Coleman Cortes Octagon 8 Tent Review

Firstly it is designed with end user comfort in mind.  Gone are the days when camping was only for those who enjoyed enduring hardship.  The Coleman Cortes Octagon 8 is designed with an embodied experience of enjoyment in mind,  to upgrade your camping and festival experience.  Bright and spacious, it is less like a tent and more like a sheltered outdoor space that protects while it connects you to your surroundings.

It is airy, spacious and sheltered, with 360 degree views leveraging quality of contact with your environment in the unzippable strikingly colored multiple panels.  This make the tent not only easy to identify in a crowded field of others (particularly important when you have children and are using it as tent for the whole family.) but means the panels can be rolled back to offer the potential for wonderful daytime views depending on how and where you decide to pitch, and zipped closed at night for privacy.

Body Friendly

It has standing room throughout, so no enforced stooping for the duration of your holiday; and it has mesh panels throughout so if you choose you can have a cool through draft in warm weather;  but in any event these features mean a comfortable temperature can be maintained whatever the weather with the airflow also reducing condensation.  This makes it a great choice for people who are heat sensitive or claustrophobic.   It is also bug-proof due to the taped seams throughout, so less exposure to mozzies, particularly important for the elderly, infirm and children and a consideration appreciated by everyone.

Portable

Talking of comfort it comes in a wheeled carry bag that weighs only 21 kg making it easy to wheel to your pitch, whilst still leaving one hand free to carry some other essential - it does not have to be lifted. 

Time efficient, easy assembly

It’s features like this along with the only 15 minute, easy assembly time, which we think are invaluable after a long drive or when you have little ones or elderly relatives along.  The color coded poles can make this easy pitch a family affair with everyone able to help and muck in.  This also makes it a potentially good choice for people who have health issues and who can still be active with support.

Use of Space

Thought needs to go into use of the night time space.  You will need to think carefully about how you place your camp beds as there are no sides to snug into once the circular inner space is clipped on. So if you use the clip on room divider this creates the privacy you are looking for but due to the shape, use of the space cannot be maximized.  Bulky blow up airbeds will compromise how many adults can make use of one room however without bulky air beds, you can comfortably accommodate 4 adults in one room.

Structure

Sturdy steel poles mean you have a secure and stable frame to withstand summer rain and winds.  This along with the strong and fully integrated groundsheet ensures you remain clean and dry.  The tent material is polyester and as is the current industry standard practice, it is also sprayed with a fire resistant and waterproof coating.  This means peace of mind comes at an initial price as when it is initially unpacked it has the same chemical smell as the vast majority of new tents.  We suggest pitching it in the garden for a couple of weeks to enable the smell to subside and to protect the sensitivities of those who may be vulnerable to the initial strong smell of the chemicals.  In tests it was found that after this initial period the smell subsides completely whilst leaving you with the added protection that a fireproofed and waterproof shelter offer.

Unique Doors

It also benefits from a reinforced, hinged front door.  Gone are the days of being on your hands and knees trying to catch a flapping tent door in the wind!  This door enables you to enter your tent at full height offering total convenience.  The rear door also has a window and both doors have a peaked shelter from the rain when entering and exiting the space.

Versatile

The tent’s innovative design also means if more privacy is needed the room divider is easily clipped on and zipped up enabling a division of the space into two.

It’s construction also means you can pitch it without the fly sheet meaning you have a meshed protected space to use as you choose.

All in all we think the Coleman Festival Octagon 8 man tent with 360 degree surrounding view is a design success, delivering an easy to assemble, moveable space that connects you to your location, protects you from heat and inclement weather, and allows differing levels of privacy to ensure all your camping and festival needs are taken care of at a high standard.