Best 12 Person Tent for Large Families
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A 12 person camping tent is a great setup for a big group. If you have a large family, you will find a multiple room set up within a single tent to be more convenient. It is better than having multiple smaller tents set up. You will be more at ease as you can watch over your kids within the same grounds.
For an outdoor enthusiast, the extra space is perfect if you carry a lot of gear. Having big tents for camping, can be a luxurious camping experience. You can have the extra living room space to play board games when it is raining hard. It can be cost saving on lodging, making it an affordable holiday vacation for your big family. If you just want to skip and get the best instant 12 person tent, we recommend the Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent . It is our top choice for the best 12 person tent.
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Jules and Ken
We are Jules and Ken. We are outdoor lovers, travellers and writers all rolled into one. You have seen our posts here reviewing lots of different types of outdoor gears, camping equipment, kayaking to cycling. Our reviews are guided by our years of experience being outdoors. We are happy to share our knowledge with you to make a better choice when you are outdoors.
As there are so many choices out there, finding the perfect 12 person tent can be confusing. At Outdoormagnet, we have performed hours of detailed research and have narrowed down a list of features we think campers need most for a 12 person tent. We have reviewed it all and listed down 5 tents as our top picks for Best 12 Person Tent For Large Families.
Top five 12 person tent
How to choose a 12 person tent
Height
Many of these large tents have a minimum height of 6 feet. This allows tall campers to stand straight up without kneeling about. Tents with less sloped roofs and straight up walls are usually high enough for people to stand upright.
Space
The tent needs to have more than enough room to fit 12 persons and your camping gear and camping bags. Some tents come with additional awning for extra room to put your camping chairs, tables or park your bicycles. For such a large tent, room dividers are great to section the area into multiple functional spaces. You can have a kitchen to cook your camping meals, living room or dining area.
You can also divide based on composition groups. You can have “parents room”, “boys room” and “girls room”. Do note the sleeping arrangements, as you may want tent with rooms that fits your air mattresses or folding cots.
Protection from elements
Rain protection is one of the most important features to keep you dry. It is necessary especially in the mountains where the weather changes quickly. An interesting fact is that not all tents are made waterproof. Majority tents are made water resistant. This means it resists and slows down the penetration of rain. Areas to check for water proofing are its seams and zippers.
The first thing to keep in mind when choosing a tent, is to look for a floor base that is made of waterproof material. It should come a few inches up the sides before it is attached to the tent walls. Having the bathtub floor version is very advantageous. It creates no opportunity for water to seep in.
Most people go for camping activities in spring, summer or autumn. Thus, choosing a 3 season tent tends to be the favorite choice. It is usually made to be lightweight and cooler for warm weathers.
Ventilation (doors and windows)
You would want ventilation as your top priority if you are living in hot weather conditions. You would not want to end up sleeping in an oven, where it will be stuffy and sweaty as the air cannot get out of the tent. Especially so when someone farts in the tent! Ventilation features to look for in a tent are like mesh walls, windows and doors.
Even in colder seasons, you can use a tent heater within the tent. There should be a vent opened for toxic gases to exit the tent, allowing fresh air to enter.
Meshes on the tent helps block out hungry mosquitoes. Double check that the vents are located in areas where air can still flow if the rainfly is on. A tent with great ventilation features will minimize condensation, allow air to flow through and keep you cooler during warm nights.
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This 12 person cabin tent is fast to set up and take down with instant setup capability. It does not need too much effort to fit it back in the bag as it has expandable zippers. The poles are telescopic, with popup buttons to snap the frame in place. The frames are made of durable steel poles and stakes, creating a stable structure. Its material is built with 68D polyester, making it remarkable in strength against the elements of the outdoors.
It is impressively spacious at 18 feet x 10 feet which can easily fit 3 queen size mattresses. It has 2 wall separators, so that you can customize it to 3 rooms, 2 rooms, or just 1 big room. This multi room tent has front and back doors for easy access. This is especially convenient when you have many campers staying together. The doors are fitted with awning attachments for additional shade to put your camping chairs. With a peak height of 80in, you can avoid ducking in and out around the tent.
