6 Person Tent buying guide

Want to enjoy camping with your family and friends? Wondering about a way to set up a quick shelter for all of them? Don't sweat. The 6 person tents are here to the rescue.

These tents provide enough space for six people to accommodate their gear and equipment. The product removes the need to set up different canvases for every member of the trip. Moreover, with the help of your companions, you can swiftly set up the shelter.

However, it would be best if you consider all the elements of the product before making your purchase. An ill-fitted tent will create unnecessary problems and will sabotage your relaxing trip with your family and loved ones.

A buying guide presents all the necessary information on all the aspects of the product. By going through it, you will get all the essential details and solutions to different problems. Moreover, you will be able to sort out the best option according to your needs.

Why should you go through this buying guide before purchasing a suitable tent?

With a plethora of options available in the market, you will be perplexed while selecting the best product. Also, different brands overgrow their product to outshine other competitors and hide their flaws. This will lead you to fall into a trap and buy a poor-quality product.

However, referring to this buying guide will allow you to pinpoint all the hidden details of various products. With the right facts about different characteristics, you can easily sort out the best option for your trip.

Now, starting with a brief introduction of the product, let us move into detailed information about different characteristics of the product.

What do you mean by 6 Person tent? Why is it important to have it?

Sitting beside a bonfire on a wintry night and stargazing! Sounds dramatic, isn't it? Want to experience that someday with your friends or your family?

Then you must be aware of the vital thing that you will need for your most awaited trip. Yes, you guessed it right, a 'tent.'

If you are going camping with your friends, 6 Person Tents is what you would want. It easily provides shelter to 6 people at a time, though it can also accommodate 7, which will be a little uncomfortable.

These tents offer all the comfort you need while sleeping and camping and help you enjoy your precious moments.

When you leave home, you usually want your co-travelers to be beside you at all times, and these tents allow you all to stick together and celebrate. These tents have sufficient headroom and vestibules, enabling you to enjoy the outdoors with your near and dear ones.

The market is flooded with different sorts of 6 person tents designed to suit every individual's preference.

Freestanding vs. Non-Freestanding

Camping is the best recreation one can do. It helps you spend quality time with friends and stay close to nature to rejuvenate yourself, especially when you live in cities.

The tent is the core element of any camping trip without which a camp stands no chance. While choosing a tent, you should always consider some factors which govern its suitability.

There are two types of 6 person tents- freestanding and non-freestanding, which are most commonly available in the market.

To eliminate the confusion between the two, let's have a close look at them.

Freestanding

It comes with its own set of poles, which are used to hold the tent upright. They are located outside the tent, which allows you to move it around freely. Tent stakes aren't necessary for a freestanding tent.

The tents are straightforward to install and set up. This is because of the color-coded poles that get distinguished easily and put at the proper place. Freestanding tents cannot withstand bad weather and powerful winds.

Non-freestanding

They need to be pitched and staked to the bottom, unlike the freestanding ones. They do not come with a set of poles.

Using tent stakes is mandatory in non-freestanding tents, and they can't be moved around.

These perform better in strong winds and can withstand adverse weather. But due to staking and pitching, they require more effort, time, and a lot of experience than the freestanding tent.

Though freestanding tents are more recommended because they are easy to set up, it depends entirely on you which one you favor to spend money on.

Things to deem about while selecting an appropriate 6 Person Tent

Camping is all about enjoying with your dear ones and making most of the valuable time that you have.

It is quite evident that while having a pleasant company of family and friends and embracing the sweetness of nature, nobody would like to face any trouble in the middle of the trip. Hence, you should ensure that you invest in something that permits you to have a tension-free environment and make sweet memories.

Before making your purchase for the 6 person tents, you should consider some vital features which can make a lot of difference in your trip.

Material

Most six-person tent fabrics are made of long-lasting materials like nylon, polyester, and canvas. All have their drawbacks and benefits, but all are a good choice if you want comfortable camping.

The most crucial factor which you should not miss is its quality. If you're buying 6 person tents, ensure that the manufacturer uses a high-grade fabric to maintain its durability.

Make sure that the tent's material is waterproof so that it can withstand bad rainy weather and does not let water leak inside the tent.

Even the tent frame is formed using different materials like steel, aluminum, fiberglass, or other compounds. Have a glance at the structure to check whether it can handle strong winds.

Ideal frame material should be rust-proof and should not bend or get damaged over time. Go for stainless steel or rust-resistant aluminum alloy to make sure that the frame is reliable and robust.

Packing dimensions

Packing dimensions of a tent is a deciding factor for purchasing an appropriate shelter. Though many 6 person tents come with a storage pouch or a carry bag, their actual packing dimensions differ.

Packed tents come in all shapes and sizes- they can be cylinder-shaped or compact rectangular bundles.

To ensure that your tent fits in your backpack or car trunk, check the packing dimensions to get a better idea.

