Decent starter tent for the money - You get what you pay for
585796
This is a decent "starter" tent for the money.  However, when compared to tents that are maybe $40-$50 more it just isn't worth it.  First of all it comes with fiberglass poles instead of aluminum.  This adds unnecessary weight and they are more likely to break.  Second, the quality of the fly and floor are very weak.  If you are going to use this on a regular basis you will want to invest in a footprint which can add up to $30 to the cost of the tent.  If you are an occasional camper then this is probably a good buy for the money. It is roomy enough for three adults at most and is very easy to setup.  (This is much, better than a similar Coleman tent.)  If you are going to camp on a regular basis there are plenty other tents out there  to consider.
805499
It's cheap but you get what you pay for probably good for one or two uses or in case of an emergency going to have to spend money on a tent to get what your looking for this isn't it
4770270
I just used this brand new tent to camp for four nights and I'm a new-ish camper. I did 1 night at one campground and 3 at another. It is very easy to put up. Note the fabric instructions have two sides and the instructions for the rain fly or kind of hidden (you'll need it!! I was very close to the ocean the first night and there was a great deal of condensation in the morning, to my newbie surprise). The tent pegs or stakes are very cheap, they bend easily, and don't hold that well. They also turn in place by themselves so whereas they were holding the tent down fine in one corner, one side was out when I went to take it down.

I couldn't fold the tent compact enough to get everything inside the box after I took it down. I'll tackle that at a park, since I live in a condo and don't have a yard.

I couldn't stand up in it, but I think all tents of this size are the same (I saw more at a store today). It is not a three-person tent unless it's a couple and a child. There was enough room for a queen sized blowup bed with about a foot or more left on one side. The tent was very easy to assemble and take down.

I think I'll move on to bigger tents after this and save this for emergencies or for a friend.
85064
I did a few hours of research before I decided on this tent. I like the design, and it was easy to set up solo. The materials seemed up to par, and the assembly/fitment was great. The ball-end poles and the clips functioned well, including the hoop snaps from the rain fly. I have not used it outdoors yet, but I purchased it last weekend and set it up indoors today.(winter)

I think the packaging/size is a bigger than I would like for backpacking, but I guess that would depend on the length of your trip. I only really intend on using it for weekend festivals, concerts, family events, etc.

I like the vestibules, they need to be staked out, or they rain fly will just drape over the edge of the tent and the zippers are harder to operate. Interior size is adequate, it's not very tall. The entryway is less than 3ft tall, I'm 6ft tall and I cannot fit upright when on my knees inside the tent. I can lay "starfish" and touch all four corners of the tent. The overhead net is convenient, but I wish it came with 4x hooks/clips instead of just ties. The tent has enough room for two people, but you're going to be cozy like a full/twin bed.

Set up was easy, all the clips and ties are self explanatory. The instructions weren't the best, and were printed monochrome. Poles seem to be well made, and the slip joints feel like quality.

