Looking at high quality tents

[Sparkyprep]

Ok guys, I've decided to graduate from cheap, Wal-Mart tents, and get off my wallet for a high quality tent. I have been looking at the "Scorpion 3" from Snug-Pack. Has anyone on here had experience with these? There are a few videos on Youtube on this, and it's smaller sister, the Scorpion 2. The Scorpion 3 is supposed to be a three man ten, which usually means it will sleep two comfortably. Big enough for the wife and me.

Anyway, the price is more than I am used to spending on a tent, so I'm looking for impartial reviews. Thanks.

[1moretoy]

No personal experience with them but they do get very good reviews. Amazon carries them and with a prime account you get free shipping.

[Montana Rancher]

Your post really doesn't tell us much.

Why buy a tent, what is your purpose? Are you really so big that a 3 person tent will only fit 2 of you or are you experienced enough to know that you should keep your gear in your tent?

I like the fact that the tent has aluminum poles.

[Sparkyprep]

Chipper as always MR. To answer your questions-

1. The purpose of a tent is to provide shelter when camping outdoors. Now, seriously, my family and I are avid campers, and spend a great deal of time outdoors, hunting, fishing, and camping. The tent will be for the wife and myself to camp for 3 to four days, max. Sometimes, there is inclement weather that pops up without warning in South Florida. My cheap Wal-Mart tent folded flat with me and the Mrs. Inside it the last time a thunderstorm blew in. I want a tent that can hold up.

2. I weigh about 220, and the wife is 115. I like to spread out when I sleep. Yes, my personal gear gets stored inside the tent with me at night, including clothes, toiletries, and firearms, amongst other things (pretty much everything but food). As a general rule, nearly all, ok, ALL, tent manufacturers overestimate their person capacities of their tents. A "two-man" tent will sleep two men, if they are five feet tall, and weigh eighty pounds each. Or, if they sleep one atop the other. For example, a two man tent sleeps one, a three man tent sleeps two, and a four man tent sleeps three.

Just a note, my children are teenagers, and they each have their own "two man" tent.

[Sparkyprep]

Just a bump to get fresh opinions. I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[James m]

I have a Coleman 8 x 10 foot tent. Only wound up using it once because of heavy winds. I wound up sleeping in a conversion van for a few weeks.

[MrsInor]

I would like to know what you eventually get Sparky. Inor and I would like a nice big tent also.

[Slippy]

Just a bump to get fresh opinions. I haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Sparky,

I wish I had some better feedback, my main tent is a cabin style 4 man tent that we've had for 20+ years or so. Aluminum poles that are light yet strong. I don't even know the name of the manufacturer but I'm 6'4" and can stand in the tent easily. I agree, manufacturers exaggerate their ability to sleep a certain number of people. My 4 man tent is very comfortable for 2 people plus gear for 2 or 3 nights.

We also have one the Coleman instant tents, the kind you fold down then pop up but its a 2 man tent and is really OK for me alone only for 2 nights max. I'm not into roughing it much anymore, I've got nothing to prove to anyone when I'm camping! :)

[Jeep]

Go to a store that has Rock and Ice magazine and Climber. There are a ton off adds in them for tents. 2 season 3 season 3 man 4 man etc. Just mag shop then go to websites. North Face is generally used on Everest.

[Arklatex]

I don't know about the snug pak but I have a north face that has been great. Mountain Hardware and eureka are great too. But those are all backpacking tents. If you want a long term heavy duty setup a canvas tent with a woodstove would be great.

[Infidel]

Eureka! is the way to go in my opinion. I don't own one currently, we bought a cheapo from Wal-mart to get the family going camping (our budget weighed heavily in this decision) but our next tent will be a Eureka!. We had them when I was a kid, my father and I backpacked with a smaller tent and we had a big cabin tent when camping without backpacking. Both were excellent tents unlike the cheap crap at Wal-mart. I'm not sure they are built the same as they used to be but I'm willing to give them a shot when the cheapo tent from Wal-mart has had it which will likely be next year. Our decision was to start with a cheap tent and see how everyone adjusted, I said then that I'd be happy if I could get 2 years out of it then we'll upgrade to a better tent. Everyone seems to love camping so hopefully part of next years tax return will go to a good Eureka! tent.

-Infidel

[Sparkyprep]

Well, thanks Infidel, now I'm looking at the Eureka Downrange 2. There are no YouTube reviews on this tent. There is also no one near me that has any of these tents at a brick and mortar store for me to look at them.

[jeff70]

Do you want a light weight tent, or a canvas one, if canvas check out Kodiak canvas tents, They are big and heavy but are awesome tents

[Sparkyprep]

I'm looking for something lightweight, and packs small. A lot of our camping excursions are by boat, to uninhabited islands. Also needs to be extremely storm/wind resistant.

[hawgrider]

A 3 man tent will allow room for 2 people plus your boots and some gear. Do you really want to leave your boots and back pack out in the elements. Not to mention trying to put your boots on in a 2 man tent is difficult at best. I've had both. Eureka makes pretty darn good 4 season backpacker tents.

[Infidel]

We used a Timberline 4 (http://store.eurekatent.com/timberline-4-tent) for backpacking and canoe trips. Plenty of room for me and my father and we were both well over 6' and 200+ lbs. At 7lbs 13oz it's probably a bit on the heavy side for long backpacking trips but if you've got a good strong back you won't really notice it much. I'd gladly take a little bit larger heavier tent and go with lighter weight gear for everything else if I could. The down rage 2 looks like a nice tent also but it's heavier and only sleeps 2 where the Timberline 4 will sleep 4, the Down Range 2 is also about $80 more than the Timberline 4. I will agree that the number of people ratings are a bit skewed, they must mean little people.

-Infidel

[Montana Rancher]

Ok since you really want to know

I have owned a Eueka Timberline tent for .... 30 plus years, and it hasn't changed at all if you get the aluminum pole version

http://store.eurekatent.com/timberline-2-tent

I have in a pinch slept 3 people (teenagers) in it without gear but it was very crowded, they make a 4 man version but it is heavier.

This tent will hold up to drenching downpours, 5" of wet snow and very heavy winds.