Tent Showcase: Outwell Hartford L
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2010
6
26.70 KG
ฃ399.99
2
Fully Sewn-in
In one
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Average User Rating:
8.76/10 from 17 reviews
Viewed: 10242 times
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User Reviews of the Hartford L
By: Hewers Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 24/08/2009
Fab tent! Great investment. Huge and spacious. Ideal for sociable trips away. Easy to put up and take down. Would recommend this to anyone looking for a large tent.
Only downside - needed some replacement pegs after first week away (but ground on campsite was hard and rocky).
Bit extravagant but would also recommend extra ground sheet (kept underside of tent very clean) and tent carpet added warmth and comfort!
By: NewbyCamper81 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 15/08/2009
This is a fantastic tent. It poured down for a few days and had sunshine the rest of our stay. Coped with everything perfectly. Recommend the carpet; makes tent feel so comfortable. The living space is large and bright with windows in every direction. We have also bought the extension, only for the reason that it was nice to be able to cook and sit in the extension and feel like we were outside. This also makes sure you have plenty of room to remove shoes before getting into the lovely carpeted living area. There are lovely additions with zip section for electric hook-up and storage sections on the inside and outside of bedrooms.
By: Invisibleboy Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 05/07/2009
Have been using our hartford for three months now an she has coped with everything thrown at her been dry in the wet and stood up to the wind easily, the internal space is fantastic and our 5 year old loves being able to bring her friends in and have the space to all stretch out.
With all the windows open the inside feels very bright and airy and increases the seance of space.
The porch is the best bit though as its basically an extra room where all boots and shoes can go plus all the bits you don't need inside
By: Nick_north Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 22/06/2009
What a great tent. Roomy living area, loads of natural light, good sized porch. The carpet is well worth the investment, as is the front porch extension for cooking under cover. The lightweight poles are durable and (we've heard) stand up to high winds, certainly it's very sturdy once up.
We're in full agreement with most other reviews here but can confirm:
- the Footprint does extend under bedrooms
- problems with pitching are most likely down to lack of experience if my 5'2' better half can manage without problems (the trick is for the person outside to push the poles up into shape), and
- it's only a 6 person tent if two occupy the living area.
Our only question is how did Outwell get the tent to pack away so small.?
The Hartford L is big - one neighbour at our last site called it 'the complex' - but that seems to be the trend and the campsites we've visited don't seem to mind. We like to forewarn when booking to obtain a suitable pitch. But why sacrifice space when you can have a well-made, high quality tent for such a good price?
By: Teacherandmum Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 25/05/2009
We have just returned from our first outing in our new hartford. We really loved the space it gave us in the living area and the separate bedrooms. Although I would say that the 3 person bedrooms only fit a double air bed. The porch was also a great size for storing dirty boots etc. It was relatively easy to pitch but my very tall husband had to do the pushing up from inside as I wasn't tall or strong enough. We have the footprint which saved the tent from getting muddy. The air vent system is really good too.
Gave it 9 as there was a lot of material on the back door to contend with - a 3 layer system with a plethora of zips, fasteners and toggles.
By: Yates69 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 27/04/2009
It's our 2nd time camping, We did lots of research into which tent would be right for us 2 adults, 1 child and 1 dog. Plus wanted let friends come and stay with us too. The SIG is great as we have a dog. We had to pitch it up in the dark this weekend just gone, but in the morning it still looked as if it was done by daylight. Great for our needs. The footprint is a must as is the carpet, we have had 2 very cold nights in our tent and the carpet helped.
We like the sleeping pods to be separate and the living space is great for several chairs and people to be in.
We've given it a 9 only for the fact of the zip on the front being at the floor when closed. But that's being really picky
By: Hfudge294 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating:  Date: 26/03/2009
Have purchased this tent for our first what I would call 'proper' camping trip with our 3 and 4 year old. Previously we have had trailer tents but decided to go for the real thing.
Must admit sewn in ground sheet was a must with small children and dogs to prevent escapism and drafts (speaking from experience of camping with dogs BC (before children)) and having never had one previously is def. a must - saying that we haven't actually used the tent yet other than putting it up in the garden. It took us just over an hour in all with help from children, cat etc. And just 40 mins to pack away although getting it back in the back seemed a large portion of this!
