Coleman - Skydome 4-Person Tent

Our Troop has been using 4-person and 6-person Coleman Skydome tents for the last several years. The boys are rough on tents, so priorities are cost and ease of repair. Positives: - The tents themselves are quick to set up and pack away. - They are well ventilated. - Inexpensive and reasonably durable. Negatives: - They are not especially light, weighting between 8 and 13 lbs. - Poles are attached to the tent, which makes them easy to pack but could be a problem if a pole needs to be replaced. - Can handle rain when set up correctly, but may allow in water in a severe storm. On that last point, it's hard for me to provide a completely objective assessment because we have had Skydome tents become soggy in very bad weather, but this may be because of boys leaving the vent on the door open rather than issues with the tent itself.

Funny, I literally just bought a Coleman Skydome 4-person for a camping trip my son and I took. Granted I've only used the tent the one time, and it was dry conditions, but I was pleased with it out of the box. Setup legitimately took less than ten minutes, and I was setting it up myself. Some people have grouched about the pre-attached poles but I had no issue with them. Just snap the two sets of poles together, run them corner-to-corner, and hook the tent itself to them. I found the doorway zipper was pretty easy to use -- it has a flap covering the entire zippered length to prevent insect/water entry, which is a nice feature but you just have to be careful about not getting the zipper snagged. The entire roof is mesh and not very thick mesh either, so I could see it ripping easily if you're not careful. But otherwise, great bit of kit. Lots of airflow, good footprint, easy setup, some internal wall pockets for quick storage. The amount of mesh really helps cut down condensation -- it was a humid night from the weather so we left the rain fly off entirely, was still very comfortable. Hell, I even managed to get the thing back in the carry case without issue. It folds up easily to about 3 foot long.

That's why I got a 4 person Coleman Skydome though I camp solo. I’m 5’4” and can stand almost straight. Got a beach chair and bucket toilet in there too. Couldn't stand up in my 3 person. Mine has a substantial covered foyer. Not all models have it. This is mine: [https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/tents-by-size/skydome-4-person-camping-tent-with-full-fly-vestibule-evergreen/SAP\_2206946.html](https://www.coleman.com/camp-sports/tents-by-size/skydome-4-person-camping-tent-with-full-fly-vestibule-evergreen/SAP_2206946.html)

I have a Coleman Skydome. I really like it, and can set it up from in the bag to staked down within 10 minutes by myself. I like that it is basically a screen tent with a secure rain fly over it. Eliminates condensation being inside the tent. If it is hot, just take the rain fly off. Mine is a "4 person", but I wouldn't plan more than 2 people with their gear in it.

I love this tent!

We have the 4 person tent for just two of us. It perfectly fit a queen size air mattress with enough room for personal bags and 2 small dogs. We have a 1 year old now, so we’re going to size up. The tent is super easy to set up/tear down. I usually did it by myself. We’ve camped in the rain and woke up dry with just the fly, no additional tarp needed. It’s a great tent.

We’ve car camped with a Coleman instant up (I think a Skydome 4) for 11 years. It survived a derecho at high elevation in 2020, and it has seen lots of rain and hail. We still use it for car camping a few times a year. There’s one pole on it that’s taped, couple patched up holes, and when it quits we’ll buy another one. For the price I don’t think we could ask much more out of it. Not saying you can’t do better, but they’re definitely not junk.

There are many great luxurious 4P tents such as Marmot Halo, but since you have a dog I'll recommend the Coleman Skydome 4P - [https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-4-Person-Weatherproof-Headroom-Traditional/dp/B0D7QG9H85/](https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-4-Person-Weatherproof-Headroom-Traditional/dp/B0D7QG9H85/) \- as its 'cheaper' material is actually tougher and more durable to tearing than the expensive tents. The tent may not be luxurious in appointments but it is extremely luxurious in space. It is also cheap to replace if and when your dog damages it. If you have a big truck to transport your tent, you can also look at the Gazelle T4 - [https://www.amazon.com/Gazelle-GT400GR-Portable-4-Person-Overlanding/dp/B08B2FGLV8](https://www.amazon.com/Gazelle-GT400GR-Portable-4-Person-Overlanding/dp/B08B2FGLV8) \- which is very quick and easy to set up, but is very big when folded down. For lantern, the one to get is Sofirn BLF LT1 - [https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Lantern-Rehargeable-Runtime-flaslight/dp/B097MN6P1B](https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Lantern-Rehargeable-Runtime-flaslight/dp/B097MN6P1B)

I had considered mentioning the 4p skydome. It’s held up for me 50mph gusts, 20-40 sustained.

Either a Coleman basic model or Core tent from Costco. I got a Core from Costco about five years ago for about $125, use it all the time, and still love it. I think it’s a six person although only three of us use it with plenty of room and the ability to stand up.

6 person tent is nice and roomie but you only need a two 4 person tents. I'd go Coleman as a basic tent it comes with everything but a tarp to lay under it. Scouting they usually tent two to a tent with smaller kids having an extra person in their tent.