Best Family Tents for Bad Weather – Buying Guide and Reviews

1. Coleman WeatherMaster 6 Person Tent

The Coleman weathermaster six-person tent is a three-season cabin style tent that comes with hinged door and weather-resistant fabric. When packed, its dimensions measure as 41 in x 10 in and weighs around 32 lb. For transportation to the camping place, car access is required. If your car is fully packed with campers and luggage then you can place the tent on the roof of the car.

This tent can be set up in around 20 to 30 minutes. There are 4 curved roof poles and 8 side poles. Using the pins, plastic hooks, and telescopic poles, you will be able to set up the tent. It is a non-freestanding tent and you will need to properly stake it down to the ground. The floor area of the tent is 99 sq. ft. The declared person accommodation for the tent is six persons. It offers 26 sq. ft area per person. For family camping, it is suitable and comfortable for parents with up to two kids.

The peak height of the tent is 6 ft 8 in. Thus, you can comfortably stand inside of the tent. The ceiling is whole mesh and such a tall height with a combination of several windows allows the excellent flow of air in and out of the tent. The windows are double-layer structure. They are with mesh and waterproof panels. It has a hinged door that swings around the vertical pole.

The screen room offers 54 sq. ft floor area. There is a double layer – mesh with zipper and waterproof, non-transparent panel in between the main tent and the screen room. The non-transparent panel can be rolled to the sides and fixed to the walls. The external walls of the screen room are complete mesh. You can use the screen room to sit and enjoy the aesthetics of wilderness and this area can be also used to store camping equipment and other stuff.

The fly is minimal in design but on the opposite side, you get small awnings above the huge window and the door. Velcro tabs, plastic clips, and metal hooks allow the attaching of fly to the poles. In order to secure the fly against the winds, you have to use four guylines on each side. This tent comes with the WeatherTec system, inverted seams, and welded floor.

The tent floor is a bathtub style and it will prevent outer elements from getting inside. The pieces of seams are folded in on itself or we can say french seams technic is used here. This tent comes with an expendable carry bag such that it will help you a lot when you don’t time for the smallest tent packing. Overall, the Coleman weathermaster six-person tent stands as an unbeatable option for bad weather camping.

Features

• Screen room
• Fly
• Bathtub floor
• Inverted seams
• Welded floors
• 99 sq. ft floor area
• 6 ft 8 in peak height
• WeatherTec system

2. Coleman Elite Montana 8 Person Tent

The Coleman Elite Montana 8-person tent is a cabin-like design tent that comes with six built-in CPX LED lights, mesh ceiling, and Coleman’s WeatherTec system. When packed, it weighs approximately 27.4 pounds or we can say 12.42 kilograms. You will need car access to carry the tent with you to the camping place. If your car is fully packed with campers and lots of other stuff and camping bags then you can place the tent on the roof of your car.

We can’t ignore to mention here the easy setup of Coleman elite Montana eight-person tent. Actually, it has color-coded poles and pole sleeves. These help in easy identification while pitching the tent. Moreover, it has snag-free continuous poles sleeves, snag-free Insta-Clip suspension, and ping-and-ring system. As per our experience, two people can set up a tent in just 15 minutes.

On the successful setup, the Coleman elite Montana 8P tent attains dimensions as 16 ft x 7 ft. The inside of the tent is very spacious. Its huge tent floor area is capable to fit three queen size air mattresses. The declared person capacity of the tent is eight people. However, if you have bags, gears, and other stuff then it will be a good decision to reduce the camping members for the comfortable experience. It is a tall tent. The peak height of this tent is 6.2 ft.

Therefore, campers can easily stand and move inside of the tent comfortably. The major highlight is the six built-in CPX LED lights. This feature is very useful on dark nights. It has 3 settings including the low, high, and nightlight modes. Therefore, you can set up the light intensity as per your requirement. You also get a dry space by extended door awning. This space is advantageous when we talk about leaving dirty shoes outside of the tent.

You can remove the rainfly to enjoy sleeping under the stars. The hinged door at the front of the tent allows you to easily get in and out of the tent. The frame is very strong and is responsive against winds. The water-resistant fabric is used for the zipper cuff. Therefore, you get extra protection against the outer elements.

The company has highlighted their Coleman’s WeatherTec system for this tent. Hence, you can understand that it comes with protected seams, waterproof floors, and zipper protection. The durable polyester taffeta 75D fabric is used for the flysheet. Therefore, if the weather turns bad suddenly then you don’t have to worry at all because you are under the Coleman elite Montana eight-person camping tent.

