In this Pacific Pass 6 Person Family Dome Tent Review you can read about an incredibly affordable ultralight and nicely packable 3-season dome tent suitable for carrying on the tours.
Key features & benefits
- Simple dome tent.
- Ultralight.
- Nicely packable.
- Easy to use.
- 1 Door & 2 windows.
- Floor vent.
- Freestanding.
- E-cable port.
- Gear loft.
- Incredibly affordable.
What this is about
This Pacific Pass 6 Person Family Dome Tent is the largest in the series of three dome tents from this brand, all built in the same style but with some differences in the material. But note that they have yet another extended dome under the name Pacific Pass Camping Tent 8 Person Family Dome Tent.
So this is a fully freestanding simple dome created by two poles, with a minimal fly supported by one cross pole that creates small brims on the two sides, one is visible below. These brims i) make access much easier as you do not have to wrestle with the vestibule all the time, and ii) they allow for the views around. But on the other hand, this also means that there are no storage spaces here.
The tent has one door shown in the picture above, and there are two windows that are double-layer structures with mesh and inner zippered panels for protection and privacy. These windows are an advantage of such a minimal fly. The fly attaches to the corners and this is why the tent is so freestanding so you can move it and rotate as you wish. But you have all stakes needed to stake it down properly, so do not miss doing so.
The tent is similar to Kelty’s Tallboy 6, but it has a bit more features yet it is 4 times less expensive. The price is simply incredible so it is not surprising that it is becoming one of the bestselling tents on Amazon.
This is a single room structure but it is quite tall for a dome tent, the peak height is impressive 75 inches (191 cm). So you have a stand-up height in the central area.
Ventilation
This Pacific Pass 6 dome tent has lots of mesh on the canopy, and there are two windows with mesh on the opposite sides. The fly is shallow on the front and on the back so air and vapor can easily escape. With the side guylines you can create extra air circulation by pulling the fly outside.
But they have added a floor vent, you can see it in the picture above. So there is plenty of options for air circulation and to fight condensation. This is a well-ventilated tent and there is nothing I would object.
Materials
The poles
There are three of them and this is fiberglass, quite expected material in such a budget tent. They attach to the tent in the usual way, you have the pin and ring connection at the corners (shown below), and clips and sleeves on the canopy.
The fabric
This is all polyester, the walls and the fly are 190T polyester 63D and with a decent 1200 mm waterproof rating. The floor is also polyester 150D oxford and my understanding is that the waterproof rating is the same. The zippers are nylon. So as you realize, these are all quite durable materials for such a weight.
Other features
- There are 11 steel stakes and 8 ropes, shown below.
- A couple of wall pockets are available.
- An E-cable port is in the corner.
- A gear loft is included.
- There is also a lantern hook on the ceiling, see the pictures.
Who is it for
Space-wise, the declared capacity is 6 people and for this you have 100 ft² (9.3 m²). This implies 16.67 ft² (1.55 m²) per person, so clearly this is not a castle but it can indeed accommodate 6 users. This can work for a group of friends at some open-air festival, or for a group on a road tour.
In the case of family camping, I see it suitable for parents with one to two small kids. It is also a good choice for a couple.
Weight-wise, the tent is very light with its 13.3 lb (6 kg). In fact, it is just at my upper limit for the list of backpacking 6-person tents, so I have added it to the list. It can be carried on a shorter tour if the elements are shared among the users.
The packed size is also quite good, the carry bag shown below measures only 24.01 x 7.48 x 7.48 inches (61 x 19 x 19 cm). So you can transport it in any way you want, even on a bicycle.
Seasons-wise & climate-wise, the tent could be described as a 3-season tent, but it is far better suited for the warmer part of the year. With the mesh on the canopy, you will not feel great in a cool environment. But this same mesh and all the ventilation options makes it great for warm weather.
I would not use this tent at places with strong winds, although it is very aerodynamic the fly is such that it would not last long in a strong wind. If this is what you need, better check this Kazoo tent with its full fly, or check the tents with full fly.
Specifications
- Declared capacity: 6 people.
- Weight: 13.3 lb (6 kg).
- Dimensions: 10 x 10 ft (305 x 305 cm).
- Area: 100 ft² (9.3 m²).
- Area per person: 16.67 ft² (1.55 m²).
- Peak height: 75 in (191 cm).
- Packed size: 24.01 x 7.48 x 7.48 in (61 x 19 x 19 cm).
- Poles: fiberglass.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
In the summary of this Pacific Pass 6 Person Family Dome Tent review, I would say that you will hardly find a better price/value combination. This is an incredibly affordable tent so if you are on a budget and need a tent for occasional adventures with friends or with your family, this is the one to check. It is surprisingly light and packable for such an inexpensive item.
Please have a look at how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria, it scores well in all of them:
Pacific Pass 6 Person Family Dome Tent
Pros
- Very light.
- Nice packed size.
- Ventilated.
- Incredible price.
Cons
- Not very large for 6 users.
If you need more options in this capacity group, check under the category Tents for 5-6 people. For more tents of this shape check under Dome tents. You might want to compare this tent with the Columbia Modified 6 Person Dome Tent built in a similar style. But if you would rather have a tent with a full-coverage fly, check this Kelty Discovery 6 Tent.
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Area per person
0
Weight
9.5
Packed size
5.5
Protection
0.5
Ease of use
0
Features
0
I need directions to put up rain guard
The rain fly attaches to the base at the corners. There is also a short ridge pole that you put under the fly in two small pockets on the front and on the back. Wonder what makes the problem, it should be easy. The same structure is in many tents on the market, you can see it in Coleman Sundome tent.