The Family That Plays Together...Family Tents
By Matt Smith

One of the most popular summertime family activities is camping. Traditionally, family outings vary from short overnighters at local campgrounds to week long vacations touring one or more of the major national parks. Regardless of the type of trip, there are a few basic features and qualities family campers should look for in a suitable shelter.

Some of the obvious features to look for include sufficient square footage for the entire family as well as ease of setup. Most family campers don't want to struggle to get the tent in place. Setting things up should be part of an overall enjoyable experience. However, family campers often overlook some essential features, focusing on low price. While price is almost always a key issue, retailers can help consumers understand that sacrificing key qualities--such as rain-worthiness--for the sake of low price can lead to disaster at worst or, more commonly, to a negative experience that could sour the family on the outdoors.

This month The Field Test crew from GearReview.com takes a look at six large family tents at a variety of price points and with an assortment of features.

Camp Trails Cabin Creek

The Camp Trails Cabin Creek is a relatively inexpensive family tent that could satisfy the needs of a family that camps a few times a year. The 8 x 8-foot square-shaped footprint comfortably sleeps three, but four average-sized adults would be sleeping shoulder to shoulder. The 24 square foot vestibule provides great storage space but headroom is limited at only 4 feet 9 inches. Set up was a bit confusing the first time due to the unique pole arrangement, but we found the instructions were clear and easy to follow, once we gave in and read them.

The floor and rain fly are made from 1.9-ounce taffeta nylon. The tent body is 1.9-ounce permeable nylon. Tent poles are 9.5-millimeter fiberglass. The lightweight construction of the tent allows for a compact 9 x 26-inch packed size, weighing in at 14 pounds, 8 ounces. Stakes are metal and strong enough to be placed into hard, somewhat rocky soil. The windows and doors in the tent are relatively standard. The most significant problem I encountered was that the zippers occasionally hung up on the corners. Eventually, the zipper on the rain fly failed. The most outstanding qualities of this tent are the rain fly, which covers the tent very well, and the double vestibules, which provide a ton of usable storage space. At about $200 retail, the Cabin Creek is an excellent value.

For more information contact Camp Trails at 800.661.9086 online at www.jwa.com.

Walrus Oasis

Without a doubt the Oasis was my favorite tent in the group. Many of the technical features from Walrus' backpacking tents have been incorporated into this four- to six-person model. Of the tent floor's 76 square feet, almost all are usable. Although the 4-feet 10-inch peak height is lower than most family tents, but the weight saved in extra poles and fabric is worth any inconvenience. However, if the ability to stand up and walk around inside the tent is important, the Oasis is not the best choice. The Oasis tips the scale at an even 12 pounds. Part of the tent's low weight can be attributed to the featherweight 8-millimeter aluminum poles. The tent was a cinch to set up, as poles are color coded with corresponding sleeves on the tent. The Oasis is very stable and hardly quivered in a 40 mph-plus windstorm.

The rain fly is made with Diamondback, a lightweight UV-resistant fabric. Windows on either end of the tent can be opened to allow for air circulation even during rainstorms, since the window on the rain fly is independent of the windows on the tent body. A small gear loft in the roof of the tent provides some much appreciated storage space. The tent bottom is tough and seemed highly abrasion resistant. A large D-shaped door on either side of the tent makes the interior easily accessible. The tent's storage bag provides ample room, making packing up the tent a snap.

This tent is best suited for a family with camping experience that plans to camp in all types of weather conditions, as opposed to a family with very young children. The Oasis retails for around $450.

For more information contact Walrus at 800.550.8368 or online at www.walrusgear.com.

Eureka Aurora 6

Quick and easy to set up, the Aurora 6 is great for late arrivals when you get stuck pitching the tent in the dark. It is a mystery to me where the 17 lbs. of fabric and fiberglass are hidden as the entire tent is constructed of 1.9-ounce nylon fabric. The 8 x 10-foot floor comfortably sleeps four campers. Six people might fit if they sleep head to foot. The center of the dome tops out at 6 feet, making it easy to maneuver around in the tent--a big plus for families that spend significant time inside the tent.

The zippers on the doors and windows are heavy duty and rarely snagged on the fabric. Large stylish mesh panels on the walls ventilate the tent, minimizing condensation build-up during the night. A unique vent that is held open by a small pole above the vestibule keeps air flowing even when the rain fly is zipped all the way down. The tent pegs provided are made from inexpensive plastic--I broke three setting up the tent in packed sand. The actual tent poles are thick fiberglass with heavy-duty shock cords that promise longevity.

