Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent
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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.
Sports reviews of Columbia Bugaboo Four to Five-Person Family Dome Tent
Customer Review: Well worth It !
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I bought this tent after checking a lot of reviews on Amazon and other sites. It has spacious floor space with plenty of overhead height to get dressed standing up for the wife and myself. It goes up fairly easy with one person but a LOT easier with two. Floor space is enough for 3 with gear, 4 without gear-with room to move around, but I don't see 5 unless it's with people 5'5" tall or less and no gear.
I thought the tent was well made with a lot of features of higher end tents. The poles are colour matched to the sleeves they go through and when assembled there are ties that hold the poles together to make the tent rigid. Also there are about a dozen spots to stake down to make the tent stay put. As others have said, get different stakes. The original ones are ok but only for a little while. I have several different ones for different soil conditions, from previous camping seasons.
The first night I used it with my daughter it was breezy and cold and no rain. We got very cold due to lack of heat retention. The tent did very well with the original stakes.
The second night it was also cold then we had light rain for about an hour and half to two hours. Again the tent did really well without any leaks from any part of the tent. This surprised me after some of the other reviews said theirs had leaked in spots.
In all, the tent is spacious, comfortable, tall, and sturdy. This will be a great spring, summer, and fall tent for the family. We will have to purchase new sleeping bags for cooler weather, as it didn't hold the heat in, due to the mesh and height. It isn't light, at 21 lbs it is not a backpacking tent. But it is also affordable . Others I priced were going to run me a 2-3 hundred dollars and up for the same size and features. As long as the poles hold up, and it is taken care of, I see this tent lasting a long time.
Customer Review: After all this research...
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I have spent alot of time over the past few years buying, returning and researching tents. I wanted something that I could stand up in, had a full coverage fly and seemed well ventilated. I began with some Colemans and found that their fly design left alot to be desired. Other tents had great coverage, but not much ventilation. Surfing through Amazon I saw the reviews and decided to pick up the Bugaboo.
I'll just say that this tent has everything I've been looking for. Full coverage fly that can be partially opened up for more ventilation. The Cyclone system that also allows air through even in rain adds to the overall "airyness" of the tent. No stifling condensation here. It was easy to set up with two people. More importantly it was by far the easiest tent I have ever packed up and stored. The bag it comes with is perfect, I didn't even need to expand it!
Used it for the first time last weekend at Devil's Lake. Ihave to admit that I was freezing cold, but the tent held up well in high wind and was just the perfect size for three adults. It wasn't rain tested on this trip (something I am very thankful for) but we'll have to see how it performs in the rain next spring. The only things I would change about this tent are the stakes that it comes with and I would also like to see a full coverage vestibule.
**Update** Took the Bugaboo on a few rainy trips last summer and fall. Using a tarp and NO extra sealer or water repellant the tent stayed completely dry. The vents at the bottom promoted ventilation and it worked wonderfully. This would make me give the tent more stars if it was possible.
Highly recommended tent. I spent alot of time searching for just the right one and I believe I've found it in the Bugaboo.
Customer Review: Best tent ever
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I bought this tent after much research. My previous tent was great at keeping water in, but not out, and was much too small. My only requirements were that I be able to stand up to change clothes (I'm 5'5), that it be easy enough for me and my daughter to put up by ourselves, and that it be relatively waterproof.
The first time we used it, we took along my best friend and her daughter. The two girls and I were able to put it together (the first time!) in a matter of minutes. That time, we only took sleeping bags, and all fit comfortably. We did not have electricity at that campsite, but with the windows, we were nice and cool. It also fit back into the bag quite easily.
The second time we used it (after it sitting in a cabinet for two years), the girls and I were once again able to put it together in less than 10 minutes. There were no holes, weak spots, or any other fabric problems in spite of being tucked away for so long.
We were out for two nights, and it rained both nights, pretty steadily. We stayed completely dry! That's even without any additional waterproofing on our part.
As for size, we squeezed in four twin air mattresses. It was a little snug from left to right, but there was a little extra room from back to front. Although it was snug, it was NOT tight, so no worries about damaging seams.
It was too windy when we packed up to get it folded tight enough to go back in the bag, which is okay since we're using it again in two weeks.
I highly recommend this tent. Both times I have used it, I got several compliments on its sturdiness, size, and overall look. Having this tent has made camping so enjoyable, we are definitely going to do it a lot more often.
Customer Review: Great Tent
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I got this tent over the summer because I had a six week archaeological field school.We bought this tent for the last three weeks because my friend and I were tired of listening to a tarp flap around and water puddles on the top of the house tent.
The tent stayed up for three weeks straight. It was roomy enough for the two of us, sleeping bags, a large cooler, duffel bags, all of our field equipment, and occasionally folded up camp chairs when it rained. You have to be careful with the stakes because they bend easily when putting them in the ground but they can be replaced. We had problems with the directions at first but eventually figured it out. The seams and rain-fly are already water proof. All of the accessories were very nice. The cup holders worked out great and we used the light as a flash light. This tent did great in the rain and even the severe thunderstorms that came through. It stayed nearly vertical in a strong storm one morning while everyones tents had nearly blown over. We had no problems with water in the tent. The only time there was a puddle was during a thunderstorm because the rain blew in the vents at the bottom. Over all this was a great tent, the only mishaps were due to us not closing up the vents and the rain-fly all the way. We used this tent in June and part of July.
Customer Review: Absolutely love this tent! And I'm not a professional camper!!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I'm a novice when it comes to camping, but this past summer I purchased the Columbia Bugaboo tent to go camping in Vermont.
This tent was absolutely perfect. I was alone, but there was plenty of room for a queen air mattress, a cooler, luggage, and more. It was over 92 degrees during the day, and my tent was breatheable, due to the screen windows and the vents at the bottom of the tent.
The large screen window doesn't really give the greatest sense of privacy, though. I was camping with a bunch of teens, and sure enough, they would undo the rainfly and see me sleeping in the morning, but hey, just make sure you have clothes on, right?
It was easy for me to set up - that's right - one person can set this up, and within 40 minutes, the tent was up and anchored. I had no problem with my stakes, as some have reported.
I didn't bother with all of the "gadgets" that came with the tent. I did however love the little remote controlled light that came with it.
As with all tents, it is important to seal it, which I did prior to camping. I had zero leaks and just thoroughly enjoyed the tent and the experience. Others commented on the style of the tent, and I am glad I made the investment.