One of the greatest joys in life is a good old camping trip. One of the biggest challenges on those trips is getting a good night’s rest. If you have ever slept in a tent with 4 other people you understand the struggle.
For the hardcore campers out there scoffing at the idea of a multi-room tent and adamantly shaking your head, bare with me for a few minutes. A multi-room camping tent may sound silly to you, but for a family or group of friends that rarely spend time together, they are the perfect fit.
As much as I love solo-everything, from camping to travel to backpacking. There is something special about spending a relaxing weekend with your closest friends and family.
These are not for the ultralight backpacker in mind, these are for lifestyles of the fat and happy while camping.
The Best Multi-Room Camping Tents
These multi-room tents are made for the life of luxury, here are the top 5 multi-room tents for camping.
Browning Camping Big Horn Tent
- Rooms: 2
- Color: Black and Orange
- Dimensions: 187 x 87 x 87 inches
- Weight: 34.75 pounds
The Browning Camping Big Horn tent is large and in charge, the layout is a 15 by a 10-foot rectangle.
It has high ceilings in the middle of the tent so most people won’t have to crouch when inside the tent. It can comfortably fit 6 people and 8 if you really cozy up to each other.
This multi-room tent comes with just 2 rooms, separated by one divider down running down the middle of the tent. The bonus here is that each section of the tent has its own door for entry.
The tent floor is durable as the Browning company has taken care to build a product that has a tough floor that lasts for years.
It has 2 doors, 6 windows, and a mesh room for ventilation on hot summer days. The assembly is easy to set up, it takes two people about 10 minutes on the first try and only gets easier with each attempt.
Pros:
- Easy to setup
- Durable fabric
- 2 doors
Cons:
- On the smaller side
- The top screen allows bugs inside
- Tent poles have durability issues
- Our Browning Big Horn Series is a free-standing tent with fiberglass poles and steel uprights, giving ultimate extra strength and stability
- Two-room wall divider, extra tall center and straight side walls gives more room for cots, sleeping bags and extra gear
- Six large windows, two doorways and mesh roof offer easy entry and ultimate ventilation
- Fully equipped with mesh storage pockets, polyester fly, guy ropes and steel stakes
Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin Tent
- Rooms: 4
- Color: Blue and Tan
- Dimensions: 240 x 240 x 84 inches
- Weight: 49.74 pounds
The Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin tent is enormous, with a footprint of 20 by 12 by 16 feet, it’s large enough for a family of 12 to fit comfortably.
It can be used as one large space, or you can zip up the dividers which give you 1 room in the center and 3 rooms off to the sides of the main room.
Set up and break down can be accomplished with 2 people, however, it’s easiest when you have 3 or 4.
This beast can hold 3 queen size air mattress, one in each room, and 4 if you use the “living room” in the middle.
This tent is so large that you will need to find a campsite that can accommodate oversize tents, and grab 25 x 25 foot tarp to throw underneath to keep the moisture at bay.
Pros:
- Very easy to assemble
- Mesh top is perfect for summer camping and star gazing
- Fits 3 queen size beds in the rooms
Cons:
- Weighs close to 50 pounds
- Not completely waterproof
- Bulky when packed
No products found.
Core 12 Person Cabin Tent
- Rooms: 3
- Color: Green and grey
- Dimensions: 216 x 120 x 79.2
- Weight: 52.5 pounds
The Core 12 person tent comes at us with an 18 by 10 footprint, large enough to comfortably sleep a family of 8. It has two dividers making it transform into a 3 room tent with ease.
It has a large double door on both the front and back side of the tent giving added accessibility and flexibility when choosing your camping spot.
All of the windows have zippers which give this tent decent ventilation on summer days.
It is made with water-repellent fabrics and has a fully taped and sealed rain-fly. When the rain comes it won’t be an issue using the CORE 12 person cabin tent.
The setup and breakdown is painless as it has an integrated pole system to ease the headache accompanied with setting up large tents.
Pros:
- Great size
- Water resistant
- Adequate ventilation
Cons:
- 52 pounds
- Lacks durability
- Bulky packed size
- Instant 2 minute Setup; Sleeps 12 people; Fits 3 queen air mattresses; Center Height: 80"
- CORE H20 Block Technology and adjustable ground vent
- Features two room dividers to create a three room tent; wall storage pockets and gear loft keep items neat and off the tent floor
- Electrical cord access port (port is fully closable when not in use)
NTK Super Arizona GT 12 Person Tent
- Rooms: 2
- Color: Dark teal and white
- Dimensions: 247.2 x 122.4 x 82.8 inches
- Weight: 39 pounds
The NTK is the premium camping line from a Brazilian company. It weighs in at 10 ft x 7 ft, making it more realistic for a family of 6-8, however, 12 is possible.
