I'm new to camping. This is the first time that I've done camping. It took me 3 hours to set up the whole thing, but again, this is only because I am new to camping. Having said that, the instructions in the manual are not too helpfull. So, I just did a search on youtube for how to assemble the Tangkula 4 in 1 tent. Yes, this tent is called, Tangkula. At the time that I was writing this it will be 7 days that I slept in this camping bed, and so far it's been a very pleasant experience. I am in Toronto and it was November 20, 2024 when I posted this. I have been very warm the entire time granted, I sleep with many layers of clothing. I also sleep with 5 very thick blankets which helps to keep the heat I generate underneath the blanket. Sometimes, I get too boiling hot so I have to peel off 1 or 2 layers of my blankets as well as remove my socks. The self-inflating mattress pad is alright but I'm petitte at only 5'3 weighing only 103 pounds so it is comfortable for someone my size. But it will not offer much padding comfort for persons much heavier than this. Having said that, the pad does not prevent cold air from entering into the tent from underneath the cot. You get really cold so I used 5 thick winter coats as insulation. I simply layered them up on the cot and they've worked remarkably well at keeping out the cold and freezing air and wind. I plan on getting a 4-inch foam mattress topper for maximum insulation. The rainfly, I keep it on my tent and it works great at keeping out a lot of cold air. It also helps to retain your body-generated heat within the tent. Regarding condensation, I was very surprised to see how NO condensation forms in the actual tent every morning. But there is on the rainfly, however, it only appears on the doors and no where else. The rest of the rainfly both underneath, and on top is completely dry every morning. And it's the same with the actual tent. It is completely dry every morning both underneath the tent fabric and on the top part. I use a small towel to wipe away as much of the condensation as possible from the rainfly's doors, and then I flip them open and leave them like that to help them dry much faster. Winds, I still haven't experienced how this tent will hold up during high winds like 37 kilometre winds. But so far, it's been holding up very well during winds between 15 km up to 27 km. The cot moves during high winds but it is still sturdy in its construction. I haven't yet experienced how the rainfly holds up during violent rain storms but based on many reviews found on www.tangkula.com both the rainfly and the tent keep out the rain very well. Having said that, I affixed a thick clear vinyl tarp over my rainfly just in case. I'm also happy to say that it too does not produce any condensation. It is completely dry every morning. The only drawback about buying camping things is the risk of receiving something that was already used. My rainfly came with what appeared to be bits of food stuck on it. And it also had what looked to be grease splatter within the same area. So, this was rather disappointing. Having said that, the tent is cozy and so far, worth the money. If you visit the official Tangkula website and do a search for this tent you will find some pretty impressive facts about it. You will be very happy about everything you learn, believe it! Have fun in your new camping tent bed!
UPDATE: November 21, 2024
There was torential rain last night mixed together with very high winds at around 37 kilometres and the tent held up incredibly well. The loose fabrics from the rainfly and actual tent swayed back and forth but not the frame of the tent. It remained firm and still the entire time. As mentioned in my comment above this one that it appears the construction of this tent is very, very good. Good quality in every sense.
UPDATE -- November 26, 2024
The tent and rainflap held up really well in winds of 31 km that lasted for hours. The frame was quite strong and sturdy. The only thing that happened was that the wind moved the tent/cot from its original position. It shifted one end of the cot about 1 foot forward. I was not inside at the time, and this why the tent/cot managed to shift positions. This tent is a really good quality for it's price. You're getting a lot for your money.
UPDATE: December 22, 2024
Toronto gets really strong winds throughout the winter. The strongest wind that we received around 2 months ago was 55 km. The tent moved, trembled, and jostled about but it held up remarkably well the entire time and this was all day long. There was no tearing of the tent or rainfly
or dislodging of the rods. However, the wind did manage to unzip the doors of the rainfly. I notice this happens during winds from 25 km and up. In order to keep this from happening I join the 2 elastic bands that are attached to the bottom corners of the doors where the doors join together with a shower curtain ring. This works very effectively to keep the wind from unzipping the zipper.
