Something I was always told when buying a tent was to divide the number stated on the product by two and that is actually how many people can fit comfortably.

And both sportsmansguide.com and cheaperthandirt.com offer brand names, or their knock off brands, for a savings, plus sportsmansguide has some cute kids' bags.

I agree on going up in 'persons per tent'. I use a REI two person as single person tent.

It doesn't sound like your going to use this on backpacking trips so it wouldn't be packed on your back. I believe Coleman makes a family type tent that holds 5-7 people. I went on a overnight to Mt. Lemmon in Tucson and five of my adult buddies slept in one. I slept in a Eagle Nest Hammock outdoors.

I may do an overnight in January climbing over the Superstitions. (Not a hard climb, or long, just a two day deal). Because it rarely rains in Phoenix my only concern is cold. Most likely to keep pack weight down I will carry a GI poncho (old school vinyl not the ripstop) as a ground cloth bivy and then sleep in my Big Anges Yampa (rated 40*). The poncho will get me a couple extra degrees as its wind/water proof and clothing options will get the rest. Figure I can get down to a 25* bag that way and save 2 pounds less tent weight.

Worst case, I can move into the tent the father/son team will carry.

If you want something for all round use.. get a sleep system.. they are nice becuase they can be used in all climates and the one I have (new militay style)has an outer shell that is Gortex, keeps you warm and dry even under the stars..or rain clouds

> I want something a family of 5 can sleep in to use for an occasional camping
> trip as well as a disaster tent.

I'd suggest considering the North Face Trailhead 6 (or 8):
http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/tnf-catalog-master/trailhead-6.html?parent_category_rn=

Louise and I camped in ours at Burning Man, and it withstood winds in the 20 to 30 mph range with no problems. It has standing headroom in the large center section, and two lower sections on either side for sleeping. The sleeping sections have drop down curtains for visual privacy.

It says it's a 3-season tent, but that depends on the weather. The fly has vents that will not close, and the tent has large mesh areas that don't close. There's no way to close the tent off for warmth if it's cold at night. Again, though, what's too cold is relative. Louise and I camp in Death Valley on Thanksgiving occasionally, and it's below 20 at night, so we don't use that tent. (We have an MSR Wind 4 that I don't think is made anymore; before that an Armadillo that isn't made anymore. Sigh.)

I think the Trailhead 6 will work for us as a disaster tent (that's my primary purpose for it), but we're two people. I don't know what it would do for you with three kids. Louise and I car camp, so when we buy a tent we go in the 6 to 8 person range (depending on the design of the tent) because we don't worry about weight, we do worry about having access to our stuff in the tent, we want standing headroom, and we assume it'll rain and that we'll be in the tent for extended periods. We haven't had it rain on the Trailhead 6 yet, but it meets our other requirements.

NOTE: Because of the vents, the Trailhead 6 is _not_ dustproof. If you are in a location that gets dust storms, don't get this tent. It was unusable after dust storms at Burning Man.