Overall I really like the tent and look forward to using it for years.
823192
The tent was easy to put up. We had dry weather but we had already treated it with water repellent. We didn't attach it to our jeep since we slept in the tent. One of the tent rods connecter cracked probably caused by a bungee cord which did not keep the rod inside while pitching the tent. Charles sent a replacement. Good ventilation. The awning was a nice feature and was our only shade, I wish it was bigger but it was OK. The glow in the dark zipper ends is nice. It is a summer time, fair weather tent. The screened windows are nice. The zippers worked well. Of course if your tent fabric is too loose or tight you will have problems. Inside storage was good. Overall Not bad for the money.
3792179
For a first-time set up in the dark, the sewn-in instructions and color coded poles could not be beat. There are 20 poles to assemble, 8 roof, 8 wall, 2 "awning", and 2 door. (Only one door has a "door frame"). Took about 20 minutes for 2 adults to go from bag to staked out. Breakdown went just as fast. Packing the fly in the bag seemed possible, but we didn't try it because of sap needing to be removed. With that said, it would probably be just as tight as most other tents being rolled up for stuff sacks. This tent met all expectations for a summer camp out without any rain or wind. With that said, I have high hopes for decent performance from this tent. It has guy-out points on every corner. The fly comes below the top of the bathtub floor. Staked properly, the tent should stay dry in terms of condensation, dry in terms of rain, and relatively quiet from wind. I am not looking to test the tents durability in high winds, but my plan this winter is to point the door I plan to use away from the wind and tie a tarp up to cover the door that won't be used to help keep wind driven rain out of it. I wouldn't plan on this being a stormy weather tent. The waterproof coating is not as heavy as many backpacking tents, but at this tent's size, the extra coating thickness would add to an already hefty weight. At present, my only gripe is the same as I have with past tents. The stakes that come with the tent are blunt, bent pieces of steel rod. I didn't try using them and instead went with some 10" Y stakes that I bought for this tent's predecessor. The included stakes seem durable enough, but it is way harder to pound in blunt rods vs something with a tapered point.
4109957
I am a novice camper. This was the first tent I ever set up. Good things about it are that it keeps the bugs out (its suppose to) and it is fast to set up. The rainfly should be big enough to keep the water out, even though i have yet to test it out. The things i did not like about the tent was the very light floor. The campsite we rented has alot of gravel and rocks and i feel like this would tear the bottom of this tent. I recommend buying a tarp to put underneath the base just in case. Also, the nite brite system sounds cool right? its pretty much non existant. theres this little glow in the dark straw on the outside of the tent that barely works.. thats about it. other than that for the minuses, the tent gets decent circulation and good privacy with the rainfly. I would invest in a tent fan if you are camping in warm weather, even though it still gets pretty cold at night up in the white mountains of New Hampshire. Tent is very light weight, which is great for traveling. It says it holds 4 people with no bags, that would be a little tight.. i would say it holds 3 adults with light bags comfortably, 2 people very comfortably with lots of bags. we fit a queen air mattress in this puppy no problem, and had room for another sleeping bag on the side. Overall i like this tent, but i wud buy something a little more heavy duty if you are posting up in a rocky campground, or if you are not summer/fall camping.
2784215
I've only used this once, but my needs are minimal. I wanted it for shade and "presence" to present my health care services at a farmer's market. Like others have said, it is very flimsy. The frame seems half-way decent, but the carry bag and the canopy are very thin fabric. I found it easy to set up and take down. The design is good as far as I can tell. The carry bag will fit the whole she-bang if you just leave the canopy velcroed on, but the instructions say it will likely reduce the lifespan on the canopy (probably due to extra friction being stored between metal frame parts). Just don't use it in strong wind or if you are a heavy user of it. I plan to use it a few times a year and at the $60 sale price I got it at the local Ace Hardware, I expect to get my money's worth. The "pro" version of these kinds of tents I have seen go for $250+, which is more than I need. Happy so far. I do update my Amazon reviews when the product proves to be especially worth the money, or not.

The reviewers who said the frame ended up getting bent from being in the wind didn't specify whether or not they had staked the four legs down with basic tent stakes (not included). If they didn't do so, then it is their fault. I once had an unstaked/unweighted very expensive backpacking tent go flying over barbed wire fence and then get trampled by some cows. It was recoverable, but the frame got bent and I had a few rips to repair. Lesson learned...STAKE DOWN ANY TENT!

And for any shade tent like this, you would be better off tautly tying some weights to the legs as in strong wind, vibrations from the canopy could eventually pull up the tent stakes, given enough unattended time.
3066243
Reviewed by Geoffrey Holland

Ive owned all manner of tents, from old-school pup tents to ultra-light backpacking tents.  The Coleman Signal Mountain 4-man tent is adequate for the casual camper, but it lacks in a few key areas that might make one want to look elsewhere.

As with most tents, the capacity of this tent really translates to about 3 adults in sleeping bags, plus gear.

If you're a car camper, it will fit a queen size air mattress with a bit of room to spare.  It also features an E-port, which allows campers to run electrical cords into the tent without leaving the door unzipped.  Its a nice feature if you're at a campsite with electric hookups.

Being an instant tent the Signal Mountains poles are integrated into the tent body, and is advertised as requiring just a 60 second setup time.  While that might be an achievable setup time, it might take quite a bit of practice to get there.

As part of this review, I first attempted to set up the tent with my nine and ten year old sons.  The setup instructions are sewn into the tents storage bag, which is a nice touch.

Right out of the box, setup was pretty easy.  Extend the poles into locked position, raise the tent, and stake the corners.  Simple, but that was right out of the box.

We broke the tent down, and tried a second setup.  That was where things got complicated.  The integrated tent poles tend to rotate when the tent is disassembled and packed, which isn't immediately apparent when you begin to reassemble it.  This makes setup quite confusing until you figure out how to twist the poles back into position.

Id definitely recommend several practice runs setting up and breaking down this tent before taking it out for the weekend.  It took about six or seven tries to get comfortable with it, and it took far more than 60 seconds.

Other than setup, there are a couple of other details that I found to be a tad annoying.

The zippers are solid, but are flanked by weatherproofing flaps that get caught in them frequently. Not fun to deal with in the dark.

Also, the ridgepole that supports the awning over the door has a tendency to slip out of its fabric pocket, and is quite difficult to put back in, even when the tent is broken down.

The included tent stakes are thin and flimsy, but Ive come to expect that with tents at this price point.

I have not experienced any foul weather in the Signal Mountain, but keep in mind that there is no separate rainfly.  Ive often found that tents without a separate rainfly are lacking in the weatherproofing area, but time shall tell.

