We have hogs and a lot of mosquitos on the barrier islands of the Texas coast. I want a little distance from the sides of the tent and also will store some gear in it. A three man tent is not much heavier than a 2 man and gives extra space for one person. It will only be me in the tent. I guess I am paranoid.
Best 3 Man Tent to Take on a Skiff
A friend of mine and myself were going to take our boats and go camping. Do a little extended trip and stay for few nights away from civilization along the wild Texas coast. Fly fishing mostly, around April after spring break is over. Looking for a 3 man tent, one for each of us (no Broke Back mountain here). Looking for something light, will stay dry and pack small. What have you tried and what has worked best? I am looking at the North Face Homestead Domey 3, any thoughts, something better? This will be set up on land at a chosen good wild spot to camp and not on the skiff.
1 - 3 of 27 Posts
LJ you are correct about mostly the TP but not the A frame. I have camped a lot and have found that the dome tents with at least 3 poles are best in high winds. I have never depended on stakes but rather weight inside the tent to hold it down. I road out a hurricane one night on a Mexican Pacific coast beach with a coleman 6 man 6' high dome tent. I woke up and the top was about a foot from my face. All the other tents around me were toasted. Somehow the fiberglass poles didn't break and I was able to drag it uphill with all my gear in it to dry land, but not under a coconut tree. I am wanting something with aluminum poles and stakes. I also like the color code and clips. To me the sleeves make it harder to get up and I don't like not having a full rain cover to the ground with the tent I mentioned. The floor has to be heavy duty and rain proof. I was going to mix naptha with silicone and coat the bottom more than it is and make a seperate footprint.we didn't start camping down there until the mid 1950's(though dad and his parents started in the mid 1930's)
over the years we found that except from about mid July 'till after Labor day when a light breeze is about all you can expect(knot counting hurricanes)
any tent on the Texas coast needs to be able to be staked down w/ more than the common 4 corner system on bargain basement tents today
the most stable is a tepee ... next is the A-frame followed by an A-frame w/ a spreader pole across the middle
most "3-person" tents today are some sort of a dome style which unless designed properly for wind wil simply become a beach ball tumbling down the beach or out to sea when the wind picks up
most commonly available tents today are of the dome variety even when you get way on up in the $$$ range
if you can fine a 3-season/3-pole/3-person dome in your price range you will be ahead of the game
3-season tents commonly have a fly that reaches to or at least really near the ground w/ the ability to be raised around the edges for air flow in warmer rainy weather
any single wall'd tent or tent w/ just a skull cap for rain protection will knot be in your best interest on the Gulf Coast in the spring or fall when the winds can kick up over 20mph and then some
Snakesurf, the tent you listed in the OP only has a skull cap
2-pole tents simply lay down in a heavy breeze ... adding the 3rd pole improves the aerodynamics immensely helping campers survive better
2 of the 3 poles go from corner to corner while the 3rd usually goes from the middle of the sides over the top bringing the structure into a set of triangular shapes better stabilizing the tent in heavier winds
get a tent w/ T-6 aluminum poles knot fiberglass ones
get one that uses the clip method of fabric to pole attachment for easier set up by simply standing in the center of the open door in the center of the floor once the poles(frequently color coded w/ the strapping containing the pole recepticles) are pin'd into their recepticles
Snakesurf, the tent you mentioned in the OP runs the poles thru sleeves which on a good day is a major PITA
get a tent w/ a tub floor(heavy plastique floor material comes up the sides about 6"±)
get a tent w/ a vestibule for stashing your dirty/wet gear before crawling into your bedroom
get a bunch of 1'+ SAND STAKES because the enclosed pins don't hold worth a d..n in the sand
just some(not all) points to consider from an old man who has been there
leon
1 - 3 of 27 Posts
Dedicated To The Smallest Of Skiffs
A forum community dedicated to Small Skiff owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about engines, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, fishing, boating, poles, maintenance, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
