Camping Mastery
Menu
  • Home
  • Tents
    • 1 Person
    • 2 Person
    • 3 Person
    • 4 Person
    • 5 Person
    • 6 Person
    • 8 Person
    • 9 Person
    • 10 Person
    • 12 Person
  • Tents I love
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Tent Camping
    • Beginners
    • Family Camping
    • Tips
  • Solo Camping
    • Men
    • Women
  • Hiking
Menu

What an Instant Tent Is & How to Benefit From Them

Posted on August 21, 2017 by Brandon

Instant tents are highly popular within the camping world, and there’s no second guessing as to why either.

You and I know the main pro, which is that they’re fast and easy to set up.

In this article I’m going to give you MY definition of an instant tent and what they are best used for.

What Is an Instant Tent?


An Instant Tent has pre-attached poles to the body.

Because of this, they can be pitched in 60 seconds or less.

Most of the time you don’t even need to read the instructions. Yes, they are really that easy to set up.

It’s just a matter of unfolding the tent, extending the poles and locking it all into place.

It really is a 1 minute setup!

But of course there has to be SOME negatives to this massive pro, and indeed there is.

As with all tents, they have their pros and cons, but more on that in a second.

Types of Instant Tents


Instant Cabin Tents

CORE 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent mesh roof

Cabin tents are square or rectangular-shaped.

The walls are upright to provide as much room inside the tent as possible and usually big enough to house 6-12 people.

Most of the time the ceilings are high enough for people to stand up and walk around in without grazing their head on the roof.

The roof is usually mesh material, so stargazing is completely viable with these tents.

Even though cabin-shaped tents take a pounding from the wind, they are so big and strong that the wind doesn’t really do anything to them.

However, there’s still a low chance for the wind to blow the tent over and break one of the poles, so don’t completely rule that out yet.

Pros

  • Setup and take down is fast and easy
  • Only requires one person to pitch
  • No instructions needed (most of the time)
  • Poles are stronger than shockcorded fiberglass poles
  • Can handle strong gusts of wind really well

Cons

  • Heavy weight
  • Harder to fix if broken
  • Hinges have known to break
  • Needs to be pitched when drying off

Instant Dome Tents

Couple putting rain fly on CORE 4 Person Instant Dome Tent

Instant dome tents are the smaller version.

Because the types of poles used are heavier than shockcorded poles, these tents are sometimes heavier than other tents with the same size rating.

To get this tent pitched, just unroll it, unfold the corners, lift the center, then push the switch down.

Even though you can not backpack with cabin tents, you can with instant dome tents.

That’s because they are smaller and more compact.

Pros

  • 1 minute setup time
  • Lighter than instant cabin tents
  • Everything is attached so you won’t lose parts
  • No instructions needed
  • Does really well in the wind
  • Requires one person to pitch

Cons

  • Can’t split the weight up when backpacking
  • Needs to be pitched when drying

Are Instant Tents Really For You?


Every outdoor adventure is different, so what type of tent you need all depends on the type of trip you’re having.

For example, a 4-person tent is not needed if you’re going on a solo, ultralight backpacking trip into the wilderness, because there are lighter alternatives.

And a 2-person tent might be too squishy for you if you’re car camping with your partner.

This means you should get a bigger tent since the size won’t be an issue.

So now you know what I mean by every trip is different for everyone, let’s discuss exactly what instant tents are best used for.

What Instant CABIN Tents are Best Used For

Because instant cabin tents are so large, they are best used for family campers – both medium-sized and large, and of course a group of friends.

But if you enjoy your space while out in the woods, there’s no reason why a couple can’t enjoy the benefits of a big cabin tent either.

In my opinion, they are best used for:

  • Public campgrounds
  • Private campgrounds
  • Wilderness camping
  • Backyard events
  • Backyard camping
  • Family events
  • Anything similar

What Instant DOME Tents are Best Used For

Instant dome tents still have their place in the camping world even though they are built differently than traditional tents.

They may not be AS big, but a group of friends or a couple can still enjoy the benefits that they offer.