We love the space it provides and the height is amazing - my husband can stand up in it! (6'2). The bedrooms are also of a good size. Although not cheap the childrens bedroom was a must for us ( ok not a must but its well cute and my girls love it) and the foot print groundsheet will save having to try and clean the bottom of the sewn in ground sheet which I imagine would be a disaster. Porch will provide much needed storage for wet boots etc.
Really loooking forward to our first excursion next month! and will update my review accordingly
By: Deepsubmariner Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 05/09/2008
Having now used the tent in anger, there is really nothing more that I can add to my previous review other than further sing it's praises. Had a lovely, but wet, weekend in Pitlochry and the tent performed superbly. Having the carpet is a luxury but does make a difference and my wife quickly laid down the law of no footwear in the main living are. As DADSBEANIEMAD mentioned, the upright poles for the main entrance should be a must, and they are the next thing on our shopping list.
We are now looking forward to the next outing.
By: Crezzer Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 05/09/2008
Overall very happy with this though I'd recommend the XL over this, see later.
First, I don't understand the one reviewers comment re' the footprint protector - it covers the whole area under the tent except for the porch. I'd recommend getting one as it saves having to clean off the bottom of your tent after the worms have left casts under it. And yes get the carpet too - very comfy.
Second I don't understand the one reviewer's comments about not accessing the bedroom pods easily - of course you can, they're just there like in any tent.
Anyway now back to why I'd recommend the XL even if it's just 2 adults and 2 kids. The extra pod could be used as a walk in wardrobe/store leaving the living area free of clutter. Wish I'd got the XL!
Our last camp was for 2 weeks and it rained very heavily with some very strong winds at times and the Hartford ate it up - a very stable tent.
Easy to put up, though you need two (one to stand inside) to get the main area up, but that part only takes a couple of minutes and the rest can be done by one adult leaving the other to entertain the kids.
Any gripes? Well. Due to the new porch shape when the front door is raised the middle fixing cord is very tight, it could do with being just an inch longer. Also for rainy weather when you'll slip in and out by just opening one side of the door it'd be good to have a tab positioned so as to hold the door in that position. Either that or add a small door on one side of the porch area too, but that's just getting picky!
So would I have one again? Definitely - but it would be the XL!
By: Cooper clan Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 28/08/2008
How much do I love my new tent?
My neighbours who camped with us nick named it the eden project due its green colour and large dome, I call it my turtle
It huge inside the dome, big enough to fit a table and 4 chairs for a family to sit at if weather is bad
The bedroom pods fir double airbeds in easily, we have 2 children age 6 & 11 and the dog comes too, plenty of room,
I also use the carpet and footprint ground sheet , the groundsheet stops the sewn in on getting overly muddy shame it doesn't fit the bedroom pods too, the carpet stops that horrible crinkly noise and is very warm and cosy underfoot as I ban shoes in my tent!
Pitching was easy with colour coded system but raising it was a little tricky as its big, which is why I gave 9/10 otherwise its lush, and my neighbours want their own eden project now too
By: Dadsbeaniemad Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 14/08/2008
Nothing but good things to say.
We bought the tent and after two practice runs got it down to 30mins pitching - without pegging out guy ropes and only a minor tiff, but if he'd listened to me .
It's very easy to pitch as the colour coded poles mean you can't go wrong. We did find the porch poles a little tricky but nothing to worry about. Hubby had to get inside to raise the tent once poles were threaded whilst I fixed them onto their pins - children then went round clipping them on.
We swapped the pegs that came with it for our awning rock pegs and bought Delta pegs for the guys, only using the ones that came with it for the porch groundsheet and some extra double pegging.
The Hartford has good ventilation points and is very light inside even when 'curtains' are all closed. Don't forget to closed rear door when you go out (came back to rain that had come through fly screen, totally our fault!)
Stood up well to wind, rain, thunder, lightening and sun (yes we had lots of sunshine!).
Bedroom pods are large enough and very easily accessable - 2 children (girls 10 & 12) on airbeds and all their clothes and 'stuff' fitted in one pod no problem as did we on our aero bed with all our clothes, books, laptop and 'stuff' into the other.
Plenty of head height and room in the living area for a big table and 4 chairs and another big table we had set up for keeping 'things' on.
If you want EHU then there is a special place to thread it through and velcro tabs to keep the cable tidy once inside the tent.
