In my personal experience from reviewing tents throughout the years, I’ve seen some really bad ones.
It will be a different story if there was only one or two. And with any tent you may have to employ an easy repair option. But the brands I talk about below all have consistent flaws.
About 80% of their tents have all been bad and the reason why I’ve included it in this list of tent brands you should avoid.
Stay away from them or experience a bad camping trip my friend, it’s as simple as that.
Stansport Scout
All of their tents leak and struggle to stay standing in the wind.
They are very low quality and made out of the weakest materials possible, hence why the prices are so low.
The only real upside is that they are fairly lightweight, but again that’s not going to help keep the rain out or keep the tent standing in the wind.
If you’re an avid backpacker and don’t mind carrying a tarp with you, these tents might work in your favor as long as you know how to get the most out of them.
If you do not, you’re only asking for trouble.
Wenzel
Wenzel have tents that are good bang for your buck, but the fact of the matter is that they are not strong nor will they guarantee you a comfortable and safe nights sleep.
I’ve found more Wenzel tents than I care to admit that have waterproofing flaws and are made of materials found around the home (not literally of course, but that’s where you’d think Wenzel got them from!).
They can be used in conditions where there’s no rain and no wind, but other than that your best bet would be to stay away from Wenzel and save the hassle later on.
Columbia
Columbia tents are on the expensive side and I’m surprised they are still getting sales.
Not many people are enjoying their purchases and there’s a good reason why.
A Columbia tent I reviewed last year had weak materials, bad zippers and the customer service was shocking!
I mean, some of these CAN be tolerated but when you experience bad winds you need a tent with strong materials that are capable of handling such conditions.
The Columbia brand cannot offer that.
Note: Columbia do not manufacture their tents anymore, so you will be redirected to a new company if you experience any issues with your tent. This new company (TorgUSA) also have bad customer service and don’t even have the required parts to fix any issues.
Slumberjack
Slumberjack definitely do have great tents, however, you’re really taking a gamble with this brand.
You are very limited on the information about this company and how their tents actually perform in the wild.
The ones I’ve reviewed have all had major quality issues and design flaws, such as the weak poles and floor material and they never provide enough ventilation.
There are also reports of Slumberjack having bad customer service. They aren’t willing to take responsibility for any mishaps.
Guide Gear
Guide gear are well known for their uniquely shaped tents, however…sadly, appearance means nothing when the rain’s pouring down and the wind’s battling the walls.
These tents may be a good idea in the summer but then again thunderstorms happen in the peak of summer too, so you can’t be 100% certain that Guide Gear tents will keep you safe and dry.
For these reasons, this brand has made my “no good” list, unless of course you just want to use it at home or a family event.
Mountain Trails
Mountain Trails are one of those brands that are good for festivals or simple excursions.
Basically…easy trips where there won’t be heavy rain or strong winds, as they do not handle such conditions well, and of course they don’t last long.
Yes, the materials are THAT low quality.
There’s complaints about condensation buildup, support rods snapping, leakage, and more importantly…cheap materials.
And that’s with ALL their tents, not just one or two!
Conclusion
These are 6 tent brands you should avoid at all costs.
They have consistent flaws and have all proven to be bad in more ways than one.
Alternatively, I’ve put together a list of the best brands so you know which ones are ACTUALLY good and not going to leave you with a flooded tent or blow over in the wind.
Well thanks for reading.
If you have any questions or concerns please leave them in the comments below!
Hello Sir,
An interesting read and definitely informative regarding the tents to try and miss.
Your reviews are informative and your website is also good. I hope that you would do the reverse on the article: 6 great tent brands and link them together as I think that would offer a better all round perspective.
I’ve already done that Christian. You can find the best tent brands here (in my opinion, of course).
Very interesting article, I will certainly avoid these brands, but if I had to choose between one of these I would go with SlumberJack, they seem to be the best of these 6.
Cheers!
Interesting choice brother. I would probably go with Guide Gear as long as it’s in my backyard because I know I have a comfortable bed inside (in the event something bad happens, lol).
Thank you for such a nice easy-to-follow list! I actually haven’t been camping in awhile. I will definitely refer back to this post next time I do though, to make sure I don’t get stuck with a flawed tent. As well, I should check out your list on the best brands for tents, because I think that will be helpful too! 🙂
Definitely bookmark it and come back when you’re looking for a tent to purchase. I can speed the process up by a lot!
6 bad tent brands and a lot of unneeded stress is what I was thinking as I read this article. Reading this brought to mind a few bad memories about a camping trip I was on with the family.
We were supposed to be meeting up with other members who had all the camping gear, one thing leads to another and I had to go in and buy a tent myself.