Here’s what they are good for:

  • Public campgrounds
  • Private campgrounds
  • Wilderness camping
  • Wilderness backpacking
  • Overnight hiking
  • Backyard camping
  • Family events
  • Festivals

Conclusion


Instant tents – you either love ’em or hate ’em, there is no in between.

Lots of people find them extremely useful and lots of people dislike them.

It’s up to you to decide whether you like them or not, so I hope I’ve provided enough information.

Although it might be easier if you just get one for yourself, so you KNOW what they’re really like.

The CORE 6 has been a great seller for a number of years now. It has great ventilation, is so simple to use and does very well in the rain and wind.

Thanks for reading.

Please share this post with your friends and family. I’m sure they’ll find this article just as helpful as you did 😀

Twitter Share Button

Facebook Share Button

Interested to know more? Talk to me in the comments below! I’ll be happy to answer all questions and concerns you may have.

Cheers.

 

-Brandon

Camping Mastery

6 thoughts on “What an Instant Tent Is & How to Benefit From Them”

  1. Kevin says:
    August 22, 2017 at 12:24 am

    Very good post!

    I have always had Instant dome tents and love them for what we use them for.

    Kevin

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      August 22, 2017 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks for your feedback on instant dome tents, Kevin.

      Hopefully others can have just as much success with them as you have.

      Reply
  2. Luna says:
    August 22, 2017 at 1:13 am

    Just yesterday I thought about getting a tent for camping purposes. Your review is enlightening, you have stated all I need to look for when buying a tent.

    I love the Instant Dome Tent but I think I will need a Cabin Tent for my family and me. Like you said You either love tents or you don’t. I love tents.
    Thanks for the review.

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      August 23, 2017 at 3:12 pm

      Well I’m glad you found this post helpful. Thanks for the comment 🙂

      Reply
  3. EJ says:
    August 22, 2017 at 1:25 am

    Hi, that`s a great article. I use actually both tents, having been an avid outdoorsman since childhood. The cabin tent comes in handy with groups, even on long hikes, portaging canoe trips etc. The weight can be split though, we usually take all from the case and start to split it up as we can, giving the main cabin to the young strong guy )
    This is a way to actually cut down on bulk as a group. So you don’t have 10 different setups. This has been very successful for our group as we take usually 1-2 week trips, usually by canoe.
    Keep the outdoors clean! Take your garbage with you! Leave a very tiny footprint!
    EJ

    Reply
    1. Brandon says:
      August 23, 2017 at 3:18 pm

      Glad these types of tents have worked for you, EJ. And that is a great idea when you have a huge group of people – split the weight up between everyone.

      I agree. It comes down to everyone’s personal preference, whether they want to share a big tent or carry their own small one.

      And yes! Leave no trace! Thanks for the comment.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Where Can You See Beautiful Fall Foliage While Hiking On The East Coast?
  • Backyard Family Camping – The Ultimate Guide
  • The Ultimate Guide to Tentsile Tree Tents
  • The Ultimate Family Camping List
  • Super Sparrow Water Bottle Review
  • 5 Awesome Water Bottles to Take Outdoors
  • Hydro Flask 32oz. Wide Mouth Review
  • Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle Review
  • Platypus Platy 2.0L Flexible Water Bottle Review
  • Klean Kanteen 20oz. Insulated Classic Review

Categories

  • 1 Person
  • 10 Person
  • 12 Person
  • 2 Person
  • 3 Person
  • 4 Person
  • 5 Person
  • 6 Person
  • 8 Person
  • 9 Person
  • Backpacks
  • Beginners
  • Boots
  • Camping Hammocks
  • Camping On A Budget
  • Family Camping
  • Gear
  • General Camping
  • Getting Started
  • Hacks
  • Hiking
  • Knives
  • Meals
  • Men
  • RV Camping
  • Sleeping Bags
  • Solo Camping
  • Survival
  • Tent Camping
  • Tents
  • Tips
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Uncategorized
  • Water Bottles
  • Winter Camping
  • Women

Archives

  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016

About Camping Mastery

Contact
About Me
Privacy Policy

Logo

Travel graphic by Freepik from Flaticon
is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Made with Logo Maker

Affiliate Disclosure

campingmastery.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

©2023 Camping Mastery | Built using WordPress and Responsive Blogily theme by Superb