Features

• Built-in CPX LED lights
• Spacious tent
• Mesh ceiling
• WeatherTec system
• 6.2 ft peak height
• polyester taffeta 75D flysheet
• Strong frame
• Easy setup

3. Wenzel Klondike Tent

The Wenzel klondike tent comes with a screen room. It is considered as one of the best cabin-dome style two-room tent. In packed conditions, it measures dimensions as 36 in x 16 in and weighs around 27.3 lb. You will need a car in order to transport this tent towards the camping place. The tent setup is quite easy. Simply begin with spreading the tent then stake the floor properly.

Here, insert the fiberglass poles in the sleeves. Now, come to the main room section, just add the four vertical poles. For the screen room, add the two poles. As per our experience, this tent can be completely set up in approx twenty minutes.

When you complete the setup, you get a tall tent. The peak height of the main room is 78 inches. The main room offers 98 sq. ft area and here you have two windows on each side. The screen room offers 60 sq. ft of floor area. The declared person capacity of the tent is eight-person. The four sleeping pads that can fit inside the main room and three sleeping pads can fit in the screen room.

You get 1.84 sq. m. of area per person. This tent is spacious from inside and can perfectly accommodate eight people. If a family is on the camping vacation then the main room can be used for sleeping and the screen room can be used as a sitting area, relaxation area, picnic area, or as a gear room.

The whole tent ceiling meshes and a good number of windows are present in the main room with mesh and zippered panels. However, the upper section is not zipped. Apart from that, there is a ventilation opening with the rain cover on the backside of the main room. The screen room is all mesh with zippered panels. Therefore, this tent provides excellent ventilation throughout the whole tent area.

The upper portion is polyester coated with polyethylene fabric and the floor fabric is complete polyethylene. The waterproof rating is expected more than 600 mm. The Wenzel klondike tent for eight-person is a three-season tent. You can easily plan your camping vacation with it even in bad weather conditions.

Features

• Screen room
• Several windows
• Mesh ceiling
• Fits 2 queen size mattresses
• Ventilation openings
• Waterproof
• 1.84 sq. m. area per person
• Easy setup

4. Core 10 Person 14 x 10 ft. Straight Wall Cabin Tent

The Core 10 person 14 x 10 ft. the straight-wall cabin tent is a two-room, tall structure tent that comes with a room divider and Core H20 block technology. In the packed conditions, its dimensions measure as 28.5 in X 10 in X 10 in and it weighs around 35.5 lbs. Therefore, you will need car access in order to carry this tent to the camping destination. For a better option, you can keep the tent package on the roof of your car in case the car is fully packed with campers.

You get the tent, rainfly, steel poles, pole joints, room divider, gear loft, guylines and tent stakes in the package. The setup part of the Core 10 person straight wall cabin tent is not too complex and will not consume lots of your time. When you completely pitch the tent, it looks really awesome tall like structure. There is a D-shaped door at the front side of the tent.

Its floor dimensions measure as 14 ft x 10 ft. Therefore, you get 140 sq. ft of floor area. It can fit two queen size airbeds. The declared person capacity of this tent is ten people. However, if you are planning for camping with your family. Then it is obvious that you will have camping bags, gears or other stuff. Therefore, it will be a smart decision to reduce the number of campers while planning.

It also has a removable room divider which can be used to separate a large spacious room into two different rooms. Therefore, it will be a great option for two couples, a group of two different genders, or for a family of parents with up to two kids. The peak height of the tent is 86 in i.e. 7 ft 2 in. It is a cabin-style tent that has straight walls. You can use bunk cots to save a lot of space.

The core has featured its Core H20 block technology in this tent that means it ensures to keep the rainwater outside. The seams are thermally heat sealed. Seals around the door and windows will keep you dry when it is raining outside. It has a large roof mesh ceiling and there are adjustable vents. Several windows are positioned at sides of the tent. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about ventilation at all. It will keep the good in and out airflow throughout the tent.

The tent fabric is 68D polyester. This also features an electrical access port to feed an extension cord for electricity. The company has given a year warranty on the Core ten-person 14 x 10 ft. straight-wall cabin tent. Therefore, we can say that the Core 10P 14 x 10 ft. straight-wall cabin tent will keep you dry whenever the weather turns bad at day and night.