This turned out to be a terrible idea because the only night it stormed was that night and I spent 6 hours soaking wet in a cheaply made tent that let more rain in that it kept out. Never again will I go unprepared.
Thanks for the jog in memory lol.
Wow, I’m so sorry to hear that Eric. Hearing stories like this makes me happy that I can help people make the right purchase decision.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and hopefully more people will come out with their stories. Cheers and have a wonderful day my friend.
Appreciate your honest reviews on these tents. I really don’t have someone who can speak with authority about tents and I’m fortunate to have your website as a resource. I can probably use cheap Wenzel tents for my son’s summer backyard parties? What do you think? Also, what tents would you recommend if we go hiking/camping with our dog? He’s a black labrador. Is there any special tent requirement to house dogs?
Thanks for your post.
Gigi
Wenzel is definitely good for your sons backyard party. If you want to take your dog camping you will need a tent that has a strong flooring material. What size would you need, as there are many available that can handle dog traffic.
Thanks for the excellent review! I don’t have much experience with tents, but, your article was very interesting, with good points and pieces of advice (what to avoid, basically). I’ll definitely avoid these tent brands. Could you tell me if there are tent brands with good- quality tents, but, not too expensive? And… what about your favorite brand?
Thanks,
Vesna
I’m a huge fan of Kelty and ALPS Mountaineering, however, these are on the expensive side so if you’re after good quality and affordability, your best choice would be Coleman.
I’m a city guy, so camping is something I’ve never done before. However, if the opportunity ever arises, or if I come across someone who wants information, I’ll make sure to remember your website. Thank you for the thorough reviews
Thank you William, and I’m sure you’ll need to go camping sometime. You never know, opportunities are everywhere in this day and age. I’ll be happy to see you back again 🙂
I’ve considered giving camping a chance for the first time…I’ve been afraid because of the bears. Thank you for putting this article together, the last thing I want to do is worry when I’m camping. Keep up the good work!
Bears are arguably the least of your worries in the great outdoors. They want to avoid us just as much as we want to avoid them! And I’m not even joking. Thanks for the comment.
Very useful info. Hardly can’t believe that Columbia is on this list. Thank you for your share. Yes a tent is the most important part of camping. Is there any recommended tent list for us as well? Thank you
Yes there is. I’ve got a list of my favorite tents here.
Enjoy 🙂
I love it – most times you look for something on the Internet you only get promotions. Here we have a site telling us what to look out for and avoid.
This is not only good advice for the consumer but also the manufacturers – more of this sort of stuff and less sales and they could start listening to the customers.
I commend you sir.
Lawrence
That means a lot Lawrence. I’m just sharing my honest opinion since that’s what I expect from others. Glad you liked it brother!
I’m so glad I read this article. Thank you for putting this together. I’m actually getting ready to buy a tent myself here soon. I’ve never been camping and I think I would’ve bought something for its aesthetics. Now I realize it’s more about quality to get my money’s worth and enjoy my camping trip. Accidentally buying one of these 6 options you wrote about would’ve created a negative experience.
This was easy to read and very informative. Enjoyed your article.
Definitely don’t purchase something for aesthetics. The Guide Gear Teepee Tent looks amazing and you’d think it’s the perfect tent. However, it can’t even resist the rain.
So yes, looking beyond the appearance is best if you want the best experience.
Great article Brandon, and thanks for posting your opinions and reasonings as to why these tents truly are bad. I’m actually glad I came upon this because I was just talking about doing a camping trip in the next month with some friends. The funny thing was I actually needed a new tent and was looking into the Columbia brand as an option, but I will be sure to steer clear of it now. Will look at some of your other recommendations. Thanks again my man!
Damn, luckily you came across this article then! Columbia truly are a waste of money. They don’t even manufacture their own tents anymore. Right off the bat that tells me they aren’t even taking their business seriously. I’m glad you found my site and I’m always here if you need a hand.
Good luck.
A very interesting read, even though I am not much of a camper myself. My daughter and son-in-law, however, love to go camping, so I will definitely refer them to this article if they are ever in the market for another tent. Since I live near Bass Pro Headquarters, I have seen some of these brands, and I’m really surprised that Columbia’s tents are so poorly made. Who knew?? Thanks for the heads up, and I will be taking a look at your list of best tents before I leave this site!
Maybe if they continued manufacturing their tents and didn’t skimp on the quality, they would probably still be in good business.
However, they now have a bad reputation and I’m a little worried that if I don’t say something about them, people are going to purchase their tents and end up having a bad experience.
This is great information. I might be going camping this summer and have bookmarked your site. Thank you for the good info and inspiring site!!!
Not a problem Pat – happy to help anytime.