I am new to camping and had never set up a tent before. Set this one up in the back yard with help of one other person. Easy!!! Next I set it up by myself - no problems. Tent is light weight, designed just right to make it possible for one person (even me!) to set up and take down without any problems. It is a pretty tent (important ot us girls), lots of ventilation, and it is nice to be able to stand up. However, I don't like the idea of sleeping on top of other people (unless I know them really well). This tent is very comfortable for two adults, OK for three, and cramped with 4.

We've had this tent since 2005 and used it over 30 times in the past few years - with no problems - until now. The main door's zipper would not stay sealed even though it is suppose to self repair. We don't use the storage lockers except as "doggie doors" by our 3 dogs. We sleep in 2 twin sized air mattresses on the outer wings of the tent and leave the middle for gear, dogs, and table with light.

I have no problem setting up the tent myself without my husbands help - here is the trick: (not for windy situations)

1. Thread through both blue tent poles just until they reach one end where you can put the pin in, and stake those into the ground.
2. Push against the staked end and lift until the poles arch upward.
3. Put the pins in, and continue with the yellow poles and clips.

I am considering the newer tent as a replacement; however the model I have has a skylight and different rain fly - I would rather just have our zipper fixed.

We needed a new tent after our last one started leaking. My husband is 6'2" & had no problem with standing inside although he had to duck a bit through the entrance. Overall, this tent was a good choice. It took 4 of us to figure out how to put it up the 1st time, but it should be easier the next time after the initial learning curve. My husband & I & our 2 dogs were comfortable with the size, but definitely not a tent for those who prefer a lot of extra space. All the extras that come with the tent were great. I would definitely recommend this tent!

Don't assume that Columbia is the highest quality. While the tent is incredibly roomy, it's construction is average. I would compare this tent to a tent that one might purchase at a large chain department store.

Pros: Inner height is about 6' which allows an average person to stand in the center. Lots of ventilation is a definite advantage in warm weather. Side pockets and gear loft allow for storage.

Cons:
The front lacks a vestibule which results in some potentially serious leakage around the door. Poorly sealed seams and stitching result in tears and leaks. The poles are made of cheap and easily frayed fiberglass. The rainfly does not extend to the ground, leaving the bottom quarter of the tent open to the elements. Cheap stakes do not work in sandy soil.

If you're buying a Columbia Bugaboo, buy this one. It is the Bugaboo I. Columbia has replaced this I with Bugaboo II and it isn't nearly as good of quality as this one. Even the bag of the II isn't as nice. The floor in the II is much thinner and a different material than this one. The accessories, cup holders and storage areas are cheaply made in the II. You can tell the difference in color, the I is blue and yellow, the II is green and blue.

Be aware of the 9' x 12' size and that it includes the storage spaces on either side of the door. If you use cots or need a particular length, the actual useable size is closer to 7' x 10'. That probably works for many.

I had to return mine because we needed a true 9x12, but after putting it up and looking at it, I thought it was a great tent. You would always use the rain guard because of the mesh, but with the zippers on the rain guard you can open it up to allow breezes in during hot weather. Likewise with the lower vents.

The light and door mat are a bit gimmicky and I doubt much use.

I mostly purchased this tent because of the size and it didn't look like it had large spans of mesh. The former was good, but I was wrong on the latter. The whole back wall of this tent is mesh, and I just couldn't tell that from the picture or the description(even after going back to look). I think this will work out ok, but i'm going to sew over the mesh for my purposes, which will be a pain. I was able to set this up by myself, though it definitely went slow and would have been quick with 2 people. I couldn't figure out where the triangle 'dividers' went, though they seem to just cover the small shoe corners. I haven't had an opportunity to actually go camping in this yet, but I look forward to it. I don't know about fitting 5 people in here with all their stuff-it would be pretty cramped.

This is truely a great tent. Love the center height and the ability to stand up and get changed. We use this with a queen sized bed, a folding chair and plenty of extra room for the suitcase and odds and ends. We have used the buddy tent heater many times with this tent and it is just a great all around Mom and Dad tent. We recently purchased another on sale...just in case. For anyone tempted to Cpap while camping...this is the tent for you. The battery is easily accessable using the small access doors. As far as leaking concerns...this tent is great. We also pitch one of those folding 10X10s from Walmart and we say nice and dry.

