By: 2gocampin Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 13/03/2010
Ok, we have a Norfolk Lake, we have had a Trout Lake and we have had various other tents along the way but our new Bear Lake 6 just knocks the rest into the shade.
We loved the Norfolk for its extra space at the front, but the sloping front door is a nightmare when its raining and the fact that it only has a bathtub groundsheet in this area is not great. We will keep the Norfolk I'm sure but now having pitched our BL6 I dont think it will get used all that much now.
The Bear Lake 6 is perfect in every way and having lived with the other Lakes its not until you try one do you realise this. The extra width makes a big difference and the vertical front panel and door, with the canopy over is just perfect, especially when it rains. The feeling of space with the blinds down is far nicer than the solid panel in the centre of the Norfolk and the extra hight and floor space in the bedroom pods makes all the difference.
A fantastic tent with all the great features that we have come to know of the Outwell Classic range. I just wish we had gone for the Bear Lake first, it would have saved us a lot of time and money.
By: Ashy55 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 01/11/2009
Bought mine ex-display from Yeomans Outdoors in Standish. Spent some time cleaning it up and waterproofing etc. What a fabulous tent! I got it for a reasonable price and was so pleased coz I never though I would be able to buy this tent for a while! It took a real battering from wind and rain Oct 31 / Nov 1 at Red Bank Farm (Fab site) at Bolton Le Sands. Now I need a side extension! BEAR LAKE 6 IS FAB!
By: Aaron666 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 06/09/2009
We only got the tent on Tuesday and went to a very windy site on Thursday so no chance for a practice pitch on arrival we mentioned to the people next to us that it was a first pitch and that if they seen we were in trouble would they help well we didn't have any problems but they came and helped any way lol so can't tell you how easy it is to pitch as there was four of us and it went up without a hitch in about an hour, this I am sure will eventually be halved with practice.
Camping in this tent was a joy we took the precaution of pitching next to a hedge but to be honest when the wind changed it had no effect on the tent in side was lovely and warm and the noise difference was very marked when leaving or entering the tent polycotton is a superb material we had quite a bit of rain the first night and despite not weathering it before going we experienced none of the leaks that others have this raises another point and that is the front door zip witch whilst being a little stiff to close caused us no problems either the problem seems to be that the guy ropes pull the fabric a little we eased these off a tad and took a little care over closing the door basically I can see no problem with this. The rear panel of the inner bedroom hangs about 18' clear of the tent and I do feel this compromises the head room in the bedroom when laying with head facing to the rear and wastes space Build quality on our tent is perfect with none of the bad stitching problems also reported.
When we have had more chance to review this tent we will up date our finding as we intend to camp all year in this model and first impressions say this will be a great tent to do it in.We will see lol
By: Jason.lock Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 04/09/2009
Just returned from a 2 week trip to Cornwall where the tent had a good weathering! Overall, very pleased with the tent. We had no issues as mentioned in previous posts about leaking windows, or tight zips or ripping of any kind.
The side extension works very well as a cooking area, and the footprint is invaluable (at least to keep the Cornish mud off the tent!)
We also had the children's tent which although didn't seem to fit brilliantly, was popular with the kids. We decided that the carpet would be a good buy for future UK trips.
The tent did stay cosy and warm throughout the holiday. The side doors (with their dual layer zips) are a bit of a faff to get in and out of regularly - with the kitchen in the awning, you do tend to use those doors more than the front door which just has one main zip. I think with nice weather this would be less of an issue as you could just leave them open.
All in all, a very comfortable tent, and we hope to get much more use out of it in the coming years!
By: Leannekelly Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2006 Rating: Date: 27/08/2009
Just a great tent. We have gotten better at putting this monster up, but just love it. We have used it now for the last three summers and it has worn very well, weathered heavy rain with no problems and kept us cool in the heat. We love it and look forward to many more years of exploring Europe with it.
By: Astradaz Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 26/08/2009
Bought this tent a couple of years ago as my wife wanted something a bit bigger than the little 4 man tent we used to have, if we were to go camping every year.
The Outwell BL6 is a fantastic tent very spacious, two bedrooms and a large living area, there are also 2 side doors you can use aswell as the main door, you can now purchase a ext to the side doors that makes this tent even better.
After watching the video of how to put the BL6 up, I soon got the hang of it and it now takes us about 1 hour to pitch the tent, icl attaching the bedrooms and all the niggley stuff.
Although I could do with going to the gym so I could pick it up, this is an excellent family tent and would recommend it.