Sometimes, large and more substantial tents look smaller in packing dimensions, which can confuse you whether they are spacious enough to accommodate everyone in your group or not. To avoid such confusion, you should always refer to the tent's dimensions and not go on its packed size.

Tent doors

Single-entry or double-entry door designs are the most common when you look out for 6 person tents.

The basic models generally come with a single door, which isn't a significant factor. It does make you a bit uncomfortable when you are inside the tent with six others.

You may find a friend of yours crawling at night towards you, which undoubtedly will scare you at first, but his intention is just to go towards the loo. Thanks to the one door design, he has only one way to go, and that is to crawl over you and your buddies.

This is when you feel the need to have a tent, which has two openings for more comfort and accessibility, which will be a great relief when your whole tent is full.

Besides, an extra door allows more ventilation by letting the additional air in and reducing the stuffiness inside your temporary settlement.

Size

The 6 person tents should have adequate floor space to allow six adult sleeping bags and enough headspace to help you sit straight when you are inside. But the actual size may vary based on the camping gear storage solutions etc.

Some 6 person tents come with extra compartments for gear storage, which can be detached when needed, eventually adding more space.

Though it is meant to accommodate six adults with their sleeping bags and other belongings, it can become a bit stuffy and uncomfortable when fully occupied.

It is better to carry extra tents to distribute the number of people equally among them, which makes it quite comfy.

Rainfly

Rainfly is an additional, protective layer on your tent which protects it from dust, strong winds, and water. These are of two types:

1. Full coverage rainfly

They cover the entire tent, from top to bottom and even on the sides. These have openings for tent doors so that there is no trouble in handling the door in a short time.

These are made of dense fabric that shields your tent by not allowing the particles to penetrate through them and damage your canopy. They also have sealed seams and have a good waterproofing ability.

2. Half coverage rainfly

They cover only the body of the tent. These are also made of dense fabric but do not give full coverage to your tent like other counterparts.

This is because there are chances of water entering from the tent's floor, which may damage your belongings.

If you are going camping at locations where you are likely to come across harsh weather conditions, it is recommended that you buy tents having full coverage rainfly to protect you from the adversities.

Capacity

When you are looking for 6 person tents, you should count all the individuals, their belongings, and pets (if any) coming along with you.

While the tents can easily accommodate six individuals, the problem arises when there are camping gears and other accessories which find no place to be kept separately. This makes the tent stuffy and uneasy for purposes of residing.

If you think that this can be a case with you, then it is highly recommended that you go for a size higher.

An eight-person tent would be more comfortable for six people and their belongings since it has more space.

Also, while purchasing tents, look for extra compartments inside it that have adequate space to store your gears and accessories in an organized manner.

Cabin tents

If you are a privacy-loving person and enjoy some time alone, then it is better to have a tent with inner partitions.

When you have fun with friends all day long, you need some privacy for yourself in the end. For that convenience, cabin tents work great.

They come with a divider, which is optional and can be used when needed. When you are in a group of 6 people, it is better to divide the tent into two compartments with three people in each.

This reduces the stuffy feeling and allows you some private time. This can be a great option if boys and girls are going on any trip together and uncomfortable sleeping under the same roof. They can simply put the divider between them and sleep peacefully.

Tent fabric

As stated earlier, tents are made out of three major materials. Good quality tents are made of polyester, which has extra durability and is damage proof. They are sewn tighter and thicker, making it harder than normal fabric, thus increasing its durability.

There are two parameters which help to determine the quality of tent fabric, and they are as follows:

1. Denier rating

This helps us determine the thickness of the fabric from which the tent is made so that it does not get damaged.

2. Hydrostatic head measurement (HHM)

Hydrostatic, as the name suggests, means water. This measurement gives us an idea about the tent fabric's water-resistant ability so that we can know if it can withstand heavy rain or not.

Tent poles and stakes

The tent poles are a significant factor that affects the strength of the tent. It is the tent pole and stake, which gives the canvas all the support and makes it strong enough to endure weather adversities and safeguard you.

Aluminum and fiberglass poles are the most common tent poles available. Aluminum poles are durable, lightweight, and slightly more expensive than the fiberglass made tent poles.

When you are looking for tent stakes, avoid using plastic ones even if you are going camping on a beach and use the steel ones instead of that. This is because plastic provides no strength to the tent, which may even get carried away with the wind force.

Ventilation

Carbon dioxide exhaled by six people at the same time inside a small tent with a small opening can be very exhausting and even worse if you have a bonfire burning right next to the canvas, which adds fuel to the fire.

Ventilation plays a vital role in selecting 6 person tents because you do not want your friends to faint inside the tent due to the intense suffocation.

Make sure that you buy tents having enough windows and doors to allow proper airflow inside the tent.