The porch (I would have liked it a little bit wider but that's just me) was big enough for our bin, wellies, shoes, jackets and all the shells, stones and beach finds the children brought back.
I would have liked there to have been the upright poles included for holding the front door up but will have to buy them seperate as they are really a must have and only about ฃ10-ฃ15 to buy seperate. Hence my 9/10 and my only real gripe. We should have been more switched on when buying and asked about them, not just expected them to be included.
It's a perfect sized tent for a family of 4 (wouldn't want to squeeze 6 into it - not on air beds anyway thought there's masses of room in the living area to accommodate extra sleepers).
We bought the footprint but not the carpet as we opted for picnic rugs that did the job well - can't say I got cold feet at all and we did go bare footed inside the main areas.
You'll not go wrong with the Hartford if you decide to choose it - we had a wonderful holiday and can't wait to go again.
By: Pjful Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating:  Date: 12/08/2008
We bought one of these, 1st ever tent, when we unpacked it though it had broken zips and poles etc, supplier thinks it was possibly repacked by outwell and sent out in error, swapped to nevada l.
When we were trying to put this tent up we found it quite tricky, because of the high domed centre I found it awkward to hold being a little short! although it looks a big tent because you are constantly moving around the centre you tend not to be able to access the bedrooms easily, supplier said she used to have one and swapped it for this reason.
By: Deepsubmariner Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 08/08/2008
I have just taken delivery of our new 2008 Hartford L tent and must say that I am very impressed.
My family is new to the camping game so we wanted something with a reasonable degree of comfort and a living area large enough to keep the kids (7 and 3) entertained during any wet weather. Another must was that it must be relatively easy to pitch, thus avoiding any domestics and a sewn-in groundsheet was also very important.
After much research, we opted for the Hartford L. With great excitement and a little trepidation, and taking the advice in many reviews in this forum, we set about pitching the tent in our back garden in order to familiarise ourselves with the set up and thus avoid any embarrassment during forthcoming camping trips. We followed the instructions with the tent, and I must say, they were spot on. We managed to pitch the tent in about 50 minutes with no arguments whatsoever. With the exception of requiring someone to crawl inside the tent and hold the centre up whilst inserting the poles on their locating pins, you could almost do it single handedly. It was incredibly stress free. We also opted for the footprint groundsheet and this does help in initially marking out the pitch as well as giving the SIG some additional protection and insulation.
Once up, the tent is large and airy with the windows providing more than enough light; of course they also have curtains to give you full privacy. The two bedroom pods are very spacious and would comfortably sleep three adults in each. The living area, with the carpet which we also opted for, is very spacious yet cosy and could, if needed, sleep any additional guests you may have. The porch is a good size and comes with a separate groundsheet.
We have yet to use this tent in anger but, having experienced it so far, can't wait. I would give my wholehearted recommendation to any family looking for a good quality tent of this size. You won't be disappointed.
By: Propercampers Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 05/06/2008
Can't fault this tent .We are a family of 4(2 adults and 2 kids).We purchased at the latter end of last year when its price was reduced (good tip for everyone if you are thinking of upgrading your tent if you wait till the end of the season shops are selling off years models with a big discount).It has managed to withstand the snow and wind at Easter in the Lakes where we used our footprint and carpet the difference was amazing our tent was the social one for the warmth.We have just come back from Barmouth and again not let us down.We have now bought the front canopy which allows us to sit out and cook with a bigger space.Really easy to pitch and the footprint helps with laying it our first.Enough room inside for a coleman air sofa and 2 chairs.Can't imagine camping without it.
By: Mushyspud Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 11/05/2008
Got this tent for my birthday last year - the really wet year! Despite this we took it away 3 times all short breaks. We pitched/took down in between the rain drops, by car headlight (but dry) and in the pouring rain! Unfortunately during one of these wet outings we managed to get the inner tent wet and it developed mould (still usable though). We put the tent up as best we could in our dining room to dry it out and even left it there fr 2 weeks (and that was per part of the tent - flysheet and inner,so it was up for sometime!) This is the only downside I would say to the tent - the inner tent first method when putting it up. Consider the available space for drying it out you have at home when buying it. If you have a garage - great.