All in all, this tent should be a good fit for those who routinely camp in fair weather at developed campgrounds.  Those who need something more robust should find another option.
2859793
Bought this tent for a 4 day trip with wife and two kids to Cheaha State Park in Alabama.  It doesn't have the greatest instruction sheet in the world, but we managed to set it up OK.  It might be a little tough under windy conditions.  You really do need 2 people or use rope to tie up part of the tent.  We slept very comfortably with a queen size air mattress and two small air mattresses for the kids.  Flaps over the zippers got hung up a couple of times, but nothing major.  Overall, a good tent for the price.  I hope it lasts.  Be warned, it is a little heavy, but I guess that's a good thing if it's windy.
2629811
I wanted a simple, single-person tent for family camping trips, to avoid the cramped mayhem of the family camper, and the Scout absolutely delivered.

Setup is simple and straightforward, a pair of segmented poles and a few ropes are all it takes. I've had no difficulty setting this tent up in the dark, or in the wind. The yellow ropes it comes with are a bit prone to tangling, if you're not careful when you're putting it away, and I'll probably replace them with tougher paracord in the future. I replaced the stakes it came with with some sturdier triangular ones from Walmart, as I had some difficulty with them pulling out of the loose-packed sandy soil at my campsite. That's more a personal grievance than a design flaw, but just something to consider.

I'm 6 feet tall, and the scout has plenty of room for my big inflatable sleeping mat and the rest of my gear, as well as a pretty decent amount of headroom even for a string bean like me. I wouldn't recommend it for two people though, even if you really like cuddling. There's a great bug screen on the entrance, to keep the critters out and let the breeze in, and then a second set of tent flaps if you need to keep the rain out. If you do need to close the outer flaps, it's very weather-resistant, but at the price of breathability, so expect condensation on the inside of the tent in the mornings. Its dark coloring means it does get a little toasty inside, even if you leave the outer flaps open, though it does cool off quickly at night.

It weathered a pair of brutal thunderstorms admirably. The bottom of the tent is made from a heavier "tarp-ier" material (the slightly darker green ring around the bottom in the pictures), extending a little way up the sides, which meant that even without a ground cover, no water got in. There was a bit of leaking from the seams on the top panels, but I learned my lesson after the first storm and got a small tube of waterproofing sealant for them. Since then, I've had no problems with the rain.

I wouldn't recommend this tent for backpackers. It's heavy and takes up a lot of room in a pack. You get what you pay for here, and if you're serious about saving weight or space, pay extra for a dedicated backpacking tent (Or get a hammock, I'm learning to love them!). This tent is a godsend for anyone who enjoys camping alone, but doesn't want the hassle of a massive tent, and doesn't need to use their legs to get to their site. It's solid and spacious and cheap as dirt. Even with my $15 of extra stuff (Waterproofing, paracord, new stakes, etc.), you couldn't find a better single-man tent for the price.
1233883
I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars:
5 stars because: This tent is easy to set up, waterproof and durable. One time we didn't anchor it right, and it blew off into the forest and finally got stuck between trees and bushes. Surprisingly, the poles hadn't snapped and there was no tear in the fabric!
4 stars: For cold climates. it's only a one-season tent. The sides panels under the white part of the rain fly are mesh only and don't do anything to keep you warm. The photos don't really show how exposed it is, and I feel it was a bit of false advertising.
2327299
We bought this tent for a camping trip.  To say we are "inexperienced campers" is actually a pretty generous statement.  We got this tent up easily.  I could actually set it up by myself.  It was plenty spacious for a family of four.  We had a queen and twin blow up mattress and plenty of space left over.  The tent help up in a windy rainstorm in the night.  The rain guard did come undone in the middle of the night, but we saw that we had not fully secured it the right way.  We fixed it and it held the rest of the night.  We stayed warm and dry in the coldest weather we see here in South Florida.  We did get a small tear in the rain guard, but it did not appear that water came in.  Also, half of our stakes bent will trying to hammer then in.  We will have to get new ones for next time.  Overall, we are happy with the tent.
3464449
Easy to set up but definitely not a four-season tent. Drafty. Big enough for two people and gear if you don't need space between you. Stakes are a little flimsy, but hold well. I bought lightweight stakes for next time. Fits into a day pack.
2156958
For the price this tent has some really nice features, all the seams are factory taped it has the bathtub floor, nice size.  However it is not approaching freestanding and hard to make taut even with stakes.  The gusset where the center pole met the roof broke the second time I put it up, it wasn't tightened properly but amazon was really good about the return process.  This tent wasn't right for me but if you live in an area with soil that accepts stakes well and make sure to tighten/check the gusset it could be right for you.
4364145
Pretty good tent! Went right up, especially with two people. Had plenty of space and even hit some 15 mile per hour winds, it started to lean pretty hard but it was fine. Have only used it for one 4 day trip so I'm not sure how it holds up long term.. only complaint is the quality if zipper for the big door
1322146
Fantastic tent for the price, sets up easy and stays dry!!!