The floor is made up of heavy duty anti-fungus seamless polyethylene with contains an inner silver coated layer.
The floor is enhanced with a unique bathtub style barrier, keeping all the moisture away from the floor of your tent.
The rainfly is made of double layer 190T polyester, laminated with polyurethane 2500 mm water column, partially aluminum, heat-welded PU, and seam sealed.
The inside has some nifty gear lofts and utility pockets for added storage.
Pros:
- Easy to assemble
- Durable bathtub style floor
- Ultra slim micro mesh layer to keep bugs out
Cons:
- 42 pounds
- Carrying bag is thin and small
- Rare pole durability issues
- DESIGNED FOR QUICK & EASY ASSEMBLY – Fully assemble and disassemble the Arizona GT 12 person instant tent with little to no effort; With only 3 lightweight, reinforced fiberglass color coded poles, our tents for camping weigh 39.77 lbs with a comfortable floor size of 20.6x10.2 ft and a 6.9 ft center height
- DOUBLE LAYER 100% WATERPROOF RAINFLY – Protect yourself from sunlight, rain, and humid weather with the 100% waterproof 190T polyester rainfly of our Arizona camping tents 12 person; The 2500 mm water column rainfly provides full coverage on all 4 sides while the heat-seamed thermoplastic coating offers UV protection
- BREATHABLE MICRO MESH – Featuring ultra-thin polyester micro-mesh fabric on all 3 sides, the roof, its 2 windows, and its 2 doors, the air will easily flow through it; The Arizona 3-season family tents for camping will keep you comfortable and protected from heat, rain, and wind
- LONG-LASTING & HEAVY DUTY – Extra thick Nano-flex fiberglass poles interconnect with double gold chrome plated ferrule hardware and strong elastic, offering a sturdy construction; These high-performance NTK 12 person tents for camping also have a heavy duty carry bag with with compression straps and ID label
Ozark Trail 23.5′ x 18.5′ Cabin Camping Tent
- Rooms: 3
- Color: Blue and white
- Dimensions: 282 x 222 x 83 inches
- Weight: 46.7 pounds
Again, a common theme with all these tents is their large size, making them perfect for families, music festivals, and large groups of friends.
The Tahoe Gear Ozark tent is no different, with 1 divider in the middle giving you two enormous rooms and plenty of space for the WHOLE family.
The center of the tent stands at a massive 7 feet tall in the middle, making it high enough for nearly everyone to walk around comfortably.
This tent has large windows all around it that completely zip up for privacy in the evening, and unzip for ventilation during the day.
The Ozark comes with easy to assemble shock-corded poles with a ring system for setup. It also has a rainfly and is built with 1200mm polyester making it great for both cold and sunny days.
The fly canopy extends out over the door for added protection and it comes with guy lines to hold it down in windy conditions.
Pros:
- 7 feet high in the center
- Has a solar shield
- 2 year warranty
Cons:
- 45 pounds
- Storage bag needs improvement
- Does not come seam sealed
- Brand New in box. The product ships with all relevant accessories
Multi-room tents are perfect for groups
Have you ever heard of the three-day rule? The basic idea is that you should never spend more than three days staying with friends or family, more than that and you get your own place.
While this may sound good in theory, it’s kind of a bummer when you sit down and think about it. Multi-room tents are spacious and a perfect solution when staying in tight spaces, and the best part is you have your own space.
They are made up of more than one room with dividers, or walls if you will, that give you privacy (sort of) and time away from the group. An added benefit is that most of the time spent together will be spent outdoors, doing fun shit, and laughing.
Multi-room tents are awesome for families, in particular, it gives children some extra privacy while the parents are still able to make sure everything is on the up and up.
Benefits of Multi-room Tents
The days of crawling over everyone while unsuccessfully attempting to remain silent when you go pee, or wake up in the morning are over. If you set up your multi-room tent properly then you will be able to enter and exit relatively quietly. Not disturbing anyone else that is sleeping.
As far as organization, multi-room tents fit the bill, they give you more than ample space to neatly setup all your camping essentials. For those who like things easy to find and accessible, a multi-room camping tent is a one size fits all solution.
You can utilize your rooms however you choose. With a multi-room tent, you are going to have more than one room (obviously) and you may not always have all the rooms occupied by people. This gives you the ability to use the extra room for storing gear like coolers, fishing poles, extra bags, and whatever else your heart desires.
Advantages of multi-room camping tents:
- Plenty of space
- Easy to organize
- Added privacy
- Multiple rooms
- People can sleep without being disturbed
- Great for families and groups
Never cook in your tent, EVER!
This is an extremely important reminder. Every year there are fatalities and other tragedies that can be directly attributed to cooking indoors, without proper venting. Unless your tent is designed and vented for cooking inside, NEVER cook in a tent.
