By: Ghwerig Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 28/11/2009
I purchased mine in 2008 and have been for two two week holidays since.
As all large Outwell's this isn't easy to put up and is definitely a two person job (two decently strong people). Outwell provide a video and its useful to watch and possibly practise on a not so windy day. Putting the tent up can take a while but I find it pays off to get it really straightened up before finally pegging it down as there are so many guys ropes if you have to start unpegging and adjusting it will take days!
In all but the hottest weather the ventilation will be adequate. However, on those few occasions, when it got absolutely steaming hot there just isn't enough ventilation with only the small vents at each end of the tent and I had to wait until late evening for it to cool down enough to be comfortable. In wet weather it was fine apart from in the strongest rain there would be a tiny water ingress along the seam of the fibreglass poles that hold the dome roof up. Its very stable in windy conditions, perhaps Coxielou's poles had an existing dent when it collapsed, but I've always found mine to be rock solid; even though I worried about the stability of the domed roof this was fine. I have never had a peg pulled out by this tent. There are a vast number of guy ropes holding this tent down.
I did have one bad experience when it was raining very hard and the wind was blowing against the front of the tent. By blowing against the front the wind was lifting the front vents open by ripping the velcro apart that holds them closed. The rain was hitting the front of the tent so hard it was bouncing of into a thin mist. The wind was then carrying the mist into the open vent and into the corridors in front of the bedrooms and the bedroom roofs. No matter what I did the front vents would not stay closed (duct tape worked for 10 minutes and then blew off, sticky velcro flew straight off), eventually I resorted to sewing the vents closed, which did the trick but left me with a repair job the next day. I don't want to be particularly critical because the weather conditions were the most extreme I have ever experienced whilst camping.
Inside the tent has more room than any two bedroom tent I've ever been in. We set the kitchen up in the porch area, so we had all the inside to play about in. We have a table, three chairs and a long wardrobe in the main area, leaving plenty of room for our three year old to run about in. The main living area is very high and gives a great feeling of space. If you sit in the main living area you cannot see out of the sides of the tent (due to the bedrooms) and have limited views through the porch (if you even have the porch door open). This left us feeling a bit cut off from the camp site and constantly having to check up on our youngster.
The bedrooms are huge and having them separated means good privacy. We didn't think this through too well, as it also means if it rains or its a bit windy you can't hear your kids. The corridors in front of the bedroom are great for storing all the odds and ends that don't get used all the time (plenty of room for our large boxes and our large fridge) and the clothes rails are a fantastic idea and work well.
To summarise if you want to camp with masses of space and two private bedrooms this is for you. If you want to feel like you are outside then perhaps not.
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By: Tommy 45 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 29/09/2009
What a fantastic tent with loads of living and sleeping space , it feels very solid when erected and we think it looks very good too , the bedroom pods are a good size but if you were to utilise all the space inside this tent it could sleep a small army . We did struggle a bit to get it erected but I am sure this will improve with practice ,the only downside is the lack of clear instructions with this tent. We had the footprint and the carpet which made all the difference to the experience and made it feel very cosy and warm ( and more comfortable for all).
Would I recommend this tent .Yes without a doubt, we loved it but will need to invest in a trailer for next season.
I can't comment on how waterproof it is because it never rained when we used it but it feels very high quality and I am sure it won't let us down.
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By: Coxielou Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 05/09/2009
We had one of these tents. We went camping this year. In a high wind, the metal poles buckled and sent one half of the tent crashing down. Luckily we had just got our son out of that end because the metal poles landed where his bed was situated. It certainly would have caused serious injury if not death. Both my husband and I were unable to lift the structure to remove his belongings and had to completely dismantle and climb into a then soaking wet tent.
As there is an integrated ground sheet we then had to spend a complete week mopping and trying to dry it out. The poles are very heavy- complete set @ approx 31kg and are not further supported by cross bars, instead relying on guide ropes attached to the canvas. Unfortunately the weight of said poles simply pull the pegs out of the ground along with large sods of earth! Which as you can imagine is fine in warm settled weather. Having said this we found the tent spacious and with a footprint incredibly warm with lots of storage. We lost confidence after the incident we had and have now opted for a Hartford XL- the poles weigh less and may be safer should the tent collapse!
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By: Tyrekicker Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 02/09/2009
Bought our Idaho from GoOutdoors early this year for ฃ260 had a couple of outing's with it and has been spot on coping with an English summer with rain and stiff breeze.
Interior space is just great, no other tent configured like this one. Easy to put up with 2 adults with little or no wind. Takes us less then an hour to put and then thoroughly peg out.
Overall very pleased with tent, no issues as yet, downsides sheer bulk and weight of tent but I knew that before purchase and packing it away but will get better at that with practice.
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By: Krazykamper Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 30/08/2009
We bought this tent on Thursday. After many many hours research we decided to go for the Idaho xl. It was quite hard to track it down as I now believe Outwell are to discontinue this model next year. We had a practice run in the garden this weekend. The weather was not too great. We had high winds which the Idaho had no problems with. The living space is just great. Both bedrooms are a decent size too. We bought the carpet which adds a bit of luxury. We managed to put the tent up in around 45 mins and that was in the blowing wind. Taking it down was also a doddle-however it was a pain trying to fit it back in the bag. After several attempts it did go in. Glad we had the trial run before we go away this weekend. All in all this is a fab family tent with bags of space and comfort.
