Coleman Instant Up 4
Verified36 reviews
This tent is very easy to setup. One person can do it with a 6 year old running around in no time. It does indeed block a lot of light and I believe it is cooler than a regular tent. However, the durability is rubbish. Three times it has been used. Three times it has had damage due to light to moderate winds that it should be able to withstand and… Read more
much cheaper tents did. The stitching is weak as. The material is thin. After three uses it won’t be getting a fourth. Complete waste of money
Dear Coleman, since you are monitoring these reviews would you kindly answer if the darkroom fly is able to be purchased separately?? Since the polyurethane coating only lasts an avg of 3 years judging by online reviews, surely Coleman can provide product support at an affordable cost. Hopefully will hear back soon as I have a 4p and 6p that need… Read more
replacing and I have really had no other issues with these tents and want to continue using them in future tours. For those having issues in the wind, make sure you are setting it up properly and use larger pegs if necessary. The pegs that come with it are too small for proper wind resistance.
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Beginning of last year I brought a 10 men tent for 1 person, that was me for the Bathurst 500 car racing, it was terrible so I left a brand new 10 man tent at the tent site, and then I looked into the Coleman Darkroom 4 or 6 man tent and when they say darkroom it's bloody dark alright. I brought it for $350.09 club prices and I took it to last… Read more · 2
weekend Townsville V8'S Supercar race & before that was the Bathurst 1000 race in October last year and Bathurst 12 hour race February this and again last weekend at Riverside Convention site, Townsville. I had a esky side fridge/freezer in it, king single cot and mattress my clothes it rain and it did not get wet inside at all everything was dry because of the main tent with the frame DON'T USE TENT PEGS AT ALL USE A BATTERY HAND DRILL AND SCREW IN TENT PEGS , saves so much time and $19.00 for 15 screws in hand drill tent pegs makes life so much easier so I brought 2 boxes that 30 screw in the ground tent pegs comes with the screw head adaptor for the hand drill and it takes seconds to drill into the ground and then tied them the rope for the tent. Set the temp pegs to halfway only then you put the main dark roof over the frame tie it off and it doesn't touch the other frame or the other tent at all so it does get wet and water drips through once the outer covers on your eyes the rest of the tent poles to the height until it locks in then with the tape ropes used screwing tent and pegs and tighten the ropes up. Coleman dark room tent is a must when you get home in the afternoon from the car racing and you want to sleep you just shut everything up it is so much cooler being so dark and it's like night time and you get to sleep and you wake up round about three o'clock in the morning to start unique cash shift again. Coleman has outdone themselves with these darkroom tents they are the best tents ever. I was under a tree so I took photo of the tree and the Coleman Darkroom 4 person Darkroom tent. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of inside the tent as it was pretty messy inside. I also suggest with the tent lines as you will see in the photos best to buy at least three or four extra tent ropes lines in case they break. I highly recommend Coleman's 4 or 6 person Darkroom tent for camping as it cooler in the hot parts of the day, don't leak when raining, pleanty of room an I highly recommend the great price of $350 in getting one of these Coleman's dark room tents either four person or a six person , if you go on your own four person tent is fantastic. Again I highly recommend this tent.
Reviews with attachments
Excellent – Absolutely a breeze to put up and put down. I just took this tent out to Menindee Lakes and the Mundi bash. Was faultless. I set up by myself and took down. Plenty of room for two stretchers and space for getting dressed and keeping your gear organised. The windows are good for letting in a breeze and also for sealing off the wind on cold nights.… Read more
We were faced with a strong storm one night and the tent was faultless. I would not hesitate recommending this tent to anyone. I want another one for my two sons to sleep in. Thank you Coleman for being so damn reliable.