This is the first tent I have owned where I haven't had to do extensive aftermarket waterproofing. Actually, I have done no aftermarket waterproofing on this tent, because it just didn't need it. For the money and size, this is an excellent tent for people car camping. I wouldn't want to carry it too far from the car, as it's unwieldy and heavy, but I didn't buy this for frontier wilderness camping so it serves my purposes well.
Nice things about this tent:
- Easy to put together. My first trip out with this tent, I was the only one with any prior experience, but with the help of one other person we got this up in less than 15 minutes with a strong wind blowing. I consulted the directions when things weren't intuitive, and they were simple and easy to understand. If you've put many tents together in the past, you can probably skip the directions.
- It is spacious. It fits four adults comfortably with ample room for a small cooler, packs, and a dozen board games. Make sure you've pulled all corners completely out or you'll lose space - if it is put together properly you can fit six women in this tent, as long as you don't mind close quarters and leave the majority of items in the car.
- It's very well-ventilated. That first camping trip was October in New England and it stormed most of the weekend. We could open the windows even though it was raining outside and not worry about water coming inside.
- Waterproof. There are a few places that water can get in, but the tent itself is more waterproof than any tent I've owned in the past. Be careful of the small zippered slot on the front left of the tent - it's convenient to put the cord for inflatable air mattresses through, but if you do not close it back properly you will find a small amount of water might leak inside (about ½ a cup overnight). You don't need to put a tarp under the tent, the bottom is completely waterproof.
- It comes with a light and remote, but we played so many board games we ended up hanging a lantern from the ceiling with no problem.
- Height - I hate bending over, and my back hates it more. You can stand up straight in this tent. Keep in mind it is a dome tent though, so it slopes towards the sides.
- Pockets - great for putting things you need to keep handy.
Things I would change about this tent:
- Stakes. These were not the greatest, especially in the wind with a sandy/rocky ground below the tent. I plan on replacing some with more heavy-duty stakes.
- Dividers/attic - I discarded these, they are not something I would ever use, and I didn't see how to put them up.
- Floor mat - it hooked to the tent, but I think it would be more useful if it were just attached along one edge.
Overall, this is a great tent and my friends and I have a lot of fun camping with it.

Tent is a breeze to put up with 2 people, 15 minutes tops from start to finish.... a little more difficult for a single person but still possible.

Have had no problems with zippers hanging and have yet to take care when zipping anything.

Love the clear height of the tent as I'm 6'2" and can easily stand and move around inside without having to stoop.

With a queen size airbed still half the floor space in the tent is left for your gear making this a really great tent for 2 people like us who want alot of room to keep everything inside.

The only thing I can think of that I wish was different on the tent would be for the large rear mesh window and roof opening to have a zippered cover like the side windows so you could fully enclose the tent without having to put the rain fly on.

We are super happy with the tent overall and have not seen another tent in this price range that can even compare.

Would for sure buy again.

This is a well thought out tent that is easy to setup and take down, and was plenty big enough for our family (of four) camping trip. Only reason this is not a 5 star rating is due to the battery operated nightlight - which was completely inadequate, and which ended up in the trash.

I just joined a camp club and bought this tent in Dec.07. I set it up in big winds in my backyard first as people have suggested. We had no problem. But I have set up many tents. It worked beautifully in high winds in Jan. Held all my stuff and a porta potty. I just used it last month, and not much wind. I set it up by myself in the dark. But, when I took it down, I noticed one of the blue shock cords was splintered half way down. I have no idea when this happened. I am going to try to get another one before my trip this month. Other than the shock cord issue, I love it. Hopefully I won't have a problem getting the shock cord replaced. If I do, you'll be the first to know, lol. Happy camping, Sherry :)

Tent met all expectations for the $, plus. Easy to assemble, easy to dismantle...great air flow, easy access. Well designed tent fly. More then comfortable for (3) using cots or (5) on floor using sleeping bags. GREAT buy for the $ which included shipping.

Had an easy loading storage bag and a few extra goodies not noted in the advertisement.

The tent is very compact when it is packed and can be assembled by one person. The interrior room is great. I am 6 ft and can stand in the middle of the tent. The extra pockets, windows and accesories are all good. it can fit 4 adults and a couple of bags. I can fit a queen blow-up matress in it real easy.

