The two main body poles are 8.5mm fiberglass the same size Coleman uses on their Sundome 2 and Sundome 3. On the Sundome 6 they use an 11mm fiberglass pole which is the right choice for that size tent. At the least with fiberglass poles on this Sundome 4 they should have used a 9.5mm pole for strength.
We would certainly hesitate to opt for this tent if the forecast calls for torrential downpours, but it can absolutely hold up to the occasional spat of rain. The rainfly should even be capable of repelling anything beyond sideways rain. In addition, the bathtub floor means there are no seams too near the ground, and your stuff should be well protected if a puddle forms near the edges. Finally, there is a large vent on the back of the tent that can be staked out to provide a small degree of airflow. With practice, this tent could easily be put together in a little more than half that time, and this feat can definitely be accomplished by only one person.
The inside corner seams are taped with what looks to be really flimsy version of duct tape that was already peeling up at the corners. While I have yet to sleep in this tent, I was able to pitch it several times and get a feel for the overall quality and functionality. Plan B was to set the tent up on the BSA summer camp standard issue wood platforms covered by an old canvas tent.
6-Person Skydome™ Camping Tent – Blue NightsWith a quick setup in under 5 minutes, the Skydome™ Camping Tent lets you enjoy more time with friends and family on the next camping trip. 6-Person Skydome™ Camping Tent – EvergreenWith a quick setup in under 5 minutes, the Skydome™ Camping Tent lets you enjoy more time with friends and family on the next camping trip. We found plenty of reviews from users online emphasizing the value of the Coleman sundome 4 person tent, particularly for car camping. For rain protection, the length of the rainfly of my Sundome Tent is pretty decent, covering about one-third of the entire tent body, and it leaked only after 30 to 35 minutes. The Coleman tent is not really a four person tent unless you have small children, under the age of five.
Coleman tents are tested in winds up to 35 miles per hour to ensure they will stand up to mild winds. This is helped in part by the 11mm shock-corded fiberglass tent poles. They are thicker than poles designed for backpacking which are usually around 8.5mm. I’m a lifelong camper — I practically lived in forts when I was a kid — and these days, I spend more time tent camping than ever since I test gear for Kampgrounds of America. And because I’m no longer a kid who has all the time in the world, I appreciate a tent I can construct in 10 minutes or less. My standards for what constitutes a good night’s sleep have also skyrocketed, and of the many tents I’ve tried, I keep coming back to my trusty Coleman Sundome Camping Tent.
Because of the no-frills approach to this tent build, pitching the Sundome only took 5 minutes and 43 seconds. Coleman chose not to use grommets like the rest of the tent world and instead attached a pin on every corner that slides inside the pole. Though not ideal, it is fairly easy to get used to doing. Packing the tent back coleman instant tent up into the bag isn’t very hard either. There is a removable extension on the bottom that we assume helps keep the bag small for shipping but, once removed, allows a little more breathing room. The packed size of the 4-person dome tent would be too bulky for backpacking, but is conveniently sized and shaped for car camping.
Two poles run diagonally between corners to give the body of the tent it’s dome-shape. The coleman sundome would have been a GREAT option for a trip I recently took. I needed a tent that was going to be comfortable for a weekend car camping trip. My backpacking tent is great, but a little on the small side for casual weekend camping trips. I know the Skydome is supposed to be a quick pitch in under 5 minutes, complete with these pre-attached poles, fast-fitting feet, and pole clips instead of pole sleeves.
Tent poles are constructed of fiberglass, which is heavier than their lightweight aluminum counterparts. The Coleman Sundome 2’s tent body and fly material seemed fairly durable. The bathtub floor is thicker and more rigid than floors of other tents I own. While I didn’t take a sharp stick and try to recreate a Houston mosquito trying to get inside, the bug mesh felt pretty sturdy. Recently, I got the chance to camp for a few days in various weather conditions in the Coleman Elite Sundome Tent.
So far I have not had one break, but I am very careful when I set up. I measured my poles and I did find some aluminum poles online that are the exact size to fit my tent for $36 for the coleman sundome pair so that’s an option I would take if I break a pole. For this review, we tested the six-person Sundome, which we think is just about ideal for families of three to four people.
The metal tips clipped to each corner were easy to insert into the base of the tent poles. Using our back yard as a test site, I proceeded to test its set-up time which is set at 10 minutes. Silke watched from the edge of the deck as I deftly maneuvered my way around the laid out tent and proceeded to stake off the corners. It was very similar to our old tent in layout and design so I had an unfair advantage to setting it up the first time. Even though Coleman uses an inverted seam to sew the tent body to the tub floor I still went around all four sides with seam sealer before I took it out on its first camp. So I’ve spent 12 nights in the tent and with a good steady rain on 4 nights and no leaks yet.