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OK, so I just got back from spending 10 days in N. Georgia (my old stomping grounds), and my experience with my new tent prompted me to share some thoughts. Now, this was a family camping trip. Whenever I take my wife with me, we have to pack the entire household into the back of the van, and she further requires a large tent in which to stow the household items. Now, heretofore, we had been using a "Hilary" or some such tent, which I purchased from some obscure source over the internet some years ago. The tent was never severely tested (we always had fair weather), but I retired it after a backyard campout involving several children...you get the picture. Oh, rain WAS involved. So, I decided a new tent was in order, as my wife likely would not like to share space in one of my solo backpacking tents, which is what I prefer to use. For those who are interested, backpacking tent #1 is a Kelty Crestone 1 double-wall tent, which I have actually tested in hurricane conditions (well, I was far enough inland that it was probably just a tropical storm) and it was proved bombproof. NO water inside, and wind stable. At 3 pounds, it OUGHT to be bombproof! Backpacking tent #1 is a Six Moon Designs Lunar+ solo, which is a single wall tent and weighs just 23 oz, plus has room for 1.5 people (two if they're really good friends). This tent has not been storm tested, but has held up in light rain.
Anyway, I thought a cabin tent would be really nice, and I settled on a Coleman Weathertech 6 with screen room (I forget exactly what the name is). Now, I knew that Coleman was not cut from the same cloth (heh, heh) as Kelty or SMD, but they had this "weatherproof guarantee"! So hey, what could go wrong? Plus, I chose this tent over other similar cabin-style tents based on buyer's reviews of the tents in question.
So, I didn't have time to proof the tent or even set it up before the tent. I also wasn't aware that Georgia has been having an unusually wet year. Anyway, me and me son get to the campsite and about the time we finish setting the tent up, it starts raining. So, we get into the vestibule/screen room to sit it out. So far, so good - for about 5 minutes. Then drops start dropping. So we move into the main tent. Another 5 minutes, and it is raining inside the tent. Not at the seams, but the fabric has wetted through! This was novel in my experience. So the storm eventually passes, and stuff inside the tent is all wet, and the one towel I brought does not even come close to soaking up all the water on the floor. So after cursing for a fool for believing the
"guaranteed weatherproof" marketing ploy, I decide a tarp is in order. Whilst exiting the campground, I am noticing that ALL the other tents, and many of the pop-up campers, have tarps draped across/over them. Except for my son's, which is a Eureka Timberline 2 A-frame tent that can pretty much handle anything nature throws at it.
So I get the tarp, and it rains and storms most of the rest of the time, but it's OK because I am dry now. But I am thinking that this tent just isn't going to cut it. I would rather have a Kelty or Big Agnes or something that is really going to keep the rain out, even if it costs more. A lot more.
But, OK, aside from the fact that it wetted through, I really liked the tent. So I am looking at other tents after the trip, including Mountain Hardwear, and they all have their detractors. But I can fix my problem with a $20 tarp. Is it elegant? No - but it is cheap. And it works. Bottom line - I'm gonna keep the Coleman, accept it's limitations and do a workaround. Water repellent spray would help I'm sure, but I'm not gonna depend on it. I could buy a really NICE tent, shell out the $, and STILL be disappointed, or I can work with what I have, which is the choice I finally settled upon.
So, that's my rambling travelog, make of it what you will.
Anyway, I thought a cabin tent would be really nice, and I settled on a Coleman Weathertech 6 with screen room (I forget exactly what the name is). Now, I knew that Coleman was not cut from the same cloth (heh, heh) as Kelty or SMD, but they had this "weatherproof guarantee"! So hey, what could go wrong? Plus, I chose this tent over other similar cabin-style tents based on buyer's reviews of the tents in question.
So, I didn't have time to proof the tent or even set it up before the tent. I also wasn't aware that Georgia has been having an unusually wet year. Anyway, me and me son get to the campsite and about the time we finish setting the tent up, it starts raining. So, we get into the vestibule/screen room to sit it out. So far, so good - for about 5 minutes. Then drops start dropping. So we move into the main tent. Another 5 minutes, and it is raining inside the tent. Not at the seams, but the fabric has wetted through! This was novel in my experience. So the storm eventually passes, and stuff inside the tent is all wet, and the one towel I brought does not even come close to soaking up all the water on the floor. So after cursing for a fool for believing the
"guaranteed weatherproof" marketing ploy, I decide a tarp is in order. Whilst exiting the campground, I am noticing that ALL the other tents, and many of the pop-up campers, have tarps draped across/over them. Except for my son's, which is a Eureka Timberline 2 A-frame tent that can pretty much handle anything nature throws at it.
So I get the tarp, and it rains and storms most of the rest of the time, but it's OK because I am dry now. But I am thinking that this tent just isn't going to cut it. I would rather have a Kelty or Big Agnes or something that is really going to keep the rain out, even if it costs more. A lot more.
But, OK, aside from the fact that it wetted through, I really liked the tent. So I am looking at other tents after the trip, including Mountain Hardwear, and they all have their detractors. But I can fix my problem with a $20 tarp. Is it elegant? No - but it is cheap. And it works. Bottom line - I'm gonna keep the Coleman, accept it's limitations and do a workaround. Water repellent spray would help I'm sure, but I'm not gonna depend on it. I could buy a really NICE tent, shell out the $, and STILL be disappointed, or I can work with what I have, which is the choice I finally settled upon.
So, that's my rambling travelog, make of it what you will.
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