We just returned from our fourth extended (7 to 13 days) beach camping trip with the Khan Palace tent. Historically, our camping trips have been shorter, but this tent has proven to be so comfortable and sturdy that The Wife and I have extended our trips' duration.
This tent is amazing! It easily withstands the sustained 25-45 mph winds of Padre Island National Seashore. The two biggest challenges for beach camping are the strong winds and the burning Sun. During the hottest part of the day, we napped inside and played games. There was never a feeling that the tent would blow away. The dumpsters full of destroyed Pop-up shelters and nylon tents at the Park's entrance demonstrate how many beach shelters fail the wind challenge. I've attached a picture of one of the two main support poles with my hand behind it. These are sturdy poles that don't flex and sway like fiberglass supports.
The Khan Palace is a BIG tent. We use it for car camping. At 86 lbs, it's not a tent you'll want to carry far! Despite the large size, it can be set up and taken down by one person. I set this up with 'organizational assistance' from the wife. The first time I set it up, it took about 90 minutes to read directions and erect the tent. Most of that time was spent figuring out where all the parts and pieces go. By the third and fourth times, I had this set up in about 15 minutes.
I began tent camping when I was 12 years old in the Boy Scouts. Over the years, I've spent time in what must be close to 100 tents of varying sizes and quality. This Kingcamp tent is a massive upgrade to any tenting experience I've had prior. This tent is truly a home away from home. Every detail appears to be carefully designed — from velcro zipper jackets to keep out bugs to the sturdily mounted hooks for hanging lights, etc. Every part of the tent is top quality. The workmanship — seams, zippers, grommets, etc.– are all top-notch. The only thing I added is a set of longer stakes for use in the sand. The tent has two sets of stakes for varying terrains, but sand anchoring with the high winds requires longer stakes.
I've attached a few pictures to give an idea of the relative size. This tent really looks like a "Palace" on the deserted miles of beach at Padre Island. It's so big and so unique that we had vehicles drive by and stop to ask us about it. When people were invited in and looked around, they almost immediately commented about how nice it would be for their needs — from "Fish Camp" to "Backyard Wedding Reception 'Place for the Guys." The tent is 9' 6" tall at the middle, so there isn't any claustrophobic feeling, even for this 6'6" guy.
This tent is everything a car camping tent should be. It might even change your mind about staying at a hotel when you can spend in it in this!
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