By: Saggylegs Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 30/07/2009
Bought our tent in May and have used it so far 6 times in the UK.Several thunder storms and very heavy rain have no effect on this tent, it's quiet and doesn't tend to flap about like other fabric tents. Best of all for UK camping is the groundsheet - warm and cosy if needed, light and airy when you are lucky enough to get some sunshine. Really is a great tent for the UK camper.
By: Aju0812 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 06/07/2009
We have just returned from our first camping weekend using our Outwell Bear Lake 6. We are a family of four (2 adults, and two children 2 and 4years old). We purchased the Bear Lake after viewing various tents set up at a Yeomans centre. During our weekend we found the tent very comfortable both during the day despite the temperature outside being 30degreesC+ and at night when the temperature dropped off. The side extension we purchased we used as a cooking area and this was invaluable and worked very well, although a bit of a faff to pull over the main tent when setting up. Took us about two hours from arrival to fully pitch with all sections and also setting out furniture, would expect this to reduce with time and experience.
All in all a very good tent that we enjoyed using and living in. We can't wait until our next camping trip.
Note: you will be asked by fellow campers if they can have a look around, as we were several times. All were very complimentary and impressed.
By: TuckersLuck Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 04/07/2009
Leaving yet another review on the infamous BL6 might be overkill so I shall be quick!
This is a seriously good bit of kit. Once weathered, it will take on the harshest of the British summer!
There is however one problem that lots of us have talked about on this forum which is why I have only given it a 9, the dreaded front door! It may be a pre-2009 problem but the door is extremely hard to close due to it being too tight. I, like others, have tried all manner of things to try and rectify this to no avail. That said, I still believe this is the best family tent out there. If you're thinking of making the move to polycotton, this is the daddy!
By: Ian117 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 24/06/2009
I bought mine BL6 at the end of 2008 for £500. All this years (and last years) models (which is identical to the 2008 model) have gone up in price due to the weak pound to Euro so don't expect the price to drop loads on any new tent.
Ok and now on to my report for this brilliant tent. I put mine up, on my own in 1 hour (less putting out some of the non essential guy ropes). It was a struggle for the 1st arch but not that much of a problem after that.
The ground sheet is thicker than other tents and the zip in to outer means the water/wind wont come in. Um that also means it wont get out either.We were out in Croyde bay over Whitsun and on one day there were big driving wind and rain, the side that bore the brunt of it did let the rain in by the window, but I think we still did better than most. We even had 2 different people come over to us, to admire the tent, because ours was the only tent that did not move in the wind and everyone was in awe of it. I consider it freak weather and it was all dry once the rain stopped. So don't let that put you off the tent, I cant recommend it enough. Just make sure you have the room in your car (um, I've had to buy a trailer).
By: Kmac9909 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 16/05/2009
Great tent suitable only for car camping due to size and weight. Spoilt by Outwell's lack of attention to detail on quality.
The tent is spacious and the feel of the poly cotton is great. It is easy to put up, but reasonably time consuming (at least 45 minutes) and is definitely a two person job.
Holds up well to the the British weather and luxurious inside in terms of sheer space and all the windows. The zipped-in ground sheet is great and the zips all work smoothly. The front canopy can be removed if not required but it makes a good 'porch' where you can remove shoes prior to entering.
Sadly my tent has a small rip (its brand new) on the inner where it attaches to the flysheet (the inner is pulling away from the strap holding the inner up to the ceiling of the flysheet. I believe these (and similar manufacturing defects experienced by other Outwell Classic tent owners) are not really acceptable in a tent in this price range.
The other disappointment is the bags they come in. I would have expected Outwell to include trolley bags (as they do in the Premium range of tents) due to the weight of the tent and poles but they just come in ordinary nylon sacks with handles.
If you can put up with these niggling but minor defects it's a great tent to have. Don't want to put anyone off it, but just wanted to keep people informed before they commit to it.
By: Simon W Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 01/05/2009
Quite simply, there isn't a better tent your money can buy !
Wolf lake 7 is too big - the WL5 comes very close 2nd ( due to its fab side extension ) and for me the BL4 is far too narrow and not as good looking - BL6 is just perfect in every way - wish the side ext was wider - but as for the actual tent - superb ! Love the front porch are for evening drinks - its quiet inside, cool on warm days, cosy. Warm on cold nights - totally practical - Light years beyond anything nylon - just sheer quality ! and a looker too !
