One of the great things about camping is that it is easy to pop away somewhere for the weekend without breaking the bank.
Weekend camps are typically one night, though maybe two if you can get away Friday night.
You, therefore, don’t want to take a lot of gear as setting up takes time, and you’ll be rushed to set up, have an evening meal, go to bed, only to wake up and take it all back down again. No fun at all.
Single Bedroom Family Tents
Depending on how big your family is, you may decide to opt for a single bedroom tent.
Yes, these will be very cosy, but if you don’t mind sharing these are quick and easy to put up.
Also, the fact that these are smaller will encourage you to take less stuff for the overnight camp, which will also make life simpler in setting up and packing away.
You don’t need to go to a small backpacking type of tent though, as there are a few great family single bedroom tents.
Two Bedroom Family Tents
Typically though most families would opt for a two-bedroom tent, enabling some separation between Mum’s and Dad’s room and the kid’s.
There are quite a few smaller two bedroom tents that are great for just a single night’s camp….though could be a bit cramped if staying longer. You can also find some larger two bedroom tents that are light enough to use on both weekends and holidays but will be a bit bulkier to transport and longer to pitch.
What Next? Use the Filter
Below is our list of tents we’ve reviewed and think would be a good choice for weekend camping.
Use the filter below to refine the list to help find your ideal tent.
The Outwell Norwood 6 tent has many of the features of the more expensive Outwell family tents but in a more affordable package.
The tent has a smaller living space than some of the more expensive tents. However, this smaller size will make the tent easier to use for short weekend camping. And with the addition of the tent extension, you can add more space if you need it for longer family camping holidays.
The Outwell Norwood 6 provides flexible family camping. If you don't want an inflatable tent and want a tent that is good for both longer and shorter camping stays, you get a lot of features for a much-reduced price compared to the more expensive Outwell tents.
Value for Money
9.4
Features
9.3
Family Friendly
9.3
Quality
9.3
Practicality
9.2
PROS:
The three bedrooms provide a flexible sleeping option for many families.
The tent has three zones: sleeping, living, and front wet/dry porch area.
It's not too big for weekend camping, plus you can get an extension for longer camping trips.
Colour coded poles and pegs to make pitching simpler.
4000mm hydrostatic head material with taped seams.
The material is fire-retardant and rated UPF30+ to help protect your family from UV rays.
When pitched properly, the tent is rated up to wind force 8 (a gale!)
The excellent Quick & Quiet door on the main bedrooms.
Bedrooms are 215cm long, which is longer than standard.
The bedrooms are darkened for a better night's sleep.
All the windows are tinted, which helps with privacy.
All windows have toggle-up blinds.
CONS:
Although cheaper than the larger Outwell tents, if you want to use this for a more extended camping trip, such as a week in the summer school holidays, I recommend getting the Outwell Universal Awning for this tent (size 5). The awning cost will, of course, stretch your budget further.
If you are on a tighter budget, only have one or two kids, and want to get away camping at the weekends, the Coleman Aspen 4 is well worth considering.
While it might not have quite as many features as some other tents in the Coleman range, it does come with features not normally found in this price bracket, such as a 4000 mm hydrostatic head, no trip entrance, and a wind test rating of seven on the Beaufort Scale.
If you are on a tighter budget, only have one or two kids, and want to get away camping at the weekends, the Coleman Aspen 4 is well worth considering.
It may not have all of the features of some more expensive tents in the Coleman range, but it still packs some features you don't normally see in this price bracket.
Value for Money
9.8
Features
8.5
Family Friendly
8.5
Quality
9.2
Practicality
8.7
PROS:
Lay-flat no-trip groundsheet at the large tent door so you don't trip going into the tent.
4000 mm hydrostatic head. Most tents in this price bracket only have 3000mm.
Small shelter on the front of the tent makes it easier to get in and out of the tent if the weather isn't as good.
Darkened bedrooms for a better night's sleep.
CONS:
Ideal for weekend camping. If you want to stay longer, such as several nights for a family holiday, we recommend looking at the slightly larger Coleman Aspen 4L.
If you want features like mesh to keep the bugs out, look at the Coleman Meadowood 4.
This is a great tent with lots of features.
It's lightweight and simple to pitch. The size makes it ideal for a few nights camping at weekends. For longer stays, we recommend looking at the Coleman Meadowood 4L, which gives you a bit more space.
Value for Money
9.4
Features
9.2
Family Friendly
9
Quality
9.3
Practicality
9.2
PROS:
Easy to pitch, inflatable tent.