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By: Mickvelo Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 22/08/2009
Just came back after our first trip away in this tent . Very pleased with the lay out , room etc. Easy to put up after reading advice on getting air in the tent . We bought the porch extension and found it a great living/cooking area . Everything a large family tent should be and more ! Just 2 faults , ground sheet started to come apart at the seams outside the bedroom pod , woman next to us had the very same problem with hers on her first time out too , shop exchanged them both no problems , 2nd fault being the velcro fasteners weren't strong enough on the top vents when the wind got a little high . Got the tent back in the bag eventually ! adopted the 'fold like a hankey ' method until you get the right size for the bag and then roll , amused our fellow campers for 15 mins . All in all a great tent looking forward to trying out our replacement Idaho xl very soon .Will be looking for a tarp. Big enough to be a footprint first . Blankets are a good cheap option to the carpet specially when dogs share your tent .
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By: Sueg2 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 04/08/2009
We have just returned from a very wet and windy holiday and have to say we didn't experience any problems with leaks from the centre poles at all. Stayed very dry and held in the wind even with the extension. I did however find it quite flappy and noisy in high winds which is probably quite normal but found our dome tent more solid and a lot quieter in these conditions. Having said this, the layout was absolutely fantastic, plenty of room and plenty of usable space. To make it easier to put up ensure that the doors are open and plenty of air gets inside before the first poles are lifted. We have also managed to get it back in the bag with no problems. The carpet made it cosy and the extension was a god send especially in the rain. I would highly recommend this tent purely for the ingenious layout.
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By: Graceful Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 03/08/2009
The Idaho xl is a great tent. But,are there any other owners whose Idaho xl tent has leaked where the two bendy ceiling poles touch the roof of the tent. The metal connectors on the bendy poles rub against the tent material especially when it is windy. Otherwise the tent is great.
We have just spent ten days in Cornwall, it rained a lot and was windy. I had to shove kitchen roll over the metal sections of the bendy poles, this soaked up some of the drips but I still had to wipe down the poles with fresh kitchen roll. I fear the metal sections of the poles will cause more damage to the tent when the weather is windy. Still like the tent though.
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By: LesleyJean Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 03/08/2009
Bought this for me and my 2 children ( 4 and 8 ) - thought it would be too big - but is absolutely fabulous. (I have the extension and carpet too)
We sleep in pod 1 - and pod 2 is used as a playroom - works wonderfully.
It is at present impossible for me to pitch the poles without another adult ( I'm only 5' 3'') fortunately there's always been a friend or a relative to help.
Pulling the first two poles up, is hilarious ! - but I have made this a tad easier on the last couple of trips by unhooking the pods from their upper hooks inside, before packing up - hence, less weight to pull up with the poles when pitching.
Packing away, no problem at all - kids love rolly pollying along the tent after each fold into the centre of both sides - one big double fold & then rolled up - it just pops into the bag - works great.
All in all - our first family tent, thought it was going to be way too big, and overstretched myself as always - but we love it - and it was admired by many on the campsite :-)
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By: Wakey7 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 31/07/2009
An absolute corker of a tent with loads of living space and headroom which me and my 8 stone wife can put up and down easy. It was a struggle at first but after 5 weekends away we find it easy now.
Close doors when putting up and open when putting away. Fold both sides into middle and repeat. Both stand at separate ends and roll tightly as poss into middle towards each other and then in middle get all air out then keep rolling one side and unroll the other (the wifes lol) then have 3 pieces of rope or string and tie as tight as poss and it will go in if you keep it as tight as you can no probs
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46 User Reviews of the Idaho XL - Showing 11 to 20 Page:
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The manufacturer has advised that this model has been discontinued.
The Outwell Space Frame System enables the Idaho XL to offer a larger and improved living area, together with a much wider porch that adds 5 m2 of space to the familys living area. Carefully designed for easy holiday housekeeping, the Idaho XL has two bedrooms at either end of the tent which open into a side bay equipped with a clothes rail and organiser pockets. The bays can be curtained off to create extra privacy for dressing, and are suitable for a wide variety of living or storage purposes. Other key features include low-light windows, a lamp holder, light cable tidies, and a cable entry point. With a sewn-in groundsheet in the main tent and a detachable bathtub groundsheet in the porch area, the Idaho XL is designed for ultimate camping comfort and convenience.
Specifications: Flysheet: Outtexฎ 5000 with taped seams Hydrostatic Head: 5000 mm Floor: Double-coated polyethylene Inner tent: Breathable polyester Pack size: Tent: 78 x 40 x 42 cm/Poles: 23 x 78 cm Weight: Tent: 27.8 kg / Poles: 21.8 kg Poles: Steel poles 19/22 mm, Durawrap fibreglass 12.7 mm, 2 upright steel poles
Features: Detachable bathtub groundsheet for porch area Large panorama windows in porch area Mud valance on porch area Clothes rails Pre-attached and adjustable inner tents Organiser pockets Mesh pockets in the inner tents Lamp holder and light cable tidies Fully seam-sealed flysheet for maximum protection Reinforcement patch on all stress points Adjustable pegging points Pre-attached guy ropes Luminous guy ropes Heavy duty Outwell zips Outwell doormat included Repair kit included
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Date: 28/11/2009
Date: 29/09/2009
Date: 05/09/2009
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Date: 03/08/2009
