Customer Reviews

Coleman Montana Big Sky Seven-Person Dome Tent

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We have had this tent for 3 years now. Last year we took it on a 2 week trip, setting it up and taking it down every other day. My wife and I can set this up in 20 minutes taking our time, 10 if its raining. I have set this up by myself many times in my backyard to air out. It is not difficult to set up, even by myself. We did have 1 pole break on us, just got a repair kit at wal-mart for about 6 bucks and fixed it, good as new. And I'd say for as many times as its been set up (about 35 times) 1 pole breaking isn't bad. The loft is great for storage, we've been in it in the rain and only about 2-4 cups of water have gotten in, mainly in the corners.
We can get our queen size air matress in and it takes up 1\2 the tent, the other half has room for a pack and play crib and all our gear. (we dont travel lightly). The rainfly is great.
I couldn't imagine getting 7 people in there, I guess if everyone had a sleeping bag and nothing was stored in there it may be possible.

We just used this tent, our very first, on a trip. We practiced once, assuming we'd have to practice repeatedly, but we figured it out quickly, even with our [...] running around, "helping"!

When we got to our campsite we got the tent up quickly and easily, with nary a snarky moment. The instructions are simple to follow; we hadn't even practiced the rainfly, but got that put up in minutes by following the directions. Easy!

When it came time to take down, I did it myself. SO easy! The only thing I asked for help with was undoing the big poles. It could be done alone, but it just seemed easier, with less chance of shockcorded poles whipping through the air, for both ends to be held at the same time.

The one thing that keeps this from being a 5 star is that one of the rings for the rainfly, where you loop the rope through, broke when our toddler fell on the rope. Of course, it's better that the ring break than for the nylon fabric loop (to which the ring was attached) to pull completely out of the rainfly's fabric! But still, I wish it hadn't broken, or that the loops and rings were made in a different way...we'll likely replace it with a key ring that can be "threaded" back on, but it won't be the same!

Oh, and the mat is separate from the tent, and is only staked down in two places, so if it gets windy, it will flip over itself. But that's just an annoyance, not a true problem.

I'd actually give it 4.5 stars, but that wasn't an option.

My kids and I went to the plains in Wyoming to camp along the Oregon Trail like our pioneer ancestors. That night there were gusts of wind 65 MPH. It took several people to put up the tent as the wind would lift it like a parachute. I could not sleep because I thought the tent would come down. The tent made it. It leaned a bit, but it made it. We stayed completly dry inside even though it had rained. Some other campers we were with were not lucky. Coleman has some better, thicker tent stakes that we bought, and I am glad we did. I don't thing we would have been as lucky with the cheap tent stakes that came with the tent. It is very roomy inside though I can't see 6 or 7 people sleeping in it. It fit four very comfortably with extra space for all our gear including a large cooler.

We love this tent! It was very easy to assemble. It is also quite attractive. When you are inside it, it is so spacious and non-claustrophobic, and the colors are great. We were the envy of our campsite. This may have been the best $100 and some dollars we have ever spent.

Forget what the other reviewers say. Buy this tent, seal it and have a blast!! The folks who griped about this tent could not possibly have prepared the tent properly. They probably expected the tent to be waterproof right out of the box, but for $100 to $150 those expectations are totally absurd. If a camper wants a waterproof tent out of the box, they need to build it themselves. This tent is stable in high wind and will not leak a drop if sealed at the windows and the floor.

We put this tent up in our backyard to do a "dry" run before our trip. WOW, one day of rain in the backyard and all the sleeping bags were soaked. Looking closer we found that the side to floor seems were not quality at all. You could see parts were almost transparent. Clearly this is either a "second" or quality control isn't what it used to be. If you are guaranteed sunshine go for it. I loved the design and it was super easy to put up which is why I gave it a 2 instead of 1.

Nice size tent for a family to use. A little hard to put together. Needs team effort to get it set up. Overall a good buy.

I bought this tent to introduce my son and family to camping. I researched for a long time before getting this one. It can be set up in less than 10 minutes with practice. Yet is huge. I'm 6' 2" and can stand in the center with room to spare. We had 2 queen size mattress's in each end and still had room for an ice chest, chair, and cloths in the tent. As for advice. Hook the straps to the pulls first, then bend up the middle black poles (yes they are color coated). I also suggest getting the heavy duty spikes and mallet to put in the ground. We took it to the coast and the camp site was paved. You need heavy duty spikes if you want to get through pavement. This ten also has a zip up window on each side. A plus if you want a view of the coast. I was also able to keep the tent assembled to move it to another spot. Just picked it up, at both ends, and it stays together (very sturdy). It can take a beating from the wind at the coast. I don't know about rain as of yet. The cost is wet at night at with the fog, no problem with moisture getting in the tent. As for the rain guard, my 8 year old and I put it on is less than a minute (has hooks that connects right to tent loops built in). As for bags to put the tent in, I got an outdoors products carryall duffle (14 by 30) to carry the tent in. It comes in a carry bag, but easier to get a bigger bag to put in.

We have taken this tent out three times now; an overnighter, two days with the family, and a week at scout camp. This tent has been great. Easy to set up and use. There is tons of room inside. For the family camp we had two queen and a twin air mattress in it. This was a little tight but left enough room to step between the mattresses. If you were sleeping in bags on the ground there would be more room. At scout camp we used the tent as the leader's tent and warehouse. It was a great place to store gear for several scouts and still have plenty of room to walk around in and stand up to change your clothes. Also during scout camp we got hit with two major storms and we only ended up with a few dribbles of water on the floor near the outside wall. A towel in the right spot kept the water from being any kind of problem. Overall a great cabin style tent and looks real nice on the campsite as well.

My wife and I bought this tent to fit our new son, his pack and play and all our stuff. I read the reviews and bought the water sealer. I followed the directions to seal the seams, but the first night it rained after applying, water leaked in.

The rain fly is poorly designed. It must be staked out to work at all, and even when done so properly, it ends about an inch above the bottom of the windows, meaning the water pours down right onto that seam. Not very smart.

It's very big and pretty easy to set up, but just have to hope the weather stays kind.