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You are here: Home / Family Travel / Coleman Family Tent Review: Jenny Lake 8

Coleman Family Tent Review: Jenny Lake 8

May 4, 2015 by Scarlet

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Spring is here and summer is fast approaching.This is the time of year that my family loves to go camping. We have an annual week long family camping trip to the Smoky Mountains and you never know what other camping trips we may squeeze in.  In fact, I just did a mini camping trip with my son’s Boy Scout troop where he received his rank advancement from Wolf to Bear.  This camping with kids expedition gave me the perfect opportunity to review the Coleman Jenny Lake 8P Fast Pitch Tent with Closet. Thanks so much to Coleman for providing the Coleman family tent for review.

Coleman Tent Review of Jenny Lake 8 Person Fast Pitch Tent with Closet

coleman family tents review
8 person tent reviews

Looking for family tent reviews? I chose to review the Coleman Jenny Lake™ 8P Fast Pitch™ Cabin with Closet because I wanted a large family tent for with plenty of room for a comfortable week long camping trip. Three of the features that stood out me about the tent besides the size were that it is fast pitch, water-resistant, and that it has a room divider.

8P stands for 8 person tent. Other similar Coleman family tents include the Sunlodge™ 8-Person Camping Tent, Montana™ 8-Person Tent, and the Signature Prairie Breeze™ 9-Person Tent.

Coleman Jenny Lake Fast Pitch Tent
coleman jenny lake 8 tent

Coleman Fast Pitch Tent

So first, let me address the fast pitch feature. This Coleman family tent boasts a 50% faster tent set up time than a comparable Coleman® tent with conventional setup. The Fast Pitch™ system uses pre-attached, color-coded top poles and hub, fast fit feet and snag-free Insta-Clip™ suspension to achieve a 9 minute average set up time.

I have to say that the directions for setting up the tent were very clear even if you have no prior experience. I was able to figure it out in no time. Furthermore, the handy directions are sewn into the tent cover so you don’t lose them! (Plus, the cover case has wheels so you can easily roll it from you parking space to your campsite.)

First I used the stakes to secure the tent to the ground through all the loops. Then, I simply placed the black plastic hub with the pre-attached poles in the center of the tent. This allowed me to quickly snap the poles together. I just followed the color coding to snap into the black tent-attached assembly pieces. There was no sliding of the tent poles through seams because they have simple black clips that easily hook to the poles. Then I just assembled the poles and again used the color coding to know where to place them. I snapped those onto the the “fast fit feet”- little black plastic round pieces that the poles lock onto. Next, we slid the rain fly (just in case of stormy weather) over the top of the tent and secured it to the tent with the velcro attachments.

Fast Pitch Tent vs Instant Tent

The fast pitch tent feature does make it a pretty simple set up. It took me about 14 minutes to set it up but that was my first time. Now that I know what I am doing, I am confident we could get it down to 9 minutes easily. So that is a pretty fast pitch tent! It is quick, easy setup but it is not an instant tent. Instant tents are basically pop up tents with almost instant setup, but less breathable, less water resistant, bulkier, and heavier.

Water-Resistant Tent

If it rains, the Coleman Jenny Lake tent is water-resistant. The WeatherTec™ system with its patented welded floors and inverted seams also helps you stay dry. This feature is so important. You don’t want to sleep with water coming in around you! I can tell you that every year we camp at the Smoky Mountains, it does rain. And the good news is that we have stayed dry each year in our old Coleman family tent. More water-resistant has my vote because even if it doesn’t rain, there is always dew to contend with! You can add waterproof coatings if you are expecting lots of heavy rain.

tent room divider
best coleman tent for familes with high ceiling

Tent Room Divider

Having separate tent rooms was important to my husband. Now that our kids are getting older, it will be nice for us all to have a bit more privacy. The room divider is an extra, removable divider that can be hung up in a jiffy to create separate rooms. It has a zipper for easy access between the two areas. I must say however, that it does not provide complete privacy. But then you are in the same tent together so how much do you really expect? But now, I can tell my kids to go clean up their side of the tent!

