Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent

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Category: Sports
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Equipment Details

Manufacturer: Columbia
Brand: Columbia
Model: CB-5300
Color: Blue and Gold
Product features:

Family dome tent sleeps 4 to 5 people; includes polyethylene tub floor
Features remote control light, skylights, and venting system to provide fresh air all night
74-inch center height
Base size: 12 x 9 feet
GoBe Dry rain protection system helps keep you dry in any terrain

Accessories:

Sports reviews of Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent

Customer Review: Lots of Room for Two
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars

My boyfriend and I used this tent for our first go at camping. I was drawn to this tent because it was large enough for my boyfriend to stand, theres space for AIR and our things. I'm not sure if we'll want to much space as the temperature cools--- but this tent met those expectations.

Directions are BRUTAL
Setting up the tent was difficult, as the pictures showed you a very small portion of the large image. For example, if you were supposed to turn on the stove by pushing an on button, the photo would only show your hand on the button--- leaving no clues as to where the button was. We eventually figured out what a sleeve was (the compartments that hold the poles) and were on a role until we got to the rain fly. The sleeve on the underside was nonexistent. There was one on the outside, but that would have left the pole exposed. So, we skipped part A to that step, stuck the pole ends into the area around the door and called it a day. I also noticed that we could have possibly used the poles holding the rest of the tent to secure the fly. This was not in the directions.

Windows
Theres a brilliant view... but no privacy unless you cover them with the rain fly. You can unzip the fly from the outside.. but are you really going to want to get up, go outside and rezip when theres a chance of rain in the middle of the night when you're done stargazing? ... Instead we opened the door window (which was screened). We had a great view from the one side of our tent.

Also, there are two screened hooded openings which serve as vents. They worked fabulously. We did have to close them when it was raining because we were getting splashed. The tent was comfy--- and didn't get humid until the sun started to rise. I cant say if reopening vents would help-- because we took down the tent at this point to beat the sun and head on our way.

Leaked in the Rain
Maybe it was the skipped step in the fly directions? We had a small leak around the door? My sleeping bag was wet around the bottom corner. About the size of a large book. Nothing else was wet when I woke up-- And I don't think it was a ton of water because I didn't feel the water from inside the tent. It was a fair amount of rain with a lot of wind. The shoe mat on the outside filled with water. Our shoes were wet. Luckily, they were sandals. It didn't matter.

Secure Large and Structure
The wind woke me up during the night because it picked up right before the rain started. We had a few things along the walls we had to move (glasses, wine... breakables). the walls moved like crazy-- but we were able to sit comfy. We had the cooler in one of the corners ourselves in the other, our things in another corner and the tent box, garbage bag, wine opener, utensils in the other. This might have helped the tent stay down, as these things were heavy. We had plenty of room, and were both able to stand and change inside the tent. My boyfriend is 6"2.

Pockets
We also also made use of the pockets. Cell phones, Luna Bars, Gum, Water Bottles... The cup holders are a joke. If you put anything in there, it'll lean ridiculously and probably fall out. We put a few small things inside. We also made use of overhead pockets for light things. Deoderant, towels-- etc.

We Didn't Use
The two small unscreened doors, or the triangular privacy walls that seemed to fit nowhere in the tent.

Taking Down the Tent
We didn't bother with the directions. We just went backwards. Unclipped everything, steaks, yellow sticks, blue ones-- All good until we got to folding the thing and getting it back in the bag. The tent was also still wet--- so I'd assume it'll smell bad the next time? No clue at this point. The stuffing took way longer than unfolding. But-- then too, we both suck at rerolling sleeping bags. Maybe you'll be an expert at repacking.

Overall
I'd say this involved a lot of teamwork on our part. Being our first camping excursion-- we had to work together because there is no way to set this tent up alone. We were working from different angles and couldn't see each other so be prepared to use descriptive words. We spent the night bug free. The light inside was useful when you needed that one last thing in the dark. The remote control is a nice feature that we didn't use because we didn't have the right kind of batteries. It was a comfy cosy night.

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Description of Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent

Bugaboo Dome 12' X 9' X 74" 4-pole Family Dome Tent, 1,200mm coating on fly w/seams sealed. 2 storage lockers, gear loft, 2 pocket organizer, 2 hanging cup holders, carry bag with handles, reflective zipper pulls, Clean Sweep feature making cleaning a breeze, Sky panels, removable door mat, and quick release buckle system, No-See-Um Mesh, Cyclone Venting System, Remote Control Light.

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.