Seams peeled off after 2 uses – Owned the tent for 4-5 years. Kept in garage. Opened it up for 3rd time. Seams had totally peeled off and whole tent stank of glue. Water was pouring in through the fabric. Thought Coleman would be more customer orientated but not interested as out of warranty. Manufacturer fault in my opinion. Show details
In-depth reviews
A simple, strong and great value tent – We have used this tent on 7 occasions and found it to be excellent. On a recent outing we encountered a severe windstorm at Goondawindi which brought down several large trees and roadsigns across the town. Our instant up tent could not withstand the high winds estimated at well over 80kph. All guy ropes were well secured and the tent was simply… Read more
blown flat onto the ground. The good news is that no permanent damage was done. The only problem was that 2 of the knuckle joints had broken, the fabric, fly, groundsheet were all fine. With the help of Brook at Colemans head office in Sydney and coordination with Sarah at tentworld inToowoomba I was able to simply have new joints fitted and it was good to go again, and has worked as new since. So a few things come out of this experience, its a great tent, very strong. If it gets damaged it is simpe to replace all parts of the mechanism. And finally, Colemans customer service is exceptional and they help wherever possible.
Really good value for money – I purchased an Coleman Instant-Up 4 Silver because our expensive bigger tent takes too long to assemble and put up. We have used this tent extensively. In 2017 we've done the big lap - around Australia. Over 20,000km we slept in this tent nearly every night. We have not experienced a lot of rain in it, but from cold to hot nights, no worries. … Read more
Since then, we have made several other trips taking only the Instant-Up, and not our big 3-room tent. Why? It takes less space and goes up much quicker. We have done the NSW Outback, the Victorian Alps, the Vic Coastal Road, Kosciusko, etc. My experience with strong winds is different from that of the person below. Camping at Jindabyne in Autumn, we had winds of over 100km/h. I woke up in the middle of the night, put in a few extra pegs, and tied the ropes to our trailer. Next morning, our tent and fly-sheet were still standing - undamaged - while a lot of other campers around us had their tents and awnings blown into the lake. Not bad for a $200 tent. (The tent was sheltered behind the trailer, so pick your spot before pitching).
On hot nights, we often don't cover the tent with the fly-sheet, but sleep under just one layer. Quicker to pitch and take down. Talking about which, my then 10 year old son had no trouble putting the tent up by himself within 5 minutes. Or taking it down. The 4 person tent is bit cosy for 3 people over several months, but quite liveable. You have to leave your shoes and luggage outside though. But bugs stay out as well.
The only criticism I have for this tent is that it is quite snug to fit into the bag after take down. Tent pegs are quite flimsy (ie bend easy). So far nothing has broken or ripped.
I am writing the review now to help me decide if I should upgrade this tent, as my wife now insists on taking the dog camping with us. And I reckon I may go for the Coleman Instant Up Dark 6P. Slightly larger, slightly better materials, same design.
Finally Tenting Nirvana – Its taken me a while,at last I have found a tent that doesn't give me the irits,Easy to set up,even in wind its not to bad,i like to hang the fly over frame before erection :-).has withstood strong winds and while it flaps around a bit inside when windy pegging all the tie down points alleviates this. Have darkroom model with extra vestibule and… Read more
well worth the extra 50.00 bucks,heaps of space,comfortably sleep two adults on stretchers for 4 people get the 6 man tent.The claim of reduced sunlight and reduced temperatures in tent is true.
A couple of negatives,one of which is up to user,be careful not to pinch your fingers on the frame slide when packing up.The other is the size of the included pegs of which there are 30 odd,they are like tooth picks and you will need to upgrade at least twenty of them for confident wind proofing of basic tent and fly assembly.I am not going to knock a star off for this because it is off set by a carry bag which is bigger than some and allows for a bit of grace in packing up the tent.