The bad: very hard to clean if you get stuck in the rain...but I guess they all are. also, depending on the heaviness of rain, you may have to get something additional for the top. I have had it leak a little under heavy rain.

I bought this tent in a rush before taking my two small boys on a camping trip. We used once in our woodsy property and again at a lakeside state park in Texas. Set up was a bit confusing at first, especially the entrance brim pole install. The second time we set it up at the park it went very fast. It is a really sharp looking and spacious dome tent and was more than enough room for two sleeping bags and a double inflatable mattress. Head room was very good considering this is a dome tent, and I could stand up in most areas. Ventilation was good, although a cold wind will get in the back window under the rainfly. I used a tent safe propane heater in 30 degree weather and it remained downright toasty in there. It also endured fairly strong winds and light rain overnight with no issue whatsoever. Now for the negatives. If this thing only had aluminum poles I would have given it 5 stars. The fiberglass pole joints use standard metal couplings between each section that snag on every sleeve which is a real pain given that the poles are very long and difficult to push through the tent sleeves while also fixing constant snags. One pole has already split on the end due to stress which is not easy to prevent given the length of the poles. Lastly, during the second take down one pole cord snapped without much stress being applied. It must have been frayed beforehand. So as the salesman said, "fiberglass poles won't last long, aluminum are much better". I'm returning this great design for a tent with better poles. Leo, Austin, TX

If you've read the other reviews you get a pretty good picture of the tent's pros and cons. As other reviewers have noted, two-thirds of the inside back wall of the tent is Columbia's "No-Seeum" mesh. (The rain fly covers this when its on.) If you go to a store where they have a small scale display model of the tent (or even in some pictures) it shows a tent with the inside rear window covered - this is NOT the case in the actual tent. To me, it seems there is a little bit of misrepresentation going on with the marketing of this tent.

My biggest concern with the mesh rear wall was getting a massive refrigerator-cold draft in cold weather camping. I had a chance to use the Columbia Bugaboo on a camping trip where it got down to the mid-30's, winds 6-10 MPH. If there was a draft due to the rear wall I didn't notice it. But, I was also stuffed down inside a 10-degree bag with a knit cap on. No condensation built up inside the tent, either.

It did not rain while we were camping, so I can't comment on the wet weather performance.

One big plus I will reiterate is that you can stand upright inside the tent - a nice feature if you're stuck inside on a rainy day or if/when you're changing clothes.

I read over twenty reviews for this product including some one and two star review. One detail in particular curtailed me from purchasing this tent and I REALLY wanted to buy it, based on all the other details provided despite a few minor complaints. I simply cannot live with a tent that does not zipper fully closed. The comments regarding the back of the tent being an open screen alone kept me from purchasing this product, otherwise, I think it would have been perfect. Sorry.

This tent is very spacious and easy to erect. I love the ventilation and side area for our gear. It is also big enough to hold two twin matresses without eating up all the space. The ability to stand up inside the tent, light with remote and cupholders are nice additions.

My girlfriend and I bought this tent as our first tent, planning to not have to buy one for a while... For the price, the tent is a steal!

Pros: Size for price, bag with (padded) carrying handles, rainfly, accessory holder, dividers, entryway mat, copious amount of windows, ease of assembly, easy-to-clean floor, the zippers are of the best quality, and feature some no-snag technology.

Cons: Needs two people to put together (not that difficult). Even when laying on a totally flat surface, the tent never seems to fully "stretch" out. This I believe is simply due to it being a new tent, and hasn't fully stretched itself out. Aluminum stakes. I hate 'em!

Overall, this is an amazing tent. Never lost a step over three days camping in the cold.

I have spent alot of time over the past few years buying, returning and researching tents. I wanted something that I could stand up in, had a full coverage fly and seemed well ventilated. I began with some Colemans and found that their fly design left alot to be desired. Other tents had great coverage, but not much ventilation. Surfing through Amazon I saw the reviews and decided to pick up the Bugaboo.

I'll just say that this tent has everything I've been looking for. Full coverage fly that can be partially opened up for more ventilation. The Cyclone system that also allows air through even in rain adds to the overall "airyness" of the tent. No stifling condensation here. It was easy to set up with two people. More importantly it was by far the easiest tent I have ever packed up and stored. The bag it comes with is perfect, I didn't even need to expand it!

