Which Tent Should I Buy

lanjiao on 05/03/2023 - 18:10

Hi, which tent would be most suitable for me as a beginner camper?

Use: only really going to take it in good/mild weather, likely driving a car to a site then setting up there.

Coleman carlsbad darkroom 4p tent on sale at BCF for $99 vs Oztrail genes 4v tent from Anaconda at its standard price for $119

The coleman looks like a good price, however the outside covering doesn't seem to go all the way to the ground and I'm a bit scared of getting soaked during a freak storm. Last time I went camping there indeed was a freak storm and it hailed too, so I definitely don't want the risk of getting wet to be too high. Otherwise any other recommendations /help would be very much appreciated!

Sports & Outdoors Tent

Comments

  • DryScissors on 05/03/2023 - 18:43
    +1

    I think with tents, the saying “a poor man pays twice” applies. I just ordered the Coleman Instant Up 4P Lighted Northstar Darkroom tent. Based on reviews, it appears to be the best value for money.

    • mskeggs on 05/03/2023 - 20:57
      +6

      I’ve been car camping for years and don’t think there is any problem with starting with a cheap tent.
      Much better to spend $100 and replace it after a few trips with something that suits your newly discovered preferences, than spend $800 on a high quality tent and discover you don’t like camping, or would rather go on hiking camps.

      Either of these will be fine for your camping, assuming you aren’t actually trying to squeeze four people in (in which case they will be very cramped).

    • Ozbargainite on 06/03/2023 - 13:36
      +1

      Now is the winter of our discount tent.

  • Muzeeb on 05/03/2023 - 19:08
    +4

    I can't decide. It's too intense.

    • barge-in hunter on 05/03/2023 - 19:47
      +1

      Not yet - but OP wants to be intense.

      • eug on 05/03/2023 - 21:33

        I would suggest OP focuses on being intent first so he doesn't spread himself out too much.

  • Hamish125 on 05/03/2023 - 19:22
    +1

    I’ve always found snowys a great place to buy camping gear. They’ve got awesome customer service and I’ve had good experiences with returns on faulty products with them.

    Check their site, there are some good articles on which tents are best for different situations. Might have to pay more than 120 though for a decent tent.

  • pasey25 on 05/03/2023 - 19:57
    +1

    Spend this much for the piece of mind. I had cheaper tents till I bought one of these

    https://www.snowys.com.au/instant-up-4p-gold-series-evo-tent

  • MrThing on 05/03/2023 - 20:31
    +1

    A waterproof one

  • saltypete on 05/03/2023 - 20:32
    +1

    Have had something like the Oztrail for a while now for occasional use. They do OK in a storm and last well if you make sure that you dry them completely before storing them away.
    Throw the pegs that come with it away and buy decent thick ones, and a couple of plastic sand pegs.
    If you start camping quite a bit buy a decent one - at that point you’ll have a definite opinion about what will work for you.

  • Hamish125 on 05/03/2023 - 20:48
    +1

    Also, if you’re not in a hurry, you can wait for some good eBay codes to get a further discount from the model you like from the Tentworld or Snowys eBay store

  • eug on 05/03/2023 - 21:25
    +1

    Hi, which tent would be most suitable for me as a beginner camper?

    You should be an expert at pitching tents with that username.

  • lanjiao on 05/03/2023 - 22:11
    +2

    Thanks for the advice all

  • pharkurnell on 05/03/2023 - 22:19
    +1

    Oztent Rv3 Or Blackwolf 21“0 lite

    The easier to put ya tent up and pack away the more you'll like camping. specially if it ends up wet

  • dtc on 06/03/2023 - 10:02

    Thing about car camping is that if worst comes to worst, you have a massive freak storm or whatever, you can always hop into the car to wait it out. Secondly you can either go for a bigger tent (because you dont need to carry it) or, paradoxically, a smaller tent (because you can keep all your gear in the car rather than in the tent). In any case, buying a slightly cheaper tent than one which will survive a hurricane is totally fine; and dont worry too much about weight (although if you have a small car then the packed size of the tent can be relevant).

    I wouldnt worry about the Coleman fly not reaching to the ground; the main tent is waterproof at the bottom (the black bit) so its perfectly fine. If its $99 then grab that, because its RRP is over $400 (is it actually $99 - great deal)

  • BlipBlipBoo on 06/03/2023 - 19:25

    if you can stretch it, I strongly suggest a Kathmandu tent, something like this
    Kathmandu 3 person
    Although its 3 person not 4 but plenty of space - the poles are colour coded to the holes they go in, the instructions are also within the tent (like a tag) so you can't lose them. Also they have a PDF that you can download and a video on the website.

    And like another poster - get big sand pegs and a mallet- they are the business….

    My first oztrail tent, lost the instructions while putting up, there was nothing online at all, all I had was a grainy picture off BCF :(
    had to reset during the night due to a storm and it wasn't up properly and found the instructions the next day….lol
    I moved on to a 5 man Kathmandu but now just using the 3 man when with just partner and I.

  • Irishness on 15/03/2023 - 13:31
    +1

    for what you are describing and for no hassle I'd say go with an instant up tent rather than one with fiberglass poles, you will have the tent up in a few minutes & packed away in similar too. If you like dark mornings sure go for the dark tech & if you want inbuilt lights you can pay more, plenty of deals around but for expertise / customer service go checkout a Snowys or Tentworld & get to understand the pros / cons you can also see the tents erected for comparison

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