Coleman family tent with closet

Tent With Closet

Yes, I am serious. There is a built-in tent with closet, shelves and hanger bar to organize gear and clothes! You can keep the shelves / storage pockets down and have a great place to shove your cooler and bags or you can add the mesh shelves and get organized. My son wanted to use the storage space to organize his stuffed animals!

family tent roof with good ventilation
Coleman family tent roof with good ventilation and a great view of the sky!

Extra Coleman Jenny Lake Tent Features:

  • Illumiline™ reflective guy lines for greater visibility at night
  • 2 doors, 1 hinged, for easy entry from either side of the tent (“Mommy, you go in your side!”)
  • Auto-roll mesh windows provide quick and convenient ventilation, huge ceiling mess panels also provide great ventilation (so nice on hot afternoons)
  • E-Port makes it easy to bring electrical power inside your tent
  • Included rainfly for extra weather protection
  • Waterproof floor
  • Spacious interior has room for 2 queen airbeds  (13 x 9 ft. with 2 x 2 ft. closet)
  • 6 ft. 8 in. center height (My husband will love this, heck, I enjoy not having to bend over too!)
  • Wheeled carry bag for easy storage and transport
Coleman Jenny Lake tent in wheeled carry case
Tent in wheeled carry case.

This Coleman fast pitch tent is a great choice for large windows, large doors, and plenty of floor space. This Coleman cabin tent is also and extremely affordable tent. It is an ideal choice of large families. Tall people need not worry. My husband is 6’4″ and it worked just fine for us!

On top of all that, I just have to include in this review of the 8-Person Coleman Jenny Lake Fast Pitch Tent with Closet that it is one good looking tent!  At the Boy Scout camp out, I had lots of parents asking me about my Coleman family tent and commenting on how much they liked it.  I am quite happy with it and look forward to many more years of camping in this great family tent.

You can view Coleman’s full line of camping gear at coleman.com

Related Posts:

Your Complete Family Camping Guide And Trip Planner

Coleman Sleeping Bags For Camping: Reviews

Outdoor Adventure Gear Gift Ideas for Father’s Day

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Filed Under: Family Travel Tagged With: camping, camping gear, camping with kids

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dana Rodriguez says

    May 5, 2015 at 9:30 am

    I love the the Coleman® Get Together™ Dual Compartment Hot/Cold Tote and their sleeping bags.

  2. Jessica says

    May 5, 2015 at 9:50 am

    I really like the Coleman® Trailhead™ II Military Style Cot and have wanted to try it with a larger cabin-style tent sometime!

  3. Laura says

    May 5, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Love the high ceiling Coleman Instant Screened canopy for those camping trips.

  4. Elizabeth Ray says

    May 5, 2015 at 10:31 am

    I also like the INSTANT CABIN 10 WITH RAIN FLY FOR STORMY WEATHER.

  5. Kelly D says

    May 5, 2015 at 11:20 am

    I like the coleman sundome tent.

  6. Natalie says

    May 5, 2015 at 11:36 am

    I really like the Coleman 12X12 FT ALL DAY DOME

  7. kjb46 says

    May 5, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    I think the best family tent is the Sunlodge 12-Person Camping Tent because I have a large family.

  8. Stephanie V, says

    May 5, 2015 at 12:25 pm

    Coleman makes the best family camping tents. Plus I love their Quilted Top Double High Airbed.

  9. Angelica says

    May 5, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    I absolutely love the instant screen canopy. Nothing ruins a fun outing more than a mosquito feast!

  10. Rose Reeder says

    May 5, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    I love the orange tent with Tent Room Divider for tent camping with my small family.

  11. Krys Thoene says

    May 5, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    The tent lantern and stove would be great to reconnect with my kids since my devastating divorce.

