Good, moderate-weather tent with a but....
Written: Dec 17 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Ease of setup, easy transport, room for 6'2" people, cost.
Cons: Weak, tarp-like bottom material
The Bottom Line: For the $70 price tag, this tent will suit your needs adequately for moderate weather conditions because of its
ease of setup, its room, and transportability.
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| cakes46's Full Review: Coleman 9' X 7' Sundome 4 Person Tent, 9260f907 |
I bought the Coleman Sundome as an inexpensive tent for summer time camping in California. For those who don't know, it rarely rains in summer in California except an occasional thunderstorm in the Sierra mountains which I briefly experienced my first time out. The tent held up well to the light rain I got with no visible leakage.
I also bought this tent for its dimensions, 9X7. I am 6'2" and I find sleeping in the 7' direction is slightly cramped; I feel like I can't stretch out but it's still doable. Sleeping in the 9' direction is fine with plenty of room for clothes and other junk. Three 6'2" people would seem plausible, but, four big people seems to be out of the question.
As to the height of the tent, by no means can I stand up in it (look to the 10x8 model for full standing room). But I don't mind not standing up so much.
I bought the tent for it's ease of setup and it was definitely easy to set up. I felt it un-necessary to connect ALL of the rainfly straps. The rainfly is very easy to attach, easier than my friends' tents. In windier conditions, it might be wise to purchase a better set of ground stakes, however, as they seemed very weak (they don't twist like some models I've seen).
The flaps get stuck in the zippers quite frequently but it's really not a big deal
Now to the most important detail, the strength of the tarp-like material which forms the base of the tent. In summary, I got three holes from a rock that I happened to be sleeping on. I did not notice the rock as I was sleeping on a therma rest. Needless to say, I was greatly upset by this. Luckily, OutdoorWorld of Capitola exchanged it for me with no questions.
For the next time out (and what I recommend to Sundome owners) I will rake the ground free of rocks and also place an inexpensive tarp down first (as Coleman recommended but I didn't formerly believe was necessary). This seems to be very important as the bottom of the tent is not as sturdy as I thought it would be!
In conclusion, I think this tent was worth the $70 I spent.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID: cakes46
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Reviews written: 2
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