Best 8 Person Tent for Extreme Weather Camping

We are a family of four, but sometimes six, when my two teen's friends join us, so we use an 8 person tent.

We primitive camp in spring and summer along the Colorado River, the Lake Mojave section. It is a desert region (approx. day time 110 - night time 85). Although 'primitive', we use cots because the ground temp. in summer is still often hot at night.

We are looking for a tent that can withstand the gusting force winds that run through the region, have good ventilation for night, and good rain protection for the monsoon storms that sometimes hit.

Would you have any advice on tents to choose.

Is a modified dome the best shape to deal with wind? We boat in, so weight is not a factor.

Thank you for any advice you may be able to lend.

Answer

Wow! What a question! This has to be one of the more challenging questions we've received.

Best 8 Person Tent For Extreme Camping

OK, before getting all nervous about the word extreme, there's really no other adjective to fit your needs.

8 person tents are made for one of two things:

1. Glamping (glamorous car camping)
2. Or more extreme, 3-4 season camping

Considering you need a tent to withstand high winds & monsoon storms, I think we both know what is more your style. The one factor you didn't mention is budget.

However, since you clearly know your needs, I'm sure you've done some preliminary research and know that a tent that will meet all those factors is going to run you around $600-800.

For the unaccustomed seeking a basic family tent, this may seem on the high side.

After all, a Coleman Weathermaster or Eureka N!ergy can fit 8 people and costs a fraction of that.

However, you take either of those tents into monsoon rains & high winds and those poles will snap in a heartbeat.

OK. Here's the tent specs we were looking for when making our picks of the best 3 season tents for extreme weather conditions:

• Pole Material - Aluminum. No ifs, ands, or buts. Fiberglass tent poles will snap too quickly
• Shape - You need a dome tent variety. A cabin tent will blow over in a heartbeat in the camping conditions you endure
• 2 Doors - With 6-8 people camping, you need 2 doors for adequate ventilation and comfort
• Large Vestibule - Camping in potentially monsoon conditions means you need a vestibule that will protect all your gear. The minimum we would recommend is 30 square feet

Now, onto the tents...

Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 Tent Review

Hands down the Flying Diamond 8 is the best tent to meet your needs.

Why? First, this is a 6 person tent in the main sleeping area.

It then has an additional sleeping area that holds another 2 campers.

Since you don't always camp with 8 people, having a tent that is flexible would make your experience that much more enjoyable.

Next, the ripstop polyester rainfly is made with 1200mm waterproof polyurethane coating.

In humanspeak: you don't have to worry about water seeping through.

With numerous rainfly vents & mesh canopy windows, you can breathe easily at night. Those hot summer nights won't suffocate you in the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8.

Finally, with only 4 poles to pitch this 8 person tent, you can get this baby up in no time.

Learn more about the Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 here.

REI Kingdom 8 Tent Review

Next up is the REI Kingdom 8.

At almost $120 cheaper than the Big Agnes Flying Diamond, you get a palace-like 8 man tent that is incredibly versatile.

The only thing worse than being cooped up during a monsoon rain storm is being cooped up in a small tent.

With the REI Kingdom 8 tent, you won't have to worry about that thanks to a unique design that maximizes headroom (max height of 6 feet, 5 inches!).

The Kingdom 8 is also unique in it's versatility.

It uses a rainfly cape that can be adjusted in numerous directions, including:

• Non-existant
• Partially rolled back
• Walls rolled up
• Fully rolled down

Finally, if you're concerned about space, just add in the Hobitat Garage. This will give you an additional 56 square feet of vestibule space for all your camping gear.

You can learn more about the REI Kingdom 8 here.

Also, a reader wrote a review of the REI Kingdom 6 recently. Be sure to check it out for an additional opinion.

Where To Buy

You can buy these tents at a few locations.

The Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 is available at:

• REI - Member dividends help bring down the cost & a great return poilicy
• Backcountry.com
• Amazon.com
  

And the REI Kingdom 8 is only available at REI.com

Good luck and be sure to let us know what you buy!

Happy camping,

Perry
Camping Tent Reviews.com Editor in Chief