Open main menu

Swiss Gear 12x10 Tent

rated 2.5 of 5 stars

This is our first tent and with 3 kids we needed plenty of room. This tent provided PLeNTY...
We decided to set it up, in the backyard to see how it looked...

The instructions are not that good. The problem is the instructions try to depict a 3-dimensional tent in the 2 dimensions of the paper.

Well we finally got it up, and boy were we glad we got it. And once you assemble it.. the instructions start to make sense.

Now for the bad news...
1) This tent could not possibly be waterproofed out of the box. On our second camping trip we got hit with a deluge, and woke up to 1 inch of water in the bottom of the tent.

Thank goodness for GFI sockets (YIPE!!!)
This was partially our fault as we had items leaning up against the walls of the tent; this is a NO-NO when camping for just this reason.

The next trip we picked up multiple bottles of Silicone treatment from Wal-Mart (We tried Scotchguard but liked this better), and SOAKED the tent, about 3 complete treatments. The next rain was WAY better, one SMALL leak where we obviously missed a spot on the fly. Also one leak where most others have noted, by the gadget sack.

I just put the tent up this weekend and paid close spray attention to these areas. I don't think there will be anymore leak problems there. LESSON to be learned... WATERPROOF your tent.. even a new one.

2) The complaint about the zipper cover getting caught in the zipper on the door is valid... the solution is to just take your time, and be careful when unzipping the tent. Nuisance but now a biggie.

Comfort...
Nice and breezy, equates to sometimes COLD... because the ceiling is so high (you can stand up in it at both ends) all of the heat goes to the roof. My advice is to get a small electric portable heater.

Overall, the wife and kids love it, and I guess that's the bottom line.

Take the advice above and you won't have a problem.

Design: 3 season - Family Dome -
Sleeps: 5
Ease of Setup: see description
Weight: about 20 pounds
Price Paid: $90

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a SwissGear 12x10 tent from Sam's and were quite disappointed. The first time we set it up, the front and rear poles were mislabeled, so we ended up labeling each pole ourselves. Afterwards, we applied four bottles of seam sealer.

We took it out this weekend for the first time and experienced several leaks, mostly in the floor corners. The way the awning is designed, the water runs right off the rain fly onto the zippers of the front doors. The shoe cubby also leaked. The zipper flaps continually get caught in the zipper, which is a pain when you are trying to get in or out in a hurry.

On the plus side, it is easy to set up and take down and offered a ton of room. It was so odd not having my gear stowed right at the end of my sleeping bag. There was also great ventilation, as all four sides have screens, and the top is screened as well.

I'm going to try to contact the manufacturer, to see if they can offer any suggestions, but if not!, it'll probably be returned to Sam's.

I bought this 10 X 12 tent on sale at Sams Club. We were planning a camping trip for the following weekend so we put it up in the backyard for a test since rain was forecast. The wind blew the fly off, the rain came in the windows and the front pole broke in half. I was out there bailing water out of the tent and for a moment I got confused and thought I was in a boat. I ordered a couple new poles from SwissGear on Sept. 10, 2007, and still have not received them. I should have returned the tent after I dried it out but it was such a good deal at 50 bucks...

Design: 12 X 10 warm weather two room tent
Sleeps: 5
Ease of Setup: The poles were mislabled and the instructions were incorrect but between the 5 of us geniuses we figured it out
Weight: 40
Price Paid: $50

I bought this tent from Sam's for a family of 5 (2 adult, 3 small children). Very spacious with room for a queen mattress , three sleeping bags, a mini-toilet, and gear.

Very poor construction. Two nights of rain resulted in leaking corners, leaking seals near the gear stowing mesh. The worst part is that water pooled in the 4 quadrants between the top ridge pole and the two parallel supports. We spent all night pushing water up and over the shorter supports to keep the rain from gushing into the tent.

We're taking ours back to Sam's.

Design: 2 room cabin tent
Sleeps: 6+
Ease of Setup: 5 minutes with 2 people
Price Paid: $159.99

I think this tent is incredible!!! I have a small family of three and it has been great investment.

We sold our tow behind trailer and went back to the tent. There is plenty of room in the darn thing, we even all use air beds. It is the first tent that I ever slept in in a rain storm, that I did not get wet in.

Thank you.

Design: freestanding dome type
Sleeps: 5
Ease of Setup: excellent!!! Very well indeed.
Weight: approx 25 lbs.
Price Paid: $99 Canadian

Also bought this tent at Sam's. Seemed like a good deal for the money. Very cool and spacious. Works fine in a drizzle or light rain. I camped in 25 mph wind and the tent faired well. It looks attractive compared to many other family tents in our camping area.

Design: family
Sleeps: 6+
Ease of Setup: hard to set up the first time. Much easier the next.
Weight: 40
Price Paid: $80

Okay I would like to purchase this tent, and it is a good thing I read these reviews carefully. A lot of you are talking about the Swiss Gear 10X10 tent, and how I know is because some of you put that there are problems with zippers and one of you mention doors, this canopy does not have doors or a wall. it is the hexagon shaped Canopy. So If I would have just went by what I read here, I would have never gotten this tent. I went on several websites and read hundreds of reviews and all say it is a great product, great with rain and wind. So I will be purchasing this tent and so glad I read your reviews carefully and the descriptions you guys gave of the tents. Also I notice the price's you guys were putting on your reviews, I never seen this canopy for 50 bucks at all.

Price Paid: $129

Your Review

Where to Buy

Help support this site by making your next gear purchase through one of the links above. Click a link, buy what you need, and the seller will contribute a portion of the purchase price to support Trailspace's independent gear reviews.

You May Like

Specs

Price Reviewers Paid: $50.00-$159.99

Recently on Trailspace

Call for Reviews: Your Favorite Spring Gear