Last updated on November 17th, 2016 at 05:54 pm

The Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 is one of the best camping tents purposely designed to offer the best camping experience. It is suitable for all sort of activities like family camping, car camping, and even Scouting.

1. Comfort

The first thing you should consider when buying a tent, whether it’s for camping or backpacking, is the comfort. The best camping tents should be able to provide the luxury you need throughout the day and night. It should be tall enough that you won’t have a problem moving around, instead of just crawling. Whatever activity you‘re going to use it for, even if you’re just hanging out in it, the tent should be able to provide comfort. That includes protecting you from bugs, rain, or other elements. It should be more than just a shelter in the woods or your backyard; it should feel more like a home. The right tent should be easy to set up regardless of its shape and size.

The Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 is extremely spacious, big enough to fit 6 people and still feel comfortable. Even then, you will still have plenty of room to move around. The tent’s dimensions are 17 ft. wide, 9 ft. deep, and 82 inches high. It has a 6’6″ to 6’10” ceiling height which means you don’t have to crouch when moving around so if you’re a tall camper, the tent will suit you just fine.

This tent is a cabin type, so it will definitely offer you a luxurious camping accommodation. It has 3 rooms (including the screened porch area) with dividers. The sleeping room is about 11 ft. wide, enough to cater for 2 king-sized beds for your whole family, or you could make use of the 6 ft. wide screened porch area as a storage room or as another sleeping area. Among the features that attracts most tent buyers to the Elite WeatherMaster 6 tent are the patented hinged door and self-rolling window. The tent has 2 doors: one is the D-shaped hinged front door used for quick in and out access, and the other is a zippered door to access the porch from outside. The tent also has 5 angled self-rolling windows, equipped with springs, which are designed to keep rain from getting inside the tent.

In the upper wall, on both ends of the tent, are moon-shaped windows which slope back into the tent at an inverted angle. With this design, the windows can remain open for more airflow and still remain dry even in vertical rain. The windows on the upper tent body are large for good ventilation on warm days, and offering a great view of the surroundings. The floorless screened porch area and the mesh roof also provide extra ventilation on warm days. What better way to enjoy camping during fair weather!

2. Weather Resistance

The Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 is a 3 season tent. This means that it can withstand heavier rains and winds. The tent can withstand about 35 mph gusts of wind and even hail. Based on some reviews, the tent was able to hold up beautifully even with rain and strong winds. If you’re setting up camp where the weather could change quickly, setting up the rainfly is the best way to keep you from being soaked in the middle of the night.

One of the coolest features of the Coleman WeatherMaster 6 series is their famous screened porch. This provides a good bug-free place to relax in without having to leave the tent. The screened porch area is designed for fair weather, but can withstand light to moderate rain. It doesn’t have storm flaps or a vertical floor, and it cannot be closed off against wind or rain, but any rain passing through the screened porch walls will fall onto the ground and not onto the floor fabric. The rainfly also covers the screened porch area, so there’s nothing to worry about.

One of the reasons why the tent is called WeatherMaster is because of the rainfly. You can install the rainfly so that it’s not too close to the tent to avoid rain from getting inside the tent. The rainfly extends part way down the wall, hugging the upper tent body and covering the mesh roof. The rainfly can keep most wind-driven rain from being blown under the rainfly or through the mesh ceiling. However, the rainfly does not extend around the doorway, which could catch wind or destabilize the tent in very rough weather. If you’re concerned about rain getting inside the tent when using the main door, there is a way to get around that. You can use the screen porch area as a covered entryway into the tent to keep the rain from getting through the main doorway. The rainfly can hold off rain and wind, but if you’re expecting a lot of rain for a long period of time, just lay a tarp over the tent in addition to the rainfly which might be a good way to stay dry.

The tent uses steel upright poles for supporting itself in the wind. Just make sure that the tent is securely guyed and staked to the ground to resist wind (especially if you’re planning on camping on windy places).

