Skylodge™ 8-Person Camping Tent – BlackberryWith ample space inside and plenty of airflows, the Coleman® Skylodge™ Camping Tent makes for the optimal home away from home. We can ship to virtually any address in the Continental US. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.
A popular choice among car campers and festival-goers for years, Coleman’s Sundome 6 (also known simply as “the Coleman Dome Tent”) is offered at a bargain-basement price that is tough to match. With enough floor area to fit two queen-sized mattresses, 6 feet of headroom at the center, and good ventilation, it checks many of the boxes that people are looking for in a tent. It’s not the most weather-worthy or well-built design, but it’s an excellent value for what you get. Below we break down the Sundome 6’s overall performance. To see how it stacks up against the competition, see our article on the best camping tents.
The same day I planned to find a place to pitch the tent, a norovirus hit 13 of our 53 scouts, so the remainder of the day was spent making rounds checking on the kids. I’ll spare you the glorious details, but picture the pie eating contest scene from Stand coleman ice chest By Me and that’ll give you a pretty good idea. Due to the outbreak, the camp closed and we went home the next day. We bought a replacement pole for the tent when we got home, but have since turned this into the backup/extra tent for when we take friends.
For groups in the two to three-person range, we think the Sundome four-person should be just about right. If you are camping solo or with a furry friend, we’d coleman screen tent recommend opting for the three-person or two-person models. Keep in mind that as you size down in capacity, you do lose a significant amount of headroom.
But there are some nifty extra features to help extend the life of this high-value tent. Investing in some waterproofing sealer is DEFINITELY a good idea – not even just for this model, but lower budget tents in general. However heavy rain in bad weather might cause the tent to leak. The center height reaches 4’11” which might be too small for some campers. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products.
With the rain fly off, it will be difficult to maintain privacy since those mesh areas will not be covered. The packed size of the 4-person dome tent would be too bulky for backpacking, but is conveniently sized and shaped for car camping. The Coleman Sundome is a basic dome tent, not intended for camping in extreme weather conditions. If you’re heading into heavy winds and rainy nights, you’re best looking for something else. We found plenty of reviews from users online emphasizing the value of the Coleman sundome 4 person tent, particularly for car camping. Because of the no-frills approach to this tent build, pitching the Sundome only took 5 minutes and 43 seconds.
The low wide profile and included guylines hold up well in the wind, and the tent floor has a tub design. As long as you can avoid a tear or puncture, you should stay dry. However, it isn’t the design that coleman screen tent is at risk — it is the construction. The use of weaker materials like cheap plastic clips, elastic connection points, fiberglass poles, and the tarp floor is where the Sundome could fail after harsh use.
Unless you are planning to use the tent just for sleeping (and keep your gear stored somewhere else) it’s going to be too small for a family of four. It won’t come as a surprise to those who go camping regularly that the capacity of a tent is based on the maximum number of people you could squeeze in, rather than a size that prioritizes comfort. Check out my gear page for everything I use on my adventures, from camping equipment, hiking accessories and camera gear. Inside the tent, you have two mesh pouches to keep small items, which is really useful. You also have a zippered port in one of the corners, for electrical connection. The upside, it still looked brand new and cosmetically didn’t really show any wear at all.
I used duct tape to keep the poles from splintering more. This quick fix bought us one more summer of fun with our old Coleman tent. As I packed our Coleman tent away after our last camping trip I knew it was time to part ways, we couldn’t find any replacement parts for it. The Coleman Sundome 2 only has one door, which isn’t a big deal If you are camping solo. However, for two occupants, getting out will require some gymnastics to avoid stepping on your tent mate.
Although the seams may lack sealing of any kind, the stitching itself is free of defects and looks neat in general. First, the zippers used on both the door and back vent feel especially cheap, often snagging while in use. Second, we’re not a fan of fiberglass tent poles—we find aluminum to be sturdier and less prone to splintering. Having said that, most casual campers who take decent care of their gear should see many summers of camping with the Sundome. The coated polyester fabrics on the fly and walls are rugged and durable.