  12. Carol ONeil says

    May 5, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    I really love the coleman weathermaster tent

  13. Racquel Bregg says

    May 5, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    We have an older Coleman tent that has been great for our family but our family has outgrown it. This Jenny Lake Fast Pitch would be perfect for our family and we have a big camping trip planned for after school is out!

  14. Deanna says

    May 5, 2015 at 7:30 pm

    This would be great for many uses! One would be when the grandkids come to visit in the summer we could set it up in the backyard. Another would be to take them camping near a stream.

  15. hoda says

    May 5, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    I love camping so i love coleman coz when you have their product with you its a big help and take care of everything.
    thank you coleman

  16. Catherine Wooster says

    May 6, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    I love Coleman products and have several items…my Dad is a registered Master Maine Guide,so we do lots of camping,hiking,fishing,etc….I grew up using Coleman products…I could stand to replace my lantern and chairs and probably my cooker soon!

  17. karenb says

    May 6, 2015 at 4:07 pm

    Hubby and I used to camp out all the time, we are both almost retired and would love to do camping again with our grandson, would love to have the Instant Screened Canopy and could also use a new Coleman Lantern, thanks

  18. Melissa Shirley says

    May 6, 2015 at 9:11 pm

    I really love the INSTANT SCREENED CANOPY 12 FT. X 10 FT.. I love this becasue it will keep critters outta my food/ drinks

  19. ELIZABETH C. says

    May 7, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    The core 9-person instant cabin tent is my favorite family tent.

  20. Vera S says

    May 8, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    I would really love to have a coleman instant cabin. This would be a luxurious addition to any camping trip. 🙂

  21. Brad says

    May 11, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    I like the Pack-Away™ Outdoor Picnic Set For 4. Our family would definitely use that when we go camping.

  22. Tim A says

    May 12, 2015 at 10:08 pm

    My wife would love the HOT WATER ON DEMAND™ PORTABLE WATER HEATER and the SPRAY ADAPTER because then she could even take a nice hot shower in a secluded place while she was camping.

  23. Jenny Ford says

    May 15, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    I really liked the SUPPORTREST™ DOUBLE HIGH AIRBED – QUEEN. It would make camping more enjoyable.

  24. Anita L says

    May 19, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    The Treklite™ Plus Coolerpack Chair really caught my eye! With a chair like that, you’d never need to get up….. well, except to use the bathroom maybe!! Totally awesome chair!

  25. Sheryl says

    May 22, 2015 at 9:48 am

    I could use a couple of the Coleman 24 or 48 can Party Stacker Coolers. Love the idea of using color to designate what is in that cooler.

  26. Judy Lipcsak says

    May 26, 2015 at 11:12 am

    I really like the INSTANT SCREENED CANOPY 12 FT. X 10 FT. We hold much of our church Vacation Bible School outdoors and this would be a great classroom.

  27. Sandy Anderson says

    May 31, 2015 at 6:38 pm

    This be so perfect for our grandchildren (whom we are raising) and us. They already love to fish, now to get them camping!! Thank so much for the opportunity. This looks like a spacious tent as far as family camping tents go.

  28. Angela Cash says

    June 1, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    Camping is one of our favorite activities this time of year and I would love to update some of our gear before our next trip. I would love to have the Coleman 8-Piece Enamel Cooking Set and a couple of the CPX™ 6 TRIAGO LANTERNS.

  29. Marty C. says

    June 1, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Instant Cabin 10-person Tent with Fly looks like something to try. For a large family like ours, it would pay for itself over a week’s vacation, compared to hotels. It’s an awful lot of togetherness, though. Not sure we’re ready for that 😀

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Thanks for reading Family Focus Blog, which has been named a top family blog for parenting resources. It was created in 2010 by Nashville mom blogger, Scarlet Paolicchi. She shares tips for better family life, parenting, family fun activities, eco-friendly lifestyle, family food ideas, family travel, and home decor. Family Focus Blog has been named #3 in Cision PR’s 50 U.S. Top Mom Blog list. Scarlet Paolicchi is the author of four books.

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