Naturehike Village 13 Instant Tent vs Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly

Here you have my comparison between the Naturehike Village 13 Instant Tent and the Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly, both excellent tents, but with some important differences. 

Why this comparison

These are truly great tents from two stand-out brands, designed to protect you in any weather, easy to use and reliable.

You will see below that they share many common features, but there are differences in price and in some features. This is the main reason for this comparison which might help you deciding which tent is more worth buying in view of the given price difference. 

More about these tents you can read in my full texts, so follow the link to the CORE 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly and to the Naturehike Village 13 Instant Tent.

Similarities and shared features

Here you have the most important features that are similar in both tents, and when you see how many of them are listed, you will realize even more why this comparison makes sense.

• Both tents belong to the group of cabin type. This implies very steep and straight walls so you have plenty of head room and volume inside.

• It is typical for such cabin type tents to offer views around through windows on steep walls, and indeed you have them plenty here. 

• From their official names you also realize that both are the so-called instant tents. This implies a relatively easy setup because the frame is pre-attached to the tent, and all you have to do is to unfold the tent and then extend its telescopic leg poles.

The picture below shows how the frame looks in the Core 9 tent, and it is similar in the Naturehike tent as well.

• But, both tents also have a full coverage fly, and this is not so typical for cabin type tents. Note that both tents are quite tall, so attaching the fly may not be so easy if you do the job alone.

• With such a fly and the inner tent fabric, they are both true double-layer tents, and they offer great protection in any weather.

• Both tents come with a steel frame that includes 6 leg poles, and this all makes them almost freestanding.

• I said “almost” in the previous line because both tents have small vestibule(s) that must be staked to be functional.

• Both tents have a removable divider inside so they can be described as two-room tents. Below you can see how this looks in the Core tent when the divider is closed.

• Both also have two doors, but they are differently designed, more below.

• These are 3-season tents, but there are differences in the fabric and waterproof rating.

Important differences

Here are the differences that I find important pointing out, given in no particular order:

1. The Naturehike Village 13 Instant Tent come with integrated built-in lights that are attached to the roof frame. Below you can see how they look.

2. You have an awning configuration with the Naturehike tent, and 3 poles for this are included. So this is a luxurious feature which you do not have in the Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly.

With this you extend your living area during the day, and you can sit here in the shade and also use the space for cooking. See how it looks:

3. Difference in floored area: You have 126 ft² (11.7 m²) in the Core 9 tent. The small vestibule at the front offers around 12 ft² (1.1 m²).

In the Naturehike tent you have 114 ft² (10.7 m²). The two tiny vestibules on the sides add in total 12 ft² (1.1 m²).

Note that the Naturehike 8 tent is officially for 8 people, while the Core 9 tent is obviously for 9 users. But for both tents the capacity is unrealistic, so better forget about it. They are for 4-5 people maximum.

4. Weight: The Core 9 tent is much lighter, it weighs 36 lb (16.3 kg). Compare this with 48.5 lb (22 kg) in the Naturehike tent.

So the Area/Weight ratio in the Core tent is better, 0.72 m²/kg. In the Naturehike tent this is only 0.49 m²/kg.

5. Related to the weight discussed above, observe also that the Core tent if far taller, so more material is used for the fabric and the poles but it is still lighter, and it offers far more volume inside.

The height of the Core tent is 78 inches (198 cm), as compared with 72 inches (183 cm) in the Naturehike tent.

6. Ventilation: The Naturehike tent is far better here. The reason is that it comes with two floor vents, which you do not have in the Core 9 tent.

In addition, it has the storm flap on the side windows (see the pictures above and below), so you can stake it out and keep open even when it rains. This is not so with the Core tent.

With light rain and without wind, you can even keep the awning in place and have plenty of air circulation. 

7. Price: As of the moment of writing this text, the Core 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent with Full Rainfly is considerably more affordable. Please follow the links below and compare.

• The Core tent is available: on Amazon, at Cabelas, and at Bass Pro Shops.
• The Naturehike tent is available: on Amazon, at Naturehike.

My rating of Naturehike Village 13 vs Core 9 tents

Based on what you have already seen above, here is how I rate these two tents:

 

As you realize, this is a close call, and this even more emphasizes the importance of the comparison presented here. But let me say a bit more about a few of the rating criteria.

Functionality: In this respect, the Naturehike Village 13 Instant Tent is far better. One reason is that, when used as a two-room tent, each of the rooms has its own door. 

When you use the Core 9 tent with its divider, the doors are in one room only.

There is also the awning feature in the Naturehike tent, and this makes it far more functional and pleasant.

The two tiny vestibules in the Naturehike tent are on the sides, so you can indeed use them for storage. In the Core tent this space is at the entrance and therefore probably less functional.  

So I would say that this Functionality rating has more weight than any other in the table above.

The same holds for Ventilation which is important and it makes the Naturehike tent far more versatile.

Waterproof rating: It is much higher in the Naturehike tent, you can read about it in my full text. Check also the fabric in the given link, and then compare it with the much thinner fabric of the Core 9 tent.

The packed size of the Naturehike tent is a bit better, you will realize this from the numbers given in the links above.

But these are car camping tents and I do not think that this is such a big deal. You can even ignore this rating criterion, and then the score becomes equal for both, 4/8. 

Conclusion

Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. 

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