Coleman Tents At Target

The Coleman Instant Tent is one of the quickest tents to set up and usually takes a couple of minutes to set up so you can get back to enjoying anything but setting up the tent. The instant tent comes in lots of different sizes but Target usually has the 6 man tent and the 8 man tent in stores. These are great family tents and offer a lot of room.
They also have the Coleman Hampton 9 man tent for those looking for a spacious family tent. These tents will cost anywhere between $100 and $140.
If you don’t want to try a cabin tent you might want to consider the Coleman Ara. It is a 6 man dome tent that is under $100. It comes with a rain fly and it is pretty easy to set up with a color coded tent pole system.
If you want a smaller tent they also have a couple of models of the Coleman Sundome to choose from like the 2 man tent, which remains one of their most popular models. It is inexpensive and just under $50.
Target has a couple of Tents by Embark. This week’s main advertised deal is the Embark 9 Person Cabin tent with a screened porch and it is at a great price, $114.95. It usually takes about 20 minutes to set up. Although it comes with a rainfly it doesn’t offer your tent full protection as it does not go down all the sides. You probably should test it out at home with the sprinklers or hose and see if the rainfly will keep the water out. If not, just find a cheap tarp to put over it for a little more protection.
Many of these are similar to tents at Walmart and you can also purchase many of them at Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax if you don’t need it as quickly.

The current tents at Wal-Mart (at least my local Wal-Mart) are 2 Ozark Trail Tents the Ozark Trail 7×7 Sport Dome that sleeps 2 and another 4 man version of it, both under $40. Your local Wal-Mart might have different selections than mine and most likely will!
Wal-Mart in recent years has added a feature on their website that allows you to order it online and than they will ship it to your local store, this saves the cost of shipping. When you do this there are a lot more cheap camping tents available that you can sift through.

Tent Models At Wal-Mart We Recommend:

The Swiss Gear Montreaux:

This may or may not be available at your store, but it is available on their website and it is also offered at Amazon. This is a large 10 man tent and gets lots of good reviews. You can also check out an article we have about the Swiss Gear Montreaux.

Coleman Instant Tent:

 The Coleman Instant allows you a worry free tent set up. It takes only a minute to set up. The particular model they sell is a 6 man tent. We also have an article about this tent and you can find it at Amazon too.

Coleman Sundome Tent:

 There are a few different size options available ranging from a 2 man tent to a 6 man tent. It is very affordable and makes a good small tent here is a link to it at Amazon
and a link to what we have to say about the Coleman Sundome.

Wal-Mart Bundles

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Wal-Mart offers a few camping tent bundles as well. You can find tent bundles that include the tent along with a couple of other supplies. Some have camping chairs, sleeping bags, or a canopy included with the camping tent and they are at very affordable prices. You may want to consider this if you are just starting out and don’t have any camping gear.

Wal-Mart is just one option campers have to find camping tents cheap. Check out our page of where else you can Buy Cheap tents for Camping.

The Instant Tents also come equipped with the Coleman WeatherTec system which they guarantee will keep you dry.  Many users have camped in storms in these tents and have confirmed that it has kept them dry.  Another thing that makes this tent unique is that it comes with the tent fully taped, which means there is no need for a rainfly.  Just to be safe you might want to bring a tarp with you and do a pretest at home.  Just set the tent up at home before you hit the campground, let the sprinklers hit it or even a hose and see if there are in tiny holes that need to be double sealed.  This can save you from a big headache when you get to your campground.
These are fairly cheap tents and can be found pretty easily.  I’ve seen them at the big warehouse stores like Sam’s Club.  You can also find a 2 room 10 man version of the Instant tent at Bass Pro Shops. You can also find them at Amazon following this link. Enough cannot be said about Coleman Tents.  They have become an authority in camping tents and a brand your family can trust.

Other tents you might be interested in are the Coleman Vacationer Tent and the Coleman Weathermaster.  They do not set up as quickly as this model but they are both big and the Vacationer comes with their new lighting system which features a light switch in your tent.