The vestibule itself is almost useless, providing additional floor space but no significant height. The most unique aspect of the Aurora's design is the awning-style fly on one side, with a full-coverage fly on the opposite side. The awning-style side provides for great ventilation; the full-coverage side provides the small vestibule and better rain protection. Eureka committed itself heavily to this design by introducing the new Aurora in six different models, from 2-person backpacking to the full-sized family models.

This tent is perhaps best suited to families that want reasonable quality without a lot of extras at a low price. The Aurora 6 is new for Spring 2000. It retails for around $300.

For more information contact Eureka at 800.661.9086 or online at www.jwa.com.

Wenzel Shadow Lake

The Wenzel Shadow Lake is an attractive tent that can be configured to have two separate rooms. The inside of the tent is roomy with a 9 x 15-foot floor and a 6-foot maximum ceiling height. The smaller section of the tent can be somewhat isolated with an included nylon privacy curtain. The floor of the tent is a durable basin style tarp. There is no need for a ground cloth as moisture penetration through the floor of the tent is not an issue. The shell of the tent is UV Armor 1000 polyester, which reportedly shows no strength loss after 100 hours of direct sunlight. UV Armor also claims to be 54 percent more water resistant than conventional nylon.

The Shadow Lake's small zippers with narrow tape seemed inadequate, and did not zip easily around the corners. Wenzel claims the zippers are self-repairing and need only be opened all the way and then zipped shut to fix any problems with the zipper. The zippers never failed during testing, but were somewhat difficult to zip. Only part of the tent is actually covered by the rain fly. While I did not get the chance to test the tent in a rainstorm, I suspect that the section of the ceiling that is not protected by the fly would bleed through if touched when wet.

The tent pegs are sturdy aluminum and are perhaps the best pegs in the group. In my opinion this tent is ideal for a family just getting into camping. The Shadow Lake is average quality at an average price.

For more information contact Wenzel at 314.576.8000 or online at www.wenzelco.com.

Paha Que Pamo Valley

The first time I set up the Pamo Valley I knew it was the ultimate warm weather tent. It is a giant cube rather than a dome tent. The inside of the tent is huge, the floor measures 108 x 120 inches with a minimum of 6 feet of headroom throughout. The roof peaks at 93 inches in the center. A large gear loft spans the ceiling of the tent and the frame is strong enough to hold several sleeping bags. The entire ceiling of the tent is made from 2.3-ounce polyester mesh. The 2.6-ounce ristop nylon rain fly is held about 8-inches above the tent by the two aluminum poles, providing excellent air flow.

The Pamo Valley is the heaviest of the group at nearly 30 pounds. The reason the tent is so heavy is that no luxury was overlooked. A large and a small awning on the tent and a 6 x 6-foot awning on the rain fly offer several possible configurations. The basin style floor is constructed of 6.5-ounce, 210-denier coated nylon. Two included air mattresses with slip covers make for comfortable sleeping every night. The zippers are heavy duty and I had no trouble with them snagging on the tent fabric. The tent stakes are made from sturdy aluminum and went right into tough rocky soil.

Although Paja Que advertises this tent as a 3-plus season tent, I beleive it is best suited to warm weather. There is plenty of room for a family of four and all their gear. This tent is for the family that is willing to pay the price to have the very best. The Pamo Valley retails for about $650.

For more information, contact Paha Que at 888.700.8368 or online at www.pahaque.com.

L.L. Bean Woodland 8

Every piece of this tent screams quality. The strong aluminum poles with tripod bases keep the tent stable even in poor weather. In 40-plus mph winds, the only part of the tent that moved was the rain fly. The floor of the tent is 12 feet, 1 inch x 12 feet. At just more than 6 feet tall, I hardly had to duck my head to get through the spacious door. Large mesh windows on each side of the tent allow air to flow freely in warm weather. Mesh panels in the ceiling allow the tent to breathe when the windows are closed during poor weather. Windows on either side of the tent are fully protected by the rain fly and can be left wide open during a rainstorm without any danger of the inside getting wet.

All of the seams are double-stitched and reinforced. Each of the stake locations has a large reinforcement patch sewn on the inside to prevent the stake loops from tearing out. A lantern/flashlight loop in the center of the ceiling makes lighting the tent easy. Loops in the top inside corners of the tent can be used to string clotheslines or hang a gear loft. Setting up the tent was a breeze. With only five poles and one possible fit, I had no reason to even look at the included instructions. The tent bag is a large duffel bag, which makes packing the tent easy. The only complaint I have with this tent is the cheap yellow plastic pegs. It is inconsistent for such a high quality tent to have anything other than stainless steel or aluminum pegs. True to L.L. Bean's heritage, the Woodland 8 offers quality, but at $495 you take a hit in the pocketbook.

For more information, contact L.L. Bean at 800.441.5713 or online at www.llbean.com.

Matt Smith is a field tester for Gearreview.com