Why does a 4 man pop up tent seem so appealing? I feel that when going on any camping trip, setting up the tent (any tent) is probably the most annoying part followed by the packing up at the end of the trip. The number of times I’ve seen people frustrate over these two activities show that there is something to it after all and that it should be addressed. So this is where a pop up tent comes in. As the name implies, the idea is that you simply unpack the tent and it will literally “pop up”, erecting itself into position. Straight away you can see that this would be a major time saver. Once upright, all you need to do is secure the tent to the ground – e.g. with tent stakes.

So aside from the convenience a 4 man pop up tent is meant to provide, it must not compromise on quality in design and material to shield the camper from the harsh conditions of the outdoors as well as ensuring comfort for the camper. Additionally, being a 4 man tent, it should still be able to have enough space for four people to occupy.

Ok, now you have some ideas on what the criteria is good in a 4 man pop up tent, let’s have a look at the Guide Gear 4 man pop up tent and see how it measures up. Firstly, it has what can be thought of as a built-in cord system. There are no tent poles required in the erection of this 4 man tent. So besides having less camping gear and hence less weight to carry with you, that is one less item to lose (or even worse, break). The basic “installation” steps involve unpacking the tent from its storage bag, laying on the ground, unfolding each of the four corners and then pull the cord in the center into place, thereby erecting the tent.

The Guide Gear 4 man pop up tent is made from a 190T polyester material with polyurethane coating, comes with a rainfly and a bathtub style floor assisting its resistance against water.

How does the dome shape compare to the other shaped tents out in the market today? Well, because of the overall smoothed curvature, this allows wind to blow around and over the tent body much more easily. This is simply physics at work here. If an object that is fully upright and flat against the wind, the surface will offer more resistance. With the gentle curved surface of the 4 man dome tent, from pretty much any direction, it would not catch as much of the wind.

Also, a 4 man dome tent tends to be lower in height compared to other types of 4 man tents. This contributes to its effectiveness in reducing the impact from the wind. With the canopy (the roof of the tent) being closer to the ground, the tent has greater stability. Again, this is physics at work. However of course, lower height means a loss in vertical space for storage and the ability for the person using it to stand (depending on the person’s height). But from a storage point of view, this is made up by other storage spaces in a 4 man tent – you can have gear lofts, vestibule and gear pockets, so all is not lost.

Another benefit to the 4 man dome tent is the flexible poles that come with it. The significance here is that they become free-standing tents and there is no need to use tent stakes or guy lines for erecting the tent. This makes the process of setting up and taking down the tent much more efficient. However, there is then the issue of making the tent more secure for harsher weather conditions. This can be addressed by employing additional poles which will strengthen your 4 man tent.

Finally, to further add to the protection of the 4 man dome tent against the elements of the outdoors, it usually comes with a rainfly. As I’ve already discussed in another post, this bit of accessory does range in sizes so available selection for the appropriate usage won’t be a problem.

There you have it folks. If you’re finding it difficult to choose between different types of 4 man tents, I hope I’ve made it that much easier for you.

So what are rainflies I hear you asking? They are basically another piece of material that goes over the tent body that provides a layer of protection for you from the outside weather. As such it is a given that a rainfly must be water resistant. When placed over your tent, rain that falls onto this cover should simply run off and not collect in the folds of the material. Also the rainfly should prevent leakages through the walls of the tent.

Rainflies exist in various sizes ranging from small length which just covers the top section of the tent to full length types which covers the entire tent. Your choice here would depend on the weather you’re expecting in the destination you’re doing your camping. For example, if there is going to be fair amounts of raining and wind, then a longer rainfly is more preferred. With a full-length rainfly, you get full coverage so your tent can avoid getting wet from rain falling and rain coming from all other sides (i.e. wind-driven). Additionally, you get certain level of protection from water bouncing back up from the ground.

Another feature that proves important in protecting you from the elements in a bathtub floor. It is basically the floor of the tent that is designed to be water resistant. A good tent usually should have a bathtub floor that is made from a material that is thicker than the wall material (to ensure they last long and more resistant to water) and sit above the ground by at least 6 inches.

You can find tents that either have bathtub floors which come as a separate piece on their own or stitched together the rest of the tent. If the bathtub floor is stitched to the walls, the seams should be taped or welded off effectively. You can generally tell from the fact that if light can pass through the needle holes at the joins, then this increases the likelihood of water leaking in.

Sleeping outdoors doesn’t have to be a wet experience. Do the sensible thing and keep in mind the weather protection that your next 4 man tent purchase will give you. Frankly, you shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best 4 man tent you can get.

The first thing to note is that this 4 man tent is dome shaped. The significance of this will reveal itself as I go through each of the tent’s features. The major selling point for the Uinta Quick Set 4 Man Tent is how fast you can set it up and take it down. It has a hub design whereby you simply lay it down on the camping ground, unfold the corners, lift up the center and gently push the hubs together. At this point with the tent body erect, you just need to secure the tent to the ground and you’re essentially done. Less than one minute to set up. There are no tent poles. I “read” the instructions from Grand Trunk’s website and they were just 3 pictures. This is even less than the number of steps needed for a piece of flat pack furniture from IKEA. That’s how simple it is to put together.

The Uinta Quick Set 4 Man Tent comes with a couple of handy features. On the inside roof of the tent body, there is a zip-sealed gear loft. This is useful for storing small, light items such as your cell phone, keys, wallet, glasses and cameras. Aside from giving you more floor room for comfort, it protects delicate items from being crushed by your body if you shuffle around while you sleep. Another storage area that is included is an outer vestibule. It allows you to store your packs, boots and other reasonably sized equipment. It has a cover so your stuff can be assured to be protected from the weather outside. Being dome shaped however means less room overall compared to a rectangular tent of equivalent dimensions.

An accessory that accompanies the Uinta Quick Set 4 Man Tent is a full length rainfly. Being full length, it provides maximum coverage for the tent from rain seeping through. So rather than being forced to constantly sleep in the fetal position, you can stretch out closer to the boundaries of the tent without fear of getting wet. The rainfly is also easy to attach to the tent body – just employs a snap buckle in each corner.