Customer Reviews

Coleman Bayside 7-Person Tent

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

We bought this tent today and are very pleased. It took 2 people about 1/2 hour to set it up, but I'm guessing it will go faster after we've done it a couple of times. The rainfly seams are factory taped, and the tub floor is a great idea. There is enough room inside for a queen-sized air mattress on a frame. We don't have pets, but the pet area is nice for your shoes at night and for your gear, because you can get to it from the inside the tent or from the outside. The entire top of the tent under the rainfly is mesh, plus there are vents along the floor seam, so ventilation is adequate. This is a nice medium-sized tent (15'x13') for car campers who like enough space to stretch out and the ability to stand up in their tent. Some of the Swiss Gear and Columbia tents we looked at were just too big for 2 people, plus our Eddie Bauer screen house takes up a lot of room in our campsite. All in all, this was a good buy; this tent is a quality item for a good price.

ETA: We've taken this tent camping quite a few times. We stayed dry and snug in the rain. It's so nice to have lots of room for rainy day card playing. A great tent for a small family!

We attempted to put up this tent at home and while trying to stake it down, one of the fabric stake loops tore off of the tent. We never even got it erected. This was an important loop, as it was supposed to support two of the main tent poles. Very surprising, as previous Coleman tents I've used have never been a problem. I'd recommend trying another tent.

I saw this tent and was really excited because it seemed to perfectly fit our family's needs. Then I took it camping on a weekend and got rained on. As a lifelong fan of their camping equipment, I was pretty let down. Despite all the claims that Coleman makes about this tent, including its "Keeps You Dry" Guarantee, few are true. We had large pools of water in the tent after just one rain. I wrote the company and complained, and was sent a letter that basically insulted my intelligence regarding the use of their seam sealer, which I seriously recommend you buy if you purchase this tent. Read the claims Coleman makes about this tent and you'd feel pretty comfortable taking it anywhere in any weather. Not even close. Keep looking.

This tent can be a little challenging to put up the first few times, but once you figure it out it's easy. It is a great size for multiple campers. You could easily fit 2 full sized air mattresses. We use it to camp with our 2 bulldogs and they love it too. Only downside is, there is NO PRIVACY in this tent unless you put up the rain fly. Other than that, we loved it.

This is a large, roomy tent that is really great, especially for the price. It sets up very quick, and is one of the only tents that I can stand up inside of. My entire family can sleep comfortably and store our gear. (My wife, two boys, 11 and 14, and two dogs). This tent is comparable to most $200 tents

I got this as a birthday gift mainly because they saw the whole pet den part and knew that I would love it for my girls (dogs). I have used it twice now and love it. I bring the girls dog bed that fit perfectly in the den part. the tent also fits two queen size airbeds and my cousins and myselfs stuff with room to walk. My girls love it too, during the day and evening I leave the pet den door open so they can go in and rest. they dont much care for the campfire so they just go into the tent and relax. That makes me happy knowing they are safe and warm inside and that I don't have to worry about them. I have had no problems with the tent and can't wait to go camping again again...
Thanks.

I wouldn't recommend this tent because:

1.) it leaked rather significantly during a not so heavy rain --mostly, light drizzle over a couple of hours. I tried to find the source of the leak, but there was no obvious hole -- just two large puddles of water right beneath the window. I would mop up the puddles, but about an hour later, enough water dripped down to form a big puddle.

2.) the threads on one seam were loose, and the seam came apart as soon as the fabric was stretched. This was a tent right out of the box!

I would not recommend this tent to anyone. I returned it promptly.

UPDATE: As a camping newbie, I did not seam seal the tent. However, if you look at this tent design, the fly is right over the windows, which means the rain water will drip into the window. I'm not sure this is a good design. Even though the window was zipped shut, water will drip thru the seams, which is where I had the leaks. If you buy this tent, make sure you seal these seams good!

All that I can say is that I did not enjoy water dripping in my face while I was trying to sleep. It rained and this tent leaked from a multitude of places.