Review of Coleman Montana Big Sky Tents
After years of camping alone or in small groups, one
gets that feeling that it would be a great experience to share with friends
and family. Trips like this, however,
can be a little complicated to plan and execute.
The simpler the plans and equipment
to handle, the better for everyone involved.
So, let’s say you want to drive your family of six to a simple
summer wilderness experience. The
Montana Big Sky should take care of your housing in the outdoors with nary a
hitch… well, maybe a few.
One reason why this tent is so great for medium sized
family trips is that it can fit a maximum of seven people.
Of course, that really means it can
comfortably shelter six, and if it can do that, that’s a good tent.
Coleman really isn’t one of the top
tent makers out there, but the Big Sky is easily one of their best.
Now, big tents are usually tough to
set up and Coleman’s tents aren’t any different.
This one, however, is exceptionally
simple to pitch despite its size. There’s
also a plus to bringing a lot of people, they can all help in setting up.
With a little practice, the Montana
Big Sky can sit pretty under the sun in 10 minutes.
That’s good time for a big tent.
It’s even simpler to disassemble,
needing only one person for the task.
As with any camping trip, weather is always a concern;
especially if you have five other people to consider.
No one wants to have rain water dripping on their six year old
daughter. After a good sealing,
this tent will hardly give you a problem in this matter.
Maybe a well placed towel on a
seeping seal or two if conditions get rougher, but not much more.
The tent has struggled with strong
winds as well in testing by various groups, but it held its ground.
This, however, is due to the metal
stakes that were purchased apart from the original package of the Big Sky.
This is apparently something that’s
consistent with all Coleman tents.
The Big Sky has a couple of other problems that need to
be considered before purchase. It is
still an entry level big tent, even at around $150 or less.
It won’t do as well if the weather
really decides to flip the switch on you. In
no way is it an expedition tent. The
windows may be great for ventilation on clear nights, but if not properly
sealed, they allow more water to enter. Also,
it would be advisable to buy another bag to pack the Big Sky in.
Overall, the Montana Big Sky is a great tent for those
initial family camping trips in calm, pleasant weather.
It is spacious even when packing in
six grown men and it’s also got a cool design.
It is advisable to bring the car
however, as this is one heavy tent, unless all you want to carry while
hiking is this hulking mass. For a
simple foray outdoors in tranquil climes, however, this Coleman offering is
more than sufficient.
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