Coleman Sundome Tent with Rainfly

The media could not be loaded. This Coleman 4 person tent kept us warm and dry on our camping trip this Memorial Day weekend. This was my very first time setting up a tent and camping out with 2 kids and 2 dogs in tow, and it took me just 15 minutes to set up the tent.Set up took 15 minutes from start to finish for a tent newbie like me with some help from one kid. Based on forum advice I got some tent pegs that were easy to drive into the ground so I did not use the ones that come with the tent, so I had a very easy time setting it up. The poles were already connected by a string and I had to thread them through and clip them on with the attached clips. I also got a heavy duty tarp for the bottom of the tent based on advice on some reviews posted here. I had to fold it slightly to make sure it stayed under the tent. then once the tent was all straightened out I drove in the pegs into the ground. The rain fly was easy to install too and the included cords helps make sure the rain fly is stretched out away from the vents.The 4 person tent is 9ft by 7ft and it fitted an Intex Queen Mattress that I inflated in 15 min with a handpump. There was a little room on all sides of the tent after fitting in the mattress. If you push it to one side then there was place for one small person. We had 1 adult and 2 teenagers in the tent and our 75 lb lab and we were pretty comfortable with room to turn while sleeping. There was not really room for more than one small duffel bag after packing in 3 people and a dog, so if you're using this as a backpacking tent and plan to store your gear you can only fit in 2 people. I was glad that I had got this size compared to the 3 person tent (7ft X 7 ft) as it would have only fitted in a queen mattress and no more, and we ended up needing more room. I think the 4 person is a great size for 2 people to sleep in comfortably and have a bit more room to bring in a kid if needed.I had carried a seam sealer but reviews advised not to use it as the tent remains dry. There was no rain that night, just a little moisture in the air. The tent is very well ventilated so it got cold and airy in the tent in the night. Next time I may carry something to cover the vent on one side or maybe a warmer sleeping bag as the night got colder than we had anticipated. This would be a great tent for warmer summer evenings.The white walls of the tent reflect light well and there are 2 pockets on the side where you can put a flashlight facing upward to illuminate the whole tent. Another feature I liked was that the bottom of the tent comes up all around about 4 inches which helps keep dirt and water out. It's also advisable to pitch the tent on higher ground slightly sloping downwards so that the water flows downward away from you.The pull down was just as easy as the put up. It was easy to bring down and fold up the poles. However, I could not fit it back inside the bag. How did they manage to fit it inside that tiny bag in the first place is a mystery. I put the pegs, poles and my extra tarp inside and will find another bag for the tent itself.Now that I've learned that's it's not too hard to set up a tent, I plan to go camping more often with this Coleman Sundome tent.Update 7/9/2015 -The 4 person tent held up well and has been put up and taken down about 5-6 times already. It takes just 15 minutes to set up and is very comfortable in 45 degrees plus weather with a warm sleeping bag. For colder temperatures, I wouldn't recommend this tent. It's very airy and the 2 side windows that zip down made it comfortable even in 70 degree weather. For even warmer days you can leave the rain fly off if there is no chance of rain. I figured out finally how to roll it back tightly so it fits back inside the bag with all accessories. You just need to make sure you have the door and window unzipped so you can let all the air out and then it rolls up tight.I also purchased the Coleman 3 person tent, it is about 7 ft by 7 ft inside and just about fits an Intex Queen size air mattress. On a recent camping trip the 3 person tent worked for 2 teenagers and a dog inside the tent. It is a compact tent for 2 people, you can fit in 2 adults but there won't be any room for bags. It's not the lightest tent I've seen, but it's fairly small and fits back easily into the bag it comes in. We set up this one about 4 times and took it down in different camping grounds. The pegs did not hold up well in hard ground but I'd purchased a set of better pegs from Amazon.I am really pleased with both the tents and will be using them for many more camping trips.Update 9/29/16 - This tent is still going strong, I had my daughter put it up by herself and took a time lapse video. With a little help, it's even easier to put up, but she wanted to demonstrate putting it up with no help. It took her about 20 minutes, if there is someone to hold and align the poles it takes less time. It rained for hours in the night and the next day on our last day - this was a trip to Glacier National Park. We were both warm and dry in our 4 person and 3 person tent and it was kind of fun to hear the rain beat hard against the tent. I had not applied any seam glue to either of the tents, but might do so in the future. Unfortunately, on a subsequent trip in late fall, the tent pole snapped as the person setting it up with my daughter did not have much experience and went too hard. I now have to figure out how to get a replacement pole.

Great tent. Took on test run in 2023 and then took on 2 week camping trip in 2024. Easy setup and take down. Pockets on sides were nice to keep stuff organized. Easily fit Acothot double mattress with room on sides to put shoes and clothes. Over the 2 week trip we stayed at 6 different locations and was quick to setup and go exploring.

