Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent

Take the family camping in style - and protection from the elements - with the Columbia CB-5300 Bugaboo dome-style tent, which fits four to five people. It provides a heady 74-inch center height and features a 1200 millimeter double-coated fly, sealed seams, and a polyethylene tub floor. The reflective zipper pulls make it easy to get in and out of the tent - even in the dark. It comes with a remote-controlled light (with a 65-foot reach) that attaches easily for exceptional nighttime security and visibility.

The Clean Sweep zippered floor flap makes it easy to sweep out debris. The two storage foot lockers are accessible from outside and inside the tent so you can easily store your gear out of the way. Other features include a quick-release buckle system, two hanging cup holders, and a removable door mat.

The Bugaboo's skylights offer large areas of mesh for maximum airflow and awe-inspiring views of the night sky. In addition, the rainfly has clear panels with zippered covers that offer you the option of having night views or no morning sun in your face. The Bugaboo's venting system creates a vortex that flushes hot air up through the roof, providing fresh air all night long. For maximum climate control, open or close the lower vents to feel the cool night breeze or keep warm air in.

The CB-5300 features the GoBe Dry Ultimate Rain Protection System, which combines patent pending fabric, component, and seam technology that culminates in exceptional protection from the elements, in particular rain, in any and all terrain. The DryTek Fabric repels moisture with a protective coating. The DryFloor Tub design elevates the floor seams to keep away water, while the DryGuard Skirt deflects rain from the floor seams and stake loops.

Specifications:

• Base Size: 12 x 9 feet
• Center Height: 74 inches
• Poles: 4 x 9.5 millimeter fiberglass poles
• Weight: 21 pounds
• Sleeps: 4 to 5

About Columbia Sportswear
Founded in 1938, Columbia Sportswear Company has grown from a small family-owned hat distributor to one of the world's largest outerwear brands and the leading seller of ski-wear in the United States. Columbia's extensive product line includes a wide variety of outerwear, sportswear, rugged footwear and accessories. Columbia specializes in developing innovative products that are functional yet stylish and offer great value. Eighty-year-old matriarch Gert Boyle, Chairman of the Board, and her son, Tim Boyle, President and CEO, lead the company.

Columbia's history starts with Gert's parents, Paul and Marie Lamfrom, when they fled Germany in 1937. They bought a small hat distributorship in Portland, Oregon, and named it Columbia Hat Company, after the river bordering the city. Soon frustrated by poor deliveries from suppliers, the Lamfroms decided to start manufacturing products themselves. In 1948, Gert married college sweetheart Neal Boyle, who joined the family business and later took the helm of the growing company. When Neal suddenly died of a heart attack in 1970, Gert enlisted help from Tim, then a college senior. After that, it wasn't long before business really started to take off. Columbia was one of the first companies to make jackets from waterproof/breathable fabric. They introduced the breakthrough technology called the Columbia Interchange System, in which a shell and liner combine for multiple wearing options. In the early 1980s, then 60-year-old Gert began her role as "Mother Boyle" in Columbia's successful and popular advertising campaign.

The company went public in 1998 and moved into a new era as a world leader in the active outdoor apparel industry. Today, Columbia Sportswear employs more than 1,800 people around the world and distributes and sells products in more than 50 countries and to more than 12,000 retailers internationally.

What's in the Box?
Bugaboo dome tent, fiberglass poles, remote-controlled light, door mat, carry bag with handle

Manufacturer's Warranty
Lifetime warranty

Amazon.com Tent Guide
Selecting a Tent
Fortunately, there are all kinds of tents for weekend car campers, Everest expeditions, and everything in-between. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Expect the Worst
In general, it's wise to choose a tent that's designed to withstand the worst possible conditions you think you'll face. For instance, if you're a summer car camper in a region where weather is predictable, an inexpensive family or all purpose tent will likely do the trick--especially if a vehicle is nearby and you can make a mad dash for safety when bad weather swoops in! If you're a backpacker, alpine climber or bike explorer, or if you like to car camp in all seasons, you'll want to take something designed to handle more adversity.

