4 person tent recommendations - Epic Vestibule Required

Hello outdoor recreation hive mind. Looking to crowd source some gear research. My wife and I are currently looking for a new tent. When we're on climbing trips we prioritize comfort over compactness. So we're looking for a tent with an epic vestibule (or option to add one). At present we've looked at the Marmot Orbit 4P and the REI Kingdom 4. It looks like some Big Agnes have the option to aftermarket a vestibule on for additional money. Two doors ideal and must be free standing. 

Has anyone seen or purchased such a tent? I've spent a bit of time looking around but there are so many manufacturers out there I know there must be something I'm missing.

Thanks in advance. 

I'm also looking for something in the 4 person range. My last tent got destroyed during a windstorm at Jack's Canyon, so I'm also looking for sturdiness/durability. I've had trouble singling out higher end car-camping tents - most tents are either nice and backpacking oriented or cheap/(flimsy?) and car camping oriented. The two you listed look great in terms of being sturdy/solid higher end, but I'd love to hear other ideas in the same range.

Not sure what you mean by epic vestibule, but I'd recommend the REI Basecamp 4 over the Kingdom 4 unless you really want the stand-up height. The Basecamp will still have plenty of room to spread out for two people, is much more stable in challenging conditions and is a lot easier to set up, especially if you're short. The Kingdom is an excellent fair weather flop and drop tent if you're gonna be in one place for a while, but I think the Basecamp 4 is much more versatile if the conditions might get a little sporty and you arent sleeping more than two people on cots and dont mind not being able to stand up fully inside the tent.

The MSR Habitude is also a really nice tent that's similar to the Basecamp in terms of build and intended use. The Nemo Wagontop is another excellent option that is more similar to the Kingdom build (tunnelish shape, more headroom, etc.).

It might help for you to think about what sorts of conditions you intend on using the tent in. A dome style tent like the Habitude or Basecamp is much better in prolonged wind and rain, while the tunnel shape of the Kingdom or Wagontop provide more vertical walls and more consistent standing headroom throughout. Are you looking for a mesh heavy tent that excels in more humid environments where you need maximum air movement? Or will you be in the desert where sand blowing into the tent is a concern and more nylon panels down low could be advantageous? Do you prefer having greater privacy without the rain fly on (more nylon panels down low)? Or do you not care about privacy panels or figure that you'll have the rain fly on most of the time anyways?

@Gregory, if you're looking exclusively for car-camping applications, a dome-style tent like a Habitude or Basecamp (see above post) is what you want. Tunnel or cabin style tents are sails in high winds in unprotected tent sites and will implode quickly if not aggressively staked out, and even then the stakes will only do so much with a cross-section as huge as tunnel and cabin tents have.

If you're looking for a backpacking 4 person, that's a whole different beast but the REI HalfDome 4 Plus, MSR Papa Hubba/Elixr 4 are good places to start. In general for wind resistance, well-designed pole sleeves distribute stresses better than clips (but are more of a pain to assemble) and hubbed poles are weaker than individuals. Though modern aluminium hubs made by DAC do a much better job in wind than the old cheap plastic hubs made by others, provided all of the poles are seated fully in the hub intersections.

My wife is claustrophobic so we bought the Kingdom 4 and it is amazing. We sit in chairs and have coffee in the “garage” with no problems. If I remember correctly we had to buy it separately.

I also have the kingdom 4. Super roomy and very nice. Haven’t spent a night in a storm in it yet, but I don’t have super high expectations. The poles are pretty burly though so I expect it to fair okay in everything except some super serious winds. 

If you're a baller:

https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/black-label-tents/saitaris/

Thanks Ben! Not looking for a backpacking tent, have a lovely REI Dash 2 that's been amazing. Yeah I do desert, windy, dry, but also mountain thunderstorms, but rarely humid. I'll look into your suggestions.

jdejace wrote: If you're a baller:

https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/black-label-tents/saitaris/

You beat me to it. I've been on a couple of trips where we used Hilleberg tents. They seem expensive until you use one. 

I recently got a North Face Wawona 6. It’s big for what you need, but it’s vestibule is definitely epic. It’s a really nice tent, well designed. But easily the biggest tent i’ve ever owned.