Features

• Core H20 block technology
• 140 sq. ft floor area
• Two rooms
• Mesh ceiling
• Adjustable vents
• 7 ft 2 in peak height
• Gear loft
• 68D polyester fabric

5. Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Deluxe Tent

The Kodiak canvas flex-bow deluxe tent is a single-layered, breathable 100% cotton duck canvas fabric tent. The tent package dimensions are 30 in x 13 in and the pole package dimensions are 50 in x 5.5 in and its total weight is around 68 lb. Car access is required for transportation of the tent to the camping place. The setup of Kodiak canvas flex-bow deluxe tent is easy and will not consume much of your valuable day time.

A single person can set up a tent in ten minutes. Start by staking the tent floor then constructing the roof. At last, add the leg poles one by one. This is not a free-standing pole. Hence, it is not for high altitude mountaineering because you may find a problem to stake the tent in the absence of a proper terrain.

This tent offers 100 sq. ft floor area. The declared person capacity of the tent is six people. However, the tent floor area is far from enough for six people. For comfortable camping, this tent fits for couples or for parents with a maximum of one small kid. The peak height of the tent is 6 ft 6 in. The tent height is good because campers can stand and walk inside of the tent comfortably.

The large awning area measure as 72 in x 78 in. However, the sides are not protected but the company provides some options to add walls around. The awning area is huge but it will not last long in a very strong wind. Therefore, it will be a good decision to roll the awning up and pitch the tent carefully.

The Kodiak canvas flex-bow deluxe six-person tent is a true four-season tent. You can use this tent in both summer and cold weather conditions. The roof is made up of 10 oz hydra-shield canvas fabric. The floor is thick 16 oz vinyl reinforced with polyester. The tent walls are 8.5 oz hydra-shield canvas fabric. The canvas fabric is breathable and all four windows are with No-See-Um mesh. Apart from that, the two funnel-flow vents ensure temperature and airflow management.

Therefore, you don’t have to worry about any ventilation problem at all. This tent is very durable. You can use it for a seamless camping experience in any season. There are basic versions and the VX version also available. The VX version provides more features but it will also cost you more. Overall, the Kodiak canvas flex-bow tent is a sturdy and reliable tent that can sustain in harsh weather conditions.

Features

• Breathable canvas fabric
• Large awning
• Waterproof
• Mesh windows
• Easy setup
• 100 sq. ft floor area
• 6 sq. ft awning area
• Good for all seasons

6. ALPS Mountaineering Lynx Tent

The ALPS Mountaineering lynx 4-person tent is among the best heavy-duty camping tents. It comes with two vestibules, excellent room space, good waterproof ratings, and durable aluminum poles. In the packed conditions, its dimensions measure as 7 in x 23.5 in and weighs around 8.6 pounds or we can say 3.90 Kg. It is a lightweight four-person tent from ALPS Mountaineering. You can easily carry it with you anywhere.

There are two lightweight and durable poles made from aluminum. The tent setup is quite easy and will not consume lots of your valuable time. Of course! Who likes to waste their camping time in pitching the tent, No one. There are clips system available on the tent that allows you to quickly attach the poles to the tent. It is a freestanding tent. Therefore, you can even pitch this tent on uneven terrain. The tent also comes with stakes and guylines. Therefore, it is advisable to stake down the tent to the ground properly to enhance the stability. In the properly staked conditions, the tent is very stable in winds.

On the setup completion, you get a dome style eye-catching tent. The tent floor dimensions measure as 7.6 ft x 8.6 ft. Therefore, you get 64 sq. ft of tent floor area. You can fit a queen size air bed inside the tent. The declared person capacity of the tent is four people. But for a comfortable experience, this tent will best fit for three people.

The peak height of the tent is 52 inches. There are two doors available. It has large #8 zippers available on the tent to easily get inside and outside of the tent and for other ease of operations. It also has a gear loft to keep your stuff safe from getting lost at night. Apart from that, there are several storage pockets that are also available to keep your small belongings like flashlights, keys, smartphone, lighter, etc. Rainfly creates two vestibules of ample storage. Rainfly also has two vents available for ease of breathing.