The zippers in this 12 person instant tent are well made and slide smoothly. There are extra pockets and loops to hang lights or other accessories over your beds. You can also put smaller lanterns on the corner clips for extra reading light at night. The air vents are a lifesaver in the hot summers or you can use it to slot it a tent air conditioner. With the rainfly removed, you can get tons of airflow through the full mesh roof. The rainfly which comes together protects you from light rain. But note that it is not a full coverage rainfly, thus, it will not last in thunderstorms.
Pros
- Solid frame made of steel
- Instant setup
- Mesh ceiling
Cons
- The rainfly is minimal
PROS
CONS
- Solid frame made of steel
- Instant setup
- Mesh ceiling
- The rainfly is minimal
There are plenty of rooms inside, the walls zipper can be completely closed for additional privacy. For more comfort, you can use two rooms as bedrooms and the third room as the entryway. It can easily fit in 3 queen sized beds. It is a huge tent and tall enough to stand up. Some reviewers call it “a mansion in the woods”. As it has a very large footprint, you need to check if your campsite is able to accommodate your large tent.
This 12 man tent is durable. The structure itself is made out of steel poles and not the flimsy thin ones most tents use. Its quick dry fabric works great for fast drying against the rain. The tent is also able to retain the heat wonderfully, especially in autumn or spring. It keeps you comfortably warm in the tent.
It can be stuffy if it is fully packed with 12 people sleeping in the tent. Its 7 large windows makes up for it, clearing any stale air, keeping a breathable atmosphere. These windows are closable for extra protection against angry mosquitoes and the elements. The frames are color coded to the connectors on the tent so it is very self explanatory.
The pockets in the sides of the room separators is a great place for keys, cell phones, flashlights. You can put glowsticks in the pocket of the children’s room for a nightlight. There are 2 large floor vents in the tent to accomodate your air conditioning units. The floor vent comes with a mesh so that wildlife do not get a chance to crawl in. There is also an electric cord port to pull electricity into the tent. The cover over the entrances is great to keep the area dry. It is a useful space for you to sit in the shade, have a cup of coffee and relax.
Pros
- Steel poles
- 2 large floor vents
- Sewn in dividers
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Floors of the tent are thin
- Need ceiling hooks in the other two rooms
PROS
CONS
- Steel poles
- 2 large floor vents
- Sewn in dividers
- Reasonable price
- Floors of the tent are thin
- Need ceiling hooks in the other two rooms
NTK Super Arizona GT is a well designed and constructed spacious tent. The poles are 100% virgin NANO-FLEX shock corded fiberglass rods. They are sturdy yet flexible. The fabric of the tent does not show any indication of stress when it is tied down. This indicates that the material and craftsmanship of this tent is of high quality. The tent itself is super easy to set up, leaving you more time for other camping activities.
The rainfly is made of double layer 190T polyester laminated with polyurethane 2500 mm water column. It is partially aluminium and has heat-welded PU seam sealed. Unlike other tents, the rainfly extends all the way to the bottom of the tent. This ensures the rain has no chance to get into the tent.
It has a bathtub bottom made of heavy duty anti-fungus seamless polyethylene with an inner silver coated layer. This is an extremely important feature when engaging in wet environments. The floor wraps 5 inches up the sides everywhere. It will be a comfort to know that your family and your camping gear will be kept dry.
Especially in hot weather, mosquitoes come aplenty. The use of an ultra-thin polyester mesh in a NO-SEE-UM style provides protection against the tiniest insects. Yet The tent is largely covered with mesh making the tent fully breathable. You can easily dress up without having to crouch as it stands at a comfortable height of 6.9 FT.
