Located on both sides of the tent around waist height, these hanging and floppy pockets are constructed of cheap feeling mesh. To make matters worse, their small size is only able to handle basics like keys, a phone, and a headlamp or two. The 6-Person Sundome® Dome Camping Tent has large windows and a ground vent to help push heat up and out to keep you comfortable when camping in warm weather. You’ll also enjoy plenty of headroom for stretching out thanks to a 6-foot center height.
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 coleman screen tent 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.
The Sundome is freestanding, so you won’t need to stake anything out while getting the tent erected, and you can take your time between setting up the tent and adding the rainfly. The exclusive WeatherTec system is guaranteed to keep you dry. Inner tent has a mesh vent for increased ventilation as well as a rugged floor with inverted seams. Unfortunately, the lack of storage options continues to the exterior of the Sundome 6. Unlike most other camping tents, such as Kelty’s popular Discovery 6 model and its full-length rainfly, the Coleman’s partial design does not create any vestibule space.
While both the Sundome and Skydome have just 1 door each, I love the extra big door in the Skydome Tent. The 4-Person Skydome Tent’s door measures a whopping 4 feet in length, making it really easy to walk in and out of the tent. I really wanted to recommend this as an affordable entry level tent. Outside of dry weather campouts in the backyard, there are better alternatives to be found. Plan C was to venture out beyond the bounds of our campsite for a little stealth camping and maybe some smoother ground. The same day I planned to find a place to pitch the tent, a norovirus hit 13 of our 53 scouts, so the remainder of the day was spent making rounds checking on the kids.
For $69 this is an affordable entry level tent for a someone new to camping in mild conditions (more on that in a sec). The power port is pretty convenient and the vent window located near the ground allows for air circulation. Sundome 2 has a good sized carry bag and it holds the tent with room to spare. In the bag, you’ll find the tent body, two long poles for the tent body, one short pole for the rain fly, a small “welcome mat” and (9) stakes.
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.
It’s easy to set up and pack up, and has a few nice features as well. If the Sundome is more of a beginners tent than you want, the Hooligan (also from coleman sundome Coleman) could be a good alternative. This tent comes with a vestibule for storage and a rain fly which provides much more coverage from the weather.
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.