Coleman Weathermaster Six to Eight-Person Three-Room Cabin Tent

The main reason for getting this tent was its size. We can't stand small tents, and like to be able to stand upright inside. The roof is a nice selling point, too. The entire top of the tent is screened like windows. Leaving the rain fly off is great during the day, to keep it from getting stuffy inside. At night, it's a fantastic sleeping-under-the-stars experience, without having to deal with bugs. Of course, you need to be absolutely sure it's not going to rain before leaving the fly off for an extended period of time! (It does attach very easily, though, so you can put it on in a rush if necessary.)

It comes with a little doormat too, which is nice for having a no-shoes policy inside the tent. The "walls" for the rooms are removable, which is both a good and a bad thing. You can leave it entirely open inside if you want. But when the walls are up, because of the way they attach, there is a three-inch gap between the tent wall and the room wall, which doesn't do much for privacy.

The tent itself is quite easy to put up, and doesn't take long. Overall, we're very pleased with it.

I bought one of these several years ago, and used it for at least 10 outings.

Here is what I liked about it:

1. It is BIG. I'm 6'6", and I could actually stand up in the middle of this tent; something I'm not used to...
2. The flooring is quite sturdy, so you don't need to lay down a tarp.
3. The large D-shaped door makes it easy to get yourself, your gear, and (if you have them) your pets/kids in and out of the tent.
4. The large windows allow for good ventilation.

Here is what I DIDN'T like about it:

1. The weight. Having steel poles, this tent is significantly heavier than most of its contemporaries.
2. Packed size. Again, the steel poles take up a lot of room.
3. Set up. Although fairly straightforward, setting this up requires two people and a significant amount of patience. I've done it alone, but it was very trying.
4. The rain fly. The design of this makes it prone to pooling (more on this later) even when properly guyed out.

So on our final outing with this so-called "Master of Weather", we had a collapse during a night-time thunderstorm. This wasn't a particularly strong storm with high winds. A lot of rain is what led to its ultimate demise. While one would expect the hefty steel poles to offer strength, they certainly don't allow for much flexibility. And, in our case, one snapped in half, causing a soggy slumber for all inside.

Out of frustration, I threw the whole kit and caboodle in the dumpster on our way out of the campground. Had I known how good Coleman's customer support is, I would have had them replace it -- they're reportedly *very* accommodating in this regard.

Would I buy this again? Probably not. Is it worth the asking price? Yes, but only as long as you take its moniker with a grain of salt.

This tent is awesome for a family of five. We've stayed dry in Yellowstone and all over the northwest in rain. However, during a squall in the Grand Tetons, our tent poles snapped. Seems other folks are having this problem with the Coleman steel tent poles.

On the bright side, Coleman customer service is awesome. Someone from the Coleman help desk went down to their returns desk and personally fished out the correct pole to allow our camping trip to continue during summer 07. Coleman won a loyal customer here based on their outstanding customer service.

Also, this tent is a bargain for its size, sleeping capacity and quality. Great job by Coleman....just wish those poles were sturdier.

We have enjoyed this tent on a number of camping trips, but one of the poles snapped and the one we need replaced is no longer available through Coleman. Leaves us having to buy a whole new tent. Not cool. Otherwise has been a great tent.

We've had ours for about 5 years. First time I set it up was in the dark, and it was raining, no problems. I've used it in the high winds of Land's End peninsula in England, no problems. Last Summer we went camping in Flagstaff, AZ. We had a major downpour that tore my brother-in-law's tent apart. That night we had more rain. I have never sealed the seams, the only water ever to get inside is the minimal condensation, and there's no way to avoid that. The only ding I have on this tent is that the loops they have to hang the room dividers break easily.