Coleman Tent 7 X 7 Sundome-At home in the wilderness
Written: Jan 15 '05 (Updated Apr 10 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good value for money. Durable over time.
Quick and easy set up.
Cons: Cheap tent stakes and zippers. Rated as 3 person tent, but that's questionable.
The Bottom Line: Coleman's Sundome 7 X 7 tent is a great value. Grab one up today and be ready for some time outdoors.
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| trailhound's Full Review: Coleman 9260n707 7' X 7' Sundome Tent |
Camping can be a lot of fun, especially if you get a good night's sleep while enjoying the outdoors. When I started car camping again in 2000 I had to buy a new tent. I didn't want anything too expensive or too big. On the other hand I didn't want a piece of junk or a pup tent either. After doing some shopping around I choose the Coleman 7 X 7 Sundome, and have been very satisfied with my choice.
Dimensions and Materials
This tent measures 7' X 7' at its square base. It is a dome tent, which allows for quick set up and it is self-supporting. Two shocked-corded lightweight fiberglass poles support it and provide 52" of height in the middle of the tent. That's not enough for most people to stand up but is fine for sitting. One drawback of the dome design is that the ceiling curves downward rapidly, so there is much less headroom in the tent's corners.
Coleman considers this to be a 3-person tent, but I think that is questionable unless you are in a real pinch. I call it my one-man one-dog tent because there was just enough room for my dog and I when we went camping. Two persons can definitely fit, but that leaves only minimal room for gear and moving around. When I use it myself there is plenty of room for my sleeping bag and all my gear. It's nice having a little extra room.
The single door is "D" shaped and has a zipper that traverses the whole curve of the "D". It measures about 4' X 4', which is a good size. Egress is easy, as long as your gear is not sitting right in the doorway. The door is made of mesh screening and there is also a flap that can be zipped into place. The flap can be rolled back and secured with two strings attached to the tent wall. The zipper is not very rugged, so I am always cautious when using it.
The rear of the tent has a single window, which measures 51" X 27" and is a half-moon shape. It is made of mesh and has a flap that can, in theory, be zipped open or shut. My biggest complaint with this tent is the poor zipper quality of the flaps on the door and window. The flap on the window is jammed three-quarters of the way open. If I try forcing it open it threatens to tear. There are no windows on the sides.
The tent is made of polyurethane coated fabric, which is supposed to be durable and inhibit moisture from entering the tent. In my experience it has proven true. I have used this tent at least a dozen times over five summers, and the materials are still holding up. The tent's floor is a bathtub style and is made of a heavier interwoven material. The floor of the tent extends up around the sides of the tent a few inches to provide moisture protection. It has proven to be durable over time and has not leaked. I always put a tarp under the floor, which probably has helped with its durability.
Other
There are two small mesh pockets inside the tent on opposite ends. These are great for tossing in small items that you don't want to misplace, like car keys, the cell phone, or loose coins. The top of the tent has a small mesh vent opening, which allows some air circulation. If you do not use the rainfly you can see through to the sky. But if it rains, it will rain through the opening. Which is more important to you? I always put on the rainfly.
This tent came with four cheap tent stakes that were either bent or lost the first year I had it. I suggest buying a separate set of tent stakes right away (We're only talking $3) since the ones provided are of minimal value.
There is a rainfly that covers about ¾ of the tent and has, for the most part, worked really well for me. I always use the rainfly to keep out unexpected rain, dew, and bird doo-doo.
This tent is heavy and somewhat bulky - the tent, poles, and everything else weighs more than 7 pounds. It is not suitable for backpacking due to its weight and the fact that it does not fold up compactly. I recommend it for car camping only.
Test run and prep
After buying the Sundome I set it up at home to make sure I had all the parts. I didn't want to embarrass myself at the campground if a pole was missing. I also had to seam seal the tent to inhibit leakage. The seam sealant is sold separately and needs to be rubbed onto the threaded seams to keep out moisture. Since it is stinky it should be done outside a few days before using the tent. I have also applied Camp-Dry water repellant spray, which inhibits leaks through the tent walls.
