It’s not often something that’s ‘good value’ lives up to expectations, but this Coleman Darwin has easily exceeded mine. I could not believe how tiny the tent was when it arrived. One of the photos shows it next to a 10” iPad just to give an idea of the packed size. Thankfully, putting it back into the bag does not require an honours degree in origami, even a mortal like me can get it back in without too much effort.
We thought we’d try it out in the garden first to weather in the material, check out the claims of a fast pitch time and to make sure it would be big enough. Wow! Quick pitch it really is - first pitch took us all of 10 minutes, and we were taking our time. There’s a video available on line, which shows this much better than I could describe here. The first time we used it for its intended purpose, I reckon it was up in around 5 minutes, including the fly sheet.
Our reason for buying this little tent was for use as a pup tent next to our motorhome, and for this it is absolutely ideal. Many campsites do not charge extra for a pup tent as long as it’s of suitably small dimensions. It is therefore just extra sleeping accommodation, not having to double up as living space. Inside, there are a couple of small pockets and a loop for hanging a light. A double air bed fits inside beautifully (inflate it once inside) and with a three season sleeping bag on top, our grandson was really comfy in spite of only being 4 degrees overnight. We haven’t had any heavy rain yet when we’ve used it, but I can only assume this little vent is as waterproof as any of the Coleman tents we’ve owned in the past.
Packing it away after use is really speedy too and it easily rolls away back into the supplied bag. It’s simole to dry it out at home too - we fling it over the bannisters upstairs and it’s bone dry in a couple of hours when the central heating is running.
In short, as long as interior space for gear isn’t a requirement or you are using it as a one person tent the for the money, this little tent is great.
My only issue is the tent pegs supplied. Firstly, there are none supplied for the guy ropes, so if you’re pitching in windy conditions you need to source four extra pegs. Secondly, the pegs that Coleman do supply might as well be made from cheese, bending under the slightest provocation even in grass. Invest in some decent pegs and ditch the rubbish ones that come with it.
** Udate: We’ve just returned from a two week holiday in Devon, using this tent as sleeping accommodation for my adult son and his fiancé. We had every type of weather from hot and sunny to very wet and windy and this little tent performed flawlessly throughout. No leaks, no faults and no complaints at all from the guys using it. Very happy indeed.
| Color | Green |
|---|---|
| Size | One Size |
| Hand orientation | Right |
| Style | 2 Person |
| Shape | Round |
| Material type | Fibreglass |
| Seasons | Spring/summer |
| Features | Waterproof |
| Sport | Camping-&-Hiking |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Brand | Coleman |
| Manufacturer | Coleman |
| Item model number | 2000012148 |
| Product Dimensions | 320 x 160 x 120 cm; 4.2 Kilograms |
| ASIN | B00BM7A3R0 |
