Gear questions???

[cheekymonkey]

We are planning on tent camping at the Fort in October. We have been enjoying taking the kids camping the past couple of years and we have "basic" camping gear. We are looking to upgrade a few things before the camping season starts and I would like some opinions.

First-is a screen house a necessity in October? I know how vicious the bugs in FL can be but not sure how they are in October. We have a shade structure but not sure if we should invest in a screen house.

Currently we have a 4 person dome tent and I think the 4 of us (me, DH, 8 yr old and 4 year old) could use a little more room. I was thinking of getting this tent ALPS Mountaineering Osage 3-Room Tent http://www.rei.com/product/798698. Anyone have this? Like it or no? The reviews seem pretty good. I like the fact you can stand up in it .

Lastly (for now ) We need a good lantern. Trying to stay with battery power-most likely LED and don't want to spend a fortune. Anyone have any recs? Keep in mind we have small children so durability is important.

Thanks for taking the time to read!
Sandra

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Don't know anything about the tent. Screen house would be nice, if for nother else but to keep the dew off your table & chairs. Disney is pretty good on pest control. If there is a problem, call the front desk and they will come by & spray.

I like LED Lanterns & have a couple of different kinds, but all the tent sites have water & electric, so save your batteries & get an adapter or bring a drop cord with a light. Also, you might want to bring a fan, sometimes October can still be quite warm sometimes.

 

[clkelley]

The tent looks good!!

A shade/rain structure is really all you need at WDW.

When I tent camped, I put the shelter right up to the entrance of the tent so that I could enter and leave the tent in the dry.

For outside lighting, I just used string lights and for light inside the tent I used the Coleman Tent lights (the ones with the magnets).

(With the camper, I still just use string lights for outside and don't use the outside porch light much cause it attracts bugs.)

 

[cheekymonkey]

Thanks for the replies. My DH pointed out the tent I posted was a 10 person tent . Maybe a bit big for our family of 4 . I have narrowed it down to a couple of 6 person tents-now we need to agree on dome or (my vote) cabin style.

When you say string light do you mean like Christmas lights?

We are trying to get everything together this spring so we can enjoy the upcoming camping season as well as our trip to DW.
Sandra

 

[DisneyRose&Boys]

A 10-man tent isn't going to feel too big after a couple of days of living in it. We have a 12-man for 4 of us, and we even use cot bunks, so we go UP, not OUT. But the 12-man is perfect for really being comfortable. If you can, I vote for the bigger tent. I bet you'll be happier.

Rose

 

[clkelley]

A 10-man tent isn't going to feel too big after a couple of days of living in it. We have a 12-man for 4 of us, and we even use cot bunks, so we go UP, not OUT. But the 12-man is perfect for really being comfortable. If you can, I vote for the bigger tent. I bet you'll be happier.

Rose

Agreed. I used to use a big 13x13 L-Shaped tent just for myself!!

Gave myself plenty of room for a double high air mattress, a set of plastic drawers, a chair, and a portable clothes hang bar.

If you do go with the smaller tent, then you may want to set up a 2nd even smaller tent for your "stuff"

 

[chartle]

First-is a screen house a necessity in October? I know how vicious the bugs in FL can be but not sure how they are in October. We have a shade structure but not sure if we should invest in a screen house.

I have camped all my life and we have never used a screen house. First even though they may say they are 10' by 10', thats at the floor. Because they have sloped sides, once inside and standing up there's not a lot of room. Also with kids I can imagine the zipper opening and closing a thousand times a day.

Currently we have a 4 person dome tent and I think the 4 of us (me, DH, 8 yr old and 4 year old) could use a little more room. I was thinking of getting this tent ALPS Mountaineering Osage 3-Room Tent http://www.rei.com/product/798698. Anyone have this? Like it or no? The reviews seem pretty good. I like the fact you can stand up in it .

I have never liked tents with any windows that weren't covered by the fly. All the rain is going to come off that roof and just roll across all those zippers and seams. People that have tents like these usually have another shelter or tarp over top of it.

A tent like the following is better since it appears that the widows are under cover but you can still see out.

http://www.rei.com/product/798697

Lastly (for now ) We need a good lantern. Trying to stay with battery power-most likely LED and don't want to spend a fortune. Anyone have any recs? Keep in mind we have small children so durability is important.

I would just get a few small LED lanterns, flashlights and maybe headlamps. We never use a big lantern unless we cooking a meal are having to setup in the night. There is no need to light up your whole camp site. Just turn off the lights and you will be surprised how well you can see. Our big lantern isn't even that big, its a single mantel propane one from Coleman.

