The Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge Instant 8-12 Person is an easy-to-use tall 2-room tent most suitable for calm weather family car camping in the warmer part of the year.
Key features & benefits
- Instant setup.
- Very tall tent.
- 2 Rooms.
- 1 Door.
- Great carry bag.
What this is about
It appears that Coleman designers are running out of ideas for the names of their tents. So you have three separate series that all have the word Skyloge in the name. Each of these series has several tents. This is why it is very easy to get confused with all these similar names.
For example, they have the Skyloge series with a screen room, and in my separate text you can see their Skylodge 12 person screen room tent from this series. But see also this Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge 12 Person which looks similar to the tent presented here in the text, but it is a non-instant design.
However, the Skylodge tents presented in this text here are an instant series. This means that the frame is pre-attached to the tent and you have telescopic poles that you extend quickly and easily. The official setup time is one minute only.
They have the Skylodge 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 Person Instant tents. The last three (8, 10, and 12) tents they sell at the same place on Amazon. So I shall focus on the 12 person version as a representative of the series, just to know that they share the same features.
But note also that they have the Skylodge tents series that are not instant, and this series includes at least 8, 10, and 12 person tents.
Now back to this instant series and its 12-person representative. This is a cabin-style tent, and this implies a lot, like steep and straight walls, many windows, minimal coverage fly for unobstructed views, and a high ceiling. The peak height of this tent is truly impressive 7.4 ft (226 cm). This is why I have included it in my list of very tall tents for camping.
The tent is formally a 2-room construction with a removable divider. You have one door only, for a tent of this size this is not optimal. But you have huge windows on all sides, they are will mesh and with zippered panels for privacy and protection.
Materials
They do not bother with providing details about the materials. So it is more or less guessing as usual with Coleman-US. Note that this is not so with Coleman-EU where specifications are always complete.
So the frame appears to be all steel, but there is a small brim above the door and it is supported by a fiberglass pole. You have a full set of simple J-shape steel stakes and guylines.
The fabric is nylon, this is a bit rare nowadays. As mentioned, the fly is minimal and its waterproof rating is probably minimal, they did not provide it. But you have their usual WeatherTec system with inverted seams, a tub-like floor, and patented welded corners.
Note also that the tent comes with a nicely designed stuff-and-roll carry bag that makes it easy to pack up your tent, see the picture.
Ventilation
With so many mesh areas on this tent, you would not think about ventilation issues. This is indeed so as long as the sky is clear. But if you have to keep the tent closed, you would want to have a few floor vents, they are missing here.
Please see a bit more in this video:
Who is it for
Regarding seasons & climate, they claim this is a 3-season tent. I think I would use it only in the warmer part of the year. They also claim that the tent withstands up to 35 mph winds. In view of the shape of its fly and the height of the tent with its boxy structure, I would not even think of using it in such adverse weather conditions. This is a tent for calm weather.
Regarding the official capacity, it is 12 people for the largest tent in this series of 5 tents. So for this, you have an area of 170.5 ft² (15.8 m²). In the case of 12 users, this would mean 14.2 ft² (1.3 m²) per person.
They use the backpacking principle for a tent which is clearly only for car camping. You will also see the statement that it fits 4 queen size beds, but you would not have any place left, and the statement makes no much sense. So as usual, it is best to downgrade this to half the official capacity and you will have a camping palace.
Regarding the weight, the tent is heavy with its 52.71 lb (24 kg). So you would not want to move it far from your car.
Regarding the price, it is a bit steep, but this is a huge and well-built tent from a renown brand. In the case of broken poles or any other problem, it is good to have such a reliable brand behind your tent. Coleman has lots of spare parts for their outdoor equipment, they are known for this.
Specifications
- Official capacity: 8, 10, 12 people.
- Weight of 12 person tent: 52.71 lb (24 kg).
- Dimensions: 15.5 x 11 ft (472 x 335 cm).
- Area: 170.5 ft² (15.8 m²).
- Area per person: 14.2 ft² (1.3 m²).
- Peak height: 7.4 ft (226 cm).
- 1-Year limited warranty.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
So this Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge Instant 8-12 Person is tall and pleasant with many doors on all its sides. It is incredibly easy to use for its size. But it is best to disregard its official capacity and use it for up to 6 or 7 people and for calm weather summer camping.
Please see how this tent stands against my usual rating criteria:
Coleman Camping Tent Skylodge Instant 8-12 Person
Pros
- Very easy to use.
- Express setup.
- Great windows.
- Tall tent.
Cons
- No floor vents.
- Unrealistic official capacity.
- Heavy.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
You might want to consider also this Coleman Sunlodge 12-Person Camping Tent from the same brand. For more options in the same capacity group please check among the tents for 11 people plus. See also my list of best 12 person camping tents.
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