Tent Showcase: Gelert Zenith 8
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2008
8
48.00 KG
£449.99
4
Fully Sewn-in
Fly first
Tent
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Average User Rating:
9.73/10 from 11 reviews
Viewed: 5290 times
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User Reviews of the Zenith 8
By: Larahausp Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 13/08/2009
I have just came back from 5 nights in Cornwall, this is he first time we had used our new zenith 8.
This tent is by far the best we have ever had we had a very bad night of rain but the tent never leaked and was very sturdy.
The overall tent size is huge, once the dome is up(which is not to bad) the rest of tent is a breeze, it took us about 1 hour, its the pegging out and guy lines which take the longest.
The only problem which I dislike about the tent was the doors and the windows which open from outside, I think the door on the older model was different.
I would highly recommend this tent the pods are big enough for 3 and we used the 4th pod for storage and wardrobe. I would say this is equal to the outwell hartford xxl if not better.
By: Doreachiever Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating:  Date: 11/08/2009
We have had 3 trips now in our Gelert 8 tent, and absolutely love it.
We decided to upgrade since our 2 kids are now growing up, and we needed extra space. We did no research at all, but went looking at out local tent outlet. As soon as I walked into one of these that was erected on display, I thought it was just what we were looking for. There was around 30 tents erected, so plenty of choice, but the Gelert 8 had everything, and more.
As long term campers, we really knew what we were looking for.
The living space in the tent is superb. Table, chairs and all the shopping disappear into the space.It's like being at home.
In hot weather, we opened all the windows and both doors, leaving the bug nets closed, and we had ample breeze flowing through the tent to keep us in comfort.
We found the cup holders excellent for the lads, making sure there was no drinks spilled, and on entering the tent, we took off our shoes and left them in the shoe holders on the side of the tent, which meant that even on rainy days, the inside of the tent remained immaculate. I am over 6 feet tall, and normally suffer somewhat with an aching back from stooping over constantly when camping, but alas, no bad back with this beauty. No bending or stooping. I can't say enough about this tent, other than that we wish we had bought one years ago. For those with experience, it is a walk in the park to put up. The main dome and bedroom pods can all be done in well under an hour (with the help of the boys). As said previously, having someone enter the tent to hold up the 3 main dome poles at the point where they cross is a must. From there on, it is so easy to insert the rest of the poles that a 5 year old could do the job, as everything is colour coded. We put the tent up without even looking for instructions. Match the 3 black poles to the 3 black sleeves, and that's all the instruction needed.
I fail to see what the 2009 version could possibly offer that our 2008 tent doesn't. We got a fantastic deal when we bought our tent, but now that we have had the experience of actually using it, I would happily pay the rrp no problem. If you are looking for a tent, look no further, buy this one.You will not be disappointed.
If there is a down side, it is that once on site and erected, there is no shortage of campers that want to come and see inside. Every single person who has looked in our tent has been well impressed.Enough said!
By: Adywayne Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 08/08/2009
We bought one of these earlier this year and have just had a week down in Dorset, quite a mixed bag in terms of weather, with a particularly rainy Thursday (around 10hrs solid) but we all stayed dry.
Its a bit of a beast to put up to begin with, but after the practice run, it all becomes clear as with most things, and is helped by the colour coding.
Absolutely delighted at the internal space offered by this tent, with 4 generous sized 2 berth rooms. You could also fit at least another 4 inside the main dome if you really needed to, but for me, it offered my family the luxury of being able to stretch out and relax without having to fight for space.
Not overly keen on the front door design when wet, as the water just rolls down and pools inside the dome, but it's something we got used to.
Plenty of pockets and little storage nets, fly screens on the front and rear doors of the main dome and each bedroom, also on the bedroom inners.
Plenty of windows to make the main dome area light and airy, with most of them also having fly screens although they do open from the outside.
This was purchased to replace our cheap 6 berth tent and they really are worlds apart. This has been a great purchase and even my wife was suitably impressed and enjoyed herself. We would really recommend this tent to anyone thinking of buying it.
By: Linda Stephen Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 18/07/2009
We both camped when we were kids, having 'graduated' to a caravan when our children were small and then to hotels and time share as we grew older! But we have nephews who wanted to camp, two man tent on the lawn when they were small was fine but as they got older just would not do any more! We bought a small 4 man at the end of last year to test whether camping for their Mum was a viability! It was but only with a much 'bigger' tent! So began the search. I used the reviews already listed on the UK Camping site for family tents and had three makes in mind when I went shopping. I found a steal on the Gelert Zenith 8 and so did the deed and told my sister in law we had a marque! I looked everywhere on line for the footprint ground sheet and carpet but could not locate anyone who had them in stock. We bought a couple of tarpaulins and duct taped them together, we were a bit short about a a foot on each pod.
To say we had not done a test drive, it went up fairly easy, once we had sorted the centre dome and the three main black poles. Once you have those everything else is a breeze! The poles are colour coded and instructions easy and simple. It has oceans of room both for living and sleeping in, one of us is 6ft plus and could still stand without touching the roof of the tent.