Used it for the first time last weekend at Devil's Lake. Ihave to admit that I was freezing cold, but the tent held up well in high wind and was just the perfect size for three adults. It wasn't rain tested on this trip (something I am very thankful for) but we'll have to see how it performs in the rain next spring. The only things I would change about this tent are the stakes that it comes with and I would also like to see a full coverage vestibule.

Highly recommended tent. I spent alot of time searching for just the right one and I believe I've found it in the Bugaboo.

We upgraded to this tent after a year of a small (7'-9') tent that we had to crawl in and out of -- and we are not so young anymore, it was really hard on our knees. Plus, having only started tent camping last year, we had not wanted to spend a lot on a tent until we knew we were really in to camping. Our first camping trip with this tent not only showed us what a good buy it was but also that we really are tentcampers! We went on a 3-night trip to North Carolina last week (mid-October). The first night the weather was great; the second night, high up on the Blue Ridge Parkway (4000'), it rained pretty much all night; the third night was extremely windy and turned cold. We had no leaks (and hadn't sealed the seams) and the tent held up wonderfully in the VERY strong winds. We are getting faster at setting it up and my husband insisted on trying it by himself the last time and had no problems. It is so spacious and our dog loves her own little doors.

This is a great tent. It is easy to set up--two of us set it up in 15-20 minutes with only occasional references to the directions. It's pretty darn self-explanatory. I took it down by myself while talking on the phone and it couldn't have been easier. Alot of reviews have expressed doubt about sleeping 5 people in this tent, but we comfortably fit 2 adults, our 3 boys (ages 5, 7, and 10) and our 75lb English Setter. With our car on site to stow some of our gear, we had no problems. Excellent tent for the money!

We had originally purchased a tent from a Big-Box store for family camping and Cub Scout campouts. That tent lasted 2 campouts before the tent stake loops ripped 2 holes in the floor. We decided to invest more money into a quality tent. The Columbia tent was easy to set up, plus the cargo doors and vent openings add a lot of value. The zippers on the rainfly were very useful in ventilation. Remember the old saying, "You get what you pay for"!

Great tent and easy to set up. My 8 year old daughter and I set it up in about 20 minutes and took it down in about 10 minutes. We used it camping along a river and the fog became very heavy causing a mist that was almost like rain. This tent did the perfect job of keeping us dry from the ground up. We used a queen sized air mattress and there was enough room for another one if needed. This is a great family tent.

Fantastic product. Exceeded my expectations.

I'm not a "camper" and it was an easy set up with a couple of fellow city people.

The light doesn't come with batteries.

Didn't put up the rain fly so we could watch the stars. Amazing.

Nice and airy.

I FOUND THIS COLUMBIA BUGABOO TENT VERY EASY TO SET UP AS ALL OF THE FIBERGLASS TENT POLES ARE COLOR CODED. BLUE GO IN BLUE SLEEVES, YELLOW POLES IN YELLOW SLEEVES. NEVER EVEN HAD TO LOOK AT THE DIRECTIONS. WHAT I DID FIND IS THAT THE CENTER OF THE TENT GOES UP MUCH EASER IF A SECOND PERSON LIFTS THE FIBERGLASS POLES THAT PASS OVER THE TOP OF THE TENT WHILE THE OTHER PERSON FASTENS THE FIBERGLASS POLES TO THE METAL CLIPS ON EACH CORNOR OF THE TENT AT THE BASE.
THIS BUGABOO TENT IS GREAT, LOTS OF ROOM,FOR MY WIFE, MYSELF AND TWO LARGE DALMATION DOGS. NO ONE GOT SQUEEZED. THE TENT IS VERY WATERPROOF AND NEVER FOUND ANY LEEKS OR WATER IN THE TENT. I LIKE ALL THE SCREEN WINDOWS UNDER THE RAIN FLY THAT CAN BE OPENED UP TO KEEP THE TENT COOL ON HOT DAYS.
IF YOU BUY A BUGABOO TENT CHECK THE SCREENS AND WINDOWS FIRST TIME YOU SET UP THE TENT. WE HAD TO RETURN OUR FIRST TWO BUBABOO TENTS BECAUSE I FOUND THERE WERE SEVERAL PENCEL SIZE ERASER HOLES WHICH COULD ALLOW BUGS THROUGH. THIS WAS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT WHEN THE TENT WAS MADE.
OVERALL THIS IS THE BEST TENT I'VE EVER HAD. MY WIFE AND I AIRPLANE CAMP IN A SMALL GENERAL AVATION AIRPLANE, BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE VERY WEIGHT CONSCIOUS. THE BUBABOO WORKS WELL WEIGHT WISE FOR US.