By: Alphonso De Lard Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 03/02/2009
We love our Bear Lake. Bought a package containing the tent, side extension, footprint and carpet from a Yeomanns Outdoor show. They almost price matched another dealer who were selling the package - wouldn't drop all the way, but promised us good customer service. (Which proved worth it, as the bedroom had a hole in it, and the footprint ripped on first usage, but Yeomanns changed both without any quibble).
The living area is a lovely size. We use the extension for the kitchen area, living the living area for relaxation. Very sturdy tent. Cosy at night once the curtains are drawn.
Easy to pitch once you get the knack. Although takes us about two hours from arrival to complete the whole process, including all the 'bits' that go inside. Altho the tent itself takes much less than that!
Very very sturdy in the storms last August. Didn't budge in the winds.
The tent does come in two big big bags. I underestimated how big it would be, so take care if you have a small car.
I love it, thoroughly recommended purchase. Can't wait to stay in it this season.
By: Mattv Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 25/01/2009
Have used this tent for the past two seasons and I cannot speak too highly of it.
The tent has a large snug living area that provides space for the when the weather is at it's worse. I bought the tent for £540 but note that the 2009 model has an rrp of £999! I would look for a 08 model, Yeoman's have some for £528, grab one now!
By: Jennydog Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 01/10/2008
We are new to camping so we were a little concerned when we saw the size of the tent in it's bags
There was no need to worry it was easy to put up
The tent 'feels' great. Quiet and a great colour
Loads of living space so ideal for us to take to France and be very comfortable
I particularly like the bedroom layout - one very large room + one smaller bedroom - ideal for dog owners or families with very young children as you can unzip the divide between the two and make it into one large space
The window and door options are enormous - again fantastic for going to Europe in the warm weather - mossie nets everywhere
I was particularly impressed by how easy it was to zip in the groundsheet
We are going to love this tent
By: Happycamper36 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 05/09/2008
Brilliant tent. Spent ages on here reading comments on lots of tents before buying this one last year and no regrets. Camped 4 times in it so far - mostly bad English weather. Total protection from elements. Main advantages for me are:
Polycotton: more breathable than polyester tents - cooler in hot weather - don't wake up sweating when sun comes up at 5am
Also warmer in cool weather and at night
Heavier weave of material - like cotton canvas but without disadvantage of having to erect to dry if put away wet. Never have had to put it away wet though but apparently cotton canvas shrinks when drying so needs to be dried on the frame. Polycotton shouldn't.
Heavier dark material keeps it from getting too light in early morning - windows and curtains mean isnt dark inside during the day
Less noise in heavy wind and rain - feels snug and secure
I love it.
By: Stevelyon Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 05/09/2008
After much browsing we bought the BL6 to replace our old trusty frame tent. We weathered it in the garden and it was very weather proof during a wet and windy few days in Wales, we even had comments from other campers that it looked so stable. I bought a windbreak to complement the canopy which provides a good cooking area if it's not too windy.
However, on the down side it is not a small package, the door zip was very difficult even after much tampering with the pegging out and the thing that really frustrated us was the stabiliser poles - they are nigh on impossible to push through the webbing on the side as the push button connectors catch on it all the time and these and the adjustment screw subsequently also broke when we decamped. With a bent pole also in the mix we felt a bit underwhelmed by the tent.
By: Zero9877 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 25/08/2008
Just returned from 10 days in South Devon with our new BL6 and we could not have asked for more from our tent. This was our first serious camping trip and the quality and construction of the tent enabled my family to have a comfortable and trouble free holiday, even though the British weather threw everything at us high winds and torrential rain! People that purchase this tent are doing so because of its quality and with quality comes higher weight, I dont believe this is a downfall, if you buy a tent like this you know what you are buying from the outset and it should come as no surprise that in comparison to others it is quite bulky and heavier.
I have never erected a tent before and taking this into consideration it was relatively easy although time consuming at around 2 hrs, this did not matter once inside, the rain was incredibly heavy and no leaks even though through my own stupidity I did not weather the tent before use. I cannot recommend this tent enough and to sum up very stable, dry, has good temp regulation, easy to erect and pull down and high quality materials used. My only disadvantage is the RRP AT £799 but if you shop around you can get at least £300 off this, we managed to get it for £490 from Go Outdoors due to their price match policy which I believe is a bargain, it will last years.