The layout of the tent is perfect. As a couple we wanted the tent to enable us to invite friends if we wantedand the separate bedroom areas are ideal, it gves you that sense of privacy which of course you wouldnt expect possible in something with walls made of material!
The living area is equally perfect. It is a fabulous sizefor holding mini impromptu parties in when the weather turns against you, and nicely fits a black lab and her humans all stretched out listening to the rain and wind!
There are plenty of windows to let light in nicely from all angles and the option to open a door either side of the living area for a through draft is fabulous. There is also a nice porch area to leave sogy shoes etc, that you can close yourself off from to give you that really nice cut off / snug feeling and of course the sewn in ground sheet is a must!
Considering our varied experiences of putting up the tent I think it is quite simply for 2 people to do. Even in the most challenging weather we managed to get it set up quite easily and quickly.
All in all I love this tent- I did wish Outwell had mentioned their plans to change it this year, however having seen the 2008 model now (which is even bigger) I am more pleased with mine.
By: EB00 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2002 Rating:  Date: 07/05/2008
We own an older version of this tent which is pitched inner first - so far we have never had to put it up or take it down in heavy rain but due to the size drying it out at home can be a problem even if it is just a bit wet. It was the ideal tent for us when we bought it as our younger child was one year old and we wanted adaptable sleeping accomodation so doors could be left open or parents sleep with children but there is more privacy available now they are older. Our version was sold as an 8-berth tent, the living area sleeping 4 due to the sewn-in groundsheet and the bedrooms 2 each.
The tent has never let us down even in heavy Pembrokeshire rain but we have found it difficult to cook in bad weather and so bought the add-on porch to use last year - this was quite tricky to pitch and rather unstable in high winds but did serve it's intended purpose. We also felt noticeably warmer sitting under it.
We do find the tent as a whole quite time consuming to pitch and put away, bearing in mind that the groundsheet has to be cleaned and then dried (several square metres of it) as we don't want to have to get it all out again at home. For this reason we have never tried to use it for overnight stops and will probably look shortly at buying a couple of smaller tents.
By: Grumbleflick Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2005 Rating: Date: 05/05/2008
This was the first tent we bought. I would recomend it anytime, in fact I have & now 2 of our friends have bought one. The bedrooms easily fit in a double airbed with enough room to put clothes bags down the side to store them.
It was the living space that made us buy this one, we are a family of 4 and its got enough room for us to bring chairs inside on a night & all sit together. We have used this tent from our youngest being born & still was enough room for us to use his carrycot pram to sleep in & now we've moved onto a travel cot now hes older.
The porch is a good size which we have a small roll up table in & also use the porch for muddy shoes etc.
We have used this tent for just odd nights away and also for family holidays of 10 nights and it works well for either.
Even though we've had it a few years now, its never let us down in all weathers and still looks like new.
Well worth the money we paid.
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Manufacturer's Description
With its spacious living area and generously proportioned standing-height bedrooms made possible by the Outwell Extended Frame System (OEF System), the Hartford L and its extended Gothic pole porch offer full-fledged comfort and convenience. Moreover, the outside pole construction makes a Hartford L easy to pitch in one procedure flysheet first, or all as one. Optimal interior light is ensured by the large windows and two skylights, while a door at both the front and rear of the tent provide refreshing ventilation.
The sewn-in groundsheet offers maximum protection against the elements, as well as insects and dirt. Other hallmarks of Outwell design and craftsmanship include pre-attached inner tents equipped with handy mesh organiser pockets, a lamp holder and light-cable tidies.
Specifications:
Flysheet: Outtexฎ 3000 with taped seams
Hydrostatic Head: 3000 mm
Floor: Double-coated polyethylene
Inner tent: Breathable polyester
Pack size: 32 x 67 cm
Weight: 26.7 kg
Poles: Duratec fibreglass 9.5/11.0/12.7 mm
Features:
Detachable groundsheet for porch area
Pre-attached inner tents
Stow-away O-shaped inner tent doors
Organiser pockets
Mesh pockets in the inner tents
Rear door
Fully seam-sealed flysheet for maximum protection
Reinforcement patch on all stress points
Lamp holder and light cable tidies
Adjustable pegging points
Pre-attached guy ropes
Luminous guy ropes
Heavy duty Outwell zips
Outwell doormat included
Optional Extras:
Carpet
Footprint
... there may be more info on their website
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