needing new tents for the Troop...

[pack330]

Our local Boy Scout Troop is in need of a few new tents for camping at Camporees/etc. but we don't have alot of money but want to get a good quality tent but not spend a arm and a leg for it. Is this possible? Any Web sites or catalogs or stores with good ideas?

[JimmyD]

Your local Cabela's has a 10% disscount on camping. I would compare prices there they also have a camping clearence section sometimes ours has tents plus the 10% might not be bad. How much are willing too spend? Walmart has coleman.

[Fat Old Guy]

We got some nice tents at Costco for about $60 each. They sleep three Scouts in comfort and have nice add-ons like a mud porch and outside pockets for shoe storage.

 

I have a Wal-Mart house brand tent that cost less than $30 that's held up pretty well.

[ScoutNut]

If you go to the Coleman website you can sign up for the Scouting discount. That might help bring down the cost.

 

 

[kenk]

I'm still a big Eureka Timberline fan. I'd opt for the Outfitter model if you can afford it. The heavy zippers along make it worth the extra price. It will last a LOT longer, and you can easily find replacement parts (poles).

 

Timberlines do very well in rain and wind, and the poles are strong enough to tolerate lots of abuse.

 

Buy the cheap tents and you'll need to spend time seam sealing (Eureka Outfitter tents are factory sealed), then the zippers will start failing, and soon the tent will start leaking (if it didn't from the start). Once it leaks too much you've just ruined a boy's campout and you're in the market for a new tent.

[kenk]

I should mention that I recently purchased a Eureka Assault Outfitter 4 for my own personal tent. It is Eureka's commercial version of the tent they supply to the U.S. Marine Corps. It's height and footprint are about the same dimensions are the Timberline, though it is a 4 season dome w/ 2 built-in vestibules. I really really like it. It is a bit too heavy for backpacking, but I use it car camping.

 

Though it is built like a tank, much like the Timberline Outfitter, its aluminum poles are thinner and muuuuuch longer making setup is complicated enough that I'd probably limit its use to leaders or older Scouts.

 

The younger Scouts are much better off with a Timberline, but if you insist on a dome tent, the Assault is excellent.

 

 

[SR540Beaver]

There is a company called ALPS that has only been around for a short number of years. The man who owns/runs it has many years of experience working for companies like Sierra Designs. Evidently he has ties to Boy Scouts or is savvy enough to know who to cater to to get his brand out in public. ALPS has a sister site at www.scoutdirect.com where they have deeply discounted products for Boy Scouts. It is hard to tell from pictures, but they seem to make a good quality tent. Check them out. BTW, they were putting together Jamboree packages for Council contengents of tents, sleeping bags and cots.

[Eagle69]

I think the Eureka line of tents are some of the best that scouts can get at reasonable prices. My troop used Timberlines for years and then switched over to the dome style Tetragon 7. You can order them from

http://www.campmor.com at good prices.

[OneHour]

SR540Beaver is correct. Alps Mountaineering does provide 45% standard discount and if you buy it in bulk, they'll get you to 55% discount. Coleman has a non-profit discount pricing as well http://www.coleman.com/coleman/promotion/youth_camping2.asp . Our troop bought the Coleman Sundome 3-man tent http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/detail.asp?product_id=9260P707&categoryid=11010 for about $40 a piece and they work wonderfully for the past 6 years. We continue to purchase new Coleman as needed. The Coleman Sundome can take a lot of beating from the boys.

 

1Hour