Rated 2 out of 5 by tkim Liked it until it rained
I was very excited to get this tent for my birthday. I have two kids that I felt were just old enough to take car camping. We set it up in the backyard for a dry run and it looked great.
Took it for a two-day camping trip at a local state park. Loved the spaciousness and room dividers, since as a younger backpacker I was used to more cramped quarters. The mesh pockets were conveniently placed. All looked good.
Then it started raining. For the first hour or two things looked good. Then the tent top over the sides where there was no rain fly coverage began to drip. With every drop of rain, there was a mini-shower of water droplets. Then the side walls of the tent began to leak slowly. Over the night into morning a very small puddle of water collected in the tent. This was not condensation from a poorly-ventilated tent but a frank failure of the side walls of the tent and roof that was not covered by rain-fly. There were also signs that the tent floor seam had failed as well. We also noticed that some of the stitching in the main part of the tent roof looked 'off' but thought nothing of it.
Luckily we had inflatable matresses and our bedding only got a little damp, and this was the last day of camping, but had planned on staying longer with bad weather I think we would have been faced with striking the tent and going home, which would have been disappointing for my kid's first camping trip.
I had read the reviews about the lack of rain fly over the side rooms, but was swayed by the other, more positive reviews. We really really liked the tent, until it let water in. So back it went.
September 11, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by shannimals Tried and true in ALL weather.
My husband and I bought this tent @ the end of the '11 camping season (20% off!). The first time we took it out, we had to set up in TORRENTIAL rain, but it certainly didn't let us down. We set up with another couple in about 5 minutes flat. We had to spend the whole weekend IN the tent due to the rain, and we stayed almost 100% dry (a little rain has gotten in between the footprint and the tent on set up). Condensation is a small issue after a few days, but a simple wipe down of the side walls every 3 days or so will leave the tent dry as a bone. We've camped 8 nights in this bad boy without issue, and in various weather conditions. I love the fly because it's so small (not forcing us to choose between ventilation and water avoidance), but works like a charm. The zip-down doors inside make it ideal for several couples, giving some privacy and denoting space. Lots of places to hang and store things as well.
The only complaint I have is that the zippers for the door catch on the edge of the fabric almost EVERY time you open or close them. I've never ripped the fabric (and believe me, I've tugged!), but it's still very annoying.
August 22, 2012
Rated 3 out of 5 by StateParkCamper Room for Improvement
As described on the LL Bean website, the tent is easy to set up, spacious and has many great features. The privacy panels are great so that there is an area to get dressed or undressed. The tent is made of quality materials. As mentioned in another review, the side rooms require staking to remain erect so a firm flat surface is needed for best performance. At least two fasteners for the window flaps would be better than just the one that is provided. Some pockets in the main room would be beneficial in addition to the ones in the side rooms. The rain fly covers just the main room which for me resulted in soggy sleeping bags from drips in the side rooms after 16 hours of steady rain. This tent is fantastic for fair weather. Design improvements are needed to insure dryness in the side rooms despite steady rain. This was my first time in this brand new tent and I was disappointed that it was not leak proof.
August 12, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Number1grandpa Great tent
Took 4 grandsons out for a weekend camping. Rained off/on the whole weekend but the tent had plenty of space and we made out fine. Tent held up well and we had no water problems. Wish the front awning over the door was larger but we used a separate awning to help protect from the rain. When we were taking it down found one of the fiberglass polls had broken - LL Bean promptly sent a replacement.
August 11, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by fergysun The Taj Mahal
My wife and I wanted a tent that we could camp with my duaghters and a dog and not feel like we were stuffed in a closet. We visited the Maine store where the tents were on display out front and tried them all. It took me a while to convince her but we settled on the Big woods dome AKA "Taj Mahal" and we are glad we did. All our fiends have tent envy and my daughter holds play dates, sleep overs and chat sessions with her friends in the Taj.. This is a great tent...worth the extra $$$
August 6, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by CGalp Love this tent
My husband and I sold our pop-up camper and decided to go back to tenting. We were looking for something we could live in comfortably for a week. This tent is it. It's spacious, with 2 separate sleeping areas and a large community area in the middle. We each put a cot in the sleeping areas and set up a table in the middle. We are able to eat in there if necessary.There is plenty of air circulation, with 4 doors and vents at each corner, as well as 2 ceiling vents which can be left open when you have the rain fly on. Setting it up is fairly simple, especially if you watch the set up video first. It was as comfortable and convenient as a popup.
August 4, 2012
Rated 4 out of 5 by Acamper555 Big Woods Dome 8-person tent
Just came back from a very rainy weekend in the Pennsylvania woods and all in all the the tent held up but I was disappointed in the plastic stakes. They should have been made of a more durable material. Plus it may be a small thing but instead of one tie down for the inner door panel there should be three. That way the sides of the panels won't droop so much when in use.
August 1, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by BlackHillsCamper Great Purchase
We have used this tent periodically during the past 2 months and it is wonderful. We have 3 small children and we wanted a tent that would grow with us. This is a very spacious tent, lots of well thought out details, and really well made. We dealt with hot nights, rain, and wind. The tent was sturdy, dry and always a comfortable temperature. All of our friends (who are also experienced campers) were impressed by the tent -- I highly recommend it, it is worth the money.
July 25, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by Tenter5 Highly Recommend this tent
We are a family of 4 that avidly tent camps. Last year we were using a hand-me-down 3-room tent that leaked like a sieve.
Knowing the great quality of LL Bean products, we purchased this tent. We have now used it for 6 camping trips, even very rainy trips, & LOVE it. We find that it does not let any rain in, is extremely spacious, & overall is just fantastic.
We do recommend purchasing the accompanying footprint though, because we set it up in our yard first without & the tent floor (seemed) very thin. We immediately bought the footprint before camping though, & have been thrilled.
July 23, 2012
Rated 5 out of 5 by
IndianaHank Amazing Tent with Lots of Space
Used the tent for the first time this weekend for a backyard, family camp out. My wife and I had the tent up and running in about 30 minutes. I had watched the LL Bean Set-Up Video a few times so I felt confident I had done it properly. My wife and two young girls had plenty of room inside and the headroom in the main part of the tent is truly impressive. I can't comment at this point about how the tent holds up in high winds or rain as the weather was perfect for our first overnight. I suspect we will have no issues though. My wife and I were even able to repack the tent and get everything to fit back in the storage bag that came with it which was a pleasant surprise. All in all, we loved every minute we spent in it and are already planning our first real camping trip. As an FYI, we did purchase and use the footprint for this tent based on the reviews we read and the LL Bean recommendation.
July 23, 2012
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