Taking it down was easy even though it was a torrential downpour, we were wet, the tent was wet, everything went away in the tent bags except the outer. We decided that it was just not worth getting even more wet through spending time folding it to get it back in the bag! We folded it roughly and threw it in the back of the car and strung it up in the garage to dry out when we got home.
The door was a bit faffy in the rain, dripping inside as it was manhandled but that was the only problem. The doors as both ends have bug nets and provide a lovely through draft. Praise be to Gelert for making such a good tent! We have had a lovely first stay in our new 'marque' even though our weather was very mixed. We go to Scotland for our next trial!
By: Yazbbj Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 20/06/2009
We purchased this earlier this year after much research. We firstly liked the price (on ebay) for the size of tent and being first timers, we were quite worried that perhaps we had used the wrong criteria in choosing the tent. Anyways, it got its first airing over the Easter bank holiday in the Gower. I must admit I was slightly embarrassed when it first went up as we were in the middle of the field and it looked like a great big cherry on the top, it was that big. I soon got over that when I realised the room we had inside. Plenty of room for a 7 year old and a 2 year old to run around and for storage of all the stuff that comes with little ones. OH is 6 foot 2 and was thrilled that even in the pods he did not feel cramped.
We were not able to do a trial pitch and had a bit of a time when we got to the campsite, but the help of two very nice gentlemen soon sorted that out. We may find out otherwise over time, but having someone in the tent holding up the main poles seemed to be the trick that finally did it. After that, for a big tent, everything else went pretty quickly. After the drama with putting it up, we assumed taking it down would be quite difficult but were pleasantly surprised when it came down quite easily, had we had a footprint, we probably would have been away within less than an hour but it took us longer as we were cleaning the groundsheet as we went along.
Enough of the raving, something about the features:
Windows: Great as it gives you the option to have them covered.
Two entrances: Excellent for letting some cool air flow through on those hot days.
Living Area: Plenty of room for tables and chairs and kids toys, a must for those rainy evenings.
Storage compartments: Especially handy for keeping medication, phones, camcorders and such like away from little fingers!
Pod size: fits a double aerobed easily with space to walk round without stepping on the bed (just barely but enough to make a difference.)
Equipment: The colour coding makes it first time camper proof. I thought the instructions were rather minimal for the size of the tent but was totally surprised to find that they were really all we needed.
Finally, we had some pretty heavy rain and wind one night (we were right by the sea) and the tent barely moved. No regrets buying this and I can't wait for our next trip.
By: Cerberus74 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 15/06/2009
As a born again camper I reasoned that the only way to get the wife to come camping again, and to want to continue to go camping, was to acquire a large and comfortable tent.
The Gelert Zenith 8 fits the bill in every way! We scoured the internet and discounted many other tents as too small or too overpriced or too flimsy. I called Gelert to confirm a few details and was more than happy with their customer service. They even sent me a copy of the tent instructions which helped me with my choice.
We found a 2008 Zenith 8 on ebay for the right price and went for it. The 2009 Zenith is now in the Gelert 'beyond' range but looks identical so we were not concerned by having a 2008 as opposed to a 2009 model.
As the tent is too large to fit in our garden (it has a footprint of 8m x 5m) we were forced to 'risk it' and erect the tent for the first time when we arrived at the camp site. There were four adults and it took us about an hour and a half. Providing much entertainment for the other campers. Getting the first three poles in and bent to shape is a bit of a trial but I'm sure it will be easier next time. Certainly now that we have more experience! Having a person crawl inside the tent and lift the point where the poles cross is both helpful and quite amusing!
Once up the Zenith 8 is the envy of many a campsite. It's huge and quite imposing. The 'living room' is a great size with plenty of light from the many built in windows. Staying in a tent with curtains was also quite a novel and enjoyable experience! It wasn't a difficult tent to put up but it is large and so is a time consuming job!
The storage pouches are really handy and having built in cup holders is just a great giggle. I don't think I used them once but they did make me chuckle every time I looked at them.
Everything about this tent 'just works'. The bedrooms will take a double height air bed with ease. The sewn in ground sheet keeps the weather out.
Taking the tent down was very easy. We chose to keep the poles separate and now keep them in a backpack. Keeping the weight of the bags down a little bit. The tent packs away in the 2 supplied bags. The heaviest of which is very heavy and can take two people to carry around.
With the special offers available on the 2008 model I think we chose very wisely with the Zenith 8 and in terms of value for money I don't think it can be beaten.
The differences between the 2008 and the 2009 are so minimal that the sale prices on the 2008 are an absolute steal!
By: Polly.s Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 14/04/2009
We bought this tent in a camping sale last year after having reviewed LOTS of other tents. We bought this one because it was the only one which did everything we wanted.
It is very spacious - lots of room in the lounge area to keep bored children amused on rainy days. The bedrooms are a great size too - the only ones we've found which have enough room to stand up in as well as plenty of room for sleeping bags & luggage.
