First time posting here, so thanks ahead of time for the help!
My wife and I have 2 boys, both under 3 and their grandparents want to get them a tent for Christmas.
We love the idea, but don’t want them to break the bank. However, their grandparents want to get them something that will last a while and be quality enough for moving from the back yard to “real” camping in the future.
Any recommendations for tents that are easy to set up, cheap-ish (sub-$200 likely), and can fit 2 adults and potentially 3 kids under 10? We likely would only be camping in decent weather (no rain), but also would like not to be sleeping on top of one another
Not sure if we are asking too much, but would really appreciate any recommendations or other advice!
I grew up camping and doing outdoorsy stuff with my family. When I had kids, we jumped right into camping.
It was rough.
After a few times, I asked my mom how she was able to camp with three little kids.
She laughed out loud and said she never did when I was little. The camping didn’t start until we could fend for ourselves more. She said she thought I was crazy for doing it with toddlers but didn’t want to discourage us, lol.
We got an RV.
So, yeah, get a Coleman. Have fun in the backyard. Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go further for a while.
@Nyx
I go camping with 1 single baby and man it’s rough. She’s not used to sleeping in tents and sleeping bags and all the rustling of nylon and strange night sounds and would be up all night crawling about. Of course she would fall asleep just as the animals decide to have their concerto (deer barking, foxes screeching and sniffing around the tent) so yeah…Letting the kids get used to the tent in the back yard before actually going camping is a great, life saving idea.
@Thorn
My family did this for years as one sibling after another was born. The only solution we found was for Mom and the baby to share a sleeping bag; this keeps the little one warm, cozy, and feeling safe, which usually mitigates the crying/restlessness.
@Blair
Did not work for me unfortunately-I tend to use the sleeping bag as a blanket - I have one of the rectangular cotton ones for summer so the baby can sleep on me exactly like at home, but no - she prefers to get stuck between the air mattress and tent wall for 163926x in 10 minutes.
An 8 man tent that will last for under $200 is unlikely. I’m also confused if you actually plan on going camping or just camping in the backyard? A quality 6 man tent is like $600.
Laine said:
An 8 man tent that will last for under $200 is unlikely. I’m also confused if you actually plan on going camping or just camping in the backyard? A quality 6 man tent is like $600.
I got a Coleman 8 person for under 200 on black Friday years ago. It did well for us for years. Prices are higher now but it’s not a crazy budget.
@Nyx
Dude I just retired a MEC tent that was easily twenty years old. I have another MEC tent that is going strong at 16. North face is probably 13. Yeah if he just wants to go camping and has $200 buy a Coleman and go camping but it’s not going to last a long time.
@Laine
Lol, he’s going to camp for the first time with toddlers. Telling him he needs a $600 tent is crazy.
How many times did you use those tents? You waterproof them every year? How many patches? How many times did you replace the shock cord? I’m seriously curious.
@Nyx
That’s pretty much the opposite of what I’m saying. I’m saying if he wants to go camping and his budget is $200, grab a Coleman and go camping, just don’t think it’s going to last a long time.
Laine said: @Nyx
That’s pretty much the opposite of what I’m saying. I’m saying if he wants to go camping and his budget is $200, grab a Coleman and go camping, just don’t think it’s going to last a long time.
Yeah, I have two boys who are not going to be easy on that tent long term
It’s a gift, so I don’t want my family to spend too much on it, especially knowing we’re mostly going to just be in the back yard to get them acclimated to it!
@Nyx
Definitely not the case. Until upgrading to a modern (and much lighter!) setup recently, I’d been using my dad’s tents he bought in the mid 90s - closing in on 30 years old, and used frequently for backcountry trips and family trips throughout the years alike. They’re still in excellent condition and will likely make it another 15-20 before retirement.