Are you looking for a big tent for your very next family camping? Then, you should have a look at Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent.
As the name reveals, this tent is spacious enough for 8 people of a family to share the night within. It also comes with essential features for outdoor activities such as water-resistant fabric cover, removable rainfly, breathable mesh windows, a large front screen room, and more.
On the other hand, you will want the manufacturer to change some parts that you will want to improve in this Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent to get a complete camping experience.
Keep reading to know more about the pros and cons of the tent and make a wise decision.
Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent in Brief
What to expect from the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent?
- Sleep Capacity: 8 person tent
- Base: 16 x 11 ft. (192 x 132 inches)
- Center Height: 78 inches
- Eave Height: 61 inches
- Area: 98 sq. ft
- Screen Room: 60 sq. ft
- Door Style: Inverted "T"
- Floor Material: Welded polyethylene
- Frame Material: Fiberglass
- Stakes Material: Steel and plastic
- Carry Weight: 27.3 lbs
As can be seen, the tent is designed for a group of people who have less time or experience in camping and tent building because the setup is super straightforward. The design of a separate “living” screen room and another “sleeping” main room is very convenient.
Although the tent is not very durable and weather-proof, its construction is still firm and reliable. More importantly, the mesh-filled construction can keep the inside of this little haven dry and cool all the time.
Keep reading to get insight into every part of this tent.
Who Is This Tent For?
First and foremost, I would suggest the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent for 4-5 members with their pets and some extra gear and luggage. 8 people might still accommodate within the tent as advertised, but make sure some are kids and if it is ok for a bit dis-comfort.
The tent is also suitable for a couple who desire comfort and space. You can even have a queen-size bed in one room to spend your night and the screen room to sit restfully and watch the outdoor scenes. That way, your sleeping space is also clean and dirt-free.
Secondly, the tent is most recommended for summer or places where there are not heavy rains, winds, and snows because the fabrics are not excellently water-proof. Meanwhile, the construction is also not wind-withstanding.
An In-depth Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent Review
1. Size
The very first thing to consider is whether the camping tent’s size is in keeping with that of your group, especially when you have extra friends, dogs, and gear, etc.
The Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent is advertised to be spacious enough for 8 people. However, please remember that there is no industry standard for a personal dimension. Simply put, your companions might be big people or those who often toss and turn at night. It is recommended to upsize your tent by two or three people, and it is also better to sleep with a bigger-than-average elbow room — no need to tightly fit.
2. Base
The base dimensions are 16 x 11 ft., equivalent to 192 x 132 inches. The area is 98 sq. ft.
As you can see in the advertised image, the arrangement is ideal, yet only if you are average and traveling light, meaning you hardly have additional stuff. Instead, at least 30 sq.ft per adult person plan space so that you can crawl inside and stretch out comfortably. Also, in case you wake up in the middle of the night for a natural call, you will not step on your tentmate.
Thus, I suggest the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent for a group of 5 people if some are kids and dogs, along with 4 extra gear.
3. Center Height and Eave Height
The peak height of this Wenzel tent is 6.5 ft. (78 inches) and the eave height is 5 ft. (61 inches.) At this rate, a 6-ft adult can comfortably stand and sit up in the tent. If you have taller companions camp with you, then he might be a bit uncomfortable.
4. Weight
Together with the size, the weight is another critical factor.
Most of us want a tent that is both large and light. This is a challenge because you need to trade-off. The additional space will increase the overall weight.
For that reason, it makes sense that this Wenzel tent is a bit heavy. The carry weight is 27.3 lbs. Nonetheless, if you plan to camp with your family, we bet that you have a car to transport things. Then, weight is not a big deal.
You can also divide the weight by transporting the tent, poles, stakes, rainfly, etc. separately.
5. Tent Style
With the dimensions above, you can expect the tent to have a cabin style - high and straight in the center even to put two bunk beds in the main room. And you have another smaller room for your kids. When you require to check up on them, just open the door between two rooms. In drawbacks, tall tents like this are more collapsible in strong winds.
It is also worth mentioning that the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent is a dome-style tent because it has a dome roof on the top supported by vertical-side poles to improve the stability. However, the tent is not stable enough when having something on the roof, such as snow in the winter.
6. Materials
Now, speaking of materials, choose ones that are durable under any weather and handle, especially when you are camping outdoors. In this case, the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent seems reliable enough.
Accordingly, the floor is crafted with the welded polyethylene. This material is supposed to be water-proof and UV-stable, as well as hold up well without shrinking or stretching. Nonetheless, this is not the case of Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent. Consumers reported that the floor is thin and not wholly water-proof, and it also does not withstand UV. To make up for the lightweight material, the tent is well double-stitched, and all threads/webbing/zippers are treated to be water-repellent.
The frame is fiberglass, which is good to know. This synthetic complex compound material will not rust and corrode. Along with steel uprights, the frame stands high and is easy to set up.
Sadly, the fiberglass is not as durable as the aluminum poles. It also tends to shatter easily. So, you had better go for a thick and bulky frame. Fortunately, that of the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent is quite sturdy.
7. Ventilation
Coming in a style and material as above, this Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent has excellent ventilation.
First off, the ceiling is completely meshing so that you can take off the fly and enjoy the clear starry sky.
