Today we’re reviewing the ever-popular Coleman Evanston 6-Person Dome Tent with Screen Room, but this isn’t just any ordinary review. We want to uncover why this is such a highly regarded family and couple camping tent.
Were gong to look at what made it universally loved by campers and how does it compare to other top dome tents on the market, we are leaving no stone unturned.
Tents for families, small groups of friends, and couples needing to provide more functionality than we’ve ever seen before.
Modern campers are looking for versatility and interesting features that can complement their camping style. Continue reading to find out if it’s really worth your money.
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Page Contents:
Coleman Evanston 6 Person Tent – Full Review
Our First Thoughts
We think this tent is ideal for car camping or extended trips. It may be a little bit of a stretch to say that it can work for backpacking, but since it’s not an instant set up, you can separate the poles and share the weight with others. With the addition of a front screen room, it’s evident to see why this is mostly used in the warmer months.
Clearly the very reasonable price and added front room are what make this a popular choice for families. The materials are high-quality, and the design has been notably considered for both light and moderate conditions.
We don’t think it’s suited for use in extreme weather, despite its aerodynamic dome shape, but we have plenty of other reviews you can check out in this category.
Important Specs at a Glance
| Type
Dome Tent with Screen Room |
Dimensions
168“L x 120“W x 68“H |
| Weight
20 lbs |
Price
$100 or over depending on where you purchase from. |
| Capacity
6 People |
Assembly
Standard Ring-And-Pin System |
| Season
3-Season |
Materials
Tent: 75D Polyester Taffeta Flooring: Polyethylene |
| Structure
Fiberglass Poles & Steel Stakes |
Pack Size
28″L x 10.25″W x 9”H |
| Weatherproofing
Patented Coleman WeatherTec System |
Pitch
Conventional, 15-20 minutes |
Overview of Features
- Spacious Mesh Screen Room
- Tough Rainfly
- Durable Fabrics
- WeatherTec System with Inverted Seams
- Stable Dome Design
- 3 Large Mesh Windows
- Window Awnings
- Ring-And-Pin Simple Assembly
What We Love – Our Top 3 Features
Check out our top noted features that we love about this tent. We believe these are what make it different from other dome tents at this capacity on the market.
GOLD QUALITY – Roomy Front Screen Porch
For summer camping in particular, having a separated front room area that is protected from bugs is a big advantage. Not only does it allow bug-free lounging, but it can be used as an additional sleeping zone on more warm nights.
Chill Space in the Front Porch
It has the same flooring as the rest of the tent, so you don’t have to bring your own tarp or footprint to shield from the ground.
Also, since the rainfly does not fully cover this room, the floor does have holes for drainage if water gets inside. This is a nice touch as you don’t have to worry about pools of precipitation forming and ruining any gear that has been stored there.
SILVER FEATURE – Window Awning Protection
Thanks to the rainfly, the 2 side mesh windows are covered with hoods or mini awnings. They are purposefully shaped with a strong peak and triangular section to encourage water to slide right off, well away from the windows.
Rainfly Coverage is Above Average
We love this feature because you’re getting great protection, plus with the screen room protecting the front doors, and things can stay very dry inside. Leave these side windows completely open at night, so even when it rains you can get ventilation whilst staying dry.
BRONZE HIGHLIGHT – Good Weatherproofing
Exclusive to Coleman, this model has the patented WeatherTec System. It involves many aspects that help keep the tent resistant to various weather conditions. A tub floor helps to stop splashes of water from easily entering. All the corners are welded for extra strength, plus the seams are reversed which increases water resistance.
Can Hold up Pretty Well in the Wild, Although no 4 Season tent
Seams can usually be weak and easy spots for leakage, so having them inverted means the needle holes are completely concealed. Zipper protection is another top feature, as each one is made from weather-resistant materials to block anything getting into the door or windows. These factors make it a strong 3-season tent, fit to withstand moderate conditions.
