Skandika UV Protection Montana Unisex Outdoor Tunnel Tent

This Skandika UV Protection Montana Unisex Outdoor Tunnel Tent is a huge construction with 5 rooms, 3 large doors, many vents, and an impressive waterproof rating. 

Key features & benefits

What this Montana 8 Person Tent is about

I would start with what I am not able to understand, and this is the word Unisex in the name. There is a number of tents on the market (and here in the site as well) with the same word in the name, and I have never been able to comprehend the meaning. 

In any case, this is a large tent that has been on the market for a number of years already. It can be described as a tunnel-type tent but note that the side poles are straight so the sides are just like in any cabin style tent.

The area is organized into 5 separate units, there are three inner tents. One is with a divider, and on the other side of the shell tent you have two inner tents, each for 2 people. The floor plan is shown below.

This means you have 4 sleeping rooms, each for up to 2 people. But there is also a large central living room. This is why I have included it in my list of best 5-room tents. The model which is currently available on Amazon is with the linked-in floor in the living room. The inner tents have their own fully sewn-in floors. 

So you realize that you can organize the inner areas as you wish, you can use all the inner tents, or you can remove some of them and use the space for storage. You can remove all the inner tents and use the shell alone for some family events in the garden. In other words, you have a modular design with 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 rooms.  

There are 3 huge doors (but I think have seen a version with 4 as well), each of them is a 2-layer type with mesh for ventilation and panels for protection from elements and for privacy. Note that the tent is very tall, you have a 78.74 inches (200 cm) peak height.

Ventilation

The inner tents are with canopies built from a breathable taffeta, and the shell tent allows for airflow from the ground, you can always have a few centimeters gap. As mentioned, the doors are also with mesh.

But they have added numerous high vents on all the sides, you have them 6 in total. So the tent is nicely ventilated, there is not much one should object to this design.

Materials

The poles: There are 5 loops that support the tent and those include roof poles plus separate legs, and finally two poles that support the awning. This is mainly fiberglass, they claim it is shatter-proofed but this material requires careful handling, the awning poles are steel. The poles attach to the tent with a pin and ring system at the tent’s base, and higher you have clips, Velcro loops, and long sleeves on the roof.

Note that the sleeves are outside, so you raise the shell with the inner tents protected. This is useful when you are forced to pitch the tent while it is raining. The inner tents can remain pre-attached to the shell and this is good for such rainy pitching.

The fabric: Here you have the shell which is a 185T polyester with a PU coating that gives it a 5000 mm water column rating, and the floor is with a 10000 mm rating. So these are impressive numbers for full protection. All seams are taped.

The official name of the tent includes the letters UV which imply protection from the sun UV radiation, but modern tents normally always come with such detail in specifications. Nevertheless, I have seen quite a number of tents destroyed by UV rays, so nothing can really withstand such radiation for a long period of time. The materials are officially fire-retardant.

There is a carry bag with assembly instructions, plus all the ropes, pegs, and a repair kit. In this video you can see how to pitch this huge tent, have a look:

Who is it for

Regarding capacity, the tent is officially for 8 people. The floor plan and the dimensions shown above reveal that you have an inner area of 226 ft² (21.7 m²). This means 28.25 ft² (2.7 m²) per person, so this is a generous space.

The central living room could easily accommodate 4 people more, but as mentioned above, the floor in this part is not sewn-in so you would not have protection from crawling insects. In any case, I have included it in my list of extra large family camping tents.

Regarding seasons & climate, this is a 3-season tent, but I see it best suited for summer camping. It is so huge and boxy and it is best to avoid strong winds.

Regarding weight, this is a heavy item, it weighs 56.88 lb (25.8 kg). This is a lot, but you have seen its area. The packed size is not bad for such a large tent but it is indeed long, the carry bag measures 38.2 x 15 x 9.4 inches (97 x 38 x 24 cm). All in all, this is a tent for places with a car access.

Specifications

• Official capacity: 8 people.
• Weight: 56.88 lb (25.8 kg).
• Dimensions: 22.96 x 9.84 ft (700 x 310 cm).
• Area: 226 ft² (21.7 m²).
• Area per person: 28.25 ft² (2.7 m²).
• Peak height: 78.74 in (200 cm).
• Packed size: 38.2 x 15 x 9.4 in (97 x 38 x 24 cm).

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

Below you can see how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria so you can easily compare it with some other tents here in the site:

skandika UV Protection Montana Unisex Outdoor Tunnel Tent

$507.83

8.5

Area per person

9.0/10

Weight

7.7/10

Packed size

7.6/10

Protection

9.3/10

Ease of use

8.2/10

Features

9.0/10

Pros

• Great rooms.
• Modular design.
• Huge waterproof rating.
• Tall tent.

Cons

• Heavy.
• Fiberglass poles.
• Long when packed.

Check on Amazon

Note that there is yet another tent from this brand here in the site, the Skandika Gotland Group or Family Tunnel Tent 5 Person, it is with 3 rooms and a bit smaller.

Please check under the category Tunnel tents if you need more options in the same shape, or in the group Tents for 7/8 people if you want more in this capacity range. Let me know if you have a question or comment, there is a comment box below. Have a nice day.