If you love getting outdoors, but you’re not a fan of getting up early – you can hit the snooze button and sleep through the bright morning glare thanks to this tent from Coleman. The Instant Up 10P Lighted Northstar Dark Room has a unique coating on the fly which blocks out 95% of sunlight while reducing the heat inside by up to 5°.
You can set up the inner in just 3 minutes no matter how frazzled you are, as the Instant Northstar has an instant-up frame – so it’s ready to go straight out of the bag. Then you can just chuck on the fly, peg it out and you’re good to go. For illumination at the flick of a switch, the interior has silicone flexible strip LED lighting which is super convenient. Bonding with the family is important, but you still need some privacy to keep your sanity. This tent features 3 rooms separated by zippered mesh and privacy doors - so you can spend time together and have some personal space.
You’ll never lose your gear amongst the jumble, as there are storage pockets on the sides of the tent to keep your essentials organised. The circle ventilation will help keep you cool in warm conditions and the welded floors and inverted seams will protect you from moisture. Best of all, even during daylight savings, you can get the kids to bed early thanks to the dark interior – making the Instant Up 10P Lighted Northstar Dark Room the ultimate tent for family adventures.
Can you get a replacement blackout cover? The black 'plastic' coating has gone sticky. Can you get a replacement for it?
G'day Kerry,
The tent fly's are not readily available as a spare part, sorry
You may be able to have some luck with Coleman directly, they occassionally have stock if you get your timing right!
I’ve seen from past posts to get the supa pegs but I also saw that the supa pegs are too big and that you’ll require fabric loops. Are the fabric loops included in the basic accessories when you buy the tent or will I need to buy these additionally? If so, can you pls link me to the fabric loops to buy please. Thanks
G'day Jane,
There are different peg point on this tent - some eyelet, and some looped.
The SupaPeg pegs will fit in the looped peg points, whereas the Coleman pegs provided will fit through the eyelet points.
Theres no reason why all pegs need to be upgraded, so using the above combination is more than adequate.
If also recommend using the SupaPeg pegs on all guy rope points aswell.
How can I fix the sealant on the outer tent. Tent is not even five years old and it deteriorates on the stitches, with larger white pieces flaking off.
G'day Martin,
If you are just wanting to give the seams a revamp, use some seam sealer.
Otherwise, you can use repair tape for quick and easy patch sections.
Black mesh at instant up locks ripped, how can I fix it? The section over the red clip lever.
G'day Martin,
You can head to a local fabric shop such as spotlight, grab a small amount of mesh and patch it up, or alternatively use something like clear repair tape, stuck on both sides.
For the purpose of running a carpet the full length of the tent, can the room dividers be removed, or will a carpet go under them? Also, any tips on carpet options?
G'day Kane,
The room dividers in the Northstar 10P are stitched in and fully fixed - if you are wanting to use carpets you'd need to go with 3 individual pieces for each room.
Unfortunately Coleman dont make tent carpets, and of the brands that do none are going to fit your tent rooms without some folding.
Your best option is likely going to be the Quest Comfort Floor Saver, in the 235 x 235 size. They'll fold to fit, or you could even potentially cut and modify them to size if you know someone hand with a sewing machine.
Hope that helps!
What type of mesh are the doors and windows made from?
G'day Claire,
The mesh material of the door/windows is Poly Mesh 50 x 50 and non-fire retardant.
Hi team, I’m wondering if the separating doors of each section have mesh or just black out material? Interested in airflow with no bugs if using the tent in hotter weather. Thanks!
G'day Dakota,
The internal doors have both mesh and a privacy door so you can get that breeze running through the whole tent.
In one of the YouTube videos, I saw a red zip to pass a power cord from the centre room (below the light switch) to one of the side rooms. Is there another red zip for the other side room too? Is it on the same side or diagonal? If diagonal, what’s the safest way to get power to both side bedrooms without people tripping over cords?
G'day Anil,
The red power cord zips are located only on one side of the tent to the main room and the side room, the best way to have a power cord in each room would probably be a power board and an extra extension lead run along one side of the tent.
One of the rooms LED lights don’t work. Can I get it replaced/but a repair kit?
G'day,
The LED lighting should sit in a zippered sleeve, so its as simple as removing the faulty lighting and replacing it with an alternative flexible USB LED light strip - these are most commonly available through somewhere like Jaycar.
We do have a range of 12v strip lighting, but they're not USB/Powerbank compatible light the original Coleman tent lights.
