8 Of The Best Tents For Family Camping

I don’t know about you, but when we went from camping as a couple, to camping as family, things changed drastically.

All of the sudden, the necessities we packed had tripled, and we now needed a pack’n play, a fan, and tons more room.  Not to mention all of the extra food and cleaning supplies we needed.

Above all, we needed a new tent, and being the over-researching type-A person that I am….and not the mention frugalista in me…….I went on the hunt for the most perfect, most affordable tent for family camping.  What I came up with was this list of 8 of the best tents for family camping, based on the following criteria:

• The Ability To Stand: My husband is 6’4″, and while that’s not super tall, it’s tall enough that he gets really tired of ducking.  He didn’t want to duck in his tent, and quite frankly, taller tents have more room.
• Easy Set-Up: Keeping one eye on a toddler and another on placing the proper tent poles in the correct slots is a recipe for disaster.  Each and every tent I selected is one of the easiest to set up on the market.
• Separate Rooms: Maybe not a necessity, but having 2 separate rooms is certainly nice when camping with the family.
• Either Cabin or Dome Style: these two tent styles tend to be taller, lending themselves to more headroom, and they tend to take up more floor space, checking off items on my list.
• Reputable Brands/Quality: We wanted this tent to LAST, so no off-brands, or sketchy brands on this list.

Wyoming Trail 4 By Big Agnes

• Capacity: 4 people
• Footprint: 65 square feet (32.5 each side)
• Vestibule: 49 square feet
• Max Height: 72′ inside vestibule
• Price: $549

The Big Agnes Wyoming Trail 4 Camp Tent has a new and improved divider between the two sides.  Rather than just placing a privacy screen between the two sides, the Wyoming Trail tent has a ‘shared space’ between the two tents, making it less like one tent, and more like two tents that share poles.

I love this tent because of the space between the two sides, as well as the ease of setup.  According to Outside Magazine, “It went up on the first try, which is saying a lot for  a tent this size.  For starters, there are only 4 poles.”  Assembling the tent with its meager 4 poles is even easier, because the poles clip in, rather than slide into sleeves.

The fly that comes with the tent covers the vestibule in the middle, and each sleeping side has it’s own zippered door.  Overall, it’s a great tent, at a great price, that gives a family both shared space and privacy within a single tent.

Perry Mesa by Paha Que

• Capacity: 8 people
• Footprint: 140 square feet
• Vestibule: none
• Max Height: 78′ inside vestibule
• Price: $479

Paha Que, although you may not have heard of them, has been making quality tents since 1997 that are geared towards family camping, and for car camping.  They’re innovators, too, being one fo the first manufacturers to incorporate an awning and bathtub floor.

The Paha Que Perry Mesa ScreenRoom/Tent Combo  is part screen tent, and part regular tent – and it’s huge.  It does have a little less headroom than other tents here, but because of its sheer size and innovative layout, it is still an excellent choice.  It will make you feel like you have all the room in the world, with the screen room, awning, and two doors.

Klondike 8-Person Tent

• Capacity: 8 people
• Footprint: 98 square feet + 60 square foot screen room
• Vestibule: 6 square feet
• Max Height: 78′
• Price: $161

This tent is awesome for camping with family or a large group.  The 8 Person Klondike Tent hasbase dimensions are 16’x11′, which makes it footprint huge.  The actual sleeping rooms have space for 5 people to sleep, while an additional 3 can sleep in the screen room.

But the best feature, by far, is the 6’5″ of head room – something that is sure to make the tallest campers happy.  I love the separation this tent gives, plus the common area found in the screen room.

Tahoe Gear Deluxe 12-Person Tent

• Capacity: 12 people
• Footprint: 378 square feet
• Vestibule: none
• Max Height: 72′
• Price: $199

A huge tent at a small price, the Tahoe Gear Gateway 12 Person Tent is easy to set up, and crazy durable.  It’s unique shape offers privacy offers whether traveling with family or friends, and makes even longer trip more comfortable because of its size.

The tent has  easy setup poles that snap together quickly, guy ropes, and large windows to allow for great air flow.  The Tahoe Gear 12-Person Tent is a fantastic option if you’re traveling with a large group, need privacy, or have a large family.

Frontier 6 By Kelty

• Capacity: 6 people
• Footprint: 100 square feet
• Vestibule: 78 square feet
• Max Height: 84″
• Price: $835

The Kelty Frontier 6 is the only canvas tent made by Kelty.  Unlike other manufacturers, this tent offers a different take on the canvas tent, as well as a vestibule.  It’s 78 square feet gives you tons of room – and separation – for good or bad weather, and with a max height of 84″, there is plenty of head room.

It has many windows with mesh panels, has noiseless zippers, is freestanding, and can be set up by just one person.  Because it is a canvas tent, this tent takes up quite a bit of space when packed, and is heavy.  However, the canvas allows the tent to be larger, more comfortable for longer term stays, and longer-lasting.  It’s a trade-off, but if you’re looking for a tent that checks every single comfort box, then this tent is your best bet.

REI Kingdom 8

• Capacity: 8 people
• Footprint: 105 square feet
• Vestibule: 65 square feet
• Max Height: 6’5″
• Price: $529

The REI Kingdom 8 is a very durable, high-ceilinged tent with the space for a large family.  It’s large, 105 square feet of space allows for both privacy and family space, while it’s vestibule offers 3 seasons of shade or sun.

While the frame type is not ideal for high winds, it does set up in under 15 minutes with just one person, and its walls are equipped with mesh to keep the air flowing and the temperature inside comfortable.  It has a basic internal divider to allow for privacy, and of course, the head room can’t be beat.

Asashi by NEMO

• Capacity: 4 people
• Footprint: 63 square feet
• Vestibule: 17 square feet
• Max Height: 60″
• Price: $299

The Asashi by NEMO is one of the coolest tents I’ve ever seen.  It’s lime green color and shape remind me of a caterpillar (!), while its price and headroom are pretty spectacular. It’s a little smaller than some of the others, but the price and the flexibility of the tent make it a solid competitor.

It’s great for family backpacking because it is extremely lightweight and small when packed, and it has a whopping 63 square feet.  If you need more space, you can actually attach another Asashi to it with the Asashi Link, doubling the space based on your needs.  Or, if you want more vestibule space, you can add an additional 57 square feet to it with a larger vestibule.

Capstone 6 by Marmot

• Capacity: 6 people
• Footprint: 120 square feet
• Vestibule: 25 square feet
• Max Height: 76″
• Price: $299

The smallest tent on this list with crazy amounts of headroom, the Marmot Capstone 6, comes with a doormat and 2 large doors so you can be in the tent and still see the kiddos.  The center of the tent has a privacy screen that portions off a sleeping area for 2, but the screen is also removable for daytime or if you desire less privacy.

It does offer the smallest vestibule, but the tent is extremely easy to set up, as it only has 2 tent poles.  For a tall tent with optional privacy and crazy easy set-up, theMarmot Capstone 6 is your best bet.

Which tent fits your family the best?

Until Next Time,

Gretchen

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