ClarionShelter 4P Dome Tent

The size most families should actually start with.

A freestanding dome you can pitch in about ten minutes with colour-coded poles and clips rather than sleeves. Big enough that a wet afternoon indoors does not feel like a punishment, small enough to fit a standard campground pad.

Manufacturer-stated specifications:

• Sleeps: 4 (see the honest sizing note below)
• Floor: 94 x 83 in / 240 x 210 cm
• Peak height: 51 in / 130 cm
• Packed weight: 9.9 lb / 4.5 kg
• Waterproofing: 3000mm hydrostatic head, fly and floor, taped seams
• Poles: Fibreglass, colour-coded, clip attachment
• Doors / vestibules: 1 / 1

Honest sizing. Tent capacity ratings assume bodies touching shoulder to shoulder with no gear inside. In practice this one is comfortable for two adults and two children, or three adults. Four adults will fit and will not enjoy it. The general rule across every brand: subtract one from the number on the box.

Every figure above is the manufacturer's stated specification, not a measurement we have taken ourselves. Peak height is measured at the centre — the usable standing area is smaller in a dome.