3. Workmanship, Quality, Material

We already know that the Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 is a 3 season tent. You don’t want to ruin your family camping trip by choosing poorly made tents with cheap tent poles. So what makes the Elite WM 6 a good 3 season tent? The material, durability, and workmanship are all important elements that this tent provides.

The tent is designed so that the tent poles can be independent of each other, making it a non-freestanding tent. The poles are color coded with 19 mm steel and 6.33mm fiberglass in length. The poles are attached to the tent body using sleeves and clips, and the poles are attached to the tent base using rings and pin connectors.

The tent floor is made with polyethylene floor material, which is a 100o denier rugged bathtub floor. Because of the floor material, the tent can keep standing water out of the main tent.

The fly and wall are coated with a 75 denier (450 mm) polyester fabric. The coating is actually heavier than most Coleman tents, but it offers a reasonable protection against light rain while still keeping the tent at a reasonable price.

The windows and ceiling also feature a heavy duty, 68 denier Mesh netting material that will keep mosquitoes and bugs away at night.

The Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 utilizes the classic cabin truss tent geometry, which includes 3 to 4 large inverted u-shaped poles, suspending the tent body through the sleeves in the ceiling. Because of the truss design, the tent offers a large interior space at a reasonable price.

4. Ease of Set –up & Takedown

Setting up the tent completely (including staking it out and installing the rain fly) will take about 20 minutes or less. It’s easy to setup and will require two people. Because of the size and design of the tent, an extra pair of hands will definitely come in handy. You can however, take down the tent alone and it would take at least 20 minutes to take it down and put it away in a bag. The instruction manual is easy to follow and comes with images and guides. In addition, the poles are color coded so you won’t have any problems setting it up perfectly.

5. Product Specs

The tent is multicolored.

As part of the WeatherMaster 6 series, you can enjoy a spacious tent, a screened porch area, and hinged door, which is far more convenient than zipping the door open and closed every time you enter or exit the tent. However, there is one added feature that only comes with the Elite model, and that is the embedded light system.

The tent comes with a 100 lumen LED light that can be powered with four D-cell batteries or Coleman CPX 6 rechargeable battery cartridge. You can switch the light into 3 settings (nightlight, low, and high), plus, it includes a floor level switch so you don’t have to get up and down during the night just to turn off the lights. How cool is that!
When it comes to mobility, the Elite WeatherMaster is not the kind of tent you can easily carry around while walking, especially if you’re planning on a really long trek. It’s ideal for family, car, or base camping, but not for hiking or trekking. It’s too heavy for a child to carry, but not a problem for the adults (well at least for a while).

The weight of the tent, when it’s packed, is 42 pounds with a 15” x 9”x 45.5” dimension. That’s like carrying a mid-size microwave and a pineapple. Now imagine carrying them around for 2 hours. Even if the path you’re taking is a smooth one, your muscles are bound to suffer.

6. Key Accessories

The tent comes with guy lines, rainfly, stakes, and a storage sack. The rainfly is a 75D (denier) polyester taffeta fly covering the whole tent, including the screened porch area of the tent. The rainfly can be used to add protection (especially when opening the door) should it be raining. Otherwise, if the sky is clear, you can enjoy watching the night sky through the mesh roof, and installing the rainfly won’t be necessary. If you want to further stabilize your tent or your rain fly, you can opt to use the guy lines included in the package. What’s more impressive about the Elite WeatherMaster 6 is that the guy lines are reflective, meaning, if you’re one of those campers who likes to move around at night, you won’t have to worry about tripping over them.

The stakes included in the package are made of plastic materials and are strong enough to withstand 35mph gusts of wind (provided that the guy lines and poles are set up correctly). But if you are planning on camping in windy places, you might want to consider upgrading your stakes to steel. It would cost extra (around $6 and above), but they are heavy duty and can take the beating from mallets so it will be worth the price. You can gear up your Elite WeatherMaster 6 with some 10-inch steel tent stakes that are great for stony or hard-packed ground. Each package contains 4 pegs of high-impact, polypropylene tops and plated steel stakes.

