TENT CAMPING

[fowlmouth]

In a major victory my wife has agreed to sell our pop-up camper so we can tow my boat when we go camping! However, she want a cabins tent and I have no idea what to look for. I have looked at them from Coleman, wenzel, eureka,some Kmart brand and wenger.
Do any of you guys that camp have any pointers? These tent all are about the same size and run from $150 to $600 and the only brands I am familiar with are Coleman and eureka. Any body use anything like this? the tents are 12x14 and up, how hard are they to set up?

[blakstr1]

I've had a few tents through the years and the only one that I STILL have is my Coleman.  Its been great, tough, durable, and easy to pretty easy to set up, just remember to clean and dry it each time before you pack it up for storage.  I also put a tarp or a roll of carpet underneath it when its set up too, insualtes better and I think its easier on the mat'l.  I've noticed that the WalMart brand "Ozark Trail" seemed to be better built now too, so you might want to look at those, never owned a Eureka or a North Face, they are a the top of the price chain.  Good Luck!

[smbassman]

If you are just planning on warm weather tenting, any of the better brands are fine.  Look for ones with good air flow(even with the rain fly on) if you will use it mostly in the summer.  Look for quality materials including zippers, no-see'um mesh instead of regular screens, Sturdy poles with thick bungy cords.  Like mentioned above, 1)put a tarp underneath to protect the floor(be sure to tuck the sides under the tent or you will have a swimming pool if it rains), 2)keep a small hand broom and dust pan in your camping gear to clean up the dirt that will grind on the tent floor(I take a 5x10 carpet rug from Walmart and put it where we will be walking so shoes can be taken off at the door) and 3)never store the tent even slightly damp!!!!