Has anybody had any experience with the Coleman Phact tents at all? I've been looking everywhere for reviews but don't there doesn't seem to be many owners around!
I had my eye on the Phact x2 at the start of the season as I wanted a slightly bigger stronger tent for my weekend trips. I camp a number of times throughout the winter too so I needed at least a 3 season tent at a 1-2 season price!
I went into a popular outdoors shop yesterday and the display model had been reduced from £120 to £45! Obviously I bought it and pitched last night in my garden. All seems well and extremely light, strong and roomy. I'll be using it this weekend but wondered if anyone had had any experience with it as yet?
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I bought one of last years models, the Coleman Graphite 3 and have used it 6 times so far this year just for weekends with my son. I was looking at spending up to £200 on a 2/3 man tent , but this came up as an end of line and had good reviews. so at half price of £75 I bought one.
It weighs about 3kg so not the lightest but packs up well and the ally poles are a dream. My tent is larger than what you are after, but the reason I mention it is that I was a little sceptical of Coleman as a brand for tents, but would thoroughly recommend them now.
I hope all goes well.
Nick
------------- 'I liked freezing my n*ts off so much, I bought the company'
Thanks for getting back. In a way its good enough just to have an endorsement for Coleman. The tent itself seems really well made and its a treat to get ally poles whcih seem to be so much easier to thread through when setting up alone.
I'll post back here after the weekend and let you all know it goes. There should be more real life tent review from owners in my opinion.
I have two colemans, the weathermaster which is our family weekend tent and a spirit 3 which I use with the two little ones for weekends, both have been excellent tents, kept us dry and stood a fair bit of wind. I have used the spirit3 through the winter and it has been a good tent.
Right folks, I'm back from the first trip in the Phact x2.
Nothing bad to report - all good. Went up in a flash, plenty of space for a two man tent and was easy to live with. We had a tiny amount of rain on Sat and of course no leaks but the test will be in the winter months in harsher conditions.
Overall an excellent purchase, especially for the money and would recommend for anyone wanting a budget tent that is tough and functional.
Hi,
I've just bought one second hand with the intention of using it for a cycle tour. The peg bag has an alloy tube in it that looks like it is intended to go over the poles somehow, but I can't see any reference to it.....anywhere.
Any clue what it's for?
Cheers.
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I have had two large Coleman tents and highly recommend them. I am surprised they don't get mentioned more often but then everybody would want one and the prices would rocket
Since I bought my Phact X2 my husband has been poorly. At last, I got to use it this summer. In the meantime Coleman Darwin 2+, non blackout, have become available for about £40, so I bought one intending to compare and contrast the two tents.
Phact X2.
Pitches inner first and, doing it solo, I find hoisting the 8.5mm aluminium poles to be a major faff. Once up though, with all 7 geodesic cross-over points bound, the structure is very sturdy and extremely roomy (for a 2 berth) inside. Placing the poles in pouches attached to the inner tent forces the tent to conform to the pole shape. This results in the very bottom part of the tent wall being vertical as opposed to on a slant and makes all to the ground being available for sleeping without brushing up against the side-wall. The flysheet is attached in several places to the poles and completes an extremely rigid structure. It's a shame it doesn't go further down or have storm flaps. There are two apses, two doors, and the inners have mesh ventilation windows. There are side ventilation flaps too. The flysheet entrances are narrow and low. The apse groundsheet is useful as you can't get in without crawling. I found that in the early morning the flysheet door would dribble dew all over me as I opened up and climbed out. The tent proved completely waterproof and flap free during one wet and windy night. There are 4 very large luggage pockets in the side-walls but I've been considering stitching loops to the roof to make a gear loft too. There is a pair of mystery tie-loops dangling down from the crown of the inner dome. I have yet to work out their purpose.
Darwin 2+
Pitches inner first using cross over fibreglass poles, the inner being clipped to the poles. The flysheet has 4 velcro loops to attach to the poles and a tie strap at the crown. The porchway is formed using a "Gothic Arch" which Coleman think is special. It looks good but I can't see any particular functional advantage other than maybe keeping rain away from the door a bit better. Yje porchway has a clip-up groundsheet and the door opens to the side. I like this. See my earlier comment about morning dew.
Despite the ground dimensions being identical, the Darwin 2+ does not look or feel as roomy inside as the Phact X2, and so it proved. The pointy angles of the inner meant I was constantly rubbing against the inner wall and eventually slept diagonally across the tent. I am 5' 9" tall. There is a lantern hook, but the side-wall pockets are tiny, just about big enough for my specs and a mobile phone. The porchway is great though although it seemed to be a magnet for some horrible black beetles that congregated in the corner every night. the doorway is bigger than on the Phact X2, but was still not tall enough to avoid crawling to gain entrance.
Again, the tent proved completely waterproof in one night's downpour.
At the end of 20 days, 10 in each tent, I liked:
The ease of pitching of the Darwin and its door arrangement.
I liked the comparative roominess of the Phact X2, that it has 2 doors to allow a through draught, its interior stowage and its structural rigidity.
I kept the Phact X2 and sold the Darwin 2+ for the same money as I paid for it.
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Topic: Coleman Phact 2
via mobile 04/10/2022 at 12:36am
