AUcamper
florida
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Okay, this is almost a duplicate as the 4 man tent thread. I'm wanting a 4-6 man tent for starting our scouting trips. My son is in the first grade so we won't be hiking. Mainly for hte family trips to the scout camps. Maybe an overnighter for me and him on some trips?
I want smaller foot print because we may not be at tradtional/formal camp grounds.
What about hte Eureka Timberline4? Or should I go dome? And if timberline, what is the XT, a fanicier fly?
also, we live in florida so I need something with good breeze.
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goodcruisin
Greenwood, IN
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Our scout troop had those Eurekas. They are decent tents, but not for four kids. We found that by the time the boys got their gear in there you can realistically only fit two or three, if they were small. Check out the Big Agnes Big House 4. Be sure to get the add on vestibule. Don't worry too much about the foot print, you can always make room. I think these would work well in Florida because they have screens on three sides.
* This post was
edited 09/23/08 12:32pm by goodcruisin *
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PopBeavers
San Jose, CA
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I can not recommend a specific tent, but I have two features I always look for:
1) get one size too big. For 3 people get a 4 person tent.
2) get one that will stand up by itself, not requiring stakes unless it is windy. For some reason I end up relocating a tent far too often.
For serious backpacking, like Mt Whitney or anything more than 25 miles, I change my criteria. Weight is most important for long backpacking trips.
Wayne in San Jose
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jambo101
Montreal
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Just spent the first weekend in our Eureka Copper canyon and for ventilation its got a huge screen on all four sides and if the rain fly is not on the whole top is a screen,At 10'X10' 4 kids should fit nicely.Check the size of those screens
"Second star to the right, and straight on till morning."
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AUcamper
florida
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i like the copper cayon, but I'm wondering if I need something a bit smaller. Not so much the footprint, but the height.
Don't know why I'm thinking that. I also need something very easy to put up, one man operation
before moving to hte camper we had a tetragon1210. Great tent for a family of five. Not much bigger than the copper cayon. But its a little big for what I'm looking for now.
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vwGTImkv
Canada
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Look for a tent that has really good ventilation and at the same time will keep you dry if it starts pouring. Some tents has a velcro scoop on the rainfly that will increase ventilation in the tent.
Another good feature to have on a tent are vestibules. This way you can put some gear outside and your shoes. This will keep the tent somewhat clean. You would want a full cover rainfly because the 3/4 cover rainfly will not be enough in a storm.
If there's an REI store near you, I suggest you to go there. Their employees have the experience and knowledge to tell you which tents are good. Also, look out for their garage sales but make sure you are there early as the good gear and good deals are usually the first to go. I usually go wait at 6am with a buddy to make sure I am one of the first 50 people in line.
REI Half Dome 4 HC
REI Base Camnp 4
REI Hobitat 4
Big Agnes Big House 4
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Bearfoot
Oklahoma
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Check out the Kelty Grand Mesa Tent.
We purchased the Kelty Grand Mesa and spent almost 4 weeks with it going to several National Parks.
Putting the tent up and down and packing it up was very easy, it is also roomy, well vented, and the rain fly is nice because it just clips in place.
from kelty's website "The Grand Mesa 6 is easy to pitch, includes a single vestibule for storage, and offers excellent ventilation.
It’s a great value for backpackers and campers and includes high-quality DAC Press-fit poles."
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oklahomacampers.com
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Ken2k3d
NE Illinois
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I'm currently an assistant Scoutmaster w/ 3 years in Boy Scouts and 5 years as a Cub Scout den leader (2 of those as the Cubmaster).
The Timberline was a GREAT tent in its day. It is now old technology.
Alps Mountaineering will give Scouts (Boy and Girl) a 45% discount off of their prices. A LOT of troops use their tents with excellent results. I myself use both their Meramac and Taurus models - the Meramac for real hot weather and the Taurus for spring/fall/winter.
I recommend the Alps Mountaineering Taurus Outfitter sized to suit your needs. For a youth I would recommend a 4-person. For an adult I would recommend a 5-person (to get the 6' height). Great tents - aluminum poles, no pole sleeves, two doors, full vestibules, not the overuse of mosquito netting, pre-sealed seams, heavy duty floor & zippers.
If you're really focusing on hot weather camping, then go with the Meramac - it will have the best ventilation with a large netting panels on each side and the open hooded front & back entrances. The fly sides pull out and stake down providing huge but well covered vents at the netting on each side. Open the doors and you have 4 full sides of ventilation plus netting at the top to help the flow through.
Here is a link to see their features:
http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/ALPSMountaineeringOutfitterTents.htm
Go to http://www.scoutdirect.com/ScoutDirectRegistration.htm and register for the program. They will send you their price list with the amazing discounts. This is the real deal.
If you want to keep it simple, just call them at 888-908-2044, tell them what you want, and be prepared to tell them your unit number, district, and council. Very nice people. The company was founded by folks who worked in Kelty but wanted more control over their lives.
Ken K.
w/ wife, boy, girl, Samoyed, & a really big Keeshound
(The horses & pigs have to stay at home)
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Ryles
Woodstock, GA
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How many kids/adults will be using the tent? I see some people quoting 4 kids. I didn't see that anywhere in your post. I did see family of 5. Will all 5 of you be camping? I have a Eureka Sunris 8 that has been great. It is 8 x 8 and works well for 1 adult and 2 kids, add a 3rd kid and it's tight. I would go 10x10 minimum unless it's just the 2 of you. My son is a Wolf this year and my 8x8 works great except I can't stand up in it.
Also, consider getting a cot rather than an air mattress for you. Much more comfortable.
Ryles
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vwGTImkv
Canada
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I would take Ken2k3d's advice and go with the Alps Mountaineering 45% discount to Scouts.
Question: Is the discount limited to certain models or does it apply to their full line?
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