Last weekend I chaperoned The Pea's Girl Scout troop on an overnight camping trip. We had so much fun, and one of the parts they most enjoyed was getting to set up and sleep in a tent. We've owned a Coleman 6-person Sundome tent for about three years now, and it has always served our family well. Every time The Pea's troop goes camping, their leader borrows our Sundome tent because it's roomy and easy for the girls to set up. Coleman recently sent me the latest version of the Sundome tent to go camping with -- so now their leader gets to borrow two Sundome tents!
This new Sundome tent is almost exactly like our old one; the only differences are that the new one is a different color, has two doors instead of one and has a removable zippered privacy wall that can turn the inside of the tent from 1 huge room into 2 smaller ones. Otherwise it's pretty much the same Coleman tent that we know and love.
The Basics
Coleman's Two-Room SunDome Six-Person Tent is roomy enough for the whole family to enjoy, but also provides a little privacy. This 12-feet by 10-feet two-room tent can sleep up to six people at a time in complete comfort. The Coleman exclusive Weather-Tec system is guaranteed to keep you dry and includes: a waterproof floor, leak-free and protected seams, weather resistant fabric, a strong frame design, and the zipper guard system. With 72-inches of vertical space in the center there is plenty of head room, and the two large doors make entering and exiting an easy affair. The zippered privacy wall is removable in case you want to convert your tent in to one big space.
This tent includes a rainfly that covers the doors and windows for protection from the elements, as well as separate storage bags for the tent-poles and stakes and easy-to-follow set up instructions sewn into the carry bag. Features include a mesh vent to keep your tent fresh, heavy-duty welcome mats, and Cool-Air ports to further adjust ventilation or access your gear. Shock-corded steel poles will keep this tent a sturdy haven from the weather for years to come.
The Bongga
See how these Girl Scouts are smiling? That's because they all love this Coleman Sundome tent! Here's why:* It's easy to set up -- so easy, in fact, that 3 9-year old Girl Scouts could (and did) set the tent up by themselves! Okay, I did help, but only a little (mostly to hammer down tent pegs into the hard ground and to be the 4th person to spread out the tent and prop the poles up). Having the instructions secured to the carry bag is a huge help.
* It's large -- large enough for 6 adults (supposedly, but we've never tried it), and certainly large enough for our family of five with all our gear. I love, love, love that it's high enough for Alfie and I to stand up straight when we're in the middle.
* It's inexpensive -- at $150 MSRP (and I've seen it on Amazon for $109.99), it's the perfect tent for a family that's just starting to go camping, or a family with young kids who want to limit their camping to the backyard variety, or a family on a budget. It's great that Coleman has so many high-quality options!
*It has great little touches like a "welcome" mat, interior gear pockets, 2 doors and zip-down windows. My kids fight like crazy to zip down the vent windows to let air (but not mosquitoes) flow through the mesh, and even though we don't like to use it, I can imagine the privacy wall is great if a group of couples are all camping together.
The Blah
The rainfly doesn't go all the way down to the ground; it only reaches halfway down the tent, so cold air seeps in through the bottom and into the tent, which can mean seriously cold nights unless you have a good sleeping bag (or four thick layers of clothing).
The Bottom Line
Coleman's 6-person Sun Dome tent is an affordable family camping tent that does the job -- just make sure you camp in warm weather!
Disclosure: I received a camping tent from Coleman to review. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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