The ALPS Mountaineering lynx 4-person tent is a 3-season tent and good quality materials are used for the tent body and various parts. The tent floor is a 75D 185T poly taffeta with a 2000mm waterproof rating. The fly is full coverage and it creates roomy vestibule over door. The fly is a 75D 185T polyester fly that stays taut and also prevents campers from harmful UV rays. The rainfly has a waterproof rating as 1500mm. Both fly and floor come with factory sealed seams that ensure keeping you dry in rainy conditions. Therefore, the ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 4 person tent will be a good option for camping even when bad weather appears.

Features

• Aluminum poles
• Easy setup
• Freestanding
• 7.6 ft x 8.6 ft floor dimensions
• 52 in peak height
• Gear loft
• Several storage pockets
• Large zippers

7. Coleman Sundome 4 Person Tent

The Coleman sundome 4-person tent stands as a one-stop tent solution whether you are on a small outdoor gathering or camping in wildness with up to three group members. It is also considering as one of the best lightweight and compact backpacking tent. The tent setup is quite easy. There are continuous pole sleeves on top.

Using the install-clips you can attach the remaining poles. For the descriptive tent setup guide, you can use the included instruction manual in order to easily pitch the tent. Well! You will be able to set up the tent in around ten minutes. Here, you get a dome style tent. The tent frame is quite sustainable. It can withstand winds with a speed of 35 plus.

On the setup completion, you get an awesome looking tent. The tent floor dimensions as 9 ft x 7 ft. Space is enough to easily fit a queen-sized air bed. The peak height or we can say the center height of the tent is 4 ft 11 in. While sitting, your head will not be touching the ceiling. It has a single D-shaped door. Both the door and windows are with mesh panels.

Hence, you don’t have to worry about insects, mosquitoes, or other outer elements. Apart from that, there is a ground air intake vent on the backside of the tent. Moreover, ventilation is not a problem here at all. There are several mesh storage pockets on both sides.

This tent also comes with Coleman’s WeatherTec system. Therefore, you get inverted seams and welded corners. It will keep the water from coming in. The floor is also bathtub style and polyethylene which is a good thing at all. The tent fabric is polyester durable poly guard 2x double-thick fabric. The rainfly is large covering the whole tent and providing good protection. It also creates awning above the door.

Well, you can use the Coleman sundome four-person tent in mild weather conditions but it is not suitable in heavy winds and rain. This tent also comes with a zipped e-port in one corner so that you can take advantage of electricity wherever accessible. We can say that the Coleman sundome 4 person tent is a good solid and durable tent.

Features

• 9 ft x 7 ft floor dimensions
• 4 ft 11 in peak height
• WeatherTec system
• Mesh windows
• Ground vent
• Easy setup
• E-port
• Inverted seams

8. Coleman Evanston 6 Screened Tent

The Coleman Evanston 6 screened tent is another best tent for mild weather conditions that comes with a screen room. The packed size of the tent is 28 in x 10.25 in x 9 in or we can say 71 cm x 26 cm x 23 cm. It weighs around 20.9 lb i.e. 9.48 Kg. Therefore, you can transport this tent to the camping place even on a two-wheeler like a motorcycle. This tent can be set up in around 15 to 20 minutes.

It is not a free-standing tent. Therefore, staking down it to the ground is a very important step. Once you complete the setup procedure, it attains dimensions as 14 ft x 10 ft in which the screen room measures 10 ft x 5 ft, and the dome area measures 10 ft x 9 ft.

The total floor area of the tent is 140 sq. ft. Or, we can say 13 sq. m. In which, the main dome area measures 8.36 sq. m. and the screen room measures 4.64 sq. m. The declared person capacity of the tent is six people. Therefore, you get 23.3 sq. ft area per person. The main dome room can fit a queen-sized air bed. The screen room can be used to sit with chairs and tables, cooking and storing your stuff.

For a family, this tent is ideal for parents with up to two kids. You can use the screen room as a gear storage room and sleep comfortably in warmer nights. The peak height of the tent is around 68 in.

There are two windows available in the screen room and a window is also positioned on the door. The tent fly is polyester taffeta 75D and the floor is a bathtub style that prevents outer leakage from getting inside. The floor is polyethylene such that protected seams and welded corners. The tent frame is wind responsive.

We can’t forget to mention here about the water-resistant fabric is used for zipper cuff. Coleman has also declared about the WeatherTec system used in this tent. It is a good advantage. It will give you extra protection against our elements. A hook is available on the roof for the lantern. There are two minimal pockets that are given for storing some small stuff.