The power system is not the only thing that will make you feel at home in this tent. This tent comes with lots of windows, eight of them in fact, and three of them inside the main cabin area are self rolling. This will help increase air flow inside of the tent and help your tent stay cool on hot summer nights. It also comes with two hinged doors, yep- hinged doors. This will make you feel even more at home and you will deal less with the annoying zipper doors that are often on tents.
The Coleman Vacationer also comes equipped with Coleman’s patented Weathertec system which guarantees you will stay dry in your tent. It also comes with a rainfly, you do not want to camp without one of these.
Overall, this Coleman 10 man tent is a great option for families. The cabin tent style offers lots of living space and allows you the option of more places to sleep or more places to spread out in. Large camping tents are a must have if you get stuck camping in bad weather. This camping tent offers lots of space, lets of fun features and some of the newest tent technology. This new 2011 Coleman Cabin tent will be perfect for many camping trips you and your family take and you have the bonus of knowing that Coleman tents are durable and reliable.   Just click the following link to purchase the tent now at Bass Pro, the only place it can be purchased.
Coleman Vacationer 2-Room 10-Person 15′ x 10′ Cabin Tent.
You also might be interested in the Swiss Gear Montreaux 10 man tent.

Smoky Mountain National Park

Campgrounds:
There are many campgrounds in Smoky Mountain National Park and many more in the cities of Pigeon Forge, TN and Gatlinburg. Those who want to car camp in the Smokies can use one of the 10 front country campgrounds. These campgrounds provide restrooms with cold running water and flushable toilets, but unfortunately, no showers. Each campground has its own fire grate and picnic table. There are also many areas where you can go backcountry camping and a few campgrounds for those who are camping with horses.
You can reserve campgrounds in the Smokies, but currently only Cades Cove, Cataloochee, Cosby, Elkmont, and Smokemont are available to reserve this way. The other campgrounds are first come, first serve.

Front Country Campgrounds that are maintained by the National Park Service:

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Abrams Creek
Balsam Mountain
Big Creek
Cades Cove
Cataloochee
Cosby
Deep Creek
Elkmont
Look Rock
Smokemont
There are lots of hiking trails in the area and the book above,Best Easy Day Hikes Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)
, can give you some great ideas on some easier day hikes that the family will enjoy. One of the biggest problems of the Smokies is due to being so popular. Traffic can get backed up for miles especially in the fall when people are trying to view the leaves changing colors. It is a spectacular sight and well worth dealing with the extra congestion.

Cabins

Also due to high demand there are many different cabin rentals in the Smoky Mountains. They have very basic ones to ones with indoor swimming pools so you can find a mountain cabin rental easily. Most of them have pool tables, hot tubs, big screen TVs, and amazing views. For those who do not want to camp but still want to visit the Smoky Mountains this is a great option! Yes, we have done it and recommend it. We used the Timber Tops cabin rentals.

Bears

In fact, it is one of the best places to spot bears. It is not uncommon to come across a “bear jam” in the park. One bear near the road can halt traffic for miles, which is great if you are the one getting to see the bear, but not as much fun when you are in the back of the traffic jam. On one of my trips to the Smokies I was fortunate to come across one of these scenes and was in the front of the line. It was a cub right off the main road and climbing up a tree.
Due to the fact that there are 1500 bears in the park you need to remember to take caution as you camp and hike in the area. The park allows you to carry “Bear Pepper Spray” while hiking, but they have very specific requirements about how you can use it and how it is made. So make sure you check with the park before carrying any. They do not want the spray applied to people or any of your belongings; this includes your camping tents!!
This also means you need to take proper precaution with your belongings and make sure you do not tempt any bears by leaving any wildlife.

Other Insects And Wildlife To Be Prepared For

There are many different species of wild life living in the smoking mountains but anyone camping in the mountains here or even just hiking, horseback riding or fishing needs to be on the look for two things in particular: Snakes (copperheads and timber rattlesnakes) and yellowjacket wasps which are the most common pests that you will run into in the area. Make sure if you are allergic to the wasps that you have your medication with you and also it is a great idea to understand what to do if for some reason you were bit by a snake. Get some common information on what to do if you are bit, it is always good to have some first aid instructions printed out and with you because you never know what you will remember in an emergency.

Any of the National Parks are great areas to visit if you are closer to the West you may want to check out Oprah Camping In Yosemite which she featured on two of her recent shows.  The 2nd part gave a lot of history and showed some of the activities you can do. 

Other Resources

Tips to find the right campground

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm- the home page of Smoky Mountain National Park

Timberline Series-
The timberline has two particular models the timberline outfitter which offers a 2 man tent, 4 man tent and a 6 man tent or the Timberline SQ which has a 2 man and a 4 man tent available. 
Both models are A Frame tents and very lightweight making them an ideal tent for backpacking.  They come with a rain fly that covers the entire body and allows windows to be kept it partially open even when it is raining which helps enable good ventilation and keeps it from getting to stuffy.