Enjoy
Positive reviews
Great tent for all conditions – I’ve got the gold darkroom version. Had it for over 4 years. We go camping all year round, in any weather. It’s proven to be reliable in wind and rain, and I easily set it up and pack it up by myself. If anything, it works too well, because it is designed to be dark, which can be annoying in the day time. Would recommend to anyone, nothing has broken or failed in that time Show details
Illuminated Northstar Coleman I up 4P – Had it for 3 months, no leaks in floor or walls during 7 days of heavy rain & strong winds. 2 weeks ago heavy rain was 90mm overnight. Usually tent is set up for between 7 to 21 days. Got the hang of putting fly on & attached then lift legs. Reverse when packing up. Does fit in bag, must use the straps & roll it up. I use "real" 8mm x 250mm pegs… Read more
on the corners with supplied pegs elsewhere. Love the lights and the dark coating, great ventilation with floor vents. So far it's been a great investment.
Weather tent – We have had this tent for seven years and in that time we have used it in most weather conditions. Last week we camped on Moreton island at northpoint where it was subjected to 35 to 40knot winds and it didn’t budge. We had it under a tarp but it was open to driving rain and wind. The fact that you can close the windows without having to brave the… Read more
elements and it had hooks for torch or lights is good. Each side pockets which you can place keys, iPads and small items is good. Even though it is a 4 man, nice you put a double bed inside there is little room for bags. The length means that your feet touch the door but it didn’t affect our sleep. It sets up easily after you have clipped it together the first time and packs away like a beach umbrella.
Negative reviews
Poor quality fabric – I purchased a Coleman Instant Up 4P gold series tent from Tentworld, Tweed Heads in April 2021. I have used it 3 times and when packing it up from the last trip was surprised to see two small holes in the fabric, one in the rear wall and one in the floor. I'm a careful camper, rake the site clear of leaf litter, etc and use an OZtrail Ultramesh… Read more
ground sheet. I have used various tents under all sorts of conditions over the past 50 years including a couple of lightweight hiking tents and a well used low cost cheapy. None of these tents developed holes. Very disappointing that Coleman are using a poor quality fabric that's simply not fit for purpose in an otherwise good design.
Snake holes in each corner – Bought this tent from tentworld Perth heading North. First night at Geraldton we set it up went up in 30 seconds but then my wife said i can touch the grass. Really i had a look and each corner had a hole above the floor panel big enough for any snake to get in. Called Tentworld. We did a swap and paid extra for a Coleman Darkroom 6 man thats another disaster story. Show details
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7 nights and fly ripped in lots of places, Warrenty worthless – Hello Happy Campers, Updated review, What more, yes mother, more. Last tent Oztent lasted 5 years, the Colman Gold lasted 7 nights. The wind blew in Port Fairy in a crowded camp ground and from that direction lots a little rips appeared in the fly near where it was pegged .No other tent around me got ripped, just my new Colman Gold Easy Up 4. … Read more
Snowy's, the on line retailer has a very good warranty claim system and got back to me very quickly, "computer says NO".
Now I have the enter the world of assumption. I assume that if these rips were a one off the Colman company would have replaced the fly without argument as it can't be worth much. However if this is a common warranty claim then knocking back my claim makes lots of business sense.
I will see how I go with Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and a claim through Fair Trading NSW. Bet I get a new fly, it is faulty and not fit for purpose.
So buy at own risk and be warned not suitable for normal winds that other tents survived unharmed, well to be accurate mine is a dud.
New stuff, for May 2022.
Dud tent and I have had two more outings, pol stopped working, now my holey instant up is holey not so instant up.
Good news happy campers, Gaffer tape, yes fixes all the holes, just place the nasty black stuff inside and out of the rips as they occur. Fixed and so good advertising for this products quality, good camp ground conversation starter. Plus wrap said magic tape around broken pol, shazam fixed enough for my not so instant up.
Recent reviews
All round great tent – I bought this tent for a 4 month camping trip this year. As advertised, the tent truely takes no more than 2 minutes to set up with only one person. With three windows and a large door, the tent allows for great circulation of air, which is a must whilst up in Far North Queensland. The tents size and height is a massive plus as it has allowed… Read more
me to have a small wardrobe, single bed and shoe rack that fit with ease.
A moderate downfall of this tent is the quality of the flooring which loses its integrity and is prone to tears if any rocks are underneath or a bag is pulled over it.