My tent just arrived yesterday. I struggled on what to give this tent for a rating because I just got it. I was thinking about giving it a 3 for average which seemed fair to start with. But after seeing how it handled the wind without breaking or tearing, I decided to give it a 4 because it surpassed my expectations. I plan on using this tent quite a bit this summer so I will update my rating and review as I go. I found the assembly instructions to be very basic but adequate. Anyone who has put up a tent like this before will have no problem. It took me about 15 minutes. Anyway, I set my tent up in my back yard yesterday to see how it looked and how it took on the elements. My first test was wind. I have a weather station and the average wind speed was 7 to 8 mph with gusts up to 17 mph. The back of the tent was torward the wind and when the gusts would come, the back of the tent would bow it quite a bit. I have read the reviews some people have written and see some have had problems with the poles breaking. This is what I was afraid of as I watched the back of the tent bow in. I wish I had taken a picture because it was substantial. Anyway, the poles did not break and the tent returned to it’s original form when the gust passed every time. I have seen the video on Amazon of the testing process Coleman puts their tents through. Not sure how much wind this tent is rated for but I’m pretty sure 17 mph is close to it’s max. The tent looks to be made very well for the price I paid for it. There are only two guidelines that come off the rain fly on the sides of the tent. The tent is staked down on all four corners of the floor plus a floor vent in the back of the tent. In all, there are only 7 stake down points that I could see. I feel if the tent had some guidelines higher up on each of the four corners of the main body of the tent it could withstand more wind. The stakes are ok but bend fairly easily if the ground is too hard or you hit a rock when pounding them in. I will be buying some better ones before I go camping. I left the tent up over night and checked on it this morning. It held up very well and only one of the stakes for the rain fly guidelines had twisted in the ground causing the guideline to come loose. I left the tent up because it was going to rain today. I need to know if I have any leaks before I take it out camping. It has been raining lightly for two hours now and my weather station says I’m getting .05 inches of rain an hour with a light steady wind of 2 to 3 mph. Far from what I would consider a hard rain but it’s still rain. I went out and looked at just the outside and the water seems to be beading up and running off the rain fly and tent very well. It is supposed to rain until 9 or 10 o’clock tonight so I will check for water on the inside in the morning. I’m hoping not to see any with such a light rain. If there is, I will definitely be spraying the tent down with a waterproofing spray before I take it out camping. Now for the pro’s and con’s.Pro’s:1). Great tent for the price. If your on a fixed budget or are looking for a good starter tent you will not beat this one.2). Very roomy inside. I plan on using this for two people, a shepherd and, all our gear.3) There is an eyelet at the top of the tent so you can attach a lantern and two side pockets for stowing smaller needed items like a headlamp, cell phone, keys and, so on.4). There is a small zipper in the bottom front left side of the tent for running wires. See my picture. It is covered by a little yellow strip of material to protect the zipper from the rain. You do not see this feature on most tents. I plan on using it with my solar panel so I can charge my power core, headlamp, cell phone and, other gear from inside the tent out of direct sunlight.5). I was surprised at how much give the tent had at 17 mph gusts and did not break any poles or tear. It bounced right back to it’s original form.Con’s:1). You may want to consider buying stronger tent stakes.2). I wish there was a high point on each of the four corners for attaching extra guidelines. Although it handled 17 mph gusts very well the tent did bow in quite a bit. If I had to guess, the tent was reduce by almost half it’s size. If I was inside the tent I know I would have been annoyed being hit by it every time a gust came. I really don’t feel the tent as is, could handle much more then that. I’m thinking about how to attach extra guidelines in the corners without effecting the structural stability and elasticity of the tent. Make sure you pitch this tent in a sheltered area out of the wind if your expecting bad weather.Update 04/30/18I went out the next morning after the light rain and the inside was dry. The following day saw more rain showers with substantially more rain. Checked the tent again today and it is still dry. After reading some of the reviews I really thought this tent would leak. Because this tent has preformed better then expected I have changed my rating to a five. I am going to seal the seams and spray waterproofing on the tent anyway because I would rather be safe then sorry. For the size and price of this tent you will not find a better deal. Just remember to pitch your tent in a sheltered area in you are expecting winds and you will not be disappointed. I think I have figured out a way to put up extra guidelines on each of the four corners so the tent will preform better with heavy gusts of wind. I will test it out and take pictures. More to come.That is all for now and there will be more updates coming.

Setup is easy, a kid could probably do it if they had to. It feels pretty sturdy, the poles don’t feel like they’ll snap in windy conditions and the mesh hasn’t ripped. I’ve always been a firm believer that a 1 person tent is useless, so I always buy a 2 person tent for solo camping. This fits me and my gear quite comfortably. My sleeping pad fits and my backpack has a spot in the corner. You might have issues if you’re tall though. I like the 2 pockets to hold things. I have a light in 1 and my wallet, keys and other things in the other. It’s been pretty wet for my entire trip and I haven’t had any water get inside. My only legit complaint is that it is currently 23° outside and it feels like that inside too. If you don’t have a good sleeping bag, be prepared to be cold. For the price, this is absolutely worth it if you aren’t going camping all the time. I’ve only used it on 1 trip, so I can’t speak for the long term durability, but tents are usually expensive for a reason.