Windows having mesh are excellent choices as it prevents mosquitoes and other insects from entering into your tent and create difficulties for you. Some shelters also have mesh panels at the tent's ceiling, which is excellent for ventilation and allows you to stargaze while you are sitting inside your tent safely.

Ease of setup

Who wants to fumble around, building up a tent for hours? Everyone enjoys the tent, which sets up quickly without much effort.

Many tents require only 10 minutes to set up, while a few of them need 15 minutes or more. To be a pro at setting up tents quickly and easily, you should try it a few times before you go out for a trip, which helps you gain some experience beforehand.

Opt for the 6 person tents that can be quickly installed with any unnecessary hassle. Look for easy setup features in the variants and pick the best option.

Weather resistance

Nobody knows what the future holds for us. Sometimes we may experience a calm and peaceful night, and occasionally heavy showers may shock us.

It is always better to be prepared for all the difficulties that might come our way when we go outdoors. Since tents become our shelters when we are out on a trip, it is meant to safeguard us. By any chance, if it fails, we might end up getting injured or in a mess.

The rainfly is the main protective layer from the dust, rain, and strong winds. Hence, while purchasing 6 person tents, you should ensure that the rainfly is capable enough to withstand the harsh weather and protect us.

It should be fully waterproof and should not allow a single drop of water to penetrate through it. If you want to avoid any unfortunate accidents to happen, learn how to make your tent waterproof, and read about seam sealing so that you can handle the situation in a better way.

If you are camping in an area where there is less tree cover and are expecting strong winds, you should go for dome-shaped tents because it has reduced surface area which does not get carried away with the wind.

Always make sure that you stake down your tent and pitch it onto the ground so that it has enough support and strength to face the strong winds.

Design and type

Dome-shaped or cabin style tents offer the most relaxing camping. Dome tents are easy to set up and work great against the harsh weather conditions.

Because of their steep walls, they offer less moving space than the cabin style tents. While at the same time, due to the upright walls, cabin tents offer more moving space and comfort than the dome-shaped ones.

While considering the design, look out for tents that have more doors and windows so that proper ventilation is possible, and you get a beautiful view of the outside while sitting inside and sipping your hot coffee and chatting with friends.

Also, think about the tent poles and their numbers. They should be color-coded for easy setup. Read about how many tent poles are required and how they connect so that you face no trouble while setting it up.

Tarp

Most of the tents do not come with a tarp, but you can buy it as an add-on for your canvas to increase its lifespan.

Make sure that the dimensions of the tarp and the tent are the same. Otherwise, your investment will do no good to your tent. Rather, a bigger tarp will collect water around your 6 person tents, and a smaller tarp will allow bugs and other insects to enter your tent.

Age and experience of campers

Age and experience matter a lot when you are deciding to opt for a particular tent. Beginners require more spacious and bigger tents because they do not have enough expertise, which is necessary to remain organized outdoors in a small space with fewer amenities.

If you go camping with kids then too you will require a bigger tent because kids call for more amusement and fun and require more clothes and eatables. Though their size is small, their desires need more space.

Tents with more compartments are ideal if you are going with children so that they have enough space to hang around and play without disturbing others.

Other accessories

These help you to organize your gears and other belongings in a better way inside the tent without occupying much space.

Though not all tents have enough accessories in them, some tents come with storage compartments, lantern hooks, and wall hangers. Electrical ports, welcome mats, and closets are some other accessories that you might expect to find.

Besides, many tents come with a gear loft situated above your head to store small clothing and bags. Having a rainfly is a standard feature in itself which completes your tent.

FAQs

1. How can I assure the weather protection property of the product?

While making a purchase, look for HHM and Denier rating values of the canvas. To ensure the best resistance against the weather, select a tent with values of 1500 & above and 75 & above for both the traits, respectively.

2. Any tips for maintaining the product correctly?

Here are some significant tips to follow:

• Clean all the dirt and debris out of your shelter before storing it. Use a damp cloth to clean the fabric properly. Also, make sure that you don't use any sharp object for cleaning purposes.
• Dry the canvas adequately as moisture can deteriorate the quality of the tent. It can promote the growth of fungus, bacteria, and even can lead to rusting of the rods.
• Keep the product away from the reach of your children.
• Don't store the product in direct sunlight.

3. Is rainfly a vital accessory for the product?

Yes, the accessory holds significant importance. It can add an extra layer of protection against harsh weather. Ensure that the rainfly you are selecting does not come with plastic pressure pins. The pins are not suited for handling strong winds.

4. Are 6 person tents available in lightweight?

Yes, the tents are available in the lightweight variants. However, they are bulkier than the shelters accommodating fewer people.

Final Verdict

These fantastic tents provide an efficient yet straightforward way to enjoy a safe and comfortable camping trip.

With all this information under your possession, all there is left for you is to choose the best option. Evaluate all the factors in this guide with your requirements and make an informed decision.