The carry bag is included and the company has given a limited one year warranty on this tent. Overall, the Coleman Evanston 6 person screened tent is an amazing tent in bad weather conditions. Coleman 6 person cabin tent is also similar to this tent.

Features

• Several windows
• Screen room
• Lantern hook
• 90 sq. ft main room area
• 68 in peak height
• Easy setup
• Polyethylene floor

9. Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent

Want to enhance the environment of gathering or just need an ideal tent that can accommodate up to nine-person? Well! Your search ends here. The Core 9P instant cabin tent is a cabin style freestanding tent that can be easily set-up in sixty seconds. Its packed dimensions measure as 48 in x 11 in x 10.5 in and weigh around 35.5 pounds.

Thus, you will need car access for the transportation of the tent to the camping place or music festival. The frame is pre-attached to the tent and there are six telescopic poles. You just need to unfold the tent. Moving forward, you have to extend the poles until you hear a click. Simply raise the inner tent up once you have extended all the six poles and you are done.

On the first look, it seems like an umbrella. There are two doors and huge windows. The Core 9P instant cabin tent attains the dimensions as 14 ft x 9 ft offering tent floor area like 126 sq. ft. The tent is huge from inside. Every person gets 14 sq. ft. floor area. Moreover, it has a room divider that can be used to maintain privacy when groups or two families are camping together.

The walls are tall and mostly vertical as it is a cabin-style tent. The fly provided is minimalistic and only the top ceiling will be covered. Stakes are also given to fit the rainfly. If you have an electricity facility in your camping area then you can take advantage of the given electric cord access port.

This tent comes with Core H20 Block Technology for weather resistance. This is a three-season tent. For proper ventilation, there are huge mesh windows along with rain panels and adjustable ground vents are also available. For extra storage options, there are several small mesh pockets are available inside the tent that means you can keep your keys and other small belongings safe from getting lost at night. The company has given a limited one year warranty. Overall, the Core 9P instant cabin tent is a must-go option if you are planning for camping in bad weather situations.

Features

• Freestanding
• It can accommodate 9 person
• Room divider
• H20 block technology
• 1-year warranty
• 126 sq. ft. tent floor area
• 78 in peak height
• Two doors

10. Coleman 8 Person Tenaya Lake Camping Tent

The Coleman 8-person Tenaya lake tent is considered as an all-rounder camping tent for eight-person. In packed conditions, the measured dimensions of the tent are 34.5 in x 13 in x 11.5 in and it weighs around 35.4 lbs. It is not a lightweight tent. Therefore, car access is necessary for the ease of transportation of the tent to the camping place. The tent setup is quite easy and it will not consume lots of your time because it uses the fastpitch mechanism.

The roof poles are all shock-corded and they are permanently attached to the top hub element. The rest poles for the wall are separated. Apart from that, the shock-corded segments are also present.

Here, you get a closet on the backside. It comes with 4 sq. ft area. The closet can be set up using its own poles. There is a vertical zipper present to zipping whenever required. The main tent area measures 117 sq. ft except for the closet. The declared capacity of the tent is for eight people. Hence, you get 15 sq. ft. area per person.

Well! It is spacious enough that you can fit a queen-sized bed and bunk cots. It is an ideal tent for a family of parents with two kids. Moreover, the room divider is also present that becomes very useful to maintain privacy. It separates one large room into two separate rooms. Therefore, two couples will have their separate rooms. Even, if there is a group with different genders then the room divider becomes a great option for privacy.

For ventilation, there are five double layer windows. One window is also present on the door. All are with mesh and zippered panels. However, there are no floor vents. Even, the roof is whole mesh. Therefore, ventilation is not a thing to worry about. These openings will maintain the air flor and temperature inside the tent. It is the best tent for summer family camping. The hinged door allows you to easily get inside and outside of the tent. The floor is bathtub style polyethylene.

No information about the waterproof rating is given from the manufacturer side, but they mentioned Coleman’s WeatherTec system. Otherwise, there are inverted seams and welded floors. Carry bag comes with wheels and electricity port is also given. Hence, the Coleman 8-person Tenaya lake tent is a great option for family camping and you don’t have to worry if the weather changes rapidly during camping. Coleman Evanston 8 Person Dome Tent is also similar to this tent, you can read the full review here.

Features

• Polyethylene bathtub floor
• 117 sq. ft main tent area
• 4 sq. ft closet area
• 80 in peak height
• WeatherTec system
• Fastpitch
• Six windows
• Mesh ceiling