Hope that helps!
What is the external height of the tent? I'm considering getting an Oztrail 3 x 6m gazebo and have it straddle the tent perpendicularly, with the long side of the gazebo coming out in front of the tent making a T shape. My masterplan is to be able to go from tent to gazebo without getting wet in the rain! The gazebo has a max height of 223cm according to website so I'm hoping the tent comes in a little under that, given the internal dimensions are stated at 190cm? Also if you think my gazebo idea is a bad idea let me know :-)
G'day Steve,
The external height of the tent is about 193cm and the awning comes out at about 165cm high. This could work to match up the gazebo and tent, you just might have some rain between the tent and the gazebo if it's raining. If the gazebo overlapped with just the middle awning out you shouldn't get rained on too much!
How many tent pegs are required or how many comes with the tent?
G'day Mark,
People who have used the tent recommend about 40-50 tent pegs like the Supa Peg Key−Head Tent Peg 6.3mm x 225 mm so you have plenty for the tent, fly, groundsheet, awning and guy ropes. The tent comes with approximately 20 pegs to start with.
Is the tent bag water proof?
G'day Dave,
No, it's not. Its a basic fabric storage bag that just keeps everything together and protected from UV & dust.
Check out the You Might Also Like section for a waterproof storage bag option.
How big is the floor area of the awning when its fully open?
G'day John,
We don't have the exact measurement, but the awning comes out around 1.5m from the tent.
Given the tent is around 6.1m long you'll get approximately 9m² of awning space.
What is the packed dimensions without the fly and awning poles? I am limited on space and would have to pack the awning poles and fly separately.
G'day David,
The only real difference in the pack size without the fly or awning poles will be in the overall thickness/squareness of the bag.
So instead of 120L x 32W x 32Hcm, you'd probably be looking at 120L x 25W x 25Hcm. You can be conscious of how you fold everything up to get as small and neat a bundle as possible, but the frame of the tent itself can be no smaller than 120L.
Hope that helps.
Any additional shade tips for a tent this large when camping in very hot and sunny days? In a smaller tent I'd contemplate setting up beneath a gazebo if no shady spots available, but it's a bit harder to do with a tent this size.
G'day Sam,
Given the size of these tents, it's not particularly easy to add any extra shade, as they won't fit under a gazebo or similar structure. The best bet will be to try and find a nice shady spot, and/or open up all your vents and windows during the day to try and reduce the heat in the tent.
I can't see any centre supports inside the tent structure. Can a fan be suspended somehow? Is the oztrail version better for ceiling fans?
G'day Michael,
There are some small webbing hooks that you can hang a lightweght fan from in the bedrooms, however they're not in the centre of the room. If you're keen on using a ceiling fan like the Rovin 12V fan, they we'd recommend the Oztrail tent, as they have hooks in all 3 rooms for this.
This may sound complex 0r crazy or both - the front awning is a great feature but the tent loses its dark room quality when it is up. So I need to close up the entire awning overnight for block out and move everything that was under that space if I want to keep things protected. Has anyone tried to add panels either commercially purchased or DIY to the front to act as blinds for night use?
G'day Michael,
Not that we're aware of. There is nothing available aftermarket or off the shelf that would do the job, so it's going to have to be a DIY type situation. It's not something that I've heard of other people doing, as the most common solution for this type of situation is to have a separate gazebo or shelter for external storage, allowing the awning space to be up or down with ease.
If you do come up with a solution, let us know!
Wondering what is the best powerbank to use for the led strip lighting instead of the 4x d batteries ?
G'day Ross,
The power consumption of the lighting in the Coleman Northstar tent series is not one of the specifications provided, however we can probably work off a ball park figure based on the general/average power consumption of LED strip lights from other brands.
First things first, you'll need to make sure your power pack is 5V output minimum. Based on roughly average consumption of 1.2ah per meter, from a 5000mah power pack for eg you could expect to get around 4 solid hours runtime on maximum brightness.
That should see you through a weekend away, but we'd recommend having a larger pack, or a couple of the 5000mah ones to cycle through for longer trips.
What is the red corner peg loop and red framed door for? I assume it is for alignment but which side? Red for the awning side?
G'day Anika,
Its just to help with alignment as you say - the internal lighting system switch in next to the normal coloured door, so most people set it up with the red door to the back.
Is the bag 120cm or 125cm long, I have seen both measurements listed and my max size that will fit is 121cm?