I've used this tent twice for one night each time. It's pretty painless to set up, although having two people definitely helps. It's difficult to find the sleeve in the rainfly for the rainfly pole. Other than that, not too bad.

The tent has held up well. It ventilates nicely and those doors on the side of the main door are great for the dog to go in and out. I love the fact that I can stand up in the middle of the tent. The storage bag that comes with this tent expands so you needn't roll the thing precisely to pack it up.

On the down side, I found the rainfly difficult to line up over the tent so that it would be completely snug. Also, the stakes that come with the tent are a little flimsy. I bent the first stake that I tried to push into the ground (using my hand, not a hammer). Since then, the rest of the stakes have been OK.

I bought the tent for $120 or $130 and I was very pleased with that price. it's a steal at $100.

Only used this tent once since purchasing and it performed well. Set up was a breeze. Tent accommodated two adults and two kids with ease. Second night of camp came a downpour for an hour or so and we stayed dry. We sealed the seams and only had a little seepage on one of the bottom seams. This could have been eliminated had we planned better for drainage. Only complaint was the remote control light but that wasn't a buying point. Overall we were pleased with the tent's performance.

I used my new Columbia Bugaboo Tent for the first time. I really like it.
Takes about 20 min to set up but worth it.
Very nice construction. No leaks. And it packs back into the furnished bag.

After the initial set up in my back yard, this tent only took about 20 minutes to set up by myself when I took it camping. It is spacious enough for a family of 4 to sleep comfortably and has some nice little extras that weren't expected like 2 gear stowing cubbies on either side of the door, a battery operated interior light with a remote and a cargo sling on the roof of the tent. We did have some rain on the trip but we stayed dry as a bone in this tent. No problems whatsoever. Also a cinch to take down and stow. The tent storage bag is expandable and I had room to stow my ground cloth in there too. I highly recommend this tent for it's ease of set up and great value.

For the price, this is by far the best tent I have ever used. Set up is fairly easy and could possibly even be done with one person, but two definitely makes it easier. At 6'3", I could basically stand up when I needed. And for the two we slept in it, it may as well have been a bedroom.

The first time out, we were caught in a nasty storm on the shores of Lake Superior. Winds exceeded 50 mph with heavy rain for hours and tents all around us collapsed. Ours rode it out without an issue other than just a few drops of water entering from presumably the zippers of the side compartments next to the doors. We had, and I would recommend, oversized heavy-duty stakes for the eight main ground attachments. I believe this definitely contributed to our success in the storm as the stakes that came with the tent may have pulled loose in the sand.

This tent withstood POURING rain the first night out. We stayed dry although a bit of water dripped in from the rainfly zipper seam midway up the back side of the tent. I had not put any seam sealer on at this point but did that later. We were using a footprint under the tent as well.

Used this tent on 2 campouts so far. Goes up easily. The stakes are lousy at best. The ground has been very hard here the last few months. How much more would it cost Columbia to supply decent stakes? I'd even pay any extra 10 bucks for them just so I wouldn't have the aggravation of having to purchase new better ones right away.

So far I would say I'd buy this tent again. Has some nice features with the overhead storage, cup holders. Oh, one last thing. The remote controlled light lasted 30 seconds, went out and has not worked since. Bad bulb? I don't know. I think the remote control is a bit over the top but , if it's 10 degrees and I'm in a warm bag, I guess the remote would be a nice thing to have, that is, if the light worked.

We purchased this tent for a 23 day summer airplane camping trip. It was easy to pack, store and put up. We took a test trip in the Sierra Nevadas with our dogs, and they loved the side doors, they thought they were their doggie doors! We put it up the first time after dark and had no problems. It was 39 degress at 10,300' and we were comfortable - plenty of head room too. Also, the vent system worked well in heavy rain and wind and most of all in 'very humid conditions' at the Oshkosh Fly-in. A queen air mattress, chairs and all of our stuff, we still had room to play cards during the rain. It was perfect for our needs. Others across the country asked 'what it was and where they could get one'! I recommend: Buy Bugaboo!

