Materials

There are particular tents that are packed with extra features and tempt buyers only for them to find that the materials are not so durable and realistic protection from bad weather is limited. Coleman does test their tents for high standards of protection from the rain. This model is not designed for camping out on the sides of wintery mountains or in exceptional wet and cold weather and is not offered for such purposes. This comfortable tent does include features for protection from the rain though.

All quick set-up tents are made from light material and this model is no exception, the difference for it being that this has a 150D shell made from Polyguard double-thick canvas. This means a thick tough flexible material that goes more rigid when the tent is securely pegged to the ground. This helps to avoid water accumulating on the surface of the tent and to keep it flowing down off it onto the ground.

The integrated rain-fly has built-in vents which are angled to allow airflow while keeping out the rain. All the tent seams are inverted and fully taped to add more protection against water. This should be enough to keep out moderate to heavy prolonged rain but as with any tent, investing in a waterproof spray to go over the seam areas is always a good extra precaution. Another option is to purchase a rain-fly for use with this model.

The poles are steel and this means dependable durability and a strong frame for unexpected gusty windy nights. When assembling this, the poles snap into place at each corner to form a rigid structure.

Portability

The tent comes with an extendable canvas carrying bag; after taking down the tent, it can be quickly packed away, easily carried, and ready for your next camping trip. It is not so light when carrying at 18 pounds but the weight is due to the extra thick material and the poles all being a one-piece package. A one-year limited warranty is given with this model.

Space

The base is roughly 8 by 7 feet with standing room in the central area up to 5ft. The makers say this is enough space for one queen size air mattress, sounds plausible but might not leave much room for moving around. The tent has what is described as dark-room material which blocks around 90% of sunlight, so on sunny mornings you can sleep in and not be dazzled; the dark-room material also helps to reduce the temperature by 10%.

Ventilation and Storage

This tent offers good-sized window space and when unzipped, there is a nice field of vision from inside. The zip systems are sturdy and large and easy to operate. Seams around the zippers are inverted and this feature gives very good deterrence for keeping out water. The tent has a designed-in pocket on the inner wall for storing small items safely or hanging a torch to give light at night. The built-in vent works well though on chilly nights some users have noticed that there is some condensation forming on the inner walls but this is noticed in many different brands when the weather is set to create these types of issues.

Storage space is wherever you choose to stash any items you bring inside the tent; for car owners, this isn't much of a problem because camping gear can be stashed overnight in your car.

Coleman subjected this tent to rigorous simulated rain testing. It was sprayed with 35 gallons of water; if two teaspoons amounts of water get into the tent, it fails the test. Another test put a large fan that blew heavy wind at the tent. Two tents were used, a Coleman tent and another brand. When the simulated winds reached 62 miles per hour, the tent poles in the rival brand became bent, the Coleman tent poles were ok. This suggests that Coleman is very serious about staying ahead of other brands in terms of waterproofing and strong pole structure.

In comparison to cotton tents which are warmer in cold weather, cotton is heavier to carry and waterproofing can be less protective when compared to heavy-duty Polyguard double-thick canvas. Tents made from nylon have similar characteristics to the canvas used in Coleman tents but nylon is more prone to tearing.

In comparison to other brand tents for 4 people, most models offer similar space dimensions, and all, including the Coleman, are able to sleep four people though it does mean not much space to move around.

The Coleman instant set-up tent moves favorably ahead of most other standard tents in that it is so quick and easy to assemble and to take down, though it is noted that at 18 pounds it is heavier than some other similar 4-men tents. Portability is not an issue as those using this size of the tent are unlikely to be backpacking.

Certainly, this tent excels for durability; it is made from strong materials and you should get many seasons of enjoyable camping in it.

The brand makers of this model do give a lot of attention to protection from wet weather and they subjected the tent to extensive testing. They also rigorously tested the stability of the poles and structure. Though it has to be said that serious heavy prolonged rain has the annoying ability to get some water into the interior of a tent if the weather is persistent and challenging, minimal amounts of water are expected.

The Coleman Cabin Tent Instant Setup is great for seasonal camping and dealing with rain showers and the makers have never claimed it is available for severe weather camping. Investing in some seam tape and waterproofing spray is logical, regardless of the tent you use if you intend to sleep out in challenging weather conditions.

Some users have suggested more windows in the tent but this does not fit in with the design purpose. Ventilation is designed into the tent and unzipping the designed-in windows in warm weather gives good enough ventilation. The tent fabric screens out hot sun rays and keeps the interior cooler and this suggests the window space designed into this model is ample.

Factoring in the durability, very quick set-up, protection from appropriate seasonal weather, and reasonable price, the Coleman Cabin Tent Instant Setup is a good purchase and will give many seasons of good use.