Most of the time at the table we have a 2 AAA light that kind of looks like two small fluorescent bulbs thats folds up.

 

[cheekymonkey]

I have never liked tents with any windows that weren't covered by the fly. All the rain is going to come off that roof and just roll across all those zippers and seams. People that have tents like these usually have another shelter or tarp over top of it.

A tent like the following is better since it appears that the widows are under cover but you can still see out.

http://www.rei.com/product/798697

That was the other thing my DH pointed out. The ALPS tent in your link is his current #1 choice. I perfer something I can stand in like this http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Copper-Canyon-Six-Person-10-Foot/dp/B000K7D1T0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1268845164&sr=8-2-spell
He is thinking it wouldn't hold up as well especially in windy conditions. We usually camp at state parks and the pads are not always large enough to put a tent with a HUGE footprint-I want a tent that gives us some room but it's not too big. We do have our current dome tent and a "backyard" tent the kids play in if we need more space for gear.

Our shade structure is only 8 X 8 -it's fashioned like and easy up but it was actually a grocery store giveaway. If you have a Harris Teeter where you live you know the one I have . We may up grade to a 10 X 10 but we will see-the smaller one serves our needs as of now.

Sandra

 

[chartle]

That was the other thing my DH pointed out. The ALPS tent in your link is his current #1 choice. I perfer something I can stand in like this http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Copper-Canyon-Six-Person-10-Foot/dp/B000K7D1T0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1268845164&sr=8-2-spell
He is thinking it wouldn't hold up as well especially in windy conditions. We usually camp at state parks and the pads are not always large enough to put a tent with a HUGE footprint-I want a tent that gives us some room but it's not too big. We do have our current dome tent and a "backyard" tent the kids play in if we need more space for gear.

Our shade structure is only 8 X 8 -it's fashioned like and easy up but it was actually a grocery store giveaway. If you have a Harris Teeter where you live you know the one I have . We may up grade to a 10 X 10 but we will see-the smaller one serves our needs as of now.

Sandra

For over the table we use what we call a Dining Canopy. Its the one that's a 12' square plastic tarp with 4 poles on the corners, one in the middle on the table and ropes in the corners.

it looks like this

Its a pain to put up and the ropes get in the way but I couldn't imagine anything smaller. I what to try a 15' by 12' tarp with the same poles and ropes.

I would go for a bigger tent though, to me a 4 person tent usually means 4 people who don't mind sleeping on top of each other.

 

[laurafergie]

That size tent isn't too big for 4 people. We have a 16x10 tent (different brand) for the four of us - Me, DH, DD10 and DD6 and it works great. We have two blow up mattresses in either end and we put up the room divider on the DDs side. The middle is for the suitcases and there is still room to navigate. We mostly camp at state parks in VA and haven't had a problem with the tent fitting.

 

[DisneyRose&Boys]

I perfer something I can stand in like this http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Copper-Canyon-Six-Person-10-Foot/dp/B000K7D1T0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1268845164&sr=8-2-spell
He is thinking it wouldn't hold up as well especially in windy conditions. We usually camp at state parks and the pads are not always large enough to put a tent with a HUGE footprint-I want a tent that gives us some room but it's not too big.


We have the 1512 version of the Eureka Copper Canyon, and I have to say that it's wonderful. Last year at the Ft. we had 2 adults and 6 boys from 9-15, and we had loads of room. It's not too terribly windy in WDW, at least not any of the times we've been there, so we never had an issue with that. The sites we had in the 2000 loop were enormous, and we fit all of our stuff on them without ever feeling cramped.

Rose

 

[cheekymonkey]

We bought this last night

http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-Tetragon-Family-10-Foot-Eight-Person/dp/B000EQAUWI/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_3

I think it was a good compromise-you can stand in most of it, it's an 8 person so it will be roomy, and the price was great-we actually bought it directly from the Eureka factory outlet for $99 as a factory second . DH wants to try it out camping for his birthday at the end of April .
Sandra

 

[itch1]

Cheeky
We have the Copper Canyon 10x10 and it is one of the best family tents I have ever had, and thats coming from someone who used to rep for Colemans Peak1 line.
You will love your Eureka life time warentty
Can you link me to the factory outlet i need to pick up some accesories
itch

 

[cheekymonkey]

Can you link me to the factory outlet i need to pick up some accesories
itch

Here you go-they don't seem to have a ton of stock but what they do have is priced well... http://www.eurekacampingctr.com/eureka/