5 best family tents for bad weather in 2023

Finding a tent that is suitable for both families and bad weather is actually much harder than you may think.

An ideal tent in bad weather conditions is one that is small and domed.

This prevents the tent from becoming unstuck or flying away during wind, as well as being the optimal shape for water to quickly and easily runoff.

However, tents designed for families are often big, cabin-style tents with almost vertical walls.

Depending on how bad you expect the weather to be and how large your family is, will ultimately determine just how big and spacey you can go with your tent.

In a hurry? Here’s our top 3 picks for best family tents for bad weather.

Tips for choosing a family tent for bad weather conditions

If you’re expecting some rain and wind but nothing heavy, you can definitely get away with a good quality, storm-proof family cabin tent.

However, if you are expecting some serious wind and rain and possible storms, a more dome-shaped and smaller tent is a wise idea.

If you have a large family of 8+ people, you could buy two smaller-sized tents that will ultimately keep you and your family more comfortable when the bad weather hits.

All our choices on this list, however, offer superior weather and water protection compared to other family tents on the market.

5 best family tents for bad weather

1. NTK Cherokee GT

100% waterproof, high-quality tent available in a multitude of sizes

The Cherokee GT tent provides the perfect home-away-from-home experience.

It’s available in a multitude of sizes, from 2-person to 9, so you can be sure that you’ll find a size that’s comfortable for you and your family.

The full-coverage 2,500mm rainfly protects you from even the most intense of storms.

It’s rare for a “normal” tent to feature such a high hydrostatic head rating. Basically, the higher this number is, the more waterproof your tent is.

And 2,500mm will keep you dry in some extreme weather conditions.

The extra thick Nano-flex fiberglass poles interconnect with strong elastic to offer sturdy construction that’s easy to set up and takedown.

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2. Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Canvas Tent Deluxe

Super sturdy, durable, canvas tent that can withstand extreme weather conditions

The Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow tent is one of the only vertical-walled family-friendly tents that can easily withstand bad weather.

In fact, that’s doing it an injustice.

The Flex-Bow can withstand even the most extreme of weather conditions, including heavy snow, torrential rain, and strong winds and storms.

The interior of the Flex-Bow offers plenty of space for an average-sized family and more.

The vertical walls offer a ceiling height of 6’6″, meaning most, if not all, of the family can comfortably stand up straight.

The only downside to the Flex-Bow is its weight. While it’s not unbearable to carry, it’s definitely a tent you only want to take when car camping.

Despite its weight, it’s fairly easy to put up with just one person. And the more you do it, the quicker and easier it gets.

If you want a family tent that will last you a lifetime and is perfect for nice weather and bad weather equally, look no further.

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3. Core 9-person instant cabin tent

The only family cabin tent worthy enough to make the list

The Core 9-person instant cabin tent is one of the only family tents to make this list.

And there’s a good reason.

Most family tents are absolutely not able to withstand bad weather conditions.

You’ll end up with water inside your tent, or it potentially flying away (or at least trying to) during strong winds.

However, the Core 9-person tent is one of the only tents we tested that withstood torrential rain and strong winds with no worries.

While we wouldn’t suggest it if you know there’s going to be really bad storms or continuous strong winds and rain for days, it will be perfectly capable of withstanding some general bad weather such as heavy rain and wind for several hours at a time.

We even got caught up in a thunderstorm, and while everyone else vacated to their cars for safety, we stayed inside the tent with our 2 kids and 2 dogs without a drop of rain entering.

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4. The North Face Wawona

Typical North Face quality with enough space for an average family to fit comfortably

The North Face Wawona is a super spacious and practical family tent for bad weather camping trips.

Suitable for up to 6 people, it features a large, fully zippered vestibule to store belongings, shoes, and cooking gear.

The large vestibule is perfect for family trips to prevent kids from running straight into a tent with dirty shoes and provides a place to hang and dry wet clothes without them being inside your actual sleeping space.

As with everything produced by The North Face, the quality is second to none, and the tent will see you through plenty of bad weather and stormy camping trips with no problems.

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5. UNP family camping tent

A super large, 10-person tent that can withstand some bad weather conditions

The UNP 10-person tent is perfect for large families who plan to camp during bad weather.

While it features a super spacious design, the shape is arched enough to withstand plenty of wind and rain without it feeling like it’s going to take off or leak.

The rainfly doesn’t have the best hydrostatic head rating with a rating of 1000mm. However, it’s plenty enough to ward off a storm of decent rain with semi-strong winds for an hour or so.

For such a huge tent it’s fairly easy to set up but is definitely much easier if two people are doing it. Particularly when you get to the point where you need to attach the rainfly.

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Interested in more family camping tips and guides?

Why not check out our articles on –

• The best camping cookware for family feasts outdoors
• The best camping grill stove combo
• The best cold weather camping blankets