Multi-Room Camping Tent Buying Guide
If you are seriously considering a multi-room tent for your friends or family there are a number of things to consider. Factors like size, comfort, weight, and difficulty of the pitch are just a few. We have compiled a thorough list to help you answer every question you may have below.
How much space do I need?
Contrary to whatever you’ve been told, size matters.
Space or square footage is the main consideration when choosing a multi-room tent. They come with 2, 3, 4, and 5 rooms giving you the flexibility to choose exactly how many rooms and how much space is necessary.
How heavy is the tent?
Multi-room tents are heavy, these tents range anywhere from 30 – 60 pounds on average. They take a couple people to carry and finding a spot large enough to accommodate them up can be a challenge.
You also need to ensure that your campsite can handle the footprint of a multi-room tent. Some established campsites are designed for smaller tents and you may have to request a larger campsite for your particular footprint.
Is it easy to set up?
After a long drive, who wants to spend hours setting up their tent? Nobody.
Pitching a tent can quickly turn into passionate relationship-testing argument for the sole reason the tent is challenging to set up. Finding a tent that pitches easily is a must have in order to have a quick and smooth campsite landing.
3-Season or 4-Season tent?
Tents are rated for three or four seasons. The main difference is the temperature that they are rated to handle. If you plan on doing any winter camping a 4-season tent is a important as they are built for extremes.
If winter is not in your camping playbook then a 3-season tent is perfect. These tents are designed for spring, summer, and fall when the conditions are well above freezing.
How much do they cost?
The cost is always a consideration for any purchase that you make, and it is no different with a multi-room camping tent.
They come in a wide range of sizes and prices, and as the old saying goes…
“You get what you pay for.”
Is there a warranty?
Warranty information for these tents vary depending on the manufacturer and a lifetime warranty is hard to come by with anything these days.
Whenever you make a large purchase like this take a little extra time and read the fine print. It will save you heartache and a few choice words.
How long will it last?
Durability is an issue with all tents, again, you get what you pay for. I bought a cheapo tent for camping when I was a teenager that I would keep in my trunk for the unexpected camping trip, it lasted all summer.
These days you can find reliable reviews on the durability of any product under the sun, just don’t forget to do your due diligence before committing to any purchase!
What is it made of?
The material multi-room camping tents are made with varies from tent to tent.
They are generally made of canvas, water-repellent material, or synthetics and are suitable for most of the year. Tent material has come a long ways from the forest green army canvas that we saw in those old movies.
Today, often times, they are made of strong waterproof composite materials. If you want to go old school there will always be a place where you can find a canvas tent.
Is the tent liveable?
This is where multi-room tents shine, they have more room for more stuff. Would you rather stay in a studio apartment or a 3 room house?
When compared to large single room tents, having multiple rooms is definitely easier to deal with in terms of liveability.
Having more than one room makes everything about staying in a tent easier to manage. You have rooms for storage and rooms for the kids. Giving you more privacy, or at least as much privacy as you can get while being separated by fabric walls.
What type of floor does it have?
The floor of a tent is often an overlooked part of a tent, however, it’s one of the most important pieces of a good tent. The floor of a tent is the barrier between the earth, you, and most importantly, wetness.
Some tents come with a groundsheet, while others have a tub style floor which is a reinforced and waterproof thick layer of fabric that protects you from the earth. Either way, it’s important to know whether your tent floor is reinforced, or if you need to bring a tarp or custom fit groundsheet.
The Downside of Multi-Room Tents
They simply are not made for everyone, if you don’t have a large enough group a large tent makes zero sense. They are made with large families in mind, making them, well… Large and heavy.
Setting up a multi-room tent can be challenging the first few times. All tents at first take some time getting used to, and with multi-room camping tents, the learning curve can be longer. This is not always the case, obviously, but something to consider.
Being large and spacious, also makes them heavy and awkward. You will not be taking this on a deep country backpacking trip, not gonna happen. You need a spot that is relatively easy to reach, which has an adequate amount of flat ground.
As big as they are, in windy conditions, they can become unstable. It’s simply a larger piece of fabric for the wind to take. Think of drying clothes in the summer, the largest towels are always the first to go.
A well made multi-room camping tent is going to affect your pocketbook. Being so much larger, they are more difficult to manufacture and use more materials. Making them cost more in production and that is passed on to the consumer.
Disadvantages of multi-room camping tents:
- Unstable in windy conditions
- Heavy
- Can be a challenge to setup
- Cheap ones that have durability issues
- Cost more than an average tent
Conclusion
A multi room camping tent is the first step towards a luxurious and spacious camping trip or music festival. With their size being large enough to accommodate nearly any group size, there is no reason that your glamping experience has to be anything less than awesome.
The added space is something that you really can’t appreciate until you have had the opportunity to stay in one of these tent mansions. Remember to find a spot that will accommodate a large tent, and keep calm and camp on!
