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credit for the amount coleman sundome of the item at the time of purchase. After using the canopy on my last camping trip, I still have these same mixed feelings. I wouldn’t consider this an essential item, but it is nice to have it at the ready in the car. Weather is uncertain and you never know how annoying bugs will be.
The mesh doesn’t seem particularly durable, and given the cap-like roof, the shade provided is much more limited than with our top-pick tents. Fellow campers and sun-baked spectators consistently gravitated toward the REI shelter over the L.L.Bean. Though the two tents have the same footprint, the REI’s roof is 6 inches taller; we found that the higher ceiling made the REI shelter feel significantly roomier inside. If you love camping but hate eating your morning pancakes in the rain, a canopy tent can protect you from the trifecta of bugs, sun, and sudden showers.
You could also choose a screen with complete coverage, protecting you from rain along with bugs. The Coleman 15 × 13 Instant Screenhouse is essentially a larger version of the Coleman 10 × 10 Instant Screened Canopy, and it has similar shortcomings. The sloping walls make the interior space feel much smaller than the generous footprint might lead you to expect.
L.L.Bean’s Woodlands Screen House is remarkably similar to our top pick, REI’s Screen House Shelter; the two canopies have an identical footprint and pole structure. But the L.L.Bean tent’s peak ceiling height of 6 feet 6 inches is half a foot lower than that of the REI tent, making it feel notably darker and less spacious. It typically costs more (in fact, the price has risen substantially—more than $150—since we first tested it) and lacks the convenient strap-equipped carrying bag we like. The shelter has a 10-by-10-foot footprint—the most common size for tents of this type—and a peak height of 7 feet.
Some models even offer an unparalleled three-minute setup that will help prepare you for impending storm clouds in no time. Make sure the heavy-duty material is UV protective, and that the corner stakes are able to keep the canopy portion from flipping upwards in cases of wind gusts. In addition, look for a carrying bag that has wheels on the bottom for easy transportation. Coleman Skylodge 15×13 Instant Screen Canopy – Get to the bug-free adventures even faster with the Skylodge Instant screen canopy tents. The Skylodge 15×13 Instant Screen Tent sets up in just one minute.
It will shelter a standard-size picnic table, but with little room to spare. In early March, we took our second trip to the oceanside Sycamore Canyon Campground (PDF) near Oxnard, California. A later check of the weather at nearby Point Mugu Naval Air Station confirmed top recorded wind gusts of 40 miles per hour. We later used the shelters on group trips at Wheeler Gorge Campground near Ojai, California, and at the La Jolla group campsite at Point Mugu, as well as on a trip to the El Mirage Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert. Our favorite of the eight canopy tents we tested, the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter ticks all those boxes.
However, if you camp in areas where bugs aren’t a big problem or you don’t spend much time outside your RV, you may want to pass on this item. Find protection from the sun, wind and bugs under the Coleman® Back Home™ 12′ x 10′ Instant Screenhouse. Roomy and sturdy, this structure is ideal bug-free entertaining at your next picnic, BBQ or campout. Sometimes a little extra shade or wind protection is just what you need, so we made the sun wall easy to clip on any side.
Items may be display models or not exactly as shown and may not be available in all stores. Its center height is even 7 feet high in case you have any tall people in your group. Even though it’s light, this Coleman comes with steel pegs to anchor your screen tent and keep it sturdy. For instance, once the screen tent is up, it will give you some much-needed shade on a hot day. The enclosed nature will keep the bugs away so you can eat a meal, lounge, or even work remotely in peace. And the screens allow for a pleasant breeze to roll through.
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The Screen House Shelter packs into a reasonably roomy drawstring bag with a strap that makes the canopy tent much easier to transport than tents, like the L.L.Bean, that lack a strap. We eliminated canopies that were not big enough to comfortably shelter a picnic table, concluding that a table is probably the number-one spot where campers would place such a structure. We also eliminated bulky, heavy shelters that are intended to be used as semipermanent backyard fixtures. A lower roof makes this shelter feel notably smaller than our top pick, but it’s also durably made and ready to pair with a superior rain fly (sold separately).