Still, it makes for a roomy tent for a family of three or four. If there is an easier family camping tent out there, we haven’t seen it. No tent was simpler to set up and take down than the Moon Lence. You have only two very small mesh pockets for small items, so this is quite disappointing.
I spent three weeks going up the Arkansas river valley in Colorado from Salida to Leadville prospecting for gold. The first day I set the tent up the wind blew it over while I was setting it up, 3 “Knuckle” joints broke instantly, they are a part of the tent poles that allow the tent to “pop up”. This was not a strong wind, more like a gust in a breeze and should not have injured the tent at all. During the course of camping all 6 of these joints broke and I used duct tape to hold the poles together (which was far superior to the cheap brittle plastic joints that came with the tent). The setup and take down is pretty good, unless the tent is wet.
I’ve set up and taken it down at least 100 times since I bought it and there’s been no failure in the pop up pole system and all the seams are still watertight. Luckily the outer door flap closes just fine and if you want to make closing the inner flap easier all you have to do is leave each end of the tent staked a few inches off the ground. We experienced some very high winds when camping in southern Utah and although it was very noisy (like all tents in the wind) I never felt like the whole thing was going to blow away.
The hinged door is another notable detail that we think works great for a larger tent. With more people using a smaller space, it’s normal to experience higher traffic with people wanting to enter and exit at different times. Sleep in past sunrise with the ingenious technology that creates a black-out dark space for resting. In comparison to other tents with dark rooms, this model blocks 90% of sunlight for a truly dark and restful experience. It also protects you from potentially harmful UV rays, which is also a big benefit when camping with kids. When you’re ready to leave, it packs down effortlessly into the carry bag.
It instantly springs open and is ready to be loaded up with bedding. The mesh is woven tight enough to keep bugs out and loose enough to see through coleman ice chest very easily. The shape also makes it very wind resistant but I do suggest tying down the wind cover on the sides as well as each end.
This bag is expandable, which means stuffing the tent inside is much easier and doesn’t take as much effort. Coleman has always been a very safe choice for family and more serious campers, and this tent is no exception. For the price, you’re getting high-quality materials with a stable structure, plus the darkroom aspect is a huge advantage. Coleman Instant Up Tents can be set up in under three minutes and provide a large living space.