Australian Hiker

Rating

Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent Review

While we own a number of tents that are mostly ultralight/lightweight versions and designed for hiking adventures. Recently we commenced the decision process about which tent to purchase for our car camping adventures. As is usually the case, I spend a lot of time researching every available option. After six months of investigation we finally opted on our purchase, the Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent. So why did we choose this particular tent with s0 many choices on the market?

First up why a 6-person tent given it’s pretty rare we camp with more than just the two of us? From our perspective if we are going to be car camping for more than a day or two, particularly if we’re staying in the same location, we want space to get out of the sun and/or rain and with that, the ability to sit in a chair out of rain rather than just sitting or lying on the tent floor. We looked at 4-person options and decided that, based on our needs, they weren’t quite big enough so opted for a 6-person option.

In choosing the Coleman brand we just liked the configuration that this brand provided which led us to choose from the range.

• The 6-person Coleman range has the following models:
  • Silver Series Evo Instant Up 6 Person Tent
  • Instant Up Darkroom 6 Person Tent
  • Gold Series Evo Instant Up 6 Person Tent
  • Northstar Series Instant Up Lighted 6 Person Tent
  • Quickdome Darkroom 6P Tent (new model)

Each of these tents has a different features associated with it, a different weight, and with that a different price point. We were looking at a tent that came with all the bells and whistles. This included Coleman’s ‘darkroom range’ which cuts out 95% of external light and reduces the ambient temperature inside the tent by as much as 5 degrees Celcius. If you are only staying in your tent from the end of the day and moving on early the next morning then this will be an unnecessary feature. However, I’ve spent too many nights, and afternoons, in hot tents with the sunlight streaming through the wall material not to value this feature.

Other features of this tent include:

• Instant-up frame
  • Which is a snappy way of saying that the frame comes pre-attached to the tent inner and just requires you to extend each of the tent legs to put up the frame and inner
  • Coleman quote that the instant-up frame can be erected by two people in around two minutes. Many people would interpret that’s how long it takes to set up the tent. However, the first time we set up this tent it took us close on 30 minutes from getting it out of the car to positioning the footprint, setting up the frame and getting the fly on, and adjusting pegs to make allowances for the underground rocks in the wrong location. And yes, the next time was much quicker but even so I’d allow 15-20 minutes
• Internal attached lighting silicone flexible strip lighting with integrated LED lights
  • This its a great feature and negates the need to purchase a standalone light. Unless you only camp a few times a year I wouldn’t use disposable D cell batteries and in my case I have a number of power banks which I find much easier
• Internal windows and doors are double layered so you can keep the insects out when the windows and doors are open
• Front and rear doors can be pitched as a two-pole awning
  • There is a designated ‘front’ and ‘rear’ on this tent but this tent comes with two awning poles so if you want the awning open at both ends you’ll need to purchase a couple of extra poles
  • The awning allows two people to sit undercover and out of the rain provided the wind isn’t blowing into the front of the tent
• Hook and loop strip on the awning for attaching Coleman Deluxe Gazebos which are available as an extra purchase
• Integrated storage hammock and organisers
  • To store all the small bits and pieces in defined locations
• Two welcome mats to keep your tent clean and dry
  • I prefer dedicated mats that work out better in wet muddy conditions such as the Muk Mats
• Heavy-duty carry bag and two awning poles are included
• Sleeps up to six people but recommended for a maximum of four
  • Six adults is really an overstated capacity for this tent
  • In all honesty I wouldn’t even want to be sharing with four adults for any extended period
  • Two adults and two children would work well.

Price wise this tent has a recommended retail price of AUD $899.99 but its rare for this tent to be sold at full price. At the time of this review all the retailers seemed to be selling this tent for the same price at around $300 cheaper than the RRP. So unless you desperately need a tent in a hurry, wait a few weeks and you’ll get it on special.

