Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this product ~18 months ago after getting to a Scout outing at 11:30PM and struggling to set up my regular tent and cot. I think it was 1AM before I got situated for bed! Ok, that's probably because I'm not a happy or terribly proficient camper. But, after that experience, I decided I needed something that would set up and take down quickly and easily. This tent seemed like an ideal choice. I've used the tent on several occasions, in both warm and cold weather, fair skies and in rain. My conclusion? This is a very decent product. It does what it's intended to do... Gets you set up quickly and easily. However, it's important to understand it's strengths and weaknesses in order to make an informed decision. Pluses: easy basic set up and take down. Note that to fully set up the tent, including attaching the rain fly and staking the tent, getting gear inside the tent, etc. for me takes ~ 15 minutes...much shorter than the time it generally takes me to set up my regular tent and cot, but longer than the times most folks have posted in reviews. I'm sure that timing is very user dependent. Tent stays warm and dry when using the rain fly. Perfectly adequate shelter. Last weekend, went on an outing with Scouts where the temps dipped into the upper 20's. I was quite toasty in the TentCot with an REI 3.5 inch self inflating pad and a GuideGear minus 15 degree sleeping bag. I was worried that being off the ground would mean that the circulating cold air all around would be too cold. Fortunately, I've not had that experience in this tent with my setup. I haven't been cold when I've had the proper gear for the conditions. Another major plus for me: when it's raining, you're off the ground! Really nice to not have to worry about a river running through your sleeping area and soaking your sleeping bag and gear. Minuses: size. I'm just under 6 foot and weigh ~185 lbs. I haven't had enough space in the tent to bring all of my other stuff inside with me. That's probably a reflection of the way that I camp. I tend to bring a lot of stuff with me just in case. There is enough space for boots to come inside, plus some space for a small bag with some personal gear. But, for me, it's not large enough for all of my gear to come inside. This becomes more of an issue when it's raining. I end up keeping gear in the car or under another shelter. Size: it IS heavy and bulky. Doesnt fit well in my small car... I end up using my wife's station wagon when camping with this tent. When raining, it's difficult to get into the tent without making the inside of the tent wet. Without the space for a vestibule or at least some protected space that isnt solely for sleeping, you are going to bring the wetness inside with you. I've used a pop up canopy in the past to provide some dry storage and transition space when its really been coming down. But that combo was too big for me to deal with comfortably by myself and added time to setup. I then purchased a SportBrella to serve as that add-on vestibule or transition space. Allows me to get under cover, remove external layers that are wet, then transition to the tent without getting everything wet inside. Works, but that gear adds cost and complexity and time to the overall setup. Summary: this is a very decent product that can work well in the proper conditions when you are properly prepared. It has some distinct advantages for me compared to regular tents as well as some important limitations to consider before buying. It's working well for me.