This did not raise any alarms since these sections of the tent shouldn’t be taking much abuse. What did give us cause for concern was the fiberglass tent poles. Although we cannot cite any breakages with these poles, we are always hesitant when they are utilized since fiberglass is much less forgiving than aluminum.
I mentioned earlier that there were only two fiberglass poles for this tent, the old tent used four plus small ones for the rain flap. The larger poles can easily be replaced but the ones that were used for the rain fly couldn’t be replaced. In no time at all (less then ten minutes actually), the Coleman camping tent was standing and ready to go in our back yard. Once inside, Silke commented on how well ventilated it was. This is nice in the summer, but we’ve camped in the late fall before and we were freezing.
While we love the idea of setting up a tent super fast, we’re not convinced the Instant Cabin is worth the extra cost and questionable rain protection. Having tested a number of six-person tents of late, we’re happy to report that the Coleman Sundome 6 was among the easiest to set up and take down. The two simple and identical poles were quick and painless to put together, and the lack of color coding between them and the tent body minimized any type of confusion or missteps along the way. Further aiding to the straightforward set up was the relatively small rainfly, which was easy to toss over the tent.
Alternatively, you can save a few bucks by opting for a tarp, which can also be cut to size if the measurements aren’t a perfect fit. Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week. We independently evaluate all recommended products and services.
Although the seams may lack sealing of any kind, the stitching itself is free of defects and looks neat in general. First, the zippers used on both the door and back vent feel especially cheap, often snagging while in use. Second, we’re not a fan of fiberglass tent poles—we find aluminum to be sturdier and less prone to splintering.
So if you’re looking for a tent guaranteed to keep you dry, the sundome 4 man model might not be the best choice. This means any camping gear or equipment has to be stored inside the main body of the tent, cutting down on space for campers to sleep. Festivals aren’t the safest campgrounds for your tent, so a low-cost, reliable model might be a good investment. It’s also very easy to set up which is a plus for festivals as well. The products are low-cost but like the Coleman sundome that doesn’t mean they are low-quality.
I’ll spare you the glorious details, but picture the pie eating contest scene from Stand By Me and that’ll give you a pretty good idea. Due to the outbreak, the camp closed and we went home the next day. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested coleman sundome and rated the top three-season tents. 5) This style dome does have the sleeves (2) which you must walk back and slowly feed the dome poles through during set up. Two windows and one ground vent allow for cool air to flow in and hot air to flow out.
The storage bags for the poles, stakes, and tent are all great. I like the make of the storage bag, it is zippered instead of being made like a stuff sack with a draw string. With the zipper open it is easy to fit the tent, poles and stakes back inside. This is a decent 3-season tent, it’s not great, but it’s not bad either.