Now let’s look at the negatives. and for us there are three. The first being the weight of this tent comes in at 20.6 kg so it isn’t a lightweight tent. In all honesty I have no problem managing a 20kg plate weight but in the case of this tent it’s the bulk combined with the weight which is the issue. It just seems to make it hard for one person to handle. While we are talking about bulk, because of the internal integrated frame system it isn’t a small package which is the second negative. We have a mid to large size 4WD wagon and can fit this tent in quite easily. You might get it into a small hatch but no one could sit in the back seat.

The third and final negative is that the storage pack has been designed to hold this tent well for purchase but to get the tent back into its bag you need to spend a bit of time smoothing out the tent fabric into a tight compact unit. The first time we packed the tent up it was raining so we did a quick and dirty job with the expectation that when we got home, we would need to get the tent out to clean and dry it properly. Repacking the tent is a skill that you would develop the more you used this tent.

So, should you buy this tent? This is a great tent with plenty of features for longer stays to get the best out of the features on offer. We won’t be using it when we’re staying in a location for a single night and instead will save this one for when we stay put for multiple days.

As a final comment, consider some of the add-ons for this tent. If you are using this tent on a variety of surfaces I suggest you also purchase the dedicated footprint at the same time to protect the tent floor when camping on rough surfaces.

The tent pegs that come with this tent, or for that matter any other tent, are very basic so if you plan on camping in exposed windy sites I’d consider upgrading to some more durable robust stakes.

We Like

• Internal attached silicone flexible lighting strip with integrated LED lights
  • This its a great feature and negates the need to purchase a standalone light
  • Unless you only camp a few times a year I wouldn’t use disposable D cell batteries and in my case, I have a number of power banks which I find much easier
• Internal windows and doors are double layered so you can keep the insects out when the windows and doors are open
• Front and rear doors can be pitched as a two-pole awning
  • There is a designated ‘front’ and ‘rear’ on this tent but it only comes with two awning poles so if you want to use both ends as an awning, you’ll need to purchase a couple of extra poles
  • The awning will allow two people to sit outside undercover from the rain provided the wind isn’t blowing into the front of the tent
• Hook and loop strip on the awning for attaching to Coleman Deluxe Gazebos which are available as an extra purchase
• Integrated storage pockets and organisers
  • To store all the small bits and pieces in defined locations
  • Two ‘welcome’ mats to keep your tent clean and dry
  • I prefer dedicated mats that work out better in wet muddy conditions such as the Muk Mats
• Heavy-duty carry bag and two awning poles included
• Sleeps up to six people but recommend for a maximum of four
• Other features include:
  • Instant-up frame
  • This is a snappy way of saying that the frame comes pre-attached to the tent inner and requires you to extend each of the tent legs to put up the frame and inner

We don't like

• On the heavy side at 20.6 kg
• Bulky when packed which means that this tent isnt suitable for small cars unless you have a limited number of passengers
• This tent isn’t easy to get back into its storage pack – its takes time and care with folding every piece material to get it right
• Tent manufacturers, worldwide, always provide the most basic tent pegs so look at upgrading

Best uses

When you’re camping for more than a single night and you want a robust spacious tent with all the bells and whistles

What's in the box?

• Storage bag
• Tent inner and frame including lights and battery case
• Tent fly
• Pegs
• Awning poles

Tim with our Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent in its storage bag

Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent on its footprint without the fly (mid-assembly)

Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent at Mannus Lake Campground in NSW

Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent; just the facts

Coleman Instant Up 6P Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent front entrance showing sleeping pads and sleeping bags

Coleman Instant up 6p Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent showing internal built in LCD lights

Coleman Instant up 6p Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent showing included battery case and battery case pocket

Coleman Instant up 6p Lighted Northstar Darkroom Tent ground sheet

Buy One

You can purchase the Coleman Northstar Instant Up 6 Lighted DarkRoom Tent online from Snowys

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $899 RRP (without footprint). Keep an eye out for the regular sales and you will purchase this tent at a much cheaper price

Other Versions

Available in 4, 6, 8 and 10 person options as well as different models within each option

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker

Last updated

3 October 2025

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