Going to get one this year for geneal family camping etc.

Borrowed a 12×12 Coleman event shelter pro last year and was very impressed.

Does anyone have any experience with these and/or could recommend an alternative before I press “buy”?

Cheers

Coleman event shelter is a quality bit of kit. Easy up, robust enough to withstand some fairly hefty wind and rain if guyed up properly. Borrow the father in laws regularly and is bang on for festival duties.

I got the halford equivalent of the coleman event shelter. I have used it a few times and its great! Was about £90 whn I bought it. I don’t know if the coleman one is much better quality but for the few times a year I sued it (normally at bike races) its well worth the moeny!

The Coleman looks great tbh. I have a cheap ebay waterproof popup gazebo, it’s fine tbh- heavy and a pain in the bum to put up compared to a real easy-up but it does the job well. (the seller had some spares available too which was nice) No doubt it’ll collapse some day but then, expensive ones aren’t windproof or indestructible.

I’ve been lookin at this for camping at events, was tempted just to get a cheap ~£20 one, a few extra guy ropes and pegs and bodge it. THe coleman ones look amzing but not sure if really worth the money

Mmmm, the Halfords one looks very similar to the Coleman doesn’t it!

I’ve had a Coleman for about 5 years now; it’s great; can’t fault it. Easy to put up; sturdy and can comfortably hold a whole party worth of guests when it rains on the summer barbeque.

Halfords one looks very similar from what I can see; no idea how well made it is in comparison.

I can genuinely say from experience the coleman will stand up to some pretty shocking weather its been used for camping generally and several times at a festival site on a hillside near buxton, I had previously taken a standard argos type gazebo but it didn’t survive the weekend. There is also a lot more cover than a standard gazebo as the sides are quite low, add a couple of the sun walls (better described as rain walls) and they can easily sit 12/14 people properly undercover.
One thing I would say is I originally bought the basic version and it leaked on the seams above the poles but it was noah type biblical rain, I took it back got a full refund and just use the father in laws pro version now.

timely thread.
As I look out of the window at non stop rain today, thinking about the next two Sundays with a dozen damp 9 year olds at rugby festivals, this is the year I promised to get some shelter.

Ive just paid for the halfords one on eBay to click and collect at the LHS.

Cheers

erected the Halfords one at rugby festival today.
It’s fairly heavy in the bag – about 20Kg – but I gather the coleman is much the same.

Easy to put up – a small committee of parents managed to do it first time with no breakages or poles in wrong holes.

I’ll think about getting a side or two for it, but as an emergency shelter for 30+ people if the rain came, its perfect. Also got it packed up in <3mins too.