Secondly, the spacious main room features big windows with zippers and mess. The upper top is kept open with a protective flap front awning for air circulating all the time and increasing the ventilation while it protects the room from rains. In addition, there is gigantic mesh everywhere in the porch room - around and above. Thus, even when you zip all the doors and windows, the air still has chances to get through.
I also like that the T-style door is possibly left open to leveraging the ventilation of the tent.
All in all, the airflow is promoted to the tent's ins and outs to reduce the possible condensation and keep you cool on a summer night.
8. Weather Protection
Although it is not clearly informed in the product description, we believe that this tent is a 3-season one or more specific summer tent.
Accordingly, there are almost all weather-protection features. For example, the mesh construction as above helps with the ventilation airflow. Or, there is a rainfly roof available to distribute an excellent view while you are still warm and fuzzy against outside rains and winds. The polyester material is also dry and comfortable.
The tent well withstands downpours. However, it is not for winter camping when the violent winds and rough snow can hit you anytime. At this time, you will need premium sturdy stakes, poles, and ropes. The floor, in addition, should be completely water-resistant. Moreover, the tent should be freestanding. Yet, obviously, the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent is not sufficient that much.
9. Assemble & Disassemble
Excitingly enough, this tent is huge, but it is easy to set up within 20 minutes or so by following the installation guide coming with the package or some online tutorials.
No worry about crisscrossing poles or too much fabric that gives you a lifetime headache. Instead, just spread the tent and stake the floor. Then, add the two long rods in the main room's sleeves and the other across the screen room’s top. Next, install four vertical poles with four plastic elbows of the main room. The other two are for the screen room.
Besides, remember that the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent itself is non-freestanding. You must choose to camp in a suitably flat ground if you do not want to be flipped over in the middle of setting up. Fortunately, there are steel and plastic stakes in the package to keep the tent staked out and more stable.
10. Accessories
The tent itself is not enough. You might need some tent accessories. For example, it is better to have a plug flap to pull the electric cord through instead of zipping it in the tent opening. Or, there is a lack of the overhang rain fly so that you do not need to close windows in case of blowing winds.
11. Price & Warranty
You should not pay cheap for a family camping tent because you will desire the most comfortable and enjoyable experience.
A rule of thumb is more expensive tents come with more robust construction. In other words, the high-priced tent is supposed to last longer in the end.
Mentioning the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent, I have to claim that this is not the highest-quality family tent that I ever experienced. Thus, its price is also not too costly. In contrast, it is surprisingly cheaper than my expectations. Furthermore, the tent comes with a 10-year warranty by Wenzel against defects.
My Own Experience With The Tent
I bought the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent last year and have had it with my family camping twice: once in the summer and once in the winter. The earlier experience is tremendous, and the other time is not as pleasant as we had expected.
Overall, the tent was easy to transport in a car and by two adults - my husband and I, as well as our biggest son. We also find no harshness with the setup and put down.
The capacity was also decent enough to accommodate our family, having four members and one big husky because we had two separate rooms.
On a summer night, the Klondike Tent showed itself as a strong performer. It did not trap hot air and let it sit in the tent but circulate through the mesh surface and the rear mesh vent. We can even lift the rainfly to watch the beautiful summer sky.
My main concern about this tent was its durability and water-proof features. My experience with the tent in the winter showed that the seams were relatively easy to rip under strong winds, and the fiberglass poles were even snapped. Even worse, in the morning dew, some parts of the floor were wet and cold. Fortunately, we had thick bunk beds in order not to wake up all soaked. Not to mention, too much air flowing through the mesh openings made it rather cold during a winter camping.
Pros & Cons
1. Pros
2. Cons
Alternatives to Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent
If you look for a great-value family camping tent which gives a balance of price and features, then the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike is a good choice.
Nonetheless, if the price is not your main concern, you can have a look at the following alternatives.
Both the Coleman Montana and Klondike Tent are advertised to be comfortable to a group of 8 people. The Klondike tent is even a bit larger. However, what the Coleman Montana better is the ventilation and water-repel features.
This is thanks to some additional bells and whistles such as the angled windows with awnings and WeatherTec system, including the weather-protection polyester coat, webbing, anti-wicking thread, and zippers. As a result, the heavy rains and strong winds are kept outside.
KingCam provides another 8-person camping tent for you to consider - in comparison with the Wenzel Klondike tent. What makes this tent different from what we are reviewing is its slight edges and waterproof layers.
In the daytime, you can open the two rainfly doors to get an extra space under it where you can sit for a chat or so without worrying about rain or sun. At night, you can take down the layer and have it cover your tent. It might trap hot air, yet it is ideal for winter camping.
At a similar price as the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent, the CORE 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent is even more spacious. As the name suggests, the tent is super-easily set up.
You do not have to have camping experience before to handle the tent. Just remove it from the package, extend the poles, and lock. Especially, the “H2O Block” technology is adopted to hold the tent in roughly wet situations.
Wrapping Up
We have completed with the Wenzel 8 Person Klondike Tent review.
So, in the end, should you buy one? - Obviously yes, besides the fact that the tent is not ideal for winter or wet campings, there are not many disadvantages to complain about its price and features. Otherwise, you can have a look at some alternatives that we already brought under your fingertips.
I hope all are helpful and that you can make a choice for your very next family camping picnic.