Main Overview – Breaking Down Every Detail
Overall Design
The dome shape of this model has a very stable framework and is specifically constructed to be aerodynamic. This means it works very well in strong winds and has even been tested to hold up against 35 MPH winds and higher. Another quality of its structure is the Insta-Clip suspension. This not only encourages a simple set up with the poles, but it helps to create tension and keep things stable.
The screen porch is the most obvious stand-out aspect of this tent. It adds such increased livability and can be used in many different ways.
Spacious Interior Leaves Room for All the Family
You can hang out inside staying out of the way of insects, use it as a dining space, a spot for messy gear and boots, sleeping quarters for pets, and an activity area. One thing to not is that the only entrance and exit is through this screen area, so keep this in mind before leaving it dirty.
Fiberglass poles are something to keep in mind. They’re not made from steel, so this tent needs to be secured down rather tightly in order to prevent any kind of breakage. The great thing about fiberglass, however, is that it’s lightweight and very portable.
Materials
Even though this isn’t made for rough weather, the materials and construction used are quite high-quality. The fiberglass frame does need some care when used, but it is still strong against wind and very lightweight for easy portability. Plus, with the dome form, win can easily flow right over with less of a risk of flying away.
Enough Room for a Few Mattresses and Camping Pads
While there is no info on the waterproof column, the 75D taffeta polyester is a durable fabric that does well with light to moderate rainfall. The flooring seems quite thick and robust, made from strong PE like a tarp. With the additional welded corners and inverted stitching, it’s unlikely that water can leak through.
Rainfly Positioning
The fly is not full coverage, meaning it doesn’t reach the ground, but the main sleeping area is quite well covered. It stretches past the back and has big hoods over the 2 side windows. We think this is an innovative design feature because it allows great airflow.
The main downside that we must mention is that the fly does not cover much of the front porch.
The 6 Person Model has a Large Meshed Pocket
It just covers the ceiling, but since it slopes outward quite far, this whole area is not protected at all from rain.
Water can easily enter and cause a bit of a mess, so it’s really important to keep important gear out of the way if you know it will rain. As mentioned before though, there are some drainage holes which prevent puddling from occurring.
Strong Frame Build
Another aspect that’s important to note is the frame structure. As it’s mainly a dome, it can stand up against rather strong winds. The added front room doesn’t seem to affect the integrity of the construction. This is because each wall and curve are very sleek and smooth, allowing wind to slide off with ease.
Although it’s not freestanding, it can stand on its own without extra security. However, we recommend you always ensure to properly stake it down and use strong guylines, then this tent can work very well against harsher elements.
Most Asked Questions – We’ve Got You Covered
How Big is the Screen Room Area?
It’s not as large as the main space, but it still overs a nice amount of room for various uses. It measures around 120”L x 60”W. Most adults can’t fully stand up inside this section, but it’s still perfect for relaxing in a chair or bean bag.
How Big Would a Bottom Tarp or Footprint need to be?
We suggest having a tarp that stretches slightly over the overall floor size of your tent. For this model in particular, we think a footprint that measures around 240”L x 192”W would be suffice, but we do recommend perhaps cutting it down. Leave just a small amount that stretches past the base of the tent.
This way it won’t gather rain, and it lets you wipe off your shoes and get rid of any dirt before entering. Even with the front porch, you’ll still want to keep that section clean for storing gear.
Our Final Thoughts on the Evanston 6 Person
Overall, we’ve concluded that this is truly a great tent for couples and small families with kids. Although the screen room of this Coleman 6 Person Dome Tent is not covered much by the fly, it’s perfect for some warm weather camping.
Some simple fixes included keeping any gear inside if it’s going to rain and ensuring that the drainage holes are free of obstruction. You’ll love having this porch for relaxing free of insects, whilst soaking in the sun and views of the outdoors.
Enjoy comfortable family or couple camping in this modernized version of a regular dome tent.