Durability
A stated in the review, I have used this tent at least twelve times over five summers. There are no tears or leaks. The only time I had leakage problems was during a horrific storm that dropped over 3 inches of rain, and then I only had a small puddle where it had leaked through the back window. The zippers are pretty cheap and cannot be used roughly. As mentioned in the review, the zipper on the back flap has jammed and will tear if I force it closed.
The last few times I used this tent the walls were sagging more than usual. It is possible that the material is wearing-out. Sun, rain, and repeated set-ups eventually take a toll on the fabric's durability.
Setting up before sundown
For some crazy reason I actually like setting up the campsite when I go car camping. One of the first things I do is find a level area to set up the tent. Since I'm usually camping with several other people I want to snag the "good spot" before they do! And I hate setting up the tent in the dark - so I do it right away. I also make sure I'm not under a creaky tree limb or in a mini flood-plain in case a storm comes up. Then I put down a 7' X 7' tarp where my tent is going to be staked to see if it fits in that spot.
One person can set up the Sundome tent in less than 15 minutes. The instructions are attached to the tent sack in which it came. Just lay the tent over the tarp where you want to stake it. Make sure the door is facing in the direction you want it. No one walking by your site wants to see your butt sticking out the door at 7 AM. Next, assemble the two shock-corded poles and insert them through the sleeves on the sides of the tent while the tent is lying flat on the ground. Now you"ll have a big "X" pattern over the tent, formed by the poles. The next step is a little trickier but gets easy with practice.
Insert the end of one pole into the grommet found in a little tab in the tent corner. Next, go to the opposite side end of that pole and do the same thing. You'll have to jiggle around the pole in the sleeve, but you"ll soon have a semi-dome tent. Next, repeat the same action with the other pole in the other set of sleeves. Once again, you"ll have to slide the pole and/or sleeves around a bit, but the tent will quickly take shape and pop into place. Voila! Your tent is up.
Now you just need some finishing touches. The frame tie at the top of the tent needs to be fastened to the two poles crossing at the top of the tent. Next, attached the four frame clips to the tent poles, which will make the tent taunt in the corners. I always step back and make sure I like where the tent is before doing anything else. At this point the tent can be easily picked up and moved if you need to.
If you are happy with the tent's location it's time to stake the tent and put on the rainfly. Stake each corner using tent stakes driven through the plastic rings in each corner. As for the rainfly I always put it on even if its not going to rain because A.) It sometimes rains when its not supposed to and B.) Dew can form at night and drip through the screens. The rain fly has a short shock-corded pole. Assemble the pole and insert it into the little pockets on the rainfly's underside and tie the pole to the rainfly also.
Next, fling the rainfly over the tent's roof with the single pole down and lying over the door and back window. There a stretchable cords in each corner of the rain fly. Pull on the cord from one corner of the rainfly and attach to the plastic ring in the tent's corner. Now go to the opposite corner and do the same thing. Next, repeat the same procedure on the remaining two cords on the rainfly. Sometimes the rainfly will slide around or even fall off when you are doing this, which is all the reason you want to put it on now instead of at 2AM when there's a thunderstorm in progress!
If it is really windy you can attach guy lines to tent on each side (there are loops low on each outer wall). This will give the tent more stability and make it less likely to blow away. I don't recall ever using the guy lines on this tent though. Now that your tent is set up its time to get out there and enjoy the outdoors.
Recommendation
I paid about $40 for this Coleman 7 X 7 Sundome in 2000. They can probably be found for that same price as of this writing. This tent is a good choice for budget-minded car campers who do not need a lot of room, or for up to three children. I really got my money's worth out of this tent. It is not perfect but has lasted a lot longer than I had expected. I will most likely replace it either this year or next year since it is getting up there in life expectancy. But in the meantime I'll be getting it ready for my first camping trip in 2005. Happy trails!
Other review that many interest you
Hiking Minnesota
http://www.epinions.com/content_217422728836
ETA: Link to hiking book
© trailhound. 2005.
Recommended:
Yes
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