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Thread: Coleman Red Canyon Tent - Review

  1. #1
    Senior Member natertot's Avatar
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    Default Coleman Red Canyon Tent - Review

    My former family tent has begun to get a little cramped as the kids get a little bigger. Their friends are wanting to tag along on occasion and having room for gear without sacrificing room to move is becoming greatly desired. On a budget for a tent less than $200, I ended up purchasing the Coleman Red Canyon 8 Person Tent for $145 which included shipping.

    The good: The 10 x 17 foot print seems like it would tend to hold 10 persons over the 8 person capacity it has been given. The bag it comes in is actually a decent size to where you can put everything back in without cramming or leaving a part of it out. The tent stakes are better quality than I was expecting. They are the typical design that is generally regarded as cheap, but they are a bit longer and thicker. Smacking them rather hard with a 1 1/2 lb hatchet, they did not bend or flex. There are six poles (2 each of three sizes) that are color coded for easy ID when putting up the tent. The tent is relatively easy to set up, but two persons make set up a lot easier over a single person doing it. The middle of the tent sets up like a traditional dome tent, then an addition pole on each end extend the "wings". I used the Coleman Pro-Teckt fabric spray on the tent, but I have yet to seam seal it. Despite not being seam sealed, no water came into the tent on the first night with multiple hours of rain which was rather heavy at times. The 6' center height is also nice for an adult to stand and get dressed without being hunched over. Finally, the tent is very well vented. The entire ceiling is nearly mesh and their are two windows along with a vent towards the bottom in the back. Condensation is a complete non- issue.

    The bad: This tent only has one door, whereas my previous Coleman tent had two. It isn't a deal breaker, but a feature I will miss. Also, my former tent had other features such as a pet door, an electric cord hole, and pockets galore. The Red Canyon has no pet door, no electric cord hole, and only a small pocket on either end with a 1' x 1' net shelf up top. The worse part of the tent is the pole design for the rain fly. A pole goes on the front and the back of the tent and they are bent to a 180* "U" shape. I only used the tent for two nights, and both poles are starting to break because of the excess force it takes to put them into shape. Also, the pocket for the ends of these poles are lined with the door in the front and the window in the back. The poles hard tension distort the window and door which makes zipper operation a pain. I plan on fixing this whole issue by have a pocket sewn in the front and rear of the rain fly and making a pole that goes across the top of the tent and making the fly come to a "point". The will require one pole for the fly instead of two that requires a lot less tension and removes all the tension from the window and door. I hate modifying a new tent, but I do not want pole failure or broken zippers because of the initial poor design.

    All in all, I think it is a good tent at a fair price. A few more pockets, an electric cord hole, and an improved pole design on the rain fly and I would gladly pay closer to $200. Coleman has a good tent here and passed on the opportunity to make a great one. I don't regret this purchase and look forward to many years of use out of it. Just bummed at having to modify a new tent.
    ”There's nothing glorious in dying. Anyone can do it.” ~Johnny Rotten


  2. #2
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Jul 2009
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    Default

    Thanks for your review.....
    Most people would not even think about those little details that make your life easier.....You would actually have to camp in it to be able to tell the difference.
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27

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