G'day Milli,
I've measured this one in-store and is 120cm.
When you've got a space to fit we usually recommend allowing for a few centimeters extra space, to account for any discrepancies in tape measures.
Unfortunately without trying it out in real life, we cant guarantee it will fit in your space. If you are able to head to our Brendale store, you should be able to test it out.
Is it possible to add extra side panels to the front awning to make a extra room type of area for more outside storage. Not necessarily sealed but just added
G'day Peter,
The 10P Northstar doesn't have allowances to add additional pannels to the front awning configurations. You may be able to sort out a DIY solution with tarps, but they may require a bit of creativity to get something working the way you need.
Hi. I had a Coleman tent in the past that had wheels on the carry bag. This tent doesn't have wheels on the carry bag and it is getting holes in it from dragging it on the ground (it is SUPER heavy). Can you recommend a carry bag that will fit this that has wheels??
G'day Dominic,
Unfortunately we cant, there are no replacement bag options with wheels, or bag options for other purposes, that will work with this tent.
Ideally this tent is a two person lift, however, I have seen some people use a set of kayak wheels and a strap with great success.
I’ve put a nice little 5cm rip in the top of the fly due to my own clumsiness and a sharp broom edge. Do you have any recommendations for a repair kit or similar, hoping to maintain the water-resistant quality.
G'day Eric,
We've recently covered this in a short video which you can find HERE, as well as a link to the repair gear you may need.
Hi would a stanadrd 1.9L x 0.8H bunk bed fit in the 2.1m length, given that walls are sloped? cheers
G'day Takeo,
It won't fit running the 210cm length unfortunately, but it will run across ways.
With the slope of the wall you loose about 35cm of floor space at a standard stretcher height of 45cm, so you'll be losing around 60cm at bunk bed height.
I'm tossing up between this and the Oztrail Fast Frame 10P. This looks like the side walls are much more angled so would lose quite a bit of space. I'm looking for the one that feels the most spacious inside since their footprint is basically the same. Which would you recommend? Also is the flooring difference a deal breaker for the oztrail in your opinion?
G'day Tia,
The Coleman Northstar does have more of a slope on the end walls, but it does have slightly bigger bedroom dimensions to account for this. There is some benefit to the tent being shaped that way, and with the difference in frame design, it leans towards holding up a little better in winds.
As the Northstar is one of our most popular tents we've got a long history and lots of customer feedback to refer to, where as the Oztrail is still gaining followers. So far the feedback is great, so I think you'd be happy with either option.
Is the tent for all season, mainly for winter months were temperature drops to 5C or below Do you have any canvas pop-up options
G'day Ari,
Yes, the Instant Up 10P Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent is suitable for all year use in Australia. Be sure to pair your tent with some good quality, well-insulated sleeping mats and sleeping bags, as this is what will keep you warm at night. We do sell a range of canvas quick set up tents, the main options are the Oztent RV tents, and the Black Wolf Turbo Tents.
Hi just wondering if this tent needs to be seasoned before it's used? If so what's the best process?
G'day Therese,
No, you won't need to season the Instant Up 10P Lighted Northstar Tent before use. Seasoning is only needed for Canvas Tents / Swags.
Can the side walls be folded back against and fastened to the end room walls, to provide some "darkroomness" to the end rooms while still allowing the tent wall in awning mode to remain upright?
G'day Kyle,
I'm not 100% sure what you mean, but I think you're asking if you can section off the awning, so that you can keep the side rooms dark while still having the awning up? Hopefully my answer will help clarify.
There are 3 ways the awning can be set up:
Thanks for your response! What you describe is what I thought, but I was curious after watching your video where it is mentioned that the awning side walls can be pinned back against the respective end room if they weren't being used and noticed that they are probably the same size as the side wall for the end rooms and also have the darkroom coating, so was wondering if it could be spread and pinned across the end room wall to make it dark while still using the normal wall as an awning to shade it. We have small children who still have day sleeps and if it has the ability to do it would make this task so much easier!
Thanks for the clarification Kyle, I think I know what you mean now!
There is an eyelet loop on the top of that sidewall, so theoretically you could attach that to the tent frame or the elastic loops at the join between the bedroom and central room rather than rolling it away and securing it. I'm not sure Coleman intended it for that use, but if it means the small kids get their much needed day sleep, then everyone wins! I'd definitely give it a try!