You can buy the Timberline Series at Big Bass Outfitters by clicking on the picture

Copper Canyon Series-
The Eureka Copper Canyon tents are large camping tents.  They sleep anywhere from 8 -12 people and they have a variety of floor plans.  The classic copper canyon just provides lots of space for sleeping.  The other tents are made to be cabin tents which you can set up a divide curtain to create two rooms or take the curtain down to just have 1 large living space.  The Copper Canyon 1610 even has a sunroom or you can go for the Copper Canyon 1512 tent that comes with an awning so you can set your camping chairs out their and enjoy the scenery.  These tents aren’t lightweight and all weigh around 40 pounds.   It includes 6 large tents that help increase the air flow inside the tent.

Forte SQ Series-
The Eureka Forte SQ series is designed to be a light 3 season tent.  It is made as an a frame tent with a spreader pole congifuration.  It has a sleek close fitting fly to cover your tent and helping to keep the rain outside.  You can also purchase a footprint separately.  These aren’t going to fit a lot of campers as they are only designed to be a 2 man tent.

Grand Manan Series-
With the regular Eureka Grand Manan tents you can sleep anywhere between 3-5 campers depending on whether you get the Grand Manan 7 or the Grand Manan 9 models.   These are small sleek tents that are designed to maximize the amount of headroom and the amount of room in the overall tent so that you can bring an air bed or air mattress with you.  They also feature lots of ventilation and 8 different pockets where you can store your stuff.
The Eureka Grand Manan Tour tent takes it up one more level.  It is a 6 man tent that is designed to be bug free and for all weather.    It also allows you to set up the E! power system from Eureka which allows you to add power to your tent!  This is a very nice feature to have.

N!ergy Series-
The N!ergy tent was designed to bring power to the camper so you can use things like lights and tent fans while being inside your tent.  The N!ergy 1210 and 1310 are cabin tents that allow you to have 2 separate rooms.  The N!ergy 1310 is Eureka’s largest powered tent and can sleep up to 10 people.  The N!ergy 9 is not a cabin tent but still sleeps up to 5 people. All of this models tents are very spacious and have a lot of nice extra features for your tent.

Scenic Pass Series-
Eureka Scenic pass tents are lightweight backpacking tents that are meant to be durable and light so you can take them on any scenic pass you want.  It comes with Eureka’s patented DAC Pressfit Aluminum frame which takes the need for tent poles out of the equation and makes it very easy to setup.   It also made with a bathtub floor and a gear loft to store your stuff.

Suite V Series- 
Looking for a tent for tall people?  The Eureka Suite V series is made just for tall people and is ideal for people over 6 ft tall.  It is made so that the front entrance to the tent is taller so that you don’t need to duck when entering.  They offer both a 4 man tent and a 6 man tent and they are both dome tents.

Sunrise Series-
The Eureka Sunrise Tent is built for between 4-6 campers and they try to maximize the amount of ventilation in the tent which means there are lots of different windows and areas of the tent that allow the breeze to get in.  This is great if you are camping somewhere that is very hot and you know you don’t need to worry to much about rain.  Some special features of these tents include built in water bottle holders, a corner floor organizer and a wall organizer that comes equipped with a mirror!

Tetragon Series-
There are 6 different tents in the Eureka Tetragon series and you can get sizes from a 2 man tent to a 9 man tent.  The cabin tents feature their own entrances to the different wings of the tent so they are perfect family tents.  The larger tents also are less than 20 pounds so they are a more lightweight option if you need to take it with you.

You can also read about the Eureka Solo Solitaire Bivy Tent which is a cheap option for backpackers.

Sundome-  The Sundome is available in a variety of sizes ranging from a 2 man tent up to a 6 man tent and everything in between. We talked about it in a separate post.

Weather Master- The Coleman Weathermaster also comes in numerous sizes including 4 man, 6 man and the 10 man tent.  These large family cabin tents are very spacious tents with a center height of 80” on the 10 man tent.

Hooligan- You can get the Hooligan in 3 different sizes that sleep between 2 and 4 people.  It has 1 door is made of polyester, and has 11mm fiberglass tent poles.  It’s rain fly covers the entire tent and it also has a footprint.   This dome tent is fairly easy to set up and lightweight.

