Coleman Cobra Backpacking Tent, Black, Blue, 3 Person

Product Information

A great, little compact tent that is robust yet lightweight, offering weather protection for up to 3 people a wedge shape and mesh pole sleeves provide enhanced weather protection. Absolute bargain price and a must-buy for lightweight or entry-level campers. Ripstop Nylon – a durable material used in tents which is strong and repairable due to its Ripstop properties. To further test its endurance, one month later, I took it to the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales, UK. I was walking the 186-mile coast path over a period of 2 weeks. The weather was unusually sunny for September and I wondered how it would fare against heat and salt winds. Yet again, it surpassed my expectations. In terms of weight, something a touch lighter would have been great for a hike of this length, but when considering its price point and comfort rating over those 2 weeks, I can hardly complain.

Coleman Cobra 2 Man Tent Review - Thrifty Hiker Coleman Cobra 2 Man Tent Review - Thrifty Hiker

Fire Retardant – all modern tent fabrics are fire-retardant under EN5912 European Safety Laws. Caution with fire must always be used, as flame retardant fabrics, will still catch fire given the right circumstances.I think it’s this first-timer market that the Cobra still serves best. Seasoned ultralight campers will no doubt squirm at the thought of a 2kg tent. But the fact is that the Cobra is a totally solid and reliable performer for the budget-conscious camper.

Coleman Cobra 2 Tent for Trekking Tours, Camping or Festivals Coleman Cobra 2 Tent for Trekking Tours, Camping or Festivals

The 2 poles used to pitch the canvas are aluminium 7001-T6, which is a light and sturdy material. The larger pole runs across the apex of the tent and is fed through a pouch on top. The smaller pole runs across the width of the footwell and is also fed through an outer pouch. Once the poles are inserted, clips attached to the fly can be hooked onto the poles to stretch out the canvas and provide more tension. As mentioned, the Coleman Cobra 2 has low clearance and can be pitched among trees. The floor space is not as narrow as some tents, and an outdoor area of 2.2 m² is recommended by Coleman to pitch the tent on – although less than this will do in emergencies as I often found out! This means to fully stretch out the tent and to make the most of its waterproofing and wind-resistant abilities, it needs to be pitched on a spacious area of land. This is somewhat limiting if there is a lot of vegetation, trees, or uneven ground in the intended camping area. Cleaning the Cobra 2 Erecting: given the condensation issue I was never able to leave it all attached together so putting it up was a bit of a faff compared to other lightweight tents. I also concluded I prefer a semi or fully self standing design. Only when the tent began to reach +6 weeks of full-on wilderness use did the floor begin to lose some of its waterproofing ability. Bearing in mind that I never use a groundsheet, this is pretty good going. Bring this review up to the present, the canvas of the tent is still as waterproof as ever and not one tent peg has been bent or guy rope broken. Storage When WalkingThe tent isn’t warm per se and is more suited to 3-season camping. It can be used in frosty and even snowy conditions, gathered the user has all appropriate cold-weather gear such as a down sleeping bag, insulated sleeping mat, foil ground layer, hat, gloves, and thermals. But the tent shouldn’t be relied upon in isolation to keep you warm during a night’s camping in sub-zero temperatures. The Cobra 2 has dual vestibules – the inner compartment has a zippable door flap on both sides. However there is only one exterior door flap which can be irritating if camping with two people and someone has to climb over the other person to get out. It had rained non-stop for the last three days. A storm was sweeping west off the North Sea and battering against northern England. I was about halfway through my week-long hike along the Hadrian’s Wall Path – an ancient wall built by the Romans 1,900 years ago. I was camped on an exposed ridge in Northumberland National Park. It is a fly-first pitch which is useful as it prevents the inner module from being exposed if you’re in bad weather. The inner module comes pre-attached to the outer canvas. So, you can unroll the tent and pitch it in one, with the inside of the tent never being exposed to the elements. It can be easily set up by a single person. If you keep the groundsheet low to the floor, this tent can be pitched in challenging conditions. In good weather, it can be erected in under 5 minutes. In high winds, a bit more care may be needed but it’s still perfectly possible to do alone.