This Pacific Pass Camping Tent 8 Person Family Dome Tent is a summer camping extended-dome, ultralight and ultra-packable, and incredibly affordable.
Key features & benefits
- Extended dome.
- 3 Rooms.
- One door.
- 3 Windows.
- E-cable port.
- Gear loft.
- Many pockets.
- Incredibly affordable.
What this is about
So this is the largest tent from this brand currently on the market, it is built as an extended-dome tent with a central area supported by two poles, plus extensions on the sides. Because of such a structure the tent is not freestanding, so plan the place where you will camp and stake it down properly.
The tent comes with two removable dividers so formally you can use it as a 3-room tent, do not expect much privacy in such a setup but this is quite typically so in such tents. Note also that there is only one door shown in the pictures, I find this not so great in view of its overall size. Nevertheless, I have added it to my list of tents with 3 rooms.
There are 3 windows, perhaps far from enough for such a large structure. Two windows are on the two narrow sides and one is on the door, they are all with mesh and zippered panels. The fly is a partial-coverage type, and this is why the tent has the mentioned windows and you have views around.
Ventilation
They want to present this tent as nicely ventilated, and they are right as long as the sky is clear. There is plenty of mesh on the ceiling, the windows with mesh will create a good cross-flow.
But the problem is what to do when it is raining, you will have to close all the openings. They have not added any floor vent and this is surprising when you compare with their much smaller tents where such vents are available. So ventilation is far from optimal here.
Materials
The poles
There are 5 poles, they are shock-corded and color-coded (see the picture below), so the setup is easy and intuitive. This is an inexpensive and not so durable fiberglass. The poles attach to the base through the usual pin and ring system, and higher you have clips and sleeves.
The fabric
They use a durable 190T polyester with 63D and 1500 mm waterproof rating. So there is not much one could object here. The floor is obviously a polyethylene material, fully waterproof, and reasonably durable bathtub style.
Other features
- There is a gear loft included, shown below.
- A lantern hook is on the dome.
- An e-cable port is available.
- There are many pockets on the walls and in the corners.
- 18 Stakes and 10 guylines are included.
Who is it for
Regarding the area, the declared capacity is 8 people, and for this the tent offers 180 ft² (16.7 m²). This would mean 22.5 ft² (2.09 m²) per person which is quite a decent value. So the tent can indeed accommodate such a number of users sleeping on the floor.
But if you want comfort it is best to downgrade this to a maximum of 5-6 people or so. I have added it to my list of best 8-person tents. In spite of this, it is interesting that this 8-person tent is still larger than the Ozark Trail 10 Person Tent 3 Rooms 20 x 10 which is officially for 10 people.
Regarding the climate & seasons, I see this tent best suited for warm-weather camping without much wind and rain. As pointed out above, the tent will provide reasonably good comfort and ventilation as long as the sky is clear. Do not plant to use it in windy spaces, with such a fly it will not last long in such an environment.
Regarding the weight and the packed size, there are several numbers which they give, but assuming that those smaller really apply, then the tent is in the group of ultralight and ultra-packable for such a floor area. You will see the numbers below. So you can transport it even on a bicycle.
Specifications
As of the moment of writing this text this tent is on Amazon with a real mess of numbers with several different values for the peak height, for the packed size, the weight, and for the overall dimensions. It appears that literally, every parameter has two different numbers. So disappointing.
- Declared capacity: 8 people.
- Weight: 23.32 lb (10.6 kg).
- Dimensions: 18 x 10 ft (548 x 305 cm).
- Area: 180 ft² (16.7 m²).
- Area per person: 22.5 ft² (2.09 m²).
- Peak height: 72 in (183 cm).
- Packed size: 26 x 9.4 x 9.4 in (66 x 24 x 24 cm).
- Poles: fiberglass.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
To summarize this Pacific Pass Camping Tent 8 Person Family Dome Tent review, they have built an incredibly affordable tent that still includes an amazing number of features and quite good materials. So it is not surprising to see it as one of the best-sellers on Amazon. But see my objections regarding ventilation and the mess in the description of this tent.
Please see how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria:
Pacific Pass Camping Tent 8 Person Family Dome Tent
$149.99
Pros
- Large area.
- Very light tent.
- Great packed size.
- Many pockets.
- Incredible price.
Cons
- No floor vents.
- Only one door.
- Confusing description.
Please check under the category Tents for 7-8 people if you need more options in this capacity range. Check this EchoSmile Camping Tent 10 Person which offers 1.2 square meters more.
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