 Ara- The Ara comes in both a 6 man tent and a 4 man tent style.  The 6 man tent is exclusively sold at Target.  Some of its features include a cool air port, the patented weathertec system and the variflo system gives you more control over the air entering your tent.

Northstar- The Coleman Northstar tent was designed to be a basecamp tent, meaning it’s definitely going to be a little more rugged and have the ability to use where you know you need a reliable tent.  The tent is a 4 man cabin style tent with a center height of 6’ and it weighs 31 pounds.  It comes with awning poles, lots of ventilation and  ripstop fly that can remain tight even when the material gets wet.
Trailblazer- The Coleman Trailblazer is an  8×8 tent with a full rainfly that completely covers your whole tent.  It sleeps 3, has a line to hang wet gear on, has shock-corded tent poles and is equipped with their exclusive weathertec system.

Evanston- You can get the Evanston as an 8 man tent, 6 man or 4 man tent.  It’s notable extras include the electrical access port and it’s footprint.  It is made with polyester and has fiberglass tent poles.

You can also check out our article on the Coleman Vacationer, which is a 10 man tent and only sold at Bass Pro Shops or the Coleman Instant Tent which is one of the quickest and easiest tents to set up.

You can purchase the Eureka Solitaire Bivy Tent at Amazon.com by clicking here.

Family Camping Tents-

When camping with your family getting a cabin tent is one of the best ways to get a little more space and feel comfortable while camping, which is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this list is topped with many cabin tents. At the top of the list is the Coleman Instant 14×10 ft 8 person tent, you can also check out our page about the Coleman Instant Tent. Both Coleman and Wenzel Tents come up 3 times each on this list undoubtedly because of how affordable they are.

1. Coleman Instant 14- by 10- Foot 8- Person Two Room Tent
2. Columbia Bugaboo II Geo Dome Tent with Foot Lockers
3. Wenzel Alpine 8.5 X 8-Feet Dome Tent (Light Grey/Blue/Gold)
4. Coleman Montana 8 Tent
5. Guide Gear® Full – size Truck Tent
6. Wenzel Twin Peaks Sport Dome Tent, Red/Black
7. Wenzel Great Basin 18 X 10-Feet Nine-Person Two-Room Family Dome Tent (Light Grey/Blue/Taupe)
8. Coleman Hooligan 3 Tent
9. Chaos 3 Tent – 3 Person by Alps Mountaineering
10. Columbia Cougar Flats II 15-Foot by 10-Foot 8 Person 2 Room Family Cabin Dome Tent

Tent Accessories-

Sometimes we need a little extra to make the camping experience more comfortable. Here are the top 10 bestsellers for Camping Accessories like lights and tent fans that we think will make your camping experience feel a little less like roughing it and a little more like home. We left off items like tent flys and footprints that were very specific to certain models of tents. The #1 bestseller right now is the Coleman Tent Light. Having this tent light will make it easier to play games, read or just relax once you move in from the campfire. Another popular accessory to have is a tent fan. A tent fan will help cool down your tent a lot and prevent some of the stuffiness that is usually associated with camping in a tent.

1. Coleman Tent Light
2. MSR Ground Hog Stake Kit
3. Coleman Free-Standing Tent Fan
4. Coleman Tent Kit
5. Coleman Cool Zephyr Ceiling Fan with Light
6. Coleman Tent Fan
7. McNett MCN Seam Sure Water- based Seam Sealer 2oz
8. McNett Tent Sure floor sealant with foam brush, 8oz
9. Mini Camping Battery Fan
10. Locking T-Strap Bungee Cords for Tents Canopies Covers

Air Mattresses and Camping Beds-

Camping beds like cots and air mattresses are perfect to add on your camping trip. If you only choose one thing to make your tent more comfortable definitely choose a camping bed and avoid sleeping on the hard ground. The most popular item on this list is the Intex Raised Downy Queen Bed with Built in Pump. Getting a mattress with a built in pump is a good way to go and Intex is a well established brand.

1. Intex Raised Downy Queen Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump
2. Wenzel Insta-Bed Queen Raised Sure Grip Bottom with Built-in Pump
3. Intex Pillow Rest Twin Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump
4. Aerobed Guest Choice Inflatable Bed, Queen
5. Intex Deluxe Pillow Rest Rising Comfort Twin
6. Intex Pillow Rest Queen Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump
7. Coleman Queen-Sized Quickbed with Wrap ‘N’ Roll Storage
8. Intex® Camp Air Bed with Pump
9. Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed
10. Aerobed Guest Choice Inflatable Bed, Twin

Remember to get some Batteries for a lot of these air mattresses and the tent fans!

