Wenzel Sycamore 18- by 10-Foot Seven-Person Three-Room Family Dome Tent

Manufacturer: Wenzel
Customer Rating:
List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $429.99
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Product Description

Spacious and weather-resistant, the Wenzel Sycamore 18-by-10-foot dome tent sleeps up to seven campers in its three rooms, making it ideal for large families or smaller families with lots of gear. The Sycamore is made of rugged, weather-repellent polyester with a polyurethane coating for reliability, helping it keep water out and warmth in. The welded polyethylene tub-style floor, meanwhile, includes a rain shingle that creates a watershed effect, so rain doesn't seep in through the seams. And campers will love the variety of ventilation points--including three Dutch D-style doors and three polyester mesh windows--all of which are aided by an updraft ventilation system that improves the overall airflow.

The Sycamore is also quick and easy to set up, with a five-way center hub with a fast-feet-and-ring system, along with a lightweight, shock-corded fiberglass frame. And when it comes time to hit the sheets, you can either create one huge sleeping room or roll down the two divider curtains to create three separate rooms. The rooms can function as individual bedrooms for all the campers, two sleeping rooms and one living room, or any other configuration. Other details include a gear loft for storage, a removable fly with a hoop frame over the door, and ABS plastic pegs.

Specifications

Base: 18 by 10 feet
Center height: 74 inches
Area: 116 square feet
Capacity: 6-7 people
Carrying weight: 22 pounds
Warranty: 10 years

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all-purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in. If you're a backpacker, alpine climber, or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to buy something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall, and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three-season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are specifically designed for summer backpacking or other activities. Many premium tents will also feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain fly for enhanced waterproofing.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four-season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types: freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and tents that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floorplan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being lighter. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

Product Details

Sturdy 7-person, 3-room tent with 116 square feet of sleeping space
Made of rugged, weather-resistant polyester with polyurethane coating
3 Dutch D-style doors and 3 polyester mesh windows; overhead gear loft
Lightweight, shock-corded fiberglass frame and 5-way center hub
Base measures 18 by 10 feet; stands 74 inches tall in center; 10-year warranty

Video Reviews

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Customer Reviews

"Condo" Tent

Review Date: July 18, 2007

Reviewer: N. David Elton, Phoenix, Arizona

I spent the last 15 years backpacking and looking down my nose at car campers. THEN I had two kids 18 months and 4 1/2. I now appreciate the TRUE value of having seperate rooms (still waiting for tent-sound proofing technology) and the ability to stand up and change. If you are car-camping with kids THIS is the tent!!!!

Dave

Great Tent

Review Date: November 6, 2006

Reviewer: C. Townsend,

I needed a tent that would fit my queen size mattress along with enough room for me to stand and change in, and this tent fit the bill! With mattress on one side,and ammenities on the other, I still had plenty of room in the center for movement and was able to stand upright.

Excellent Buy

Review Date: October 30, 2009

Reviewer: J. Gable, Phoenix, AZ

This is an excellent tent. We bought it to replace a Coleman tent and couldn't be happier. There is plenty of room inside for 6 adults. It is simple to set-up, my wife assembled it together in about 10 minutes. We braved one night in the tent with rain and 30 mph wind gusts and the tent performed flawlessly, no leaks! I highly recommend this tent.

Wenzel Sycamore Tent

Review Date: November 2, 2009

Reviewer: Diamond in the Rough, St. Paul, MN USA

I purchased this tent late this summer after constantly borrowing a friend of mine's large tent. It has been easy to set up and provides great air circulation. I have not gone off on a trip on a rainy week-end so I cannot attest to the waterproofness just yet. The tent came quickly in the mail though and I am very happy with my purchase!

Pretty good tent

Review Date: January 10, 2010

Reviewer: Edward B. Sitzes, MO. USA

I just bought 2 of these tents for a camping trip in the summer time and me and my son just got done running threw the set up and it looks like a pretty good tent but I read the reviews and I am one that doesn't want to get wet so I will be putting seem sealer on the seems and I found a tarp that was 18 feet wide and 24 feet long that will cover the whole tent just in case but that is just to be safe I think it looks like a pretty good tent and it will be enough room for me and my son to put 2 sleeping cots and duffle bags in but I don't think I would try putting 7 people in it it is way to small for that may be if they were little kids that would work.
I also want to add this it comes with very little stakes I would buy some 10 inch stakes from the sporting goods department at walmart there about $3.00 for 4 you will need 12 stakes the tarp I got came from Ebay for $20.00 pluse 10.00 shipping it would be a good back up to the rain fly and don't let kids play with the zipper doors there ok but will in my opinion be the fist thing to break or snag.
I know with the advice I just gave you it my seem like this tent has some problems but I just want you to know if you don't already know that any tent can leake and have zippers that could snag no matter how much you pay for them if you plan a head and take care of this tent it is a pretty good tent for the price and I checked out a lot of tents there really expensive so you could spend a lot more and may be have a better one or have more money in it but still have leaks I payed 3 times the amount I payed for this one and it leaked like a Stainer.
So Good luck what ever you decide and have a safe and fun camping trip.