SwissGear Backpacking Sport Tent - Sleeps 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This tent was in the approximate size range I was looking for. From the pictures the tent looked more red, but to my surprise it was burnt orange.
I'm very concerned how well this tent will hold up to the rain. The seams are not taped or sealed in anyway I could find. I set it up and have attempted to seal the seams with some silicon fabric water-proofing. The single pole on the back side is suppose to slide into a re-enforced pocket. The area where it goes looks like two pieces of tent fabric that overlap. Not as sturdy as I would expect for a single pole supporting the backside of the tent.
On the inside of the tent, in the back two corners, there is a short pole attached to the top of each corner. This is to provide support. Over the front of the tent is a small overhang. This really needed to be a bit larger to provide some rain protection for the door opening.
The last piece of info is trying to get this tent folded up to fit back into the carry bag. I almost made it, after 3 attempts. (zipper is closed on one end) One of the reasons for so many attempts was those back short wall poles on the inside of the tent. They were turned the wrong way and didn't want to bend into thirds. On the next attempts I made sure to find those poles and get them aligned in the correct direction.
This could be a good tent if you are just going camping during ideal weather, but I wouldn't want to depend on it during rain to keep my gear dry.


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This lightweight (9 LBS.) tent is designed for backpacking adventures.

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Swiss Gear Elite Series 12 Person Huge Family Dome Camping Tent SG33151 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a HUGE tent. Very spacious inside with what is really one large room and one smaller room. It comes with a cloth room divider which is a bit hard to figure out how to attach in the large room to separate it into two smaller (but still roomy) rooms and when it is attached it doesn't do a good job of creating separate rooms. Much space is left under and around the divider so we don't even use it. But, that's not a negative towards this tent.
SetUp:
1.) Take your time and read the directions on the nylon sack and follow them carefully, step by step. The tent is not hard to set up and can be done by one person but is best if there are two people to set it up.
2.) Make sure the inside sewn-in door is unzipped so that when the tent is flat and ready to be raised a person can enter easily to the center of the tent to lift it while the other person secures the poles on the outside.
3.) Make sure that the rain fly is put on right-side up. If a big wind/rain comes then having it properly secured is essential.
4.) Don't take any short cuts and do everything the directions say to do.
5.) When taking the tent down take your time and fold it up carefully. I lay the tent out flat with the 3 rooms extended. Then I take each room and fold it in towards the center. Then I fold the tent again. You want it narrow enough so that when you roll it up it will fit easily back into the sack. It's easy to do but it takes a few times to get the hang of it. And the poles are very easy to extend and then fold up. I love how everything is so compact and goes back into the sack. The poles and tent sleeves are color-coded so it's very easy to know where each pole goes including their clamps. When we first got this tent we set it up in our back yard several times just for practice. It gets much easier the more often you set it up but if you can practice in advance of a camping trip that's good. And you would want to see if there is anything wrong with it prior to using it for real.
We went on a week-long camping trip last week and this tent was wonderful. The screen windows are great for air circulation and to be able to see outside. It has screens on all sides but you can zip them up at night for privacy. If you leave the rain fly off the roof of the tent is screen netting. We didn't do that but it would be great to lie there and watch the stars at night. I am 5'10" tall and could easily stand up and walk around inside the tent. It is so very spacious on the inside that four or more queen-sized air mattresses could easily be used with room to walk around. This tent really felt like home.
We did not get to test it in a rain storm. It did rain briefly but not long enough to see if the tent would leak. The directions say to use a "seam sealer" which we have not done yet, but will before our next camping trip.
**Note**
If you plan to use this tent in a campground be aware that most pre-made tent pads will not be large enough for this tent. We had to look for a tent pad that was very low to the ground so that the tent floor would be as flat as we could get it. Also, be sure to lay a tarp(s) underneath the tent floor. We had to use three 8'x10' tarps, one for each room.
So far, we love this tent and and the only problems we have had is the velcro closure on the front door sometimes catches the screen netting and has messed it up a bit, and one of the metal ring pins broke but Swiss Gear immediately sent several more for free upon request. The tent fabric is lightweight but seems very durable.

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Tired of camping with the family in "family sized" tents that barely fit you, your spouse, and a few bags? Turn to the Swiss Gear Elite series 12-person dome camping tent, an extra-spacious shelter that's guaranteed to make you the envy of the campground. Built to be extra roomy yet simple to set up, the tent boasts two large back rooms, each of which has a private door so you won't disturb the people sleeping around you. The front room can also function as a sleeping room, or you can zip down the walls and turn it into a large porch area for dining, storing gear, or playing with the kids. Best of all, each of the three rooms is large enough to hold a queen-size airbed, with room to spare for gear storage and walk-around space. The tent even lets most basketball players stand fully erect, with a center height of 6 feet 10 inches.
The tent sets up quickly compared to most large tents, with color-coded poles and pole sleeves and easy-to-follow directions that keep you from wasting time on setup rather than enjoying the great outdoors. The Elite is also fully weatherproof, with an enhanced Swissguard weather protection system and coatings that keeps the interior dry, along with a unique wind-resistant design that's stable and durable. Other features include an e-port that offers easy and dry electrical cord access, a removable hanging divider curtain for the back room, rainfly hoop frames that extend over the back doors for added weather protection, and combination steel-frame and fiberglass-top poles for durability. The Elite tent--which sleeps up to 12 people--measures 19 by 19 feet at the base.

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