I bought this tent after checking a lot of reviews on Amazon and other sites. It has spacious floor space with plenty of overhead height to get dressed standing up for the wife and myself. It goes up fairly easy with one person but a LOT easier with two. Floor space is enough for 3 with gear, 4 without gear-with room to move around, but I don't see 5 unless it's with people 5'5" tall or less and no gear.

I thought the tent was well made with a lot of features of higher end tents. The poles are colour matched to the sleeves they go through and when assembled there are ties that hold the poles together to make the tent rigid. Also there are about a dozen spots to stake down to make the tent stay put. As others have said, get different stakes. The original ones are ok but only for a little while. I have several different ones for different soil conditions, from previous camping seasons.

The first night I used it with my daughter it was breezy and cold and no rain. We got very cold due to lack of heat retention. The tent did very well with the original stakes.

The second night it was also cold then we had light rain for about an hour and half to two hours. Again the tent did really well without any leaks from any part of the tent. This surprised me after some of the other reviews said theirs had leaked in spots.

In all, the tent is spacious, comfortable, tall, and sturdy. This will be a great spring, summer, and fall tent for the family. We will have to purchase new sleeping bags for cooler weather, as it didn't hold the heat in, due to the mesh and height. It isn't light, at 21 lbs it is not a backpacking tent. But it is also affordable . Others I priced were going to run me a 2-3 hundred dollars and up for the same size and features. As long as the poles hold up, and it is taken care of, I see this tent lasting a long time.

When I ordered this tent I was needing a tent for 3 people to hunt out of. After I set it up I was extremely disappointed with how small it actually was. I put a cot in it and there was not much room left for anyone else. This tent went up very well. One very frustrating thing was every time you came out the front door you hit the rainfly pole and knocked it down. I believe you could comfortably put two people camping in this tent for more than one day. Three people if you had to.

My wife and I (and our dog) have used the tent a couple times now and love it! We were looking for a larger, and taller inside tent then our 7' x 9' Coleman dome. The Columbia Bugaboo is easy to set up, but of course we set it at home one evening before taking it out on a trip. Should do that with any tent. Although we are slightly disappointed at the dimensions not being as large as the 12' x 9' that they market this at, it is still a lot bigger than our old dome and a really cool inside "floorplan". Great height (76")! I doubt this thing will sleep 5 like they claim. You could probably sleep 4 and have room for your bags though.
Stays dry in rain! Stays warm on cold nights (you will need to use the rain fly to stay warm because the whole back half of the tent is screen, which I like!) and cool when it's hot, due to the Cyclone Venting System (vents at the bottom of the sides that you can zip open and closed).
Columbia really markets this thing well with all the little features and gadgets like quick-release buckle system on the rain fly, two hanging cup holders, removable door mat, Cyclone Venting System, remote-controlled outside light, triangle area dividers, two storage foot locker small door thingies, cool carry bag with handle, the overhead cargo net, and so on, but once you get the tent set up and are using it, you will see that NOT ALL those features are that great.
I do really like the cup holders, the venting system, the light (for when I am coming back from the restroom and flash it couple times to see where the tent is), and the quick-release buckle system on the rain fly, and the little door thingies on either side of the main door are cool, but like some reviews stated, the zippers get stuck on the fabric really bad on those little doggie/cargo/foot locker doors so we didn't use these as much as I thought we would (these doors are part of the reason I bought this particular tent). None of the other zippers are a problem like reviews said they were?!?!? We also don't use the ridiculous triangle area dividers, not sure what the purpose is of those. We like the idea of the overhead cargo net, but it is in the way for a 6 foot tall person like me, se we don't use that either. We would use the supplied door mat, but it takes more time at set up and we prefer to use our own door mat.
I have seen people complain on these reviews about not having a "footprint" or tarp for underneath not coming with the tent, but I rarely see those provided with tents in this price point so relax people and go to Lowes/Home Depot or Walmart/Target and buy an $8 12' x 9' tarp!
Overall, this tent is awesome! We love it! Seems to be very quality and that is the most important thing to me. Features are cool, but didn't use all of them. And for the $119.00 price that I got it at, you can't lose!
Buy it!