BlackOut bedrooms for a better night's sleep.
No Trip Entrance.
Flexible choice for cable entry.
CONS:
None. Though if you want a tent for a family camping holiday where you are staying a handful of nights or more, consider the slightly larger Coleman Meadowood 4L tent.
The Vango Valencia II Air 450 Tent is a great tent for families with one or two kids. Ideal for family camping holidays and not too big for weekend camping either.
Value for Money
9.4
Features
9.2
Family Friendly
9.4
Quality
9
Practicality
8.9
PROS:
Great living space with inner living area and porch.
The Coleman Castle Pines 4 BlackOut is packed with features and comes in a bag that's easy to store, easy to transport, and easy to pitch. We recommend this is an ideal tent for weekend camping for a family with one or two kids.
Value for Money
9.9
Features
9.2
Family Friendly
9.1
Quality
9.4
Practicality
9.1
PROS:
Packed full of features (See the Specification)
Darkened Bedrooms
Lay-flat Entrance
Zip-up blinds
Good tent material with SPF50 to help keep UV off you and your family
The Coleman WeatherMaster 4 Air is an ideal tent for a family of 3 or 4 with smaller children, who want to turn weekends into family camping adventures.
This is not just a regular family tent, but from Robens, there are design features that make this tent ideal for those that want to spend a lot of their weekends going camping.
Value for Money
9.3
Features
9
Family Friendly
8.5
Quality
9.2
Practicality
9.1
PROS:
A tent designed for regular use, with hardened alloy poles, tough material, and re-enforced pegging points.
Comes with a porch and a large flexible front door.
Two side doors.
One side door can be used as a sun shelter.
All doors have bug mesh.
Darkened bedrooms.
Adaptive inner.
Lots of storage pockets.
Lightweight and small pack size for a family tent.
CONS:
It would have been good to have the tarp poles included.
This is a really popular tent and one you can't go much wrong on for most families wanting a base under canvas for their summer holidays.
Value for Money
9
Features
9.7
Family Friendly
9.7
Quality
9.9
Practicality
9.4
PROS:
Good layout with plenty of living space.
Front porch for additional shelter.
Useful enclosed side door.
Flexible opening doors with bug mesh.
Larger bedrooms, darkened, and with Quick and Quiet door.
Large vents for better airflow when the weather is hot.
Outtex 6000 Pro tent material with a whopping 6000 mm hydrostatic head.
Steel tent poles.
Tinted windows.
A really good price for the features and level of specification.
CONS:
Steel poles can be heavy. The tent comes in two bags to make that easier, but check you have transport space for both bags and don't leave one of the bags behind when you go to the campsite ;-)
As I've mentioned already, I think the Outwell Oakdale 5PA is a fantastic family tent, with plenty of sleeping and living space, and lots of great features for family camping holidays.
Value for Money
8.9
Features
9.4
Family Friendly
9.4
Quality
9.4
Practicality
9.3
PROS:
Great sized bedrooms
Darkened bedrooms
Really good living space
Flexible front porch option
Good ventilation for when it does get warm
Carpet and footprint available (optional extras)
CONS:
As with most inflatable tents, the packed size of the tent can be large, so make sure you have space to get it to the campsite along with all the other items you'll want to take.
We've based our review on our experience with the Vango Mirage 300 but adjusted for the specifications of the Helvellyn 300, which is slightly smaller and has a lower hydrostatic head.
Despite a lower HH, this is a great tent for the money.
If you are after a large tipi tent, with canvas material, ready to take a wood-burning stove, and yet easy to pitch, then the Robens Klondike Grande could be just the perfect tent for you.
The Robens Klondike Grande is a large Tipi tent at a reasonable price. It's polycotton and easy to pitch, plus it's ready for use with a wood-burning stove.
Value for Money
9.2
Features
8.6
Family Friendly
7.9
Quality
8.3
Practicality
8.9
PROS:
Traditional yet high-tech.
Simple to pitch and not bulky to get to the campsite.
The Outwell Parkdale 4PA is a great smaller family tent, and a good size to throw in the back of your car for a last-minute weekend camp. Although this tent is smaller than the many larger Outwell tents, it doesn't skimp on features.
The Outwell Rockland 5P is slightly smaller than the larger Outwell Family Tents but still is crammed full of features. We think this tent is ideal for a family of four, giving Mum and Dad a little more space in the three-person bedroom. :-)