The tent also comes with a storage bag where you can store all your tent materials. Although you can store all the materials in one storage sack, if you want to increase the lifespan of your tent, it would be better to use a separate storage sack for the stakes and poles. This way, they won’t come in contact with your tent where they could tear up the material.

The tent floor is protected with a patented welded 1000D (denier) polyethylene floor. The Coleman actually pride themselves on their own WeatherTec ™ System as it increases water resistance and keep swater out (waterproof floor and inverted seams). A footprint is not included nor is it necessary, but it would be best to use a groundsheet or a tarp to cover the ground before setting up your tent. In doing so, you can protect your floor from damage, especially if there are sharp objects on the ground that you’re not aware of. Also, the 54 square feet screened porch area does not have a fitted floor. By adding a ground sheet, you can use the porch area as another sleeping room, or just for star gazing without having to sit on the ground.

The Elite WeatherMaster 6 is already equipped with the necessary accessories you will need for camping. It is definitely up to you if you want to upgrade to these accessories, but the included ones can perfectly do the job on their own.

7. Pros

• Embedded light system
• Cabin type. The size of the tent is big enough for 6 persons but can accommodate up to 8
• Can fit 2 king sized beds
• Screened Porch area which can be used as a storage room to gaze at the stars, or another bedroom
• Mesh roof for better ventilation and protection from bugs at night (which is also great for stargazing when the sky is clear)
• Patented self-rolling windows
• D-shaped patented hinged doors

8. Cons

• Although it comes with a light system, the batteries that you need are not included in the package.
• Might require heavy duty stakes (but only for extreme circumstances like very windy places or perhaps in a storm)
• Does not feature an extended rainfly canopy around the doorway
• The screened porch area does not have a floor covering so you might need to place a tarp, groundsheet, footprint, or a mesh so you won’t be sitting or sleeping on the ground

9. Consumer Ratings

The Coleman WeatherMaster Elite 6 has been a favorite tent for campers. It may not be the most secure or the most luxurious tent one could find, but it definitely lives up to expectations, especially considering its price and it has massive users backing it up. People love it because it’s long lasting and very true to its purpose.

Most reviews praise the design of the tent, and its ability to protect when the weather seems harsh. Many people gave it a 5-star rating on Amazon.

However, the tent has also received some fair to poor reviews, particularly regarding leakages when it rains.

Some reviews are based on product defects, but nevertheless, the tent has always been praised because of the comfort it provides considering the price. Read more reviews here

10. Price

The Coleman WeatherMaster Elite 6 is a bit pricey, but you’ll surely get what you pay for. It is among the best-selling family cabin tents – and for a good reason.

If you want to gear up your tent, like buying extra heavy duty stakes for extra security or a footprint for extra protection (especially if you’re planning on camping on windy or rainy areas), that might cost a little extra, but it will be totally worth it. Check the latest price here

Summary

If you’re looking for a tent to carry around when you are hiking or backpacking, the Coleman WeatherMaster Elite 6 is definitely not for you. But if you are looking for a comfortable and durable family sized tent, then this tent will surely work great for you. It can keep you and your precious family or friends dry and warm through whatever weather you are in.

Buying a tent is also an investment, and you want to keep it in the best condition for the longest period of time. Don’t be afraid to accessorize your tent. Remember that it’s easier to replace or repair a damaged footprint rather than the added external groundsheet.

Judging the comfort of the tent, it definitely surpasses most type of cabin tents with the same capacity and price range. There’s definitely a lot of features that will make you want to try out the Coleman Elite WeatherMaster 6 for yourself.

And based on the reviews on Amazon, the tent does a pretty good job at staying true to its claims (like luxury and comfort). They did not call it WeatherMaster for no reason, so if you want to enjoy camping with your family, this tent is definitely a great option to choose.