The best tents for car camping

Why you'll love it: The best way to ruin a camping trip is to use a tent that leaks or lets icy wind in, and the Kelty Gunnnison 4 Tent won't permit any of that.

I can pitch my Kelty Gunnison 4 in about five minutes, and I've done so as rain began to fall at what proved to be the leading edge of a long storm. Being tent-bound is no fun, but being tent-bound and soaked is miserable. When you and your camping buddies are nestled down in this rugged dome tent, you'll stay warm and dry within even as the storm rages without. I recommend you tuck a maximum of two additional people beside yourself into the Gunnison 4.

The Kelty Gunnison 4 is constructed primarily out of rugged polyester but with a mesh upper third that promotes fresh airflow. The tent's rainfly sits several inches above the primary dome, so any condensation that collects will flow well outside of the tent and will stay off of you and your stuff. Breaking the Kelty Gunnison down is every bit as easy as setting it up, and it packs into a bag you could fit into a larger hiking pack should that ever be necessary.

At 10.5 pounds, this tent is a bit too heavy to use on any appreciable distance trek, but it sure is a fine choice for car camping or for short hikes into your campsite.

A fellow Kelty Gunnison 4 owner named Michael said the tent was of "outstanding quality" and noted that it kept him dry in "torrential downpours," which is exactly what Kelty designed it to do.

In their Gunnison review, the folks from Backpacker called it able to "take on challenging weather and withstand strong winds."

Pros: Excellent weather resistance, large mesh panels for fresh air, rapid setup

Cons: Quite cramped if shared by four adults

Buy a Kelty Gunnison 4 Tent on Amazon for $249.13 Buy a Kelty Gunnison 4 Tent on REI for $279.95

Why you'll love it: The affordable Wenzel Shenanigans Teepee Camping Tent sets up in just a couple of minutes, thanks to its center pole design.

Yep, you can get a five-person tent for about a hundred bucks. And while the standard disclaimer that Wenzel's tent is best used with one fewer campers than specified applies, overall this is a roomy, comfortable tent. In fact, thanks to its tepee design, full-grown adults can stand up in this tent. That same height paired with venting around the peak allows heat to rise and keeps the tent cool in the summertime, though the design also means this isn't a great cold weather option.

While this also probably isn't the best tent if you're expecting a downpour, it's a great choice for camp outs in mild weather or for setting up at the beach, the park, or at a music festival. Or, if you're my son and me, it's a fine tent to pop up in the backyard and then fill with stuffed animals. Large square windows provide additional air circulation and a nice view, as does the generously sized two-panel door. I can get our Shenanigan Teepee erected in about five minutes including staking it down, and the breakdown process is even faster.

Also, there's that price. While not a rugged backwoods tent that will get you through a blizzard or a big storm, given that pint-sized price, this is a tent that's worth buying even if you'll only use it a couple times a year.

A Digital Trends review called the Wenzel Shenanigan "ridiculously easy to put up" thanks to its single center pole design.

Pros: Great low price, easy to set up, well-ventilated and good for warm days

Cons: Not a great choice for inclement weather

Buy a 5-Person Wenzel Shenanigans Camping Teepee on Amazon for $86.29 (originally $119.95)

Why you'll love it: The Slumberjack Roughhouse 4-Person Tent will keep you warm when the temperature drops, but with the shade awning raised, it also enjoys plentiful airflow, keeping things cooler on hot days.

When I go camping in the fall or early spring, my Slumberjack Roughhouse often comes with me. That's because during autumn and springtime you can count on large temperature fluctuations throughout the day. I know can count on this tent to keep me warm inside when its rainfly is zipped down tight, or to let in plenty of fresh air and keep things cool during the hotter parts of the day. I also know my Roughhouse will keep me dry in a downpour thanks to the reliable rainfly and is stable in the wind thanks to its low-profile design.

The interior of the tent feels pleasantly roomy thanks to nearly vertical walls, which allow you to actually make use of the living space. With a pair of hiking poles propping up the shade awning, you can enjoy some covered outdoor space as well. It takes a few more minutes to set this tent up than do some of the others on the list, but it's worth the effort when the Slumberjack Roughhouse keeps you protected from the elements.

A gear reviewer from Bass Master appreciated how the Slumberjack Roughhouse's "sturdy... low profile" allows it to effectively "fight the wind."

Pros: Good in warm and cool weather, wind-resistant low profile, vertical walls maximize usable living space

Cons: Setup takes practice

Buy a Slumberjack Roughhouse 4-Person Tent on Amazon for $183.04

Why you'll love it: Not only can the Ozark Family Trail Cabin Tent sleep up to 10 people, but it can do so in three separate rooms.

Granted, if you stuff 10 people into the Ozark Family Trail Cabin Tent, it's going to be a tight squeeze, but you could fit that many folks if you needed to. A better idea, though, is to pop in three queen-sized air mats and let six campers enjoy their outing in comfort. And they can do so with privacy, too, as a pair of zip-in, zip-out walls can create three interior rooms in this jumbo-sized tent, each room featuring its own mesh windows and doors.

As you might expect, a tent this large is heavy and bulky even when properly packed up, and it takes a good amount of time to get the thing pitched, especially if done by one person. But once you have your Ozark Family Trail Cabin Tent ready, you will have a capacious tent that's great for use by large groups or for the prolonged camping trip where you want to store plenty of gear inside and away from the elements.

With the rainfly in place and thanks to the tent's taped seams, you and your camping buddies will stay nice and dry in this roomy tent even in steady rain.

With nearly 250 reviews posted online, the Ozark Family Trail Cabin Tent enjoys a 4.2-star average rating. A buyer named Anne reports that it kept her family dry despite rain that fell "nonstop for a week straight." Another owner called it a "high-quality tent at a very affordable price."

In their write up, Outside Online called this "massive tent" an ideal choice for "a group of friends" and noted the convenience of its three doors.

Pros: Huge interior size, divides into three rooms, great price for large tent

Cons: Tedious setup process

Buy an Ozark Family Trail Cabin Tent on Amazon for $38.60 to $319.95