This is exactly why I have been reading through the comments. Thank you I also wanted to know if apart of the awning could still be up and one room still dark as we have a 4 month old that will still be needing day sleeps.
what size footprint mesh needed ?
G'day Abhishek,
We'd recommend the Coleman 10P Northstar Mesh Footprint (you can find it in the "you might also like" section at the bottom of the product information. The Oztrail Ultramesh Tarp in the 2.44 x 6.1m size is also a suitable option.
Wanting to buy this tent, and will be camping on the beach, need info about sand pegs
G'day Catherine,
The eyelets on the 10P Lighted Northstar Tent are fairly small, so you'll struggle to get sand pegs to fit unfortunately. We'd recommend making some webbing/cord loops to attach sand pegs if you're beach camping. The 300mm Supa Peg Polyproylene Sand Pegs are a good option for a tent of this size. The 2.44 x 6.1m Oztrail Ultramesh Tarp is a near-perfect fit.
Hi it says up to 2 week delay on this product. So if I order will it be guaranteed to arrive in NSW in 3 weeks?
G'day Nicole,
That's correct, there are some freight delays Australia wide at the moment, and they tend to be affecting larger items. If you were to order now then you should be fairly safe if you need the tent in 3 weeks time.
I have seen lots of reviews suggesting the tent pegs are poor quality and to buy some different ones. What size tent pegs should I buy?
G'day Abigail,
I don't currently have access to one to measure the pegs, however, they're around 5mm in diameter. Our recommendation would be to consider getting some Supa Peg Key-Head Pegs, they're 8mm and a lot more robust than the supplied pegs. The only catch is that some of the eyelets on the tent are quite small, and will only fit the Coleman supplied pegs, so you might need to use a separate fabric loop on some peg points.
G'day Guys Just wondering how these tents go when packed up wet. Would the fly and tent be ok stored wet or would they need to be set up and dried after camping?
G'day Troy,
It is very important that the tent is packed away completely dry; otherwise, you'll end up with a mouldy tent. If it is wet on your trip we'd recommend setting up the tent at home as soon as possible and drying it out before packing it away for storage.
Hi, is the fly fully seam sealed? Thanks.
G'day Tim,
Yes the Northstar Tents have fully seam sealed flys.
Just wondering if there is a discernible difference in the quality of this tent versus the Oztrail 10P fast frame blockout?
G'day Kerrie,
The Coleman 10P Lighted Darkroom and the Oztrail Lumos 10P are very similar tents, to be honest (the Oztrail Fast Frame Blockout 10P is the same as the Lumos minus the built-in lights). The materials are slightly different, however overall look and feel similar in quality. The Oztrail is still quite new on the market, so it's hard to know exactly how they will go, but we do know the Coleman is great quality, and is one of our most popular options. Overall we'd happily recommend either option.
Hi there, I was just wondering what type of powerbank connection is compatible with the strip lighting? Thanks so much.
G'day Luke,
The lighting system in the Northstar series requires a USB connection.
You should be able to plug straight into a power bank or a 240V USB charging port for mobile phones, etc.
Just makes sure your power bank or charge port is 5V output.
Would it be hard to replace tent poles or connectors if they break? On old tents you could fix broken tent poles. I’m concerned that if you break a tent pole on this that it can’t be replaced as a spare part.
G'day Ally,
Yes, you can easily replace the poles on the Northstar Tents, replacement poles connect at the foot, and go all the way up to the hub. We almost always carry replacement stock of these poles in case people have accidental breakages. You'll just need a screwdriver to replace the pole.
Would the mesh be midge proof?
G'day Ally,
The only mesh that is completely midge-proof is No-See-Um mesh, unfortunately, the mesh used on the Northstar isn't midge proof, however it is quite fine, and by combining it with repellant use you shouldn't have any worries.
Will 2 x oztrail deluxe bunks fit in one end room,?
G'day Rachel,
Unfortunately, I don't have stock to check at the moment, however, going on the dimensions of both products it looks as though you would be able to fit two sets of bunks in the one sleeping area. My only concern is the taper of the tent and how this would affect their placement. It might be worth buying one to start with and see how this works for your setup.
Can the awnings be left to stay up during night (unless its raining)? Wondering if this awning can essentially replace taking a separate gazebo.
G'day Alwyna,
You can leave the front awning up in fair weather, however, if it is likely to be wet and windy then it's not something we'd recommend. The Darkroom Coating is on the inside of the fly too, so you'll only get a nice dark tent if the awning is down.