By: Gnight jim bob Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 20/08/2008
This is our second year with the bear lake 6 and and the only thing we wish it had is a full length canopy like the wolf lake. When it rains heavy we get a slight leak were the run off from the canopy hits the front window, you have to be careful when you pitch it on uneven ground as this makes the door very tight to close. I have packed it away with the zig attached but it makes for a very heavy pack,if I had to change it I would opt for the wolf lake 5 but only for the full length canopy
By: Nikjwood Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 13/08/2008
The Bear Lake 6 is quite simply a remarkable tent and has many benefits from being constructed in polycotton. I chose the tent simply due to the fact that when I was looking at my local camping store, on a hot day and following a sudden extensive downpour the BL6 was not only perfectly dry, but also remarkably cool. All the other tents were very hot, and with 3 young kids in tow, it made sense to make life as comfortable for them as possible when camping. Obviously the choice of tent makes the difference for successful camping journeys. I also purchased the side extension, wind-break and carpet. I was forced to erect the tent by myself at the campsite and managed to complete the task; although it obviously would have been easier with 2 people! I think the easiest way to do this, is that when all the poles are in place, pull the whole tent up by the front pole and secure the guy rope. I tied mine to the trailer, which kept everything in place until I pegged the tent down. The internal ground sheet is fantastic and easy to zip into place. The carpet made a great difference, especially using the Outwell Heater that kept everything nice and snug. The only downside was that during a long downpour a small amount of water came in through the bottom window seam. It appears that this would have been simply resolved if Outwell had made the fabric around the plastic window cover slightly longer, it is only held by a small piece of velcro. The second point is that the front canopy could have done with being made down to the floor on both sides. This is the obvious place for cooking, but you are forced to cook next to the front door if it is raining.
However, this was our first family camping expedition, and although the weather was atrocious, the children all enjoyed the tent and were able to play inside without getting under our feet. I came away from the campsite a day early, due to the forecast being so bad and took advantage of the fact that the tent was completely dry during a sunny period. I could not imagine having to pack the BL6 away for the journey home still wet! Unless you are fortunate enough to have a very large garage at home to dry it out thoroughly. An excellent tent, and well worth the money. I would suggest shopping around for a good price. I didn't use the side extension and therefore can only imagine that it would have made the living area even more spacious.
By: Sallyv Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 10/08/2008
This is a great tent! When the wind and rain hit, continuously for 24 hours, the heavier polycotton came into it's own. The noise and movement were minimal.Easy to put up, took 2 of us 1 hour{first time} will pack into 3 bags though in future to make it easier to carry.Bedrooms really spacious,kids loved the low windows for stargazing in bed.In fact, my son wants to sell the house and live in the tent! Overall this is a great tent that is ideal for a family wanting room to move, even when the weather keeps you indoors. Wouldn't change it for anything!
By: Craigomills Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 09/08/2008
We have had our 2008 BL6 for 2 months now and have used it twice, both in awful rainy weather. The tent is so stable, secure and warm. The only problems I have are that the canopy isn't a full size one (down to the floor)which means that in heavy rain you get a stream of water falling down the front 2 windows which, in our tent caused a leakage by the bottom seam of the windows. This shouldn't happen in a £600 tent.
Other than that the tent is brill. The living area is huge and there are lots of options for the windows/doors.
If Outwell could solve the leaky windows, they would have a 10/10 tent.
By: Fallonjv Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 10/07/2008
Bear Lake 6…an Excellent Tent??
I’ve travelled to France a lot and also camped in the Uk over the last 3 years. My previous tent was a 4-6 birth dome tent costing about £100, in comparison the Bear lake 6 (BL) £799 rrp, though I think you should easily be able to source it at £629. The BL is a big heavy tent (a criticism?) although I still manage to pack this into my trusted Renault Clio, with a small fridge and all other equipment for a weeks camping with 2 adults.
Erecting this tent is not the easiest; it comes in two separate bags each weighing about the same as a large 55lb bag of potatoes. It comes with instructions though in summary insert all 5 domed poles into the tents canvas, peg the rear guy ropes and with 1 person on either side lift the rear domed pole, the guys ropes help keep this erect and then keeping the canvas taught make your way to the 2nd dome pole, eventually you’ll get to the 5th and then peg out the front guy ropes, this is enough to keep the tent erect. At a local camping store the guy said he managed to do this himself, though I think this is possible I would suggest at 2 people. Then zip in the very heavy duty ground sheet, which has a real feel of quality, and complete the pegging out of the tent; by doing it this way I found that it reduce the taught areas that makes it feel impossible to complete the zipping in of the ground sheet after you have pegged the tent out.