After 3 months the tent is still holding strong and I have had no issues, even in stone winds.
instant up 4 – I have had this tent for about 10years now never let me down probably about 120 nights of camping all up. Had it out in winds of 80kmh + in Jindabyne and also in bucketing down rain all night never let me down always well pegged down the only thing I have done to it is I sprayed it with nikawax water proofing a few times over the 10 years just for added security will be buying another as its getting a bit old Show details
Easy and Quick To Erect – Very easy tent to put up and down when using for overnight stops. Had no issues with the wind with all corners pegged down and guy ropes pegged. Made camping so much easier. Show details
Awesome tent – ive had the instant up darkroom 4p set up in gale force winds and driving rain and it never moved an inch or leaked at all .. ive had sun shelters a zempire aero3 an oz trail and they have bent and blown over(the oztrail snapped) my tent stayed up i love my tent. ive now upgraded to the gold 6pv tent cant wait to test it out. im guessing if a… Read more
tent is not properly set up and guyed out any tent will fail in even the mildest of rain and wind i wont own any other tent 10 stars i owned the 4p silver before i upgraded to the 4p darkroom and it was awesome as well
Performed well – Used 4p instant uo for the first times. Had 5 days if constant rain and thunderstorms most nights. Stayed dry as a bug. Loved the ease if setup and dismantle. Show details
average – Bought the 4 person instant up gold tent,the poles the make this tent stand are useless,come apart at the elbow in the wind,the telescopic part stops staying up,the spring ball that keeps the poles from sliding down into each other loses its place(you will know what i mean if u have one of these tents) very average quality,useless warranty
Does not like a strong wind – Very easy to put up and down. Great if you have to do this on your own. The third time we used it though a cold front came through the South West of WA and gave about a dozen hours of 40 to 70 km/h winds. It apparently is wind rated to 80 km/h but I am not sure what that means. One of the elbows manage to break the holding screw which then put… Read more
extra force on one of the other legs and bent one. The Coleman guarantee does not cover wind damage. Patched it up for about $30 but I am not entirely confident in it. WA does have a lot of wind and this is not the tent for this state.
LEAKING TENT – 1 year old tent, used 3 times, bought in September 2017, we love camping thought we'd do ourselves a favour and get this easy to put up tent. It's great to put up and pack away for sure, and it was a reasonable price bit here's the bad news.... IT LEAKS IN THE RAIN we noticed a wet floor, on inspection noticed water leaking in all 4 floor seams,… Read more
very disappointed will never recommend this product, not nice when bedding down and the bedding is wet. Certainly will NOT recommend this product.
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Good, but use the guys if windy – Great tent, super easy to put up and take down, warm, condensation not a problem, love the window options. We used it in Albany WA. We camp a fair bit, so it probably did about 40-50 days in the 14 months we had it. It collapsed once when the wind got up and I hadn't guyed it (wasn't windy when I put it up, doh). However by the time it… Read more
collapsed it was super windy so I tried to fix it up without unpegging and managed to bust one of the (rather flimsy) screws that hold the joints together. We fixed it and it lasted a few more months, but then collapsed again, this time from fully guyed, in a strong wind. This time the crown piece broke and poles poked up through the flysheet and tore it. Its a write off. I like the tent but not keen to spend $250 year on tents so we are going to try a Black Wolf. But highly recommended for occasional camping.
Edited: the Black Wolf did not last as long as the Coleman, even at twice the price. Disappointing!
Simple & Excellent Quality – We bought it specifically for our cross Australia Trip due to the quickness of the set up as we were moving a lot and it was great. We ditched our 8 person tent in favour of this Coleman and we can't fault it. It's survived rain, 90km wind and many many camping trips. Highly recommend.
Good, though not *as* good as they say – There's nothing wrong with the tent, but there is no way in hell it can be set up in 3 minutes. Three minutes will get the inner frame established if you're very goid, but pegs, fly and cords will take another ten at least, and that's after you spend significant time trying to decipher the instructions, which direct you to hooks and "electrical… Read more
cords" which simply don't exist. In the end, you'll need to disregard trying to follow the instructions faithfully, and simply peg it down as best you can.