Pros
- High quality material and workmanship
- Fully covered rainfly
Cons
- Windows cannot be closed from the inside
- Flimsy stakes
PROS
CONS
- High quality material and workmanship
- Fully covered rainfly
- Windows cannot be closed from the inside
- Flimsy stakes
It is the perfect setup for your family or your high school friends’ outdoor excursion. It is a 3 room type, with a sewn in wall to separate the rooms. You can separate the rooms for more privacy or open the dividers to make a larger room. That way, your kids can have their own room for more privacy.
There is lots of room for a mattress and extra storage. You can even put your hybrid bikes in at night for security. This tent for 12 people is easy to assemble with its shock-corded poles and pin-and-ring system. It is spacious with a 7 foot center allowing plenty of room to move freely without crouching down. It is also easy to take it down. Just fold it and roll it tightly. It fits easily into the supplied bag with still room to spare.
Its windows are huge and provide lots of light and allow the breeze to come in. So your tent looks cheerful instead of looking dark and gloomy from the inside. Even when you close the doors and windows due to the rain, its rain fly sits so far away from the actual tent that the air gets to circulate inside. Inside stays dry, it doesn’t feel muggy or wet.
On the fly itself, there is an arch type of vent to keep the airflow. Even though it rains hard, it feels nice and dry. It features a solar shield which reflects the sunlight and keeps the tent cooler during summer. The floors are nice and thick, it does not retain any water. The tent does come with a power port located by the door to bring in electricity to the tent.
Pros
- Spacious with 3 rooms
- Lots of windows and doors for great ventilation
- Comes with a rain fly
Cons
- Trip hazard with room separator
- Instructions are not clear
PROS
CONS
- Spacious with 3 rooms
- Lots of windows and doors for great ventilation
- Comes with a rain fly
- Trip hazard with room separator
- Instructions are not clear
The Outbound Dome Tent tent is simple to put up and take down. Its shock corded fiberglass frame goes through the sleeves at regular intervals. This creates a strong arch with a lot of head room. It’s “Easy Up” technology makes it easier for you to set up your tent faster within minutes. Its fiberglass is lightweight, with the tent weighing only 17 lbs. It comes with a zippered duffle bag for easy transport.
Its canopy fabric is made of Poly Taffeta 185T 68D 600mm Water-Resistant Coating and comes with a polyester bathtub floor. This prevents rainwater to pool under your tent or seep from the seams of the tent. This 12 people tent is built to be weather resistant. There is an attached rainfly which is made of Poly Taffeta 185T 68D 600mm Water-Resistant Coating with Taped Seams. You can comfortably sleep knowing that not a single drop of water will come into your tent from the steady rain.
This is a 3 season tent that is suitable for summer, autumn or spring. Its ceiling which is mostly covered with Polyester 68D mesh, keeps the bugs out. It also provides excellent ventilation especially on hot days. You can enjoy stargazing on a cloudless night. It has a power pass through for your wiring. This is convenient if you want to cool your tent with a portable air conditioner.
Its 20′ x 9′ floor size is spacious, easily fitting in 3 full sized mattresses. It stands at 6’6″ making it comfortable to stand up and move around within the tent. It makes sleeping and winding down a pleasant experience.
Pros
- Comes with a rainfly
- Lightweight
- Easy to assemble
Cons
- Does not come with an optional room divider
PROS
CONS
- Comes with a rainfly
- Lightweight
- Easy to assemble
- Does not come with an optional room divider
SUMMARY
All the top 5 best 12 person tents we have reviewed are generally equally outstanding. But considering the balance between its height, space, protection ability and ventilation effectiveness, Core 12 Person Instant Cabin Tent has the winning edge. We find this tent is reasonably affordable without compromising its safety features. Thus, it is not surprising that it has consistently the best reviews and comes out as one of the most popular choices among the camping community.
What's next
Looking for places to camp with your 12 person tent? Check out some campers’ recommendations of the best places to camp around the world.
I hope you enjoyed this review and if you have questions about any of the 5 best 12 person tent, or want to leave your own personal review, feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.
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