a Sierra Designs tent for about 5 years, and I have been very happy with it. It’s easy to set up and it has kept us dry.

xplorer wrote:

from 2000 until 2017 and put on just under 350 nights camping up in Voyageurs Nat’l Park in it.

Impressive! I guess I know who to contact if I ever make time to go up there!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>bigpike wrote:</div>
Primitive camping to me means packing your stuff in.

Agreed. Are you talking about backpacking camping or car camping?

We’ve been using a Sierra Designs tent for about 5 years, and I have been very happy with it. It’s easy to set up and it has kept us dry.

I use Sierra also, one man , side entry, i call it the taco tent,3 pound

catmando wrote:

I use Sierra also, one man , side entry, i call it the taco tent,3 pound

I have the opposite end of the spectrum, but it houses 2 queen air mattresses, the FW, 2 kids, and a large dog fairly comfortably!

I will be camping mostly in voyageurs

bigcrappie wrote:

One with a rain fly that goes all the way to the ground like the Cabala’s above. I have 2 kids in scouts and we camp all the time, believe me its nice when it rains out. Also having the covered entry way to put muddy boots/shoes is also a nice feature.

These are the first 2 features I look for. Cant stress these enough.

Joe Scegura wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>xplorer wrote:</div>
from 2000 until 2017 and put on just under 350 nights camping up in Voyageurs Nat’l Park in it.

Impressive! I guess I know who to contact if I ever make time to go up there!

We’ve been going up since 1997, sometime last summer I passed the 400 night plateau, (and I’ve never spent a night on Crane or Sand Point LOL) so its been very heavy on Namakan, with the east half of Rainy and eastern Kab thrown in.

Kyle, if you are looking at Voyageurs, then the vast majority of the tent pads in the park are 14′ x 14′ (outside diameter, they are made with 8″x 8″ timbers and filled with a sand mix). The Alaskan 6 person is about as large a footprint that will fit on it. And you do want a quality tent for up there, and I would strongly suggest a good screen tent too (nice to be out of the tent if you get a rain day, and we put the picnic table in it to cook on).

xplorer wrote:

X3.
I had a Cabela’s XWT tent (one step up from the Alaskan series) from 2000 until 2017 and put on just under 350 nights camping up in Voyageurs Nat’l Park in it.
I had to replace it last year, and found Cabelas had discontinued the XWT.

I have a 10×10′ XWT that I have been using as well. We’ve endured countless storms dry as a bone, mostly on Sand Point. I’m hoping to get another couple of years use out of it, hopefully until the kids are out of the house. I see they have the Instinct tent that is very similar?

For a lighter tent, I like the Marmot Halo series. Super easy setup, dry and often on sale. I have two 4 person. I also have a few older ultralight Sierra designs that have held up well.

______________ wrote:

I have a 10×10′ XWT that I have been using as well. We’ve endured countless storms dry as a bone, mostly on Sand Point. I’m hoping to get another couple of years use out of it, hopefully until the kids are out of the house. I see they have the Instinct tent that is very similar?

I looked all over the country for a 10×10 XWT last spring (mine was the original size made of 9×9), I was so disappointed that they were discontinued in 2017.
The Instinct was brand new last year, little to no reviews, and I just didnt want to be a guinea pig on a first year tent. The Alaskan was a proven design (tho I MUCH prefer the straight wall design of the XWT) and when I found it for $100 off, just could not pass it up. I still have the XWT, and use it for my “guys” trips.

I prefer anchor century tents. They can be quite spacious. On a smaller scale I have a 10×12 eureka lakeside that is good if you are camping right next to where you can park your vehicle.

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I’ll put another vote in for the Cabela’s tents. Weathered some pretty nasty stuff in the BWCA keeping everything dry including the gear under the vestibule.

I have spent 30+ years camping in the BWCWA and have tried a wide variety of tents. Of course that also means I have to carry my stuff on my back at some point, so that is a consideration. I have not put the number of people you are taking in one tent (normally go with 4 people). Here is what my experience tells me. Don’t get the cheapest one around, a three man tent is good for two people, NO MATTER HOW GOOD THEY ARE ALWAYS USE SEAM SEALER ON ALL SEAMS. I do this on my tent every year. One year, I let others sleep in my tent and I bunked up with another guy. He had the “better” tent, but did not do the seam sealer and we got wet. NEVER again. I always sleep in my tent now. Have fun.

I had an old Northface tent but I don’t trust their quality since they became mainstream.

I have several Big Agnes tents (and products) now and am very happy.

x2 on the legit rain fly if you are doing anything that is not car camping. I got a BA rabbit ears 4 pretty cheap for car camping and it works well, but I wouldn’t use that fly for more remote stuff (and it’s heavy).

Ventilation can also be an issue on cheaper tents which is rough if it’s hot out.

I have both a Kelty and msr tent. Really like them both

Check out the ozark tent from Walmart. Think it’s 10×12. I know what your thinking but it’s actually build pretty well. Was gonna buy a Davis tent for 2k. Got the ozark for $500 and it’s been great so far

crappie55369 wrote:

Check out the ozark tent from Walmart. Think it’s 10×12. I know what your thinking but it’s actually build pretty well. Was gonna buy a Davis tent for 2k. Got the ozark for $500 and it’s been great so far

I have the same one I bet. The quick pop up with extend poles. Works great. Just no real rain fly.

Dmitriy Zhelud wrote:

Of course, I saw a lot of tents. But what can I say, I directly admire the canopy tent. Although I generally accidentally found it on the site, it is a very versatile thing. It constantly stands in my yard in case I want to hide from the sun or it rains. I also love to take it on hikes, because if you buy a mosquito net, you can not be afraid of mosquitoes, wherever you are. This tent is always with me wherever I go!

Tell me you’re a robot without telling me you’re a robot