If you like this tent but want a slightly large one, look at the Coleman Castle Pines 4L. Details Attribute A tent with more than one door can help with airflow, assisting with ventilation and also gives you more flexibility to enter and leave the tent through the most convenient doorway. 8) Number and size of windows

Once up, with all the guy ropes pegged out, the Castle Pines 4L feels both spacious and very secure. Tunnel tents are never as bombproof as dome or geodesic designs, but in high winds there are several cords that can be tensioned to provide extra structural stability. Once the tents are up, we closely inspect the interior of each one and rate them on how likely campers are to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience that meets their needs. Barrier-free access - the groundsheet sits flat to the ground, preventing any tripping hazards, and making access in and out easier.

We consider how easy it is to get into and out of the main entrances and sleeping compartments, how bright and roomy the living spaces are, and if we consider there to be enough room for the number of people intended to sleep in the tent. Front and Side Entry points, offer easier access in adverse weather conditions, and also allow for plenty of ventilation during the daytime. Without it, young kids typically trip over the tent entrance at some point (and adults, too!), so it's great to see the lay-flat entrance on this tent. The bug-mesh inner doors were effective too. On the barmy nights I spent in the Castle Pines 4L, the mosquitoes were out in force, compelling me and the kids to cover up and then seek shelter inside the tent, and the bitey blighters were unable to follow us. The groundsheet is sturdy, and of course it’s sewn in too, so creatures can’t crawl in that way either. I was testing this tent amid a drought, so rain was the least of our worries, but the fly has an impressive hydrostatic head rating of 6000mm, which makes it very waterproof, and I would have no hesitation about using this tent in all kinds of conditions. Like all large family tents, the interior is so large it will never warm up from body heat, like little tents do, so it will be chilly when temperatures drop in autumn, when good sleeping bags will be required. Barrier-free access- Easier to enter and exit without a step over that could cause tripping hazards.

That's plenty of space for placing camping storage furniture, which is what we recommend for longer family camping holidays to avoid your tent descending into chaos ;-) If you are looking for a similar spec tent but inflatable, look at the Coleman Weathermaster 4 Air. Fully taped polyester flysheet + rising sewn-in PE groundsheet - a taped polyester flysheet will prevent water from penetrating the living space, and the sewn-in groundsheet gives excellent protection from draughts and bugs. There is a side door here too. This comes with bug-free mesh, so you can leave it open to cool the tent down on warm days. Some of the major brands you’ll come across in your journey to find the best tent for you include Big Agnes, Vango, Coleman, MSR, Terra Nova, Outwell, Decathlon, Hilleberg and The North Face.There are lots of newcomers entering the (muddy) field, too, with innovative designs coming from brands such as Tentsile, with its sublime floating tree tents, and Cinch, with its nifty pop-up modular tent. What's the best HH rating for a tent?Tents with rigid poles made of stainless steel or aluminium are for building a rigid frame that will keep your tent sturdy in the wind. They can be heavier and more cumbersome to pitch, though.

We inspect the interiors of the tents during and after testing to see how each fares against the elements. Some tents manage to stay firm, but others blow over and even have puddles in the sleeping compartments. The main door is nice and wide, and the groundsheet folds flat here, so no one trips in and out of the tent. It's very common for manufacturers to be generous about the number of people they say can fit inside their tents. The number they give will be technically true, but it probably won't account for the space needed for campers' belongings, or the space people need for a comfortable night's sleep.Not all tents have indoor communal spaces that can house all the campers if the weather turns, and even those that do aren't always large enough for everyone to be comfortable. Tent footprints are available to buy separately from tents at outdoor retailers. They're essentially an extra groundsheet that you can pitch before your tent, with the aim of pitching your tent on top of it. Most tents have thin, collapsible poles made from fibreglass. They often fold up into a compact size and are connected by an elastic cord. They're usually flexible and will need to be bent to fit the shape of the tent canvas during pitching.