I would like to buy a family tent.

Its not going to be UL, not for backpacking. Its a car camping tent, but I still want light >7kgs. Needs to be 4 person, 3 season. But with a large vestibule space for cooking in if its raining.

I liked the big agnes big house 4, but in the UK its crazy expensive.

Budget is US$500

Thanks for you suggestions.

Edited by bachamp on 07/02/2012 14:01:12 MDT.

Take a look at the Hobitat 4 from REI - http://www.rei.com/product/810122/rei-hobitat-4-tent-2011

You can also get the optional "garage" for it which should fulfill the need for cooking inside - http://www.rei.com/product/810167/rei-connect-tech-garage.

Weight and price should be close to your needs.

How about the Hogback from tt?:

http://www.tarptent.com/hogback.html

Confusing, You are in Australia, complain about UK prices and give a budget in US dollars. Car camping is completely different than backpacking and a bit of weight is neither here nor there.
Coleman make some really good value car camping tents (I have a Hooligan 4 which can be had for less than USD100 at Walmart, and weighs about 7 kilos). In Australia I see a Connecta 5 which fits much of your criteria except weight at Aus D 300 (it weighs 15 kilos). You may well find that your family would much prefer that sort of size. Just make sure you water seal any exposed stitching and don;t rely exclusively on the seam tapes.

I would not recommend the TT Hogback for car camping because you can for that price get a much larger and comfortable tent.
(it is however a great tent for backpaking and that it is what it was designed for....)
For car camping you are better off with one that you can stand up under it, with a vestibule or two, large enough to cook under and with a couple of "rooms" as in two areas that can be divided at night , one for the parents ane one for the kids.
I would just head off to Ray and or Annaconda and see what they have there.
(that is if you are in Melbourne...)
good advice about seam sealing. So if give it a good rain test before you need to use it , that way you also avoid spending 1 hour trying to figure out how to set it up in a camping ground..
(although I put that down as "entertainment" when I see it happen.)
Franco

Edited by Franco on 07/03/2012 00:41:25 MDT.

If my proper English to 'American English' translator worked properly, I think what posters have said is: for a family car-camping tent, go to Walmart or Target or local equivalent and buy something for $80 US that will be a great family play fort (and probably a pain in the but to set up), But cheap, won't last too long, save your $$ or Euros or whatever for backpacking gear, buy the cheap walmart stuff for family time.

No Tom: I choose the Coleman Hooligan because of the weather-proofness of the design. The only aspect of the design I have ant doubts about are the glass fiber poles, which are not as strong (or light) as decent Aluminium poles. But with the decent guying of the design, they are good for three season use. The last Coleman "frame" tent that I owned lasted over a decade of weekend camping in North Wales, where vertical rain was a blessed relief from the usual horizantal rain. It's a brand that I trust for reliable, but heavy, car camping gear at a good price. As Franco says, the kids (and wife usually) want more room and a sheltered cooking/living area, which good backpacking gear does not provide. The advice re practice at home first is good.

Sorry for the confusion.

I'm an Australian but currently in the UK. I usually buy most of my stuff from the US as it cheaper and theres more options. But VAT here is very high in the UK compared to AUS, so I would prefer to find something that I can buy in the UK.

I have thought about a cheaper tent, but I just find that if you spend some money you get a tent that works, is well designed, and will last. Don't forget, it rains a lot in the UK, and Scotland gets bloody cold and windy, I like some confidence with the tent.

A few other things,

Free standing
Good height, if you can stand up in it that would be a +
If possible but most likely not, fast setup (where the fly is already attached to the tent).

Big Agnes has tents that fit your criteria, and I would trust them to be bulletproof and easy to set up. This caught my eye- $370US

http://www.backcountry.com/big-agnes-king-creek-4-tent-family-tent


Or you could go with Alps Mountaineering, they have more economy-based stuff, but everything I've had from them has been bomber

Coleman Coastline series. Tunnel design, so more weatherproof than most. Not rfeestanding, but stable when guyed. Pitches fly first- essential in the UK. Wish they had them in the USA:)

For car camping I would get 2 large cheap tarps . One for over the picnic table so that you can sit and have a good time while it is raining or to provide shade. The second tarp would go over the camping area where the tent would stand. Then underneath would go the tent and that could be the cheapest POS tent you find as long as you like to be in it. The second tarp would extend over the entrance of the tent to allow you to get out of the tent during the rain and easily sit in a camp chair or to put on your shoes without getting wet.

I find it strange with all the options, that someone cannot recommend a good tent, instead they just tell me I should now worry about weight.

I may want to take the tent on a plane. So keeping it light as possible and within the budget (US500)

I like quality tents, my curent UL is a hilleberg.

Cheers,
Ben

This is our family tent, Marmot Halo 4P -- used for both car and canoe camping. Fits 2 adults and 2 kids easily and is a 'real' tent, unlike the cheapie family stuff (which I tried, stuff was a total joke). I can't stand up in it, but the kids can (and has so far handled all their horseplay without a problem). But that means a better profile for windier conditions. Its bomber, roomy vestibules, and I would trust it in a variety of conditions. Close to your weight criteria, so maybe worth a look -- I expect this tent to last a long long time.

http://www.backcountryedge.com/marmot-halo-4p.aspx

Edited by mediauras on 07/04/2012 00:58:57 MDT.

"I find it strange with all the options, that someone cannot recommend a good tent, instead they just tell me I should now worry about weight."

Ben, what options do you mean?

You are asking about a weight of 7 kilograms. This forum might have better ideas about tents one tenth of that size.

--B.G.--

I got a Sierra Designs Wuhu 4 for about $220. It's a great tent for me, but does not have a huge vestibule for a tent that size. It should be big enough for cooking if you sit inside. I love this tent because it has the classic vertical walls you'd expect from a tunnel tent, and I can almost stand straight up in it...I just have to tilt my head slightly. The Wuhu 4+2 has a HUGE vestibule and falls within your price range. You could easily cook in there, and store a couple mountain bikes and all your packs. It is >7 kgs. The only thing I'd change on these tents is to allow the vestibule door to be propped up with trekking poles to create a porch. The Wuhu 6+2 is even bigger.

My car camping tent is a Kelty 4-person tent. We usually use camp cots for car camping since weight is not an issue, and we can fit 2 cots easily inside the tent. The Kelty tent is plenty roomy inside, big enough for me to stand up in (though not quite for my 6ft hubby), and excellent quality. On Memorial Day weekend, we pitched it in a rain storm and it held up well all night, despite the 50mph gusts! How about this one? http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28675# It's a bit over 7kg, but the whole vestibule opens up to form a covered area... looks perfect for family car camping.

Wife and I just upgraded out car camping tent to this one. We like it. Its huge, especially for two people.

We had it out last weekend in Oregon in the rain and it was great. That was the first time we've camped with the Limestone in the rain.

You can find them on sale for $250ish. I think its $329 full price.

I use the REI Kingdome 6 for car camping and just added the garage vestibule. I love the tent because it has good height along the entire ridgeline instead of just at the center of a dome. I think it comes in at around 20lbs so a little heavier then you are looking at but there is also a 4 person model that would be lighter.

It does need to be staked out pretty good to withstand high winds so it isn't really freestanding but it is a great family tent.