Despite its size it is relatively quick & easy to put up - it only takes 2 of us 1 hour to completely put it up - including doing the large number of guy ropes.
The only downsides are that you need a tall person to stand inside the middle of the tent to hold it up when you are first putting up the main poles & one of the poles has a tendency to sit against the outer fabric. Having said that though we used it for a very wet & windy week in Cornwall last summer & only had 1 minor leak despite never ending rain.
I'm not certain what year the tent was first manufactured so I've guessed at 2007.
When packed up the tent is very heavy & bulky but then it is a huge tent so what do you expect!
All in all it was great value for money (only because we got it reduced) & so far we've been very happy with it & it has coped very well with the great British weather.
By: Kewlchick Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 16/08/2008
We went camping through high winds and torrential rain in our new Gelert Zenith 8 and have to say it was wonderful. There were three adults and three children, the youngest of whom is only three. It was pitched in torrential rain by two adults easily, and much to the amusement of fellow campers! Well the grass where we pitched was dry and we saw no sense in letting that get wet by waiting for the rain to pass.
There was plenty of room even when we were all inside and there was none of the claustrophobic feeling that inclement weather causes in some tents. My wheelchair didn't fill the space and even with four other chairs, a table and a kitchen unit there was still plenty of space for the kids to play.
The bedroom pods were a fantastic size and easily held our queen size double height airbed (I am disabled and need a higher bed), in fact in my daughter's pod there was a double airbed with a good two foot of space to the side of it. The shape of them giving a higher roof is definitely recommended, no waking up in high winds to find yourself nibbling on the ceiling of your bedroom!
Even when the wind was at its height the tent didn't budge, despite countless others on the site collapsing and in one case actually blowing away! We never had a moment's worry about the wind affecting this tent. The inside remained dry because of the raised edge to the built in ground sheet and there was no condensation because of the ample ventilation.
In short this is a tent I would definitely recommend for family groups and even novice campers would be able to put the tent up using the easy to follow instructions sewn into the tent bag. Can't wait until next week when we go away in it again!
Rita
By: Mazweztink Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 15/08/2008
Hi again, Having now been away in our tent we can safely say its definitely worth the money and then some!
It withstood heavy rain pours and huge gusts of wind on numerous days. Other tents were buckling and ripping all around us but ours stood tall! As feared it rained to bring the tent back down and was very windy which tried to turn it into a huge parachute but we got it down in the end. The bag it comes in definitely could do with being bigger as its hard work to get it back in there. Hope my review helps someone else make a good decision!
By: Didntgetwet Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 27/07/2008
As below. Bit tricky putting up the dome but after thats up its a piece of cake. Used it when raining hard and wind blowing a gale. Tent stayed dry and nothing the wind threw at it had any effect. Great buy .
By: Mazweztink Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 21/07/2008
Hi campers, just thought I'd leave a note to say I've just purchased one of these and erected it at the weekend. The main dome is a challenge to put up but after that its a doddle with colour coded poles and sleeves to thread them through! It is very light inside and has ample of room for yours and everyone elses family! There are lots of ventilation points and windows. Both of the main doors have fly screens so no worries about bugs. The inner tents will fit our queen size airbed no problem. Haven't been out in it yet but will be in a couple of weeks so I will fill you in then! I would definitely advise getting a footprint though (if you can, I have to look into this myself) as you could end up very dirty when packing it back away. The 2 bags it comes in could have been more evenly weighted! 1 being 17kg the other 30ish kg. All in all as I had only seen it on the net I was very impressed when I saw it in real life!
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Manufacturer's Description
Although not having the brand cache of an Outwell Hartford or a Vango Killington, the Gelert Zenith's certainly tick all the boxes when it comes to quality and price point. The Zenith has a fully sewn-in groundsheet for a sealed internal environment (Howard Hughes had one) and an external fibreglass frame to allow for flysheet first pitching. The fire retardant polyester flysheet offers 5000mm hydrostatic head protection. The other major features of these tents are the skylights, multiple windows and hanging tent organiser pockets. The Zenith 8 features 4 large 2-berth bedrooms, although at 200cm wide and 230cm deep, they could accommodate 3 per bedroom, if required. The Zenith 8 features a large 'J' porch doorway and a second, smaller 'J' door at the rear of the living space.
Other features include: Welded and reinforced polyethylene groundsheet; water repellent zips; electric cable access point; multiple ventilation points; pre-attached hi-viz guylines; 'slick sleeves' for easy pole threading; breathable polyester inner tents; 16mm, 12.7mm and 11mm fibreglass poles plus 2 steel porch poles.
Weight: 17.2kg (flysheet); 30.8kg (poles and inners)
Pack Size: 71x40x33cm (flysheet); 71x31x27cm (poles and inners)
Dimensions: (Outer) 805x505cm
Height: (Inner) 215cm
Colour: Fir Green/Frosted Green
... there may be more info on their website
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