The best-selling Coleman Sundome 6-Person Tent has a footprint larger (100 square feet) than that of our top-pick tent for families, but it felt smaller because it has a lower ceiling, no vestibule, and only one door. Nevertheless, it still comfortably accommodates four people, and it’s a roomy choice for two. This no-nonsense tent is intuitive to set up, has mesh on the top halves of two walls, includes a partial rain fly that’s easy to put on and stake out, and feels cheery inside and out. (We don’t recommend the smaller version of this tent for couples who might actually take it on the road; it was just too flimsy in our tests.) Also note that this tent does not come with its own groundsheet. Coleman says that the tent doesn’t need one, probably because its floor is a crinkly (though tough) tarp-like polyethylene, not a taped-seam polyester as in our other picks. This is arguably the most important category when it comes to car camping.
When pushed, most of the reps we talked to estimated five to 10 years, though the actual lifespan will vary widely depending on care and frequency of use (for more advice, read REI’s excellent tips). In conducting research for this guide, we heard multiple tales of careful campers who had been using the same tent for 15 years or more. We’ve tested (and recommended) Eureka tents in past versions of this guide. In October 2023, Eureka’s parent company, Johnson Outdoors, announced that it was discontinuing the Eureka brand. The product line, including its tents, should remain available through the end of 2024.
We should mention that this style of tent isn’t for everyone. You’ll need to be prepared to climb up and down a ladder to get in and out of bed, and you’ll also need to assess that your vehicle can handle this type of weight on it. If you’ve taken all this into consideration and you’re ready to move forward, the Thule Approach is one of our top recommendations. Overall, we love the Approach and think it’s one of the best rooftop tents on the market. For a great budget model, check out the Smittybilt GEN2 Overlander.
Experience the great outdoors intimately with a well-crafted camping tent. Each tent for sale in this selection offers the durability to protect you from the elements and ensure a great trip. They come in a variety of styles, from traditional cabin and dome tents to fun kids’ tents decorated with their favorite characters. Whatever ozark trail canopy tent the environment, these tents provide a comfortable place to come back to after an exciting day. Like most dome-style tents, the Wireless 6 withstands wind like a champ—it fared noticeably better than the Camp Creek 6 in 15-mph gusts. The continuous curve of the dome shape allows for wind to pass over and around it.
When your campsite is only a few yards away from your trunk, a little extra weight in exchange for better comfort and space is an easy choice. For this metric, we looked at the ozark trail instant cabin overall footprint of each tent, including the vestibule space. We checked the height and headroom, doors and windows, and the general airflow with and without the rainfly.