[TheAnt]

I am in the market for a new tent and its been a while since I have purchased I thought you guys might have some suggestions on what/where/etc.

I live in a southwest desert climate currently but would possibly even use it in wetter conditions in the southeast. I am interested in something that is somewhat lightweight, durable, and fairly camoflaged (nothing orange or red etc). I think a four man tent would be sufficient for my clan. I am not looking to spend a fortune (and I know you can really pay high dollar for this stuff).

Ive visited the usual places and have seen a wide range of prices. Any of you have tents you just really love? Why? What do you look for in a tent? Thanks for sharing!

 

[ZoomZoom]

Sounds like a Eureka Timberline 4 would fit your needs nicely. It's a tried and true tent and my "go to" tent for most occasions (particularly, Scouting as it's been the preferred tent for Boy Scouts for probably 30 years). It's been awhile but I believe this site had the best deal when I got mine.
ManVenture Outpost - The Great Outdoors for Less!

Backcountry.com has a clearance website that you can get nice tents and great pricing.
Steep and Cheap: Mad Rock Ultra Tech Quickdraw - $9.25 - 42% off
They only sell one item at a time (for about 30 minutes) so you need to check in somewhat frequently but they regularly have quality tents for 50% or more off the price.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My Wife and I have been looking at this tent for a while.

I want some thing that will last and study enough to use for long term camping.

NEW! Kodiak Canvas 12 x 9 Cabin Tent with Deluxe Awning - 6 Person

they are a lot of other tents on that site as well

 

[NaeKid]

My first question for you would be "How do you expect to transport the tent?"

Are you looking for a tent that fits in a full-size van or truck and it takes two people to setup, are you looking for a tent that fits on a motorbike and one person can set it up alone, are you looking for a tent that straps to a bicycle or finally, a tent that can be strapped to a back-pack for a week-long hiking trip into the back-country?

My second question is "What kind of weather do you expect to encounter while tenting?"

If you are looking for something that can withstand gale-force winds on a mountain top or something that can withstand heavy snow-falls / rain-falls / flooded ground? Or are you looking for a tent that can be suspended like a hammock above the ground?

I realize that you would like a tent that will cover the family, but, the bigger the tent, the less heat retention there is, the colder everyone will be inside that tent. A 1-man or 2-man tent is my recommended size that isn't much bigger than a person crouched down on all fours giving you smaller air-space and greater control over the temperature inside the tent.

I have tented on open prairie, in desert, in forests and mountain-sides in many sizes of tents ... personal experience has always gone towards the tents that are suitable for 4-season back-pack touring.

If the weather is nice enough, a hammock always gets the nod ...

 

[TheAnt]

I apologize if I wasnt clear in the OP. I dont get to camp as much as I would like so this will only get used a dozen times a year if that much. I was looking for a tent for my family (2 adults and a child (for now)). I agree that the smaller the tent the better and if it were just me and my wife I would get a 2 person tent and if it were just me or several single adults I would probably get some kind of bivy (?) tent. I was curious if anyone had any tents they really liked and for what reasons. I was kind a hoping to even find a camo tent -- all the ones I looked at looked like junk.

I looked into the Eureka mentioned above and I think that looks like a great tent but it was a bit more expensive than I was hoping. The two man version of that would probably be an ideal 2 man tent! I also like the hammock especially for hot/humid zones. I usually sleep better than anyone if I have a hammock and a sheet (to keep bugs off)!

I ended up purchasing this tent because it was fairly low cost, was not an outrageous color, and was not terribly huge/heavy (similar in size to what we have used previously) but would fit the three of us. If anyone is interested I may post a review after first use.

That being said the conversation can continue! I LOVE camping! Thank you for all your suggestions thus far!

 

[NaeKid]

Apologies not required - most people asking for a recommendation on a tent have an idea in their mind and unless certain questions are asked first, then it is difficult to put out a good option ...

What I find is a great tent is a little 3-man dome tent w/ integrated fly. My dad finds it way too small for his needs, so he purchased a 4-season tent that straps to his Harley that comes with a built-in garage that he can park his Harley inside of ...

Another tent that I like is a backpackers 1-man tent that folds down into a little bundle small enough that it fits in the palm of my hand - combine that with my sleeping back that squeezes into another bundle that fits in the palm of my hand, I am good for sleeping quarters for a long time. I tent in all kinds of weather - from hot-n-dry to cold-n-snowy and everything in between.

BassProShops here in Calgary has a great little 1-man tent that I love and NorthFace has a great 2-man tent that is amazing for backpacking. I normally look for package'd size when picking a tent - if I need to use two hands to move it, it is too big ...