The Coleman Red Canyon is a versatile family tent in the lower price bracket
Rated an 8-person tent by the manufacturers, it features a color-coded pole system for easy set-up. Removable privacy walls, make it an ideal weekender for mom, dad and the kids, with room to spare for the pooch.
The Red Canyon measures a large 17-foot by 10-foot, with a centre height of six feet, so will easily shelter eight campers.
But by reducing the numbers to that of the average family, there’s plenty of room to stretch and move around.
What makes this tent ideal for the family, is the option of dividing the interior space.
Room dividers block off two smaller sections at each end of the Red Canyon Tent.
These spaces might be a bit tight for two adults, but the kids will love it.
Turn one of the extra rooms into added storage space.
Create an emergency bathroom for those wet and windy nights (don’t forget to bring your potty).
The extra space also functions well for those who go camping with dogs.
Ease of set-up and keeping things organized are features of the Coleman Red Canyon
Each of the pole sets is colored differently, making it easier to follow the supplied assembly instructions.
One person could set this up in about 20 minutes, less with practice, or with someone lending a hand.
There is a separate bag for the shock-corded poles, and stakes, so everything is quickly at hand.
The main problem some first-time campers find when setting up, is handling the rainfly in windy conditions.
A gear net is suspended from the ceiling, a great place to stow keys, wallets, torches and the cell phone (if you must take one).
Interior pockets provide another storage solution.
This cabin tent has a number of design features to combat sudden shifts in the weather.
- Leak-free protected seams.
- Weather resistant fabric.
- Waterproof floor.
- Zipper protection.
- A wind-strong frame.
- “Cool-Air” port for ventilation or outside access to your gear.
- Adjustable ventilation system.
The rain fly has fully-taped seams and covers the doors and windows, which feature Velcro frame attachments.
Coated polyester fabric, with antiwicking thread combine to keep you dry.
Floor seams are reversed for enhanced weather protection, by concealing needle holes inside the tent.
The welding technology used on the flooring gives it added strength and eliminates needle holes.
A zipper cuff adds further protection from wind and rain.
The frame is engineered to be stronger and more wind responsive by the use of redesigned poles and guy-out triangles to firmly anchor the tent.
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A common complaint about this tent, and many others:
The storage bag is generally of disappointing quality, with seams sometimes ripping.
Campers often have difficulty re-packing the tent and have purchased a stronger canvas bag.
Re-packing tips:
- Fold the “wings” or rooms in, so you have close to a square.
- Fold each lengthwise end (door side and window side) to meet in the middle of the tent.
- You will see a line down the middle of the tent once the “wings” are folded up
- Meet each side (door side and window side) on the line.
- Fold each lengthwise end again, but this time into thirds.
- Roll and make sure you have the air out.
- Fits right into the bag
- It is advised not to roll the room dividers or the rain-fly in with the tent.
- These can be folded separately, and stored inside the bag.
The Coleman Red Canyon best suits the budget conscious casual family camper…
…and it’s cheap for what is included in the package:
color-coded poles
Shock-corded, colour-coded pole system.
Steel tent stakes & tent hammer.
Separate storage bags for the set-up equipment.
Built-in overhead storage loft and pockets for storage.
D-style front door for easy access.
Even a welcome mat for that homely touch.
Removable privacy walls.
With a spacious footprint of 17 feet by 10 feet, and a six foot centre height, this tent is still easy to transport.
It can shelter the whole family, but only weighs in at around 25 pounds.
Purchased this after using a cheaper Suisse Gear teant for many years. Tested it out at home and found the good and the missing. It went up quite easily, though the instructions suggest connecting clips to the poles and never actually mention raising the poles. We found it quite complicated to clip prior to raising, so went with what felt right.
The size is far better and we fit a queen and twin inflatable, plus my oldest who uses a bedroll. A second twin would fit easily.
Perhaps the most notable omission is a port for an extension cord. I looked around and saw it was mentioned, and just found it odd for a current tent to NOT have an opening for power.
Temps dropped into the 50s and we were fine. Use in cold weather would definitely require a decent bag.
The position of the room dividers made a single light in the gear loft sufficient for the entire tent.
After pitching, I decided to apply seam sealer to the entire tent. Most tents are pretty well sealed, these days, but with the budget nature of the tent, and some other reviews I’ve seen, it seems warranted.
At $120, if I can get the eight years another suggested they got out of this model, I would be more than satisfied. Three uses a year would come to $5 a trip if it only lasts for five years. So far, so good.
Finally, kudos to S Brock. We followed their directions and everything fit into the bag, as well as some other gear (mallet, extra stakes).