Literally anyone can have this tent out of the bag and fully pitched in about 10 seconds. That’s because Coleman uses a flexible fiberglass frame that packs down flat for storage, but then “pops” up instantly into its fully pitched form the second you unfold it. You can literally just toss it into the air and watch it expand before your eyes (you won’t be the first or last camper to do so).
When we tested this 4-person tent, my son and I arrived at an unfamiliar campground, after dark. A nearby family spent over 40 minutes pitching their standard tent, which they had used many times prior. It took me under 5 minutes to have this tent set up coleman cabin tent and our sleeping bags rolled out. I expected this tent to be easy to set up, but I had no idea it’d be quite this easy. But the second time, the windward corners of the tent accordioned under fairly moderate wind pressure when the fly was attached.
This is helpful if you are wondering at night trying to find your tent. Staking in the tent will make it even sturdier and you will feel safer when there is a storm. However, some users reported that the stakes are really cheap and flimsy so you might want to think of getting better stakes than bringing the ones that come with it. The manufacturer also thinks of the user at night as it adds reflective guylines so that the user won’t wander around in the forest trying to find his/her own tent.
The main structure isn’t the worst, with the entire tent made of 150D polyester and all seams sealed. However, the zippers and the mesh netting are poorly made, and the bag will not last more than a season before it rips or springs a leak. The poles are made from aluminum, but many moving plastic pieces hold them together. The Cabin has three large windows, easy access vents in the ceiling (these are accessible from inside the tent thanks to zippers in the ceiling), and two storage pockets. The only ding on the windows is that they have no ties or way to secure them once opened, so they are left to simply dangle.
The advertised setup time is a blistering 60 seconds, and we found that this was not an exaggeration—even if you start the clock with the tent still inside its travel bag. The tent is freestanding, so any additional pegging can be accomplished at your leisure (unless wind is a factor). You’ll also want to set aside some extra time to strap on the secondary rainfly should you opt to purchase this along with the tent, but we’ll talk more about that later on.
We researched new models and redesigns, and we assembled a new batch of small tents for testing in March 2022, this time on Oahu. During this period, winds rose up to 35 to 40 knots, and we experienced passing showers as well as direct sunlight and 80-degree temperatures. To mimic heavier rain and to test the tent’s ability to withstand soggy ground conditions, we also soaked our tents with a garden hose. A few weeks later, we brought the front-runners to a platform in an area that had higher elevation, near the Waianae Mountain Range, and camped out overnight in intermittent but consistent rainfall. Whether you’re thinking of hitting the road or staying close to home for your next car-camping adventure, you and your loved ones will need a comfortable place to sleep.
There is a vent at the bottom to allow airflow and prevent condensation. Coleman Hampton 6 Person Family Camping Cabin Tent is for families who don’t mind the hassle of setting up their tents. If you want more space, convenient entry/exit and the feeling of a hotel room in the outdoors, this would be a better choice than the 6 Person Instant Tent.
After setup, we assessed the size of each tent by inflating two camping pads that, when pushed together, create a queen-sized mattress. Most car campers want comfort, so if we couldn’t fit a queen-size mattress in the tent, it lost a point. If it wasn’t able to fit four sleeping bags side-by-side, it was coleman cabin tent docked further. While there are lots of excellent family tents on the market, instant camping tents have been gaining popularity, so we decided to focus our testing exclusively on tents that claimed to be set up in 5 minutes or less. These family-style instant tents will transform your family campouts.