Here is a list of camping gear that is not only helpful to have for a camping trip, but also at home when an emergency happens.

Camping Stove or Portable BBQ-  Most camping stoves are fairly lightweight (although you probably wouldn’t want to take them backpacking) and work using propane gas.  Remember in many disasters your normal power and electricity isn’t going to work, that means no microwave or stove.  By having a camping stove you will ensure that if the power goes out you will have a way to cook any food you might have and be able to boil water.  Just make sure you have some propane gas on hand as well or batteries if that is what you need for your camping stove.

Flashlights-  In most emergencies and even in some non-emergency situations, the power will go out.  When it is dark outside this can basically bring almost everything you do to a halting stop. Having a flashlight (hopefully with charged batteries) will help you at least be able to get a little done by light.

Camping Lanterns- Lanterns are an even better light source than a flashlight.  While most flashlights require you to be holding them, camping lanterns can illuminate a much larger area and you can place them on the ground or hang them up.  It can light up a whole room instead of just a small area.  The good news is, camping lanterns are no longer just propane.  In the past you had to worry about these being fire hazards and tipping over.  Today many are battery operated and can last you for well over 24 hours on low settings. 

First Aid Kits-  Regardless of whether you camp or not, a first aid kit is essential to have in your home.  So even if you just have your camping first aid kit you will be in good shape.  Essentials include bandages, gauze, tape, tweezers, scissors, and gloves.  It’s also handy to have a nice checklist included with your first aid kit that breaks down some basic first aid instructions.

Can Opener- Chances are that if you face an emergency while at home you are going to depend on your canned food.  Many homes today have electric can openers or battery operated ones.  The electric can opener will be rendered useless and the batteries could be used for more essential things that are battery operated.  So make sure you have a basic old fashioned can opener so you can eat that food in your cupboard.

Battery Operated Radio-  While your Ipod might keep you entertained, a radio can help give you updates from officials and even save your life.  They can warn you of more impending danger or when you can expect help to arrive.  Particularly useful is the NOAA radios which are more specific for tornadoes and severe weather.

Water-  I put just water because this can include bottled water or a water purification kit.  Preferably you will have the water purification kit because you never know how long you are going to be without a nice water supply and bottled water can be used up quick.  It could be a couple of days or weeks.  A water purification kit can help make any water safe to drink and cook food in.

Canned food and dehydrated food-  Many people enjoy eating fresh foods that require being refrigerated while this is great, in an emergency you are going to want a nice supply of food that isn’t going to go bad quickly.  Canned foods are the best because you can just keep buying what you and your family already enjoy eating but switch it up and keep rotating it out so that the oldest cans get used first.  This will keep you with a nice supply of food that you will be grateful to have.  Those dehydrated foods also will come in handy.  While some of the “space food” isn’t as tasty they are packed with lots of nutrients and calories so that you get your needed nutrients.

Sleeping Bags- You never know how extreme conditions will get in an emergency and in a worse case scenario you are going to need bedding that is easy to carry, lightweight, durable and yet keeps you warm.  Many sleeping bags are designed to keep you warm in even the coldest conditions.

Backpack- Many hikers already know how to take advantage of fitting as much as possible into these bags.  In a terrible disaster you might be forced away from your home and having a durable backpack, one designed for backpacking,  will help you take all these supplies with you.

Camping Tent- We don’t like to think about it much, but like a backpack in the worst of scenarios you are going to need some sort of shelter.  Would you prefer a tarp strung over plants and trees or a nice tent?  Using the camping tent that you would normally use for a camping trip is great as long as it can fit everybody comfortably.  So large camping tents or cabin tents are going to help you a lot from going stir crazy. Tents like the Coleman Vacationer or Swiss Gear Montreaux would be great to have for these emergencies.
 
Other camping supplies that will come in handy-
Waterproof matches
Compass
Knife
Outdoor clothing and hiking boots
Hopefully, you are never in a situation where you need to depend on your camping gear to survive at home, but the fact is we can never know what is going to happen.  In emergencies we aren’t guaranteed that the Red Cross or the government is going to get to our aid quickly and by just having your basic camping gear you will be all the more prepared.  You can’t always rely on other people to come to your rescue.