Are you a camping enthusiast in search of the perfect sleeping digs’? Camping in 2024? We gotcha! Our top pick 6-person instant tent will be the perfect choice for your next camping trip to make the setup more efficient and enjoyable. No more tears or endless color-coded tent poles. We promise!
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SO WHAT EXACTLY IS AN INSTANT TENT!?
Great question! When Philip and I decided we wanted to get back out into the “great Outdoors,” it had been a hot minute! Tents have dramatically changed and improved and we wanted to make the most informed decisions. The terminology we were seeing on the internet and YouTube was all new to us. What stood out was the “instant” tent. By definition, the instant setup tent body has pre-attached poles that lock into place creating a setup time of as little as 2 minutes. Hooray! Not gonna lie, I knew we were tired of stooping and not having room for basically anything. That’s the tent we need in our lives! For more about how we landed on a tent, check out our post here. So… after sifting through all the different brands, with a similar design, we landed on one.
OUR TOP PICK 6-PERSON INSTANT TENT IS…
What did we choose for our camping adventures? The Gazelle T4 Plus Hub Tent Overland Edition in Alpine green. It’s gorgeous and highly functional for all our camping needs! It is a well-worth splurge! What is a Gazelle tent? This cabin-type tent is a bag to base camp in 90 seconds or less kinda tent. Pretty badass if you ask me! They come in a few different setups such as the T4, and T4 Plus, and offer a gazebo as well. Gone are the days of Philip and I fussing over endless poles, no room, and no head space. The ease of setup and large floor area is an excellent choice for a couple to spread out or a great family camping tent. You pull it out of the bag, lay it our, pull the sides, and it pops into shape. Once all the sides are pulled out, literally 60 seconds, you go in and pop up the two ceilings. Winner, winner, chicken dinner! It’s THAT quick and easy! Stake her down and your ready.
LOVE gear as much as we do!? Here is our TOP CAMPING GEAR ESSENTIALS: BEST PICKS FOR FAMILIES we LOVE!
A SPACIOUS RETREAT
Boasting an impressive 110 square feet of floor space and 78″ peak height, this two-room spacious tent offers plenty of room to spread out. No matter what the adventure, this tent is perfection. Philip and I set up our cots, a table in between, a bamboo table, two chairs, and all our gear. The expansive interior offers us enough room to feel cozy and not cramped. For just the two of us, it is like “fancy camping!” Listen, we love a lightweight small tent and the versatility that it offers for a quick trip, but, again, you don’t wanna “hang out” in it if the weather is bad. Try watching a Gator game cramped in a hot stuffy tent in a Florida rain storm. No thanks! You can stand up and get dressed and sleep 4 super comfortably as well.
ORGANIZING THE GEAR
We can pack a lot of gear at times and be gone for quite a while. The tent we chose meets all our specific needs including a lantern hook on each of the mesh ceiling pouches. We hang lights and fans which keep them off the ground and out of our way. I love that when you walk into the screen room area, you are greeted with 2 detachable large wall organizers situated on each side of the door. This helps us keep our bug spray, lighters, flashlights, and toilet paper in one spot. The easy breezy storage includes 2 removable gear lofts, 5 gear pockets, and 6 wall pockets. Not too shabby! Everything is within reach for our adventures.
WEATHERING THE STORM
Rainy weather and gusty winds can put a damper on any camping trip. Camping in Central Florida is no different. We see our fair share of heavy rain during the summer months. The Gazelle T4 Plus Overland is constructed of weatherproof material and offers All-Terrain stakes and reflective guy lines making it easy to secure and stay dry. Our stakes have been pounded into some tough Florida ground and taken serious abuse that would easily crumple normal tent stakes. In conjunction with staking the tent and securing the rainfly, our 6-person instant tent has withstood the storms. The removable oversized rainfly is easy for us to throw on super quick to keep the insides dry.
The rainfly is constructed out of a 210 denier Oxford weave polyester shell that is waterproof and has a UV50t rating. Along with this, the “tub” floor has a 300 denier floor material and boasts a 5000MM HH rating according to their site. The footprint and stakes come in a separate storage bag with extra tent stakes. What this means is you and your gear will stay dry. No more damp bedding! The floor also easily detaches for easy cleaning or if you need to replace it.
ALL THE GREAT FEATURES
For us, there is so much to love with this tent. The Gazelle T4 Plus Overland has two ‘D-shaped” doors for easy accessibility and features high-quality YKK zippers. A bonus for those of us who have been out on a camping trip only to have your zipper break! Or the doors being weird and some of us, ahem me, breaking their neck coming in or going out. It offers 5 large mesh windows which during warm weather, offer great ventilation and a starry sky at night. If we are camping when it is cold out, we simply close the windows up and put a buddy heater in, and in no time, we are toasty and cozy! During the warmer months, the large screen windows give us a delightful breeze and adjustable ventilation. It also allows all the natural light in.
Let’s chat a moment about the awesome waterproof giant carry bag to pack up the tent in. With the easy setup, also comes the easy breakdown. Everything folds down neatly and fits perfectly inside the bag. Gone are the days of trying to stuff a tent like a sausage back into the bag.
WHAT SOLD US ON OUR 6-PERSON INSTANT TENT!?
The convenience of the convertible screen room made the sale. Let me explain. For starters, it is the same size as the sleeping area, so very spacious. It can provide a retreat from the weather, be used as a changing area as we use it, or be closed off for extra campers to sleep allowing for privacy. One of our favorite ways to use the tent is during bad weather. We hang out on our cots, put on some great music, and watch the weather through the screen room. It’s the best and very relaxing which is the whole point of camping right!? Are ya sold yet? How about when Florida mosquitos the size of cats are dive-bombing you, retreating into the screen area for dinner or a card game makes for a great evening!
WE GET IT-YOU LOVE THE TENT. WHAT ARE THE CONS…
- The biggest elephant in the room is the cost. The Gazelle T4 Plus Overland 6-person instant tent breaks the bank at $679.99 with free shipping.
- Not gonna lie- when packed down it’s heavy. It’s like hauling a 7th-grade boy HEAVY. The actual weight is 60 lbs.
- You will need a vehicle big enough to pack the tent. Collapsed and in the duffle bag, it is 11x11x63. We use our F250 for this fella. We also have a jeep that we have to use a smaller tent for because it takes up all the room. It makes us sad.
SERIOUSLY…MORE PROS!?
- You bet! There are discount codes. Take advantage of them.
- It comes in two fun colors Alpine Green and Sunset Orange.
- Customer service is awesome!
- Your tent came damaged…no worries! They will ask you to “field kill” it and send them proof. (Save the extras like the footprint, extra bag, and tent stakes for later use.)
- Still not sold? Go here for another great review.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Camping in 2024? Our top pick 6-person instant tent offers everything we were looking for. Water-repellent fabrics, weather protection, ease of setup and breakdown, and made with high-quality materials. This is the easiest tent we have ever set up. It is a cozy and enjoyable 3 season camping tent that I know will stand the test of time and abuse we are sure to give it. So… outdoor enthusiasts and fellow adventurers…is the Gazelle T4 Plus Overland the tent for you? Let us know in the comments if you own any of the Gazelles or what your favorite 6-person instant tent is. Happy wandering!
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