This massive tent does look like a great product to use in the wilderness. But we never know the true quality of something until we dig down and do some thorough research on it.
So that’s what I will be doing in this Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent review, discovering the quality of it and writing down my findings.
Is this tent worth the hefty price tag or just a waste of money? Let’s being the research and see if the claims of this tent being extremely waterproof and high quality are found to be true or not. Enjoy!
Great Tent With Lots Of Features
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Functionality
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Waterproof
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Strength
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Worth The Price?
Summary:
It’s a great tent that works exactly as advertised. There are some minor issues like the poles rubbing against the fabric, creating abrasion and sometimes holes (while it’s in storage). It’s best to be really careful when storing it away, to ensure it’s packed up properly. So take your time when disassembling it and fold it up without rushing. If you do that, then it WILL last a long time.
 Pros |
 Cons |
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Specifications
Product name: Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent
Cheapest place to buy: Amazon.com
Color: Green and grey
Size: 12-person
Rating: 3-season
Weight: 52.55 pounds
Center height: 6.6 ft
Base Size: 18 ft x 10 ft
Floor Area: 180 Sq. ft
Packed size: 51 x 13 x 12 inches
At A Glance
The creators of this tent have said that it can be set up in literally 2 minutes! While it is also stress-free pitching because of how simple the design is.
And this is because the poles are already attached to the tent. It is just a matter of unfolding and extending it to get it assembled.
It also contains H20 Block Technology, combining the water repellent fabric with active bead technology to maximize the waterproofing capabilities and giving the best water run-off.
The doors and windows are factory seam sealed, giving this tent even more resistance against the rain than its competitors.
Furthermore, you can completely remove the rain fly in the warmer months to give you the best views of the outside world, due to the windows and ceiling being made of mesh.
You will find that this tent has an advanced venting system. Due to the adjustable air intake, it draws in cool air from the ground and lets it escape through the mesh ceiling. This lets you be at a comfortable temperature all season long.
There are zippered privacy panels located on the windows AND doors, along with a massive double door to make it easier to get in and out.
And due to the hanging storage pockets, you can store your gear inside and have it out of everyone’s way. There’s a gear loft included in the purchase too, giving you even more storage space.
The 2 room dividers that come with this tent are used to create 3 rooms. You can either use the room dividers to create 3 sleeping spaces, or 2 sleeping spaces and 1 living area, it is entirely up to you.
What I Find Interesting
I typically like how it’s a 12 person tent that can actually be pitched in 2 minutes!
Something else that I liked was how much the manufacturers were putting an emphasis on the waterproofing abilities.
Usually when it’s a bigger sized (family) tent, there are children are involved. So having a big, waterproof tent that’s capable of combating the elements really well is extremely important.
The Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent seems be capable of doing this, according to all the online feedback that I have found for it.
Oh, and did I mention that it comes in a carry bag that has wheels!?!? Yeah, I didn’t expect that either, what a great concept.
Who Should Buy This Tent?
It is clearly a massive tent, so it will make a great choice for a family that wants to go on a camping trip with a tent that contains 3 rooms, allowing family members to have their own space and privacy.
I also find that it will work for a family get-together, such as: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, etc.
Of course, you will need to have a big backyard for this to become a reality 🙂 And that’s simply because of how large it is after it’s pitched.
Even if a few buddies want to go on a wilderness excursion, this tent will work very well. Don’t forget to take the car though, as there’s no way you will be carrying this tent on your back!
Best Place To Buy?
The price of the Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent changes all the time on Amazon.com. However, it still sits in the range of $300 to 550.
This includes a 30-day return policy. This means you can send it back for a full refund if you don’t like it. And if the tent happens to have a defect on it, it can also be sent back for a repair.
Amazon provide free shipping as well, of course. They are good like that 😀
Check The Pricing Details On Amazon
Do I Recommend This Tent?
There is so many positive feedback that I have found for this tent, while the negative reviews are very, VERY low.
I was getting ready to recommend this tent but then I found a couple of complaints about the poles (or joints) rubbing onto the material of the tent.
Now keep in mind, this is only a few negatives out of the hundreds of positive feedback that I have found.
I am going to say you should be very careful with this tent when you fold it up and store it away, always handle it with care.
If you are careful with this tent, I have no doubts you will experience the benefits that it offers, just like the hundreds of other users who have as well.
And that’s simply because it has an easy set up, it keeps the rain out, and stands strong in heavy winds.
Other than the small issue with the joints/poles rubbing on the fabric, I have no other problems with this tent.
All the positive feedback that it has received has clearly been found to be true, which is why I will have to say it is highly recommended.
Alternative Tent
If you don’t want to take the risk of getting a tent where the fabrics going to tear or get abrasion while it’s in storage, then you should check out the Coleman 8 Person Instant Tent.
It’s a little smaller, cheaper, and has roughly the same concept.
