Need opinions on a tent I'm about to buy

[RoyalFlyness]

Hi all,
I've been doing a lot of research on affordable, relatively mesh-free tents with stand-up space and plenty of storage/sleeping room and I think I've found the answer. The Coleman Bayside 6 or 8 meets most of these requirements. Here's the link to the tent, take a look and let me know your thoughts: http://www.target.com/Coleman-Bayside-P ... ent&page=1

The only concerns I have are the following:

1. It's a BIG tent -- is there such a thing as too big? 15x10 for the 8 which I'll probably buy since it's $20 more than the 6-person. I don't know if the size becomes more of an issue for the wind as it gets bigger (although we do stake down our tents with rebar).

2. A lot of people complained about the lack of ventilation on this tent in the reviews (only has 2 windows and a door, all of which zip, and a small section of mesh on the top). Lack of ventilation = good for dustproofing, bad for creating an oven in the morning. I'm planning on making an additional tent cover made out of space blanket material to help with the heat.

Thanks in advance for your advice, I've spent hours and hours investigating tents, even calling Coleman to ask about their products!

[phil]

I see the picture, I read the reviews, but I can't tell anything more than you can. Have you see the tent in person?

Louise and I have tents for 5, 6, 8 people. We've also got a two-person tent which we never use. Big tents are good for us, but I'm 62, so crawling into and out of a 2-person pup is not fun for me. We keep stuff in our tent, so it's nice to have room.

My guess is that you'll buy it and find out if it works for you when you hit the playa. :-| That's what we do. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're not.

Good luck - if you're lucky someone will have one, but even then you don't know if their judgment is the same as yours.

[Bob]

It's only a week, tent looks fine, concentrate on your hibachi & liquor cabinet.

[Roberto Dobbisano]

Thanks in advance for your advice, I've spent hours and hours investigating tents, even calling Coleman to ask about their products!

that was hours and hours you could have spent securing liquor and a hibachi.


you are so fucking doomed.

[JulzQ1]

Tent looks good to me. I'd think something that has less ventilation would be better, but then again I like affixing sheets over the exposed mesh top of the tent to minimize dust inside. I'd think with all the wind out there, you'd get adequate airflow regardless. I'd think it'd be more of a concern if you were going somewhere where the wind never kicked up. So long as you properly shade the sucker, you should be fine.

We've had a Coleman tent on the playa many years in a row and nothing on it failed us. The zippers always zipped even when caked with playa, and it was structurally sound. Only reason we bought a new one was because we lost the rain fly.

In terms of the size, it's personal preference. Staking it down is key. I like the bigger tents personally. There's more room to store your stuff and you don't feel like it's claustrophobia city when you hop in.

[vikb]

The only issue I have with a big tent is it can catch a lot of wind. Not a deal breaker [my GF and I will be using a 6 person Coleman tent that survived in 2007], but I'd do any or all of the following:

- stake it out with 12" pegs or rebar
- use all the extra guy lines that come with the tent
- have some extra guy lines and use 'em if necessary
- place your tent behind a truck/RV or other structure to get some wind shadow effect

have fun,

Vik

[gigi]

as an 8 yr. burner i like

a tent that is geodesic ONLY
somewhat low to the ground so wind skims over it instead of blowing it down
has very few windows or openings -- and all the openings can be zipped shut
a light color -- not dark blue or something that heats up like an oven

then i put a rug in front, and a shade shelter over it, and then inside, a sheet over my bed. when i come in, i shake the sheet off outside, and then i have a clean tent.

well, sort of!

the best solution is to sleep in hookahdome, never in your tent!

[C.f.M.]

Ugh I feel your pain...I spent a LOT of time researching tents a few years ago before investing. Then, I switched to an EZ Up, which has been perfect and awesome.

Just not playa-worthy.

So...back to investigating. Researched and googled and researched and read, bought a few from Target to test run...I have finally settled on a magic Clist find, a dome:

DOOMicide

Your Coleman looks as good as any tent of that size and price range. I'd go ahead and get it and set it up.

[CapSmashy]

http://www.kodiakcanvas.com/products/

Worth the investment. With decent care, you'll be passing it down to your children.

[gyre]

Dark colors are cooler, block more sun.

Short tent though.

[Sail Man]

Dark colors are cooler, block more sun.

Short tent though.

Short tents make us short people feel taller
Why, I feel absolutely sky-scrapeing in a bivy sack