Coleman Polygon 5, large 5-person tent with 360° view, 5 man family tent, sturdy steel pole construction, easy to pitch, 100% waterproof camping tent.

Product Information

The second major feature of the Zempire Evo TL V2 is its outright size. It’s kind of hilarious that the Evo TL V2 is even considered a five person tent (that’s a technicality, since its “bedroom” is built for five) because it features roughly 200 feet of total floor space between the sleeping room and the massive “living area” that makes up the center of the shelter. You’ll also find another 50 square feet of space in the covered awning at the front of the tent, which can also be sealed off from weather using a zippable door. The Evo TL V2 is also incredibly tough and has some of the most impressive waterproofing we’ve seen thanks to an integrated rainfly that’s laboratory tested to a 6,000mm hydrostatic rating. If you’ve never heard of Zempire tents, it’s a damn shame, but you’re not alone. Zempire is a little-known outdoors brand based out of New Zealand, who specializes in building unique inflatable tents like the Zempire Pronto 5 seen here. It's very common for manufacturers to be generous about the number of people they say can fit inside their tents. The number they give will be technically true, but it probably won't account for the space needed for campers' belongings, or the space people need for a comfortable night's sleep. Tent footprints are available to buy separately from tents at outdoor retailers. They're essentially an extra groundsheet that you can pitch before your tent, with the aim of pitching your tent on top of it. We pitch every tent, taking into account how long it takes, how clear the instructions are, how much physical effort is required, and how convenient the process is.

High-quality construction and materials on a shoestring budget. Warmer than average interior design allows for shoulder season camping. See Review We consider how easy it is to get into and out of the main entrances and sleeping compartments, how bright and roomy the living spaces are, and if we consider there to be enough room for the number of people intended to sleep in the tent. Budget-friendly model that’s ideal for warm weather/fair-weather family camping. Free-standing design is easy to pitch and boasts high ceilings. See ReviewAn incredibly rugged tent with more features and interior space than you can imagine. Unique airframe design is sturdy and surprisingly fast to pitch. See Review However, for actual camping, this is a couple’s tent. They claim it can fit two queen-size beds, but there isn’t an inch of space left. They claim to provide an easy way for you to plan where you're going to place your tent without having to pitch it fully, and provide an extra layer of waterproofing and insulation from the ground below.

You’ll also want to consider both the peak height and the overall shape of a five person tent. Five person shelters are typically a good bit taller than their three or four person stablemates, and many feature peak heights over six feet that allow anyone to stand up and stretch out inside them. In terms of shape, keep in mind that the more vertical a tent’s walls are, the more headspace they’ll have throughout. Cabin-style layouts are always your best bet if interior space is a priority, but there are some surprisingly spacious domes out there worth looking at as well. Livability

You'll want to ensure your tent footprint is the same size as the tent you're pitching – several manufacturers sell footprints specifically to fit certain tent models. We inspect the interiors of the tents during and after testing to see how each fares against the elements. Some tents manage to stay firm, but others blow over and even have puddles in the sleeping compartments. Other highlights of the Zempire Pronto 5 include an insane amount of adjustable ventilation, a rear storage awning with zippered access from inside the tent, and a zippered front port for electronics like a fan or air conditioner inside the tent. The Pronto 5 also comes with a double action air pump, which makes for rapid inflation/deflation of the tent’s airframe system.

Combines the convenience of an inflatable airframe design with high-quality materials. Surprisingly affordable for a Zempire shelter. See Review The most striking feature of the Coleman Waterfall is its unique tunnel/dome hybrid layout, which combines a tunnel-style sleeping area and a tall dome-style living area into a single shared structure (also called an “igloo” style tent). This solid single-wall canopy is made from PU-coated polyester rated to a 3,000mm hydrostatic head, which simplifies set-up and keeps the weight of the tent low. Once the tents are up, we closely inspect the interior of each one and rate them on how likely campers are to have a comfortable and enjoyable experience that meets their needs. Taking all the above factors into consideration, we found the Mountainsmith Conifer 5 to be the best 5 person tent currently on the market. The Conifer strikes us as the perfect mix of quality, livability, and value, and is built to last for years of three-season camping in just about any weather. As far as cons go, Mountainsmith shelters look, feel, and perform like premium products, and they’re priced accordingly. That means the Conifer 5 is a little on the pricey side, but we wouldn’t consider it a splurge either. Other than that our only other real complaint is that the canopy uses a three pole clip-in/sleeve hybrid design, which takes a little longer to set up than a clip-in only design, especially if you’re using the rainfly since it uses a fourth pole to maximize vestibule space. Those are minor complaints for an otherwise exceptionally livable tent with plenty of space for two adults and three children to sleep comfortably rain-or-shine. Pros:The only thing worse than spending the night in a leaky tent is spending the night in a leaky tent with young children and/or a family pet. If you plan on camping rain-or-shine, pay close attention to both the design and water worthiness of your rainfly. We prefer tents with full-length rainflys that stretch all the way over the tent and stake in close to the ground. Climate-wise: The tent is designed for warm-weather camping in a quiet setting. There are large mesh sections, which is fine when you need a lot of air circulation but could be better when it’s cold outside. The dome shape is aerodynamic, and this tent should perform well in theory, but such an awning would not perform well in high winds. A tent with more than one door can help with airflow, assisting with ventilation and also gives you more flexibility to enter and leave the tent through the most convenient doorway. 8) Number and size of windows There don’t exist vents because the fly is high above the ground and has plenty of airflow beneath it. For ventilation, there are two large mesh sections on the sides. This is The Wise Adventurer’s roundup of the best 5 person tents currently on the market. If you’ve been searching long and hard for a good 5 person tent, you’re not alone: 5 person tents are hands down the least common tent size on the market, and that’s a shame considering how much they bring to the table.

Most tents have thin, collapsible poles made from fibreglass. They often fold up into a compact size and are connected by an elastic cord. They're usually flexible and will need to be bent to fit the shape of the tent canvas during pitching. Tents with rigid poles made of stainless steel or aluminium are for building a rigid frame that will keep your tent sturdy in the wind. They can be heavier and more cumbersome to pitch, though. Some companies refer to this as the hubbed system. But a few more details, such as clips and corner rings for poles, make up the fast-pitch system, which you can see in the video below. Up next on our list is the Coleman Waterfall 5 Deluxe, one of the most well-rounded and surprisingly feature-rich tents in our roundup.

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If you’re looking for the best 5 person tent for the money, we believe the Alps Mountaineering Taurus 5 Outfitter is the one to beat in terms of value.