The poles are pre-attached to the tent as well, allowing it to be pitched in 2 minutes just like the CORE 12.
The only downside – there’s a few complaints about the condensation getting built up on the ceiling due to no mesh material being there.
But it’s still a good alternative, to say the least – especially because of the much lower price range (just over $200).
My Final Opinion
I am going to get straight to the point here.
If you are looking for a big tent that can fit your ENTIRE family in, while still being high quality and affordable at the same time, then I will have to stop you right now, because this is THAT tent.
I can’t think of a better 12 person tent that will work better than this one. Well not in this price range anyway.
It works like a charm in heavy winds and does a great job in torrential downpours.
For a 12 person tent of this price, that has this many features and the ability to stand strong in tough winds, I can easily give it a thumbs up. 
The CORE 12 Instant Cabin Tent is highly recommended!
Check The Price Of This Tent On Amazon.com
Great Tent With Lots Of Features
-
Functionality
-
Waterproof
-
Strength
-
Worth The Price?
Summary:
It’s a great tent that works exactly as advertised. There are some minor issues like the poles rubbing against the fabric, creating abrasion and sometimes holes (while it’s in storage). It’s best to be really careful when storing it away, to ensure it’s packed up properly. So take your time when disassembling it and fold it up without rushing. If you do that, then it WILL last a long time.
Nice tent! It sounds great because of the storage pockets and room dividers. How easy is it to take the rain fly on and off? I’m also curious about the quality of the floor. A big tent like this is bound to have chairs and tables inside, so I feel that it would need fairly thick fabric on the floors. Do you know what the floor is like?
Hey Dan, I like this tent due to the amount of space it provides and the quality of it. Of course, the room dividers and storage pockets are GREAT bonuses.
The rain fly is fairly easy, since the tent can be pitched in 1-3 minutes, the rain fly is just as simple. But keep in mind, it will still be a lot easier if you have another person helping you pitch it.
Also, I couldn’t find ANY complaints about the flooring material being weak or low quality, so I’m guessing it can withstand chairs and a table with ease.
I hope this answers your question.
-Brandon
Thank you for thorough review of this tent. I was wondering how you would compare it to a Coleman tent. I currently have a Coleman weathermaster and was looking for something bigger for my family. Would you say the construction quality and materials were the same, better or equal to that of a Coleman tent?
Thank you for reaching out, Danielle. In all honesty, the Coleman Weathermaster models were anything other than good when I reviewed them. I’m surprised yours doesn’t leak, as they have been known to leak a lot.
Coleman Weathermaster tents are definitely made with good quality materials and provide great features as well. However, they simply do not come close to the CORE 12 – well not in my honest opinion anyway.
The CORE 12 has many great features and only 2 cons that I could find. The cons are only minor, but the cons on the Coleman Weathermaster tents are a major, so you be the judge.
And if you haven’t guessed it already, I would go with the CORE 12 if I were you.
Cheers,
Brandon
My 6 person family lived in the Core 12 person Instant tent for 6 weeks . The only real issue we had was the zippers. One door had to be taped shut and not used after about 3 weeks. My son in law , who is a retired army veteran, says that these are the same tents they use in deployment. He says the zippers we’re a constant problem. I asked him how they fixed them and he said they just got a new tent. Other than that, this was an excellent tent!
Wow, that’s a long time to live in a tent! Glad it worked out for everyone in the end.
The last thing you want is for a storm to blow the tent over – or even leak.
That’s also good to hear that the only real issue was the bad zippers. That’s a common fault with the 6-person version too.
Well thanks a bunch for your feedback 🙂
Stay safe and good luck!
Brandon, this is quit a tent! excellent reviews! But I do have a few questions……how would this tent fair in the winter? What are the wind limits on this particular tent?
I should probably ask questions about basic survival, but about how long would you say this tent in particular would last with continued use of say five years or more without taking it down?
Another question I have is that I could not find a 14 person tent on your website? I you know of any and have information about them, all the previous questions would still apply to the 14 person tent.
I really enjoyed your site and am looking forward to your response.
Regards,
Matthew
It will be no good in the winter unless it’s minor winter conditions, such as strong winds and rain. It can not handle hail, snow, etc.
The wind limits are around 35-55 MPH.
Continued use of this tent for 5 whole years? If it’s not taking a beating every day from the rain and wind, I’m sure it will do well.
And no sorry, I have not reviewed any 14-person tents yet. The highest I’ve reviewed is 12, which is this one.
Wow. Great review! I’ve just ordered one to live in. I’m going to be glamping in my back yard while I rent out the whole house as an Airbnb. I ordered it because it looked like the one BIG tent that might withstand some wind, and here in Kanab UT, we DO get wind. But mostly I chose it because the one place I still had enough credit to buy it had it to sell lol. I’m glad to hear it’s a good tent! On that winter thing, I’ll get back to you.