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: COLUMBIA BUBABOO TENT
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I FOUND THIS COLUMBIA BUGABOO TENT VERY EASY TO SET UP AS ALL OF THE FIBERGLASS TENT POLES ARE COLOR CODED. BLUE GO IN BLUE SLEEVES, YELLOW POLES IN YELLOW SLEEVES. NEVER EVEN HAD TO LOOK AT THE DIRECTIONS. WHAT I DID FIND IS THAT THE CENTER OF THE TENT GOES UP MUCH EASER IF A SECOND PERSON LIFTS THE FIBERGLASS POLES THAT PASS OVER THE TOP OF THE TENT WHILE THE OTHER PERSON FASTENS THE FIBERGLASS POLES TO THE METAL CLIPS ON EACH CORNOR OF THE TENT AT THE BASE.
THIS BUGABOO TENT IS GREAT, LOTS OF ROOM,FOR MY WIFE, MYSELF AND TWO LARGE DALMATION DOGS. NO ONE GOT SQUEEZED. THE TENT IS VERY WATERPROOF AND NEVER FOUND ANY LEEKS OR WATER IN THE TENT. I LIKE ALL THE SCREEN WINDOWS UNDER THE RAIN FLY THAT CAN BE OPENED UP TO KEEP THE TENT COOL ON HOT DAYS.
IF YOU BUY A BUGABOO TENT CHECK THE SCREENS AND WINDOWS FIRST TIME YOU SET UP THE TENT. WE HAD TO RETURN OUR FIRST TWO BUBABOO TENTS BECAUSE I FOUND THERE WERE SEVERAL PENCEL SIZE ERASER HOLES WHICH COULD ALLOW BUGS THROUGH. THIS WAS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT WHEN THE TENT WAS MADE.
OVERALL THIS IS THE BEST TENT I'VE EVER HAD. MY WIFE AND I AIRPLANE CAMP IN A SMALL GENERAL AVATION AIRPLANE, BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE VERY WEIGHT CONSCIOUS. THE BUBABOO WORKS WELL WEIGHT WISE FOR US.
Customer Review: The dome you want!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I have had this tent for a month now and I love it! Assembly is a little complicated, but this tent was well worth the money. Once together, it holds it's shape even under very windy conditions. Five people will sleep comfortably in this tent. There are a lot of pieces to this thing, and it's like the icing on the cake! I have never owned a tent with cup holders and a dome light with remote until now. The dome light can be attached inside or outside this tent. This oddly shaped tent is by far, the best I've ever slept in. The vents work just like they are supposed to. When it's hot, simply unzip the two vents on the sides (bottom left and right) or zip them up to stay warm on those cold nights. Even if it rains, you won't get wet in this thing either! The lightweight aluminum stakes are bigger than I would have thought, but they do work well if you are careful durning setup. The storage bag expands for easy repacking and then simply zips around once closed to shrink making this tent one of the easiest to put away. This tent deserves 5 stars and I would definately buy this one, or one just like it all over again!Customer Review: We Stayed Dry
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
I researched family dome tents and based on recommendations and reviews landed on the Columbia Bugaboo as the best value for the money. First, I agree that the stakes should be of higher quality, but I knew that they wouldn't be so I purchased additional high quality stakes. We camped with friends and family - the Bugaboo was the only dry tent out of three after heavy rains the first night. Dry is good. Dry is good enough to make our purchase of the Bugaboo look like genius. When everyone else came back from the laundromat, we had a stringer of fish.
In addition to our happiness at not having to go into town to find a coin operated dryer the next day, we also enjoyed the air cirulation despite the fact that we had everything pretty buttoned up and the rain fly on all weekend.
This is an excellent tent for car camping and withstood a reasonably strong central Illinois thunderstorm without problems. We only had two people in the tent (on cots) so I'm not qualified to tell you about how comfortable it is for 3, 4, or 5, but I wouldn't hesitate to put two grandkids in with my wife and I.
Customer Review: Great Buy!
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
After returning the first tent I bought after only one night, I purchased the Bugaboo. I'm very pleased with the quality for the price.
Pro: Plenty of room. I put in a queen-sized airbed on one side and a full-sized on the other. There is still room for gear, a cooler, etc. Heck, my 2 big dogs claimed the middle with plenty of room; that's 2 adults, 1 kid, and 2 dogs with plenty of room. I'd say if you are just using the tent for sleeping, then you could just fit in 2 queen-sized airbeds and a twin-sized side-by-side.
I didn't try it in the rain, but it was windy. No problems at all. We felt just fine inside with the wind blowing (25 MPH gusts).
The quality is good. No issues with damage or poor workmanship. I was able to put this tent up by myself in the wind within 30 minutes first try.
Con (minor con): The zippers do catch, but not to where you can't get them unstuck. Just be careful, and yes, you can use just one hand and still keep them from getting stuck. Not an issue that should keep you from buying this tent.
Customer Review: Put to the test the first time out
Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
We upgraded to this tent after a year of a small (7'-9') tent that we had to crawl in and out of -- and we are not so young anymore, it was really hard on our knees. Plus, having only started tent camping last year, we had not wanted to spend a lot on a tent until we knew we were really in to camping. Our first camping trip with this tent not only showed us what a good buy it was but also that we really are tentcampers! We went on a 3-night trip to North Carolina last week (mid-October). The first night the weather was great; the second night, high up on the Blue Ridge Parkway (4000'), it rained pretty much all night; the third night was extremely windy and turned cold. We had no leaks (and hadn't sealed the seams) and the tent held up wonderfully in the VERY strong winds. We are getting faster at setting it up and my husband insisted on trying it by himself the last time and had no problems. It is so spacious and our dog loves her own little doors.