Once you *do* get it up, it's a good enough tent, plenty of space, plenty of windows. When you take it down, however, be really careful with the central pole, because it's damn easy to get your finger caught in it as you fold it up, causing excruciating pain! And that's happened to two other people I know, not just me
Great in theory but once poles stick, it has to be binned! – Bought the Instant 4 in 2013 and have put it up once maybe twice per year since. Just tried putting it up for the first time this year and two of the roof poles that are supposed to slide out of each other have stuck. I've had a few blokes stronger than me try and extend them but to no avail. There is no obvious sign of damage on either, but… Read more
without them working then the whole tent is useless.
The few times I did use it prove that the concept was good, and indeed it appeared to be a well made item.
Anyone want to buy my model for spares?
Incredible tent – This tent is incredible! It's lightweight, inexpensive and easy to set up! I have camped using this tent for two years now. During this time I have found myself in two storms. The tent did not leak and withstood the windy conditions. Not a single drop of water got through and the rain was bucketing down during both storms. During warmer weather… Read more
if the widows are open it's not too bad and during colder weather, zero degrees and below, it does gets a little cold but that's to be expected so snug up.
The tent is just as easy to take down. I love this tent and would definitely buy it again!
Good for overnighters – Very easily set up and take down. Stayed dry during wet weather. Needs a fly for heat and light transfer. Very hot during the day and very bright during the night under camp ground lighting. Great for long journeys where you want a minimum of set up time for overnight stays. Would like to obtain a fly that also extended into an awning for longer stays.
OK except for poles – This tent is ok except for the poles...used it twice, on the second occasion the poles wouldn't lock into place or they kept collapsing. Made some mods with a hammer. If it wasn't for the rubbish poles I'd recommend it.
Great quality tent! – Made from quality materials, this tent is very easy to set up and to take down when finished. Either way, it only takes minutes. It packs away neatly without the need of an origami expert. Attractive price, very good value for money. Highly recommended.
Brilliant tent, does the job just fine – Bought this tent because we were sick of the effort putting a supposed four man tent (that barely had floor space for two) which had the flexible dome poles and was a PITA to erect and even worse to un-erect. This truly does go up in about one minute, about another five to get fly over and straight. Putting the pegs in is extra but depends on… Read more
ground hardness of course. Packing it up is a challenge, takes a little longer to actually dismantle but it takes some time to compress it enough to get it in the carry bag.
I'd give this 4.5 stars if that was an option. It's not perfect enough to rate as 5, we have two gripes:
- guy rope "tension lockers" are flimsy, hard to tighten and sometimes come lose.
- one of the tent peg spots is missing (from new, built that way) the plastic lug on it, making it hard to clip the fly and peg it all down on that corner. Of course the first time we used it was 1200km from home so we couldn't prove it for warranty purposes when we got home 6 weeks later.
Get the full fly version, it gives the sides much better rain protection.
Replacement for Macpac Olympus – Senior citizen dedicated to camping needed headroom. Good tent easy to put up. Put cable ties through zippers for quick grip. Recommend extra ground sheet. Bit of a battle to get all back into carry bag
Good for a short time – Good for the short stay we had however the zip was so taunt it broke a few times. Very disappointing and left a red mark on my hand from how hard it was to zip.
Great for short camping trips/festivals – Very easy to put up. Great color to find in a crowded camp site. My only complaint was that the door zipper constantly caught. Just down to bad design and not a major issue over all. But by day 4, with 4 people in and out it did become annoying. Bought it almost at half price $120. Glad i didn't pay more as the zip did bug me.
Great Tent – Purchased a 6P model for trip to Moreton Island recently, Tent went up quick & put on Fly, had a ground sheet underneath. Heavy rain & some wind for first 2 days, tent stayed dry inside. Very happy went back & bought 4P for kids. See how it goes over time
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