Why Every Tent Camper Needs An Instant Tent

Searching for the Perfect Tent

A few years ago, we purchased a One Minute or Instant Tent (depending on the brand), and it was a total game-changer. For years I had been searching for the perfect tent. As avid campers, we have been through our fair share of tents. Looking for that perfect tent almost feels like looking for the Shangri-La. We were starting to feel it didn’t exist. That was until we found the Instant Tent. Holy cow, what a difference a great tent makes when you’re camping. 

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Not a Happy Camper

As I said, we have tried just about every kind of tent. We have had zero luck finding something that met our needs and our desire of what a tent should be. My biggest disappointment to date was a Field And Stream tent that claimed to be easy and fast to set up. Needless to say, 45 minutes later, drenched in sweat, I was not what you might call a happy camper. The directions were crap, and the setup was impossible. I ended up needing my kids to each hold a pole up to get the structure to stand while I finished the setup.

My niece on this same camping trip happened to have a One Minute Tent. I was skeptical about the one-minute tents. It just sounded too good to be true. She had me sold 20 minutes into trying to erect my tent; she was sitting happily by the fire, enjoying a cool beverage.

It was at that moment I decided that I was definitely going to give it a try. I mean, it couldn’t be any worse.

One Minute of Awesomeness

I had my chance to purchase my one-minute tent off-season, during the winter, for a fraction of the cost. This made me feel somewhat better after having just dumped several hundred dollars into my last disaster of a tent.

We had our first chance to use it over Memorial Day Weekend, and it was everything I could have ever hoped for and more. One of the things my husband dreads most about camping is setting up the tent. I had truly never seen him so happy after setting this tent up. It literally was up in one minute. Incredible. All the poles were connected to the tent, and the rainfly fit easily on top. It took longer to place the tent’s air mattress and sleeping bags than the actual tent set up. It was mind-boggling.

The ultimate test came with some rain and multiple setups. This tent passed with flying colors. It was perfectly waterproof, even though the rainfly only covers the very top. It even fit back into the carrying case fairly easily. We were so happy with this tent that we purchased another one, this time a 4-person One Minute Tent for our children.

The 6-Person tent is 6 ft in the center and does have plenty of room inside. The 4-person tent isn’t as big in the center, but it worked well for our children. It worked fine for two kids but, It might be small for 2 adults.

Purchasing an Instant Tent

These days, pretty much every outdoor company makes an Instant Tent or a One Minute Tent. If you are looking to save a little money, try to purchase your tent at the end of the season or in the winter. We got an excellent deal on ours in the middle of January.

When purchasing, you need to keep in mind that these tents have the poles attached, which makes them heavy, and the bigger the tent, the harder it is going to be to set up. A 10-person cabin tent might sound incredible, but those poles will make it more difficult. The smaller tents are definitely easier to set up and take down without a problem.

Upgrades Glore

We camp A LOT, and our tents have lasted years and are still going strong; however, with our kids almost full-grown, the 4 Person tent wasn’t cutting anymore (size-wise). We love our Instant Tent so much that we wouldn’t consider anything but a One Minute Tent when the time came to replace our 4-Person Instant Tent. When we went to buy our tent, we were completely blown away by just how far these tents have come in the last few years. In addition to the ever-evolving structure updates, our new tent came with built-in LED lighting (battery-powered). Some of these tents even come with Bluetooth speakers. How is that for technologically advanced?