Three- and Four-Season Tents
For summer, early fall and late spring outings, choose a three-season tent. At minimum, a quality three season tent will have lightweight aluminum poles, a reinforced floor, durable stitching, and a quality rain-fly. Some three-season tents offer more open-air netting and are more specifically designed for summer backpacking and other activities. Many premium tents will feature pre-sealed, taped seams and a silicone-impregnated rain-fly for enhanced waterproofness.

For winter camping or alpine travel, go with a four season model. Because they typically feature more durable fabric coatings, as well as more poles, four-season tents are designed to handle heavy snowfall and high winds without collapsing. Of course, four-season tents exact a weight penalty of about 10 to 20 percent in trade for their strength and durability. They also tend to be more expensive.

Domes and Tunnels
Tents are broadly categorized into two types, freestanding, which can stand up on their own, and those that must be staked down in order to stand upright. Freestanding tents often incorporate a dome-shaped design, and most four-season tents are constructed this way because a dome leaves no flat spots on the outer surface where snow can collect. Domes are also inherently stronger than any other design. Meanwhile, many three-season models employ a modified dome configuration called a tunnel. These are still freestanding, but they require fewer poles than a dome, use less fabric, and typically have a rectangular floor-plan that offers less storage space than a dome configuration. Many one and two-person tents are not freestanding, but they make up for it by being more lightweight. Because they use fewer poles, they can also be quicker to set up than a dome.

Size Matters
Ask yourself how many people you'd like to fit in your fabric hotel now and in the future. For soloists and minimalists, check out one-person tents. If you're a mega-minimalist, or if you have your eye on doing some big wall climbs, a waterproof-breathable bivy sack is the ticket. Some bivy sacks feature poles and stake points to give you a little more breathing room. Also, if you don't need bug protection and you want to save weight, check out open-air shelters.

Families who plan on car camping in good weather can choose from a wide range of jumbo-sized tents that will accommodate all your little ones with room to spare. A wide range of capacities is also available for three- and four-season backpacking and expedition tents. Remember, though, the bigger the tent you buy, the heavier it will be, although it's easy to break up the tent components among several people in your group. It's also helpful to compare the volume and floor-space measurements of models you're considering.

Customer Review: Finally, the right sized tent!
This is truely a great tent. Love the center height and the ability to stand up and get changed. We use this with a queen sized bed, a folding chair and plenty of extra room for the suitcase and odds and ends. We have used the buddy tent heater many times with this tent and it is just a great all around Mom and Dad tent. We recently purchased another on sale...just in case. For anyone tempted to Cpap while camping...this is the tent for you. The battery is easily accessable using the small access doors. As far as leaking concerns...this tent is great. We also pitch one of those folding 10X10s from Walmart and we say nice and dry.
Customer Review: Great "car camping" tent
This is the first tent I have owned where I haven't had to do extensive aftermarket waterproofing. Actually, I have done no aftermarket waterproofing on this tent, because it just didn't need it. For the money and size, this is an excellent tent for people car camping. I wouldn't want to carry it too far from the car, as it's unwieldy and heavy, but I didn't buy this for frontier wilderness camping so it serves my purposes well. Nice things about this tent: - Easy to put together. My first trip out with this tent, I was the only one with any prior experience, but with the help of one other person we got this up in less than 15 minutes with a strong wind blowing. I consulted the directions when things weren't intuitive, and they were simple and easy to understand. If you've put many tents together in the past, you can probably skip the directions. - It is spacious. It fits four adults comfortably with ample room for a small cooler, packs, and a dozen board games. Make sure you've pulled all corners completely out or you'll lose space - if it is put together properly you can fit six women in this tent, as long as you don't mind close quarters and leave the majority of items in the car. - It's very well-ventilated. That first camping trip was October in New England and it stormed most of the weekend. We could open the windows even though it was raining outside and not worry about water coming inside. - Waterproof. There are a few places that water can get in, but the tent itself is more waterproof than any tent I've owned in the past. Be careful of the small zippered slot on the front left of the tent - it's convenient to put the cord for inflatable air mattresses through, but if you do not close it back properly you will find a small amount of water might leak inside (about ½ a cup overnight). You don't need to put a tarp under the tent, the bottom is completely waterproof. - It comes with a light and remote, but we played so many board games we ended up hanging a lantern from the ceiling with no problem. - Height - I hate bending over, and my back hates it more. You can stand up straight in this tent. Keep in mind it is a dome tent though, so it slopes towards the sides. - Pockets - great for putting things you need to keep handy. Things I would change about this tent: - Stakes. These were not the greatest, especially in the wind with a sandy/rocky ground below the tent. I plan on replacing some with more heavy-duty stakes. - Dividers/attic - I discarded these, they are not something I would ever use, and I didn't see how to put them up. - Floor mat - it hooked to the tent, but I think it would be more useful if it were just attached along one edge. Overall, this is a great tent and my friends and I have a lot of fun camping with it.

