Customer Reviews
our new favorite tent... 
2008-07-23
Just the right size for two ;-) (we like some space). Very easy set up - I did it the first time by myself in less than 15 minutes. very comfortable with the air vents. and the "doggie doors" were an added convenience.
i was a little worried because even though it says the seams are sealed, i wasn't very trusting... but, no worries!! we had NO water issues inside the tent despite a 3 hour torrential rainstorm... and it rained like that all three days every afternoon.
also, it FITS BACK INTO THE BAG!! WOOHOO!!
i like being able to tie back the fly to air out during the day (when it wasn't raining of course). it's my new favorite tent and was also a hit with our neighbors and friends camping with us! i highly recommend it.
Roomy 4 person Family Tent 2008-07-19
Four teenage girls used this tent the first time out. They were able to hang out, stand up, change clothes and play board games in it. You could get 5 persons in it, but you won't have much wiggle room. Without the cover, there is allot of screen. With cover on, there is plenty of light and ventilation due to all the openable options. There was no rain, so that condition was not tested.
It was very easy to set up (harder to take down and pack it back in the bag).
All in all, it is a great tent.
Easy set-up, nice features 2008-06-25
This tent might be hard to set up with one person, but I was able to set it up easily with my six-year-old helping.
Very nice size -- can hold a family of six, although six adults would be tight.
Different from some other models, it allows for a lot of ventilation with the rain fly on, because you can unzip the rainfly at all three windows.
Not much privacy with the rainfly off, though.
Some nice features, such as a light, cupholders, and little doors on the side of the main door to retrieve or place items outside.
EASY set up, Lot of room. 2008-06-21
I am new to camping and had never set up a tent before. Set this one up in the back yard with help of one other person. Easy!!! Next I set it up by myself - no problems. Tent is light weight, designed just right to make it possible for one person (even me!) to set up and take down without any problems. It is a pretty tent (important ot us girls), lots of ventilation, and it is nice to be able to stand up. However, I don't like the idea of sleeping on top of other people (unless I know them really well). This tent is very comfortable for two adults, OK for three, and cramped with 4.
Would have been a 5 if the zipper didn't break 
2008-06-20
We've had this tent since 2005 and used it over 30 times in the past few years - with no problems - until now. The main door's zipper would not stay sealed even though it is suppose to self repair. We don't use the storage lockers except as "doggie doors" by our 3 dogs. We sleep in 2 twin sized air mattresses on the outer wings of the tent and leave the middle for gear, dogs, and table with light.
I have no problem setting up the tent myself without my husbands help - here is the trick: (not for windy situations)
1. Thread through both blue tent poles just until they reach one end where you can put the pin in, and stake those into the ground.
2. Push against the staked end and lift until the poles arch upward.
3. Put the pins in, and continue with the yellow poles and clips.
I am considering the newer tent as a replacement; however the model I have has a skylight and different rain fly - I would rather just have our zipper fixed.
A fine tent 2008-06-04
Columbia Sportswear Company was founded in 1938. Columbia Sportswear Company began as a small family-owned distributorship and today Columbia is one of the world's largest outerwear companies. The history begins with Paul and Marie Lamfrom. They fled from Germany and settled in Portland, Oregon. Paul and Marie opened up a hat distributorship and named their company the Columbia Hat Company. They took the name from the nearby Columbia River. Today, their 82 year old daughter, Gert, is the Chairman of the Board and her son, Tim Boyle is President and Chief Executive Officer. Columbia Sportswear Company has a wide-range of stylish, and functional products to choose from. Columbia is famous for their Interchange System. This concept was developed in 1982 and made Columbia a leader in the outerwear industry. Columbia first started with an interchange jacket which was made for hunting and featured a weatherproof outershell with an insulating inner jacket that could be worn together or separately, thus making each parka three or four garments in one. Because of the popularity of this garment, Columbia applied the same concept to a ski parka and called it the Bugaboo™. The Bugaboo became one of the best-selling ski jackets in history. In 1991, Columbia developed a waterproof, breathable coating Omni-Tech which makes it now the second-largest user of waterproof, breathable fabric in the world.
Average Construction 
2008-05-27
Don't assume that Columbia is the highest quality. While the tent is incredibly roomy, it's construction is average. I would compare this tent to a tent that one might purchase at a large chain department store.
Pros: Inner height is about 6' which allows an average person to stand in the center. Lots of ventilation is a definite advantage in warm weather. Side pockets and gear loft allow for storage.
Cons:
The front lacks a vestibule which results in some potentially serious leakage around the door. Poorly sealed seams and stitching result in tears and leaks. The poles are made of cheap and easily frayed fiberglass. The rainfly does not extend to the ground, leaving the bottom quarter of the tent open to the elements. Cheap stakes do not work in sandy soil.
Great Tent - Be aware size includes storage area 2008-05-16
If you're buying a Columbia Bugaboo, buy this one. It is the Bugaboo I. Columbia has replaced this I with Bugaboo II and it isn't nearly as good of quality as this one. Even the bag of the II isn't as nice. The floor in the II is much thinner and a different material than this one. The accessories, cup holders and storage areas are cheaply made in the II. You can tell the difference in color, the I is blue and yellow, the II is green and blue.
Be aware of the 9' x 12' size and that it includes the storage spaces on either side of the door. If you use cots or need a particular length, the actual useable size is closer to 7' x 10'. That probably works for many.
I had to return mine because we needed a true 9x12, but after putting it up and looking at it, I thought it was a great tent. You would always use the rain guard because of the mesh, but with the zippers on the rain guard you can open it up to allow breezes in during hot weather. Likewise with the lower vents.
The light and door mat are a bit gimmicky and I doubt much use.
nice tent, but lots of mesh 2008-05-08
I mostly purchased this tent because of the size and it didn't look like it had large spans of mesh. The former was good, but I was wrong on the latter. The whole back wall of this tent is mesh, and I just couldn't tell that from the picture or the description(even after going back to look). I think this will work out ok, but i'm going to sew over the mesh for my purposes, which will be a pain. I was able to set this up by myself, though it definitely went slow and would have been quick with 2 people. I couldn't figure out where the triangle 'dividers' went, though they seem to just cover the small shoe corners. I haven't had an opportunity to actually go camping in this yet, but I look forward to it. I don't know about fitting 5 people in here with all their stuff-it would be pretty cramped.
Finally, the right sized tent! 2008-04-24
This is truely a great tent. Love the center height and the ability to stand up and get changed. We use this with a queen sized bed, a folding chair and plenty of extra room for the suitcase and odds and ends. We have used the buddy tent heater many times with this tent and it is just a great all around Mom and Dad tent. We recently purchased another on sale...just in case. For anyone tempted to Cpap while camping...this is the tent for you. The battery is easily accessable using the small access doors. As far as leaking concerns...this tent is great. We also pitch one of those folding 10X10s from Walmart and we say nice and dry.