In the video it said it comes with 6 poles but the description says 4. How many does it come with? If I wanted to buy more poles what are my options?
G'day Allerina,
We've double-checked with Coleman, and they've confirmed that you get 4 poles.
It has 6 poles. 4 long and 2 short. Recommend buying another 2 if you want both ends open and the 4 along the front.
What size ground sheet to cover the while footprint with the awning fully open?
G'day Chris,
If we take a look at the dimensions in the product specifications, and take into consideration approx 1.6m at the widest for the extra awning space, you'll end up with approx 610 x 400.
Hope that helps.
How long does this tent take to erect? 1 person - How long? 2 People - How long?
G'day Jo,
You'll be looking at around 30 minutes the first time you set this up, but once you know what you're doing it should take 1 person approx 20 minutes, and 2 people approx 10-15 minutes.
In relation to connections? Tarp/gazebo’s ? I have a Coleman 3x3 gazebo and different light systems, I want to know if adjoining rooms? Or accessory options?
G'day Jesse,
The Instant up 10P Lighted Northstar Dark Room just comes as is, and doesn't connect to the gazebos, unfortunately. There are other instant up tents in the range that will connect to a gazebo but unfortunately not this one. We'd generally recommend an Ultramesh Tarp to go under the tent, the 2.4 x 6.1m option should suit well.
Hello again! This is a general question, after watching your videos....if bedding is touching the walls of these Northstar tents will they get wet in the morning? I've always made sure nothing touches the wall when camping, but I'm wondering if these newer tents don't get condensation inside?
G'day Katherine,
These tents are dual-layer tents so as long as the inner tent isn't pushed out and touching on the fly you should be ok. If the inner tent pushes out and touches the fly you might have leaking issues, but if not you should be all ok. The gap between the tent and fly is designed to help reduce condensation from forming.
Hi, Were a couple with one kid, and wondering if we made the middle space a living area with food and fridge, do you need to turn the lights on during the day to find anything inside? I' unsure whether to get this one or the 6P and put all food under a gazebo (although then wouldnt be weather proof!
G'day Kath,
It will be pretty dark inside the tent during the day, but the lights will help you get around. You might need to use the light in the fridge if it has one to find items, or you can open up the sides of the tent to let light in during the day. The 6PV Darkroom is also a popular model, but we do find that the 10P is the most weatherproof way to store your pantry etc.
Is there a comparable item sold in the US? We LOVE this model but you don’t ship to the states
G'day Shalina,
Thanks for reaching out, I think this model is only available in Australia sorry. Might be best to check with your local Coleman supplier for similar options.
Hi. Just wondering if this has a wind speed rating or what sort of winds it can withstand?
G'day Teagan
Coleman indicates that these tents can withstand winds up to 100kh/hr, however, based on feedback and realistic usage we don't think this is accurate. We'd recommend making sure you peg out all peg points and guy rope attachments and proceeding with caution in any weather that is forecast as strong winds, or storms.
Hi, I've read a lot of reviews on this tent and found a lot of different opinions. Many said that after a good rain, the tent is not that dark inside anymore, as in, small holes can be seen everywhere, as like sleeping under stars? Also, can I replace poles if they break? Many said the structure is very flimsy and breaks easy?
G'day Chris,
We've not heard that the Instant Up 10P Lighted Shelter has any issues with the darkroom coating following rain. The poles are replaceable, and we're generally able to source them if needed. As long as the tent is well pegged out and the guy ropes are secure the frame is very stable.
Would you recommend putting a gazebo over this tent when camping? Of which would you recommend
G'day Candy,
We wouldn't recommend putting anything over the tent when you're camping. The tent itself is waterproof so there isn't a need to put anything else over the top of the tent.
Is it possible to upgrade the strip lighting inside the tent to something brighter? if so, is it easy to do? What type of connectors are on the current lights?
G'day Greg,
*Updated*
The internal lighting of the Northstar 10P can be changed, the light casing has zippered access.
Is there a heavy duty canvas bag I can buy for the Northstar so I can load it on the roof.if not can you recommend a canvas/waterproof heavy duty bag this will fit in.
G'day Steven,
The 10P Lighted Northstar Tent comes in a fairly heavy-duty bag that plenty of our customers pop on their roof rack. If you're wanting to make sure the bag is waterproof then your best option would be a PVC bag, you could go for something like the Nero 240 Gear Bag - it would take a bit of a nack to get it in, but it's definitely possible. Or if you're wanting to go for a canvas bag a bag we'd recommend checking out the Outbound 1400 Swag Bag.