I get asked that question just about every single day and I'm pretty tired of it after all these years. So I'm going to answer that question right here for the last time.

There are literally hundreds of reasons to go camping in New Jersey, but there is one large, and I mean really large, reason:

Where else in the country can you drive less then 3 hours and go from the mountains, to the shore, to the marshlands, to 3 different major metropolitan areas to several major lakes and everywhere in between?

Camping in New Jersey is literally the best of all worlds. There is just about nothing you cannot do while you camp in New Jersey. You have your choice of over 120 campgrounds and State Park facilities to choose from not to mention thousands of acres of public land to explore.

Just about every one of the privates campgrounds in the state have craft activities, pools, fishing ponds, sports activities and so many other amenities I can't even count. Most of them are clean, modern and well suited to just about any type of camping. They are all within a decent driving distance of dozens of cultural, sports, historical, recreational and children related attractions.

Canoeing, hiking, biking, birding and unlimited recreation activities can also be found at campgrounds around the state and many sites are within a short drive of some of the state's premium attractions and fabulous Atlantic Ocean beaches and boardwalks.

New Jersey is literally a kaleidoscope of natural, picturesque landscapes filled with some of the best and exciting camping experiences anywhere in the Northeast part of the country. Personally I think camping here in New Jersey is as good, if not better, then just about anywhere in the country.

More than 25,000 sites/cabins/yurts/rental trailers await your visit, sites of all shapes and sizes that can accommodate campers with everything from tent sites to pop-ups to fully equipped RVs. From the Delaware Water Gap to a view of the Statue of Liberty to wooded campgrounds in the Pine Barrens to the sandy beaches of the Jersey Shore, the ideal camping experience is close at hand.

No matter what type of camping you choose, tenting, RVing or cabin rentals, New Jersey has something for you. Pick a region to begin investigating where you want to camp:

Atlantic - It's no wonder the Atlantic Region is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Atlantic City and its world-famous beach and boardwalk, luxurious casino, non-stop gaming action, the hottest entertainers, the best in dining, and quality sporting events. New Jersey Camping in the Atlantic Region gives you access to this great area!

Delaware - It's where history was made. And where nature rules. It's where the arts come alive and stately mansions reign. New Jersey's Delaware River Region is all of these and more. It's a unique region that can provide you with many things to do and see on your next vacation. New Jersey Camping and you, perfect together!

Gateway - Live with action, the Gateway Region has everything for your perfect vacation including New Jersey Camping activities, New Jersey State Parks and New Jersey Campgrounds.

Shore - Mention the Shore Region, and certain images immediately come to mind: more than 60 miles of pristine beaches from Sandy Hook down to Holgate; surfcasting off Seaside Park; perhaps some bodysurfing off Bay Head; or maybe a moonlit walk in Surf City. Anything you want can be found in New Jersey Camping.

Skylands - Gentle mountains. Skiing. Rock climbing. Horseback riding.Would you believe you're in New Jersey? New Jersey Camping and you, perfect together!

Southern Shore - Walk along 30 miles of wide sandy beaches. Experience the warmth of a Victorian inn. Take a stroll through history or enjoy the fresh bounty of the sea at a gourmet restaurant. New Jersey Camping offers a wide variety of ways to take advantage of this area.

So, whether it's a cabin by a lakeshore, an RV minutes from the Statue of Liberty or just a sleeping bag amidst the rugged mountain wilderness, New Jersey Camping is perfect for you.

Eric Stephenson is an avid camper and publisher of http://www.NJCampingInfo.com where you can get all the information you will ever need about camping in New Jersey as well as information about camping and the latest technologies and products related to camping. This article is copyrighted. It may be reproduced only if the hyperlinks here are left intact.