I purchased this tent last year and have used it 5 times. The first time I set it up I had a pole snap. Called LL Bean and a replacement was in the mail. This was the only issue I have had with this tent. So I find myself this past weekend (Sept. 5th, 6th, 7th) camping at Hermit Island in Phippsburg, Maine when the remnants (Some remnants) hit on the 6th around 4:30pm. I spent the next 12 hours in this tent nice and dry with plenty of room, even had a fellow camper hang out for a bit while it poured so hard we could not even hear each other talk, we just laughed about it! Plenty of tent room and very nice screen area! Tent ideally takes 2 people to setup in about 15 minutes, a little longer if you set it up by yourself.
A few years back we purchased this tent from an LLBean outlet store to go on our first camping trip as a family. Since then we've used it a number of times and have been completely satisfied. I'm still giving this tent 5 stars even though it states it can hold up to 6 people. It didn't take us long to figure out we didn't fit in there comfortably (even with little kids) especially when you factor in the sleeping bags and backpacks for each child. We solved that problem by purchasing another tent by LLBean. Now all the kids stay in the "big" tent and mom and dad in the "smaller" one. We've even gone through a few nights of pouring rain and never got wet! It has been a great investment for our family and the times we've spent together.
I purchased this tent over a year ago and to be fair, one has to use something more than once to review it. It's been set up and broken down at least 10 times, all without any problems. Even alone, it goes quickly, other than the fly in windy conditions. This summer has resulted in torrential downpours quite frequently and during a 5 day stretch, with heavy downpours each day followed by hours of rain, the main compartment remained dry. In fact, the downpours were so severe, I could see the water rippling the floor of the tent as it passed underneath. Still, we and clothing remained dry. My only negative comment would be the design feature of the fly overhang above the screenroom entrance. Rain water will drip here, onto the screen, and enter the screenroom. Keep in mind, that this is meant as just that, a screenroom. Whatever needs to be dry, such as clothing or sleeping bag, should be inside the main compartment. While it indicates that it will sleep 6, I've learned long ago not to use that as a criteria, but to look for the features I need in a tent. Certainly the LL Bean quality is there, I would not hesitate to purchase this item again.
I used this then for the first time this week at Hermit Island, Maine. It stayed stable and very dry in some torrential downpours . Even the screen room stayed relatively dry. Assembly of the tent was simple, although the directions for the fly were a bit vague. Storage pockets around the tent are a nice feature, as were the lantern clips in the tent and screen room. We camped with two adults and two kids and used a queen and full air mattress. Two queens will not fit in the tent. The two air mattresses don't leave much room for anything else. I can't imagine sleeping 6 people in this tent, but 4 slept comfortably. Another essential item is the footprint. I provides excellent ground cover. This tent is a little pricey, but it is worth spending the extra money on a quality product.