Is this a discontinued model from Coleman?
G'day Cliff,
This is Coleman's brand new Northstar 10p tent - which made its debut only a few months ago. The main difference from the previous model is the LED strip lighted interior.
What are the power options for the lights? I saw batteries and USB batteries listed, but is it also possible to be mains powered, i.e. plug with a USB port?
G'day Jay,
The lighting power connector is a USB, so yes theoretically you could plug the USB port into a 240V adapter (e.g. a phone charger) and use this to power the lights if you're camped in a powered site.
Is there any particular gazebos available that integrate with the tent to create a protected area at the entrance on the tent?
G'day James,
There aren't any specific gazebos that will connect to the Northstar 10P Lighted Darkroom, however, the front awning on these tents provides some fairly good weather protection. If you're after a stand-alone gazebo then our most popular model is the Oztrail Deluxe 3.0m Gazebo
Hi - I’ve been reading reviews - and plenty of people love this tent, apart from the pegs being on the small and a-bit-too-flexible side... can you recommend some upgraded pegs, and what thickness and length etc? Also how many does this tent require? Thanks heaps.
G'day Dave,
In my opinion, you can't go past the Supa Peg Key-Head pegs. I love mine and been running them for a few years without a single one bent! You'll be fine with the 225mm length pegs for most situations, and you'll need between 20-30 of them.
From personal experience... I bought 30 of the pegs recommended above, and it wasn’t nearly enough pegs. I wound up also using all of the basic pegs that the Coleman Northstar footprint Ground sheet (which isn’t actually big enough to fit the tents footprint!?), and still ran out after putting up one of the wider awning configurations... For perspective, you need roughly 20 pegs alone just to peg the tent Itself down, and then there’s the fly to peg down next with its assortment of guy-ropes and its assorted awning configurations. I’d personally suggest closer to 50 pegs, so that you have maybe(?) have some spares. Oh, and it should also be noted that the Supa Pegs suggested are *too big* for the brass eyelets on both the ground sheet *and* the Northstar tent, so they’re no good for the ground sheet at all, and you’ll have to use the fabric loops below the eyelets on the tent itself.
We know that the fly has a front(awning)and back but does the instant up inner tent have a front and back? We would like to set it up with the light switch at the front door rather than at the back door as it was in your video.
G'day Aaron,
That is a great question. My immediate answer from checking out the tent would be that it doesnt, so you should be able to set up the fly either way, BUT because we havent actually tried it for ourselves we cant say for sure.
An old question but I'm posting for anyone else seeking the answer. I also wanted the light switch to be at the front so set the tent up "backwards" compared to the setup video and can confirm it works perfectly. Everything lines up the same on both sides and you can have the main light switch at the "front door" where the awning is. Tip: The door on the *opposite* side to the light switch has distinct red stitching around it so it can easily be identified during setup of the inner without digging through trying to find which side the switch is on.
G'day Aaron R,
That's awesome feedback, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!
Is the only difference between the previous model and this one the lighting? Or are there any other updates?
G'day Rachael,
You've hit the nail on the head here, the 10P Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent is almost the same as the previous model, but the new model has the integrated lighting system, apart from this they are the same tent.
Might seem to be a silly question, but is the OZtrail Ultramesh Tarpaulin the best tarp to place under this tent? As opposed to traditional tarps? In dewy, damp, overnight conditions, does the moisture go through to the tent floor when packing up?
G'day Troy,
The Ultramesh Tarps tend to be the most popular option under these tents so that you don't leave yourself at risk of water pooling between the solid tent floor and the solid tarp. The Ultramesh Tarp will allow water to drain through the tarp and into the ground.
Looking to get this tent for 2 adults, 2 smaller kids (twins) and 1 older one. If we were to put the twins to bed early in the night, when it's still light, would we need to put the awning down for their bedroom or would it be dark enough? I'd rather have all 3 awning sections erected on 1 side for the space outside the tent and the sides protection.
G'dau Troy,
We'd probably suggest sipping down the front awning on the side the kids are sleeping in once you pop them to bed. It will be darker than a normal tent with the awning up, however if you want it to be completely dark then I'd say to zip it down. I guess you can always experiment on the first night and see what works best for the family.