Robens Prospector 12 Person Tent

The Robens Prospector 12 Person Tent is very tall and cabin-type, with a breathable but waterproof polycotton fabric, integrated pipe jack, and steel poles.   

Key features & benefits

Overview

This Robens Prospector 12 Person Tent is a very typical cabin-type tent with completely vertical walls. It looks like a house, it is very tall as you realize from the picture below, and it has only one door. Even at the side walls you have 130 cm height.

The structure can be described as freestanding, and this is also a framed tent. The picture below shows how it looks inside. Observe the narrow side windows and the high windows in the back area. These openings are with mesh and with shutters from inside.

Wood burning ready

The tent comes with a pipe jack on the roof, the picture below, so you can use a wood burning tent stove inside. This is why I have added it to my list if tents with a pipe jack.

For the stove, they have added a zipper on the floor so you can unzip the area with the stove and place a stove there. The picture below shows how this looks. You can keep this closed of course even with a stove inside, but then think about some floor protection.

Materials

You have a lot of great stuff here. The poles are steel and you have three separate color-coded sets. The tubes are 25 mm in the diameter. So this is an A-frame with a ridge pole for stability.

The fabric is what they call HydroTex polycotton, and this means a blend of 65% polyester and 35% cotton. This is a breathable but tight weave, so the threads swell when wet and this is what makes the tent waterproof.

The floor is fully sewn-in and this is a very durable bathtub style 210T Oxford polyester with a 10000 mm waterproof rating.

Ventilation

As mentioned, the fabric is breathable, and they have added several triangular openings, 2 on the front and 2 on the back. There are also 2 long side windows. All of them are with mesh. But there are no floor vents here. I still think they would make the tent far more pleasant in particular when/if you have to keep the windows and high vents closed due to rain.

Please see more about this tent in this video:

Here you can see how to set it up:

Who is this Tent for

Regarding the area, you have 146 ft² (13.6 m²), yet they claim this is a 12 person tent. The picture below shows how they come to this conclusion. It seems possible to place 12 sleeping pads on the floor but for real camping this makes no much sense. So it is best to downgrade the official capacity by half. 

In fact, they build an Inner Tent for Prospector, see below how it looks. This is a structure with two sleeping units, for 6 people in total. Its dimensions are 300 x 220 cm. With such an addition you have a great sleeping area plus a living room in front of it. It must be ordered separately.

Regarding seasons & climate, you have seen the materials and the structure. This is a breathable and pleasant structure perfect for warm weather. But the tent also comes ready for a wood burning tent stove. So there is no doubt this is an excellent option for all seasons.

I have included it in my list if tents for cold weather because it is perfect for such an environment, but it is certainly much more than that. They also write that it is tested for winds of up to 160 km/h. The tent is boxy and tall, see the picture below. But you have stakes and guylines to secure it properly.

Regarding the weight, the tent is heavy, you have around 41 kg here. The packed size is also substantial, you will see the numbers below. So this tent takes a lot of space in the car, and you are not supposed to move it far from the car parking.

Regarding the price, the tent quite expensive, but this is a quality product.

Specifications

• Weight:
  – Flysheet: 34.4 lb (15.6 kg).
  – Poles: 55.6 lb (25.2 kg).
• Official capacity: 12 people.
• Dimensions: 169 x 130 in (420 x 325 cm).
• Inner area: 146 ft² (13.6 m²).
• Inner area per person: d34.5 ft² (3.21 m²).
• Porch area: d57 ft² (5.3 m²).
• Peak height: d82.68 in (210 cm).
• Packed size (L x D):
  – Flysheet: 37 x 13.4 in (94 x 34 cm).
  – Poles: 34.6 x 9.8 in (88 x 25 cm).

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

Below you can see how this tent stands against my standard rating criteria. It does not shine everywhere but I apply these criteria consistently for easy comparison. It is best to ignore the capacity, weight and packed size.

Robens Prospector 12 Person Tent

7.4

Area per person

7.5/10

Weight

6.7/10

Packed size

6.4/10

Protection

9.7/10

Ease of use

5.0/10

Features

9.0/10

Pros

• Top quality materials.
• Breathable.
• Full protection.
• Very reliable.
• Quality craftsmanship.

Cons

• Very expensive.
• Heavy.
• Bulky.

BEST PLACE TO BUY:

Blacks

Millets

Camping World

For more tents of this type please check under Canvas Tents. Note that there are many tents of this brand presented here in the site, these are all top-quality products, you can see them here.

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