I have used this tent in Dawlish Warren on the long bank holiday weekend, the weather was great except for the Monday when we had heavy rain the tent was taken down in a rush and was very wet. In these conditions I would suggest leaving it out large canvas bag and buying a large plastic bag, I got a plastic sheet box shaped boot liner, which folds up flat. When I got home the tent needed erecting to let it dry out, forget about trying to hang the BL on the washing line, so you’ll need a large garden too. The second time I used it was at the Whitsun in Normandy and the weather at times, made the trip to Dawlish seem like a shower. Torrential rain at night did manage to penetrate the tent (see note below) however considering the rainfall I was very pleased. Firstly with the BL’s canvas cover the noise factor was considerably reduced, I managed to sleep through it. Secondly my previous tent would have definitely let in considerably more, as did many of the other tents at the site.
The canopy at the front could benefit with sides, as with the Wolf Lake. However I have just bought a windbreak and I feel this may work better as it offers more versatility. The zips on this tent are in a class of there own and the windows to the tent have so many options: - curtains, clear plastic windows, which zip down to expose black mesh windows which can also unzip for maxim ventilation, I think all the windows on the tent offer this. The guy ropes are of high visibility. Outwell also do a footprint for this tent, I’ve used 2 large tarpaulins which help keep the ground sheet clean and dry which helps when putting the tent down. The tent also takes a little longer erecting, there is a lot of pegs, guys ropes and the physical weight all take their toll; on my second time of erecting the BL it took 1hour 20min’s, this compares to about 40min’s of my previous tent. However saying this I know this tent is far stronger and has and would stand up to the elements better.
During my trip to France and when the BL dried out, I noticed light green patches on the roof were the bear lake 6 had leaked, on my return to the UK I reported this to Somerset Camping were after contacting Outwell agreed to replace the tent. I sincerely hope that this was a 1 off; the service from Somerset camping was excellent. I look forward to returning to France in August with my Bear Lake 6, hopefully the weather will be hot and I’ll be able to enjoy the cooler interior compared to the more popular polyester tents which from experience the interiors can feel like a sauna, on these hot days that you get in France, honest!
By: Janners Hat Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 03/06/2008
I replaced our leaking Nebraska XL with this tent in early 2007. At first I was worried as there had been a couple of negative reviews on this forum about the weight of the unit, waterproofing of the material around the windows and issues with a taut front door zip.
Our first impression were extremly positive. It feels well designed and appears to be warmer at night and cooler in the heat of the day. The canopy is an excellent idea - although it would have been more practicable if it reached down to the ground - as the Wolf Lake 7.
Criticisms are the weight and size of the tent has cause us some transportation problems. Price - it seems to have risen in price over the last 12 months to a ludicrous cost.
Apart from the minor criticisms I would certainly not trade this tent for anything else on the market today.
By: Nycgirl Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 30/05/2008
This tent is fantastic. We used ours for the first time on the Spring Bank Holiday, it was a little breezy to say the least but the tent held firm and only moved very slightly in the gusts. The size of it is great overall, the living area space is large enough to store all the things you take with you. Bedroom pods are a great size too. Tent bags are large enough to leave pods in and the groundsheet zipped up when packing away.
Pitching and taking down is no problem. The only down side I would say is the pack sizes are large and you definitely need 2 people to handle this tent.
A great buy though and definitely worth the money, it is a very well made tent.
By: Michelle12 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 22/05/2008
We bought the bear lake tent last year as we travelled around Europe as a family. I can't fault this tent, we gave it its first airing in Woolacombe in May 2007, the weekend we had gale force winds! We worried about the pegs staying put as you do but we needn't have bothered as we were fine. We were the only people with this tent on the campsite and quite a few people asked us about it and got 'tent envy!' it was a great way to meet people and chat. Our next trip was Europe in August 2007 we went all over from Germany to France, Belguim and Holland. The tent was put up and taken down many times and apart from gaining a few muscles it was great, easy and usually took two of us an hour to pack away everything, probably quicker if hadn't kept stopping for a swig of beer! We also have the utility tent that we put all the cooking stuff in and that’s great too, not that you need the extra space we just prefer it. We purchased the carpet that goes in the living area which makes the whole tent feel snug and warm, there’s plenty of space and with the windows, plenty of light too. I think anyone looking to buy a family tent can't go wrong with the Bear Lake, it certainly makes you feel home from home.
By: Wendrocks Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2006 Rating: Date: 21/05/2008
This is is a fantastic tent!
Easy to put up, there are only 4 poles to thread through, (5 if you put the porch up) nice and spacious inside, with a large living area. The tent holds up really well in bad weather, I have even camped in snow with no problems. Roomy living space, good sized sleeping area, really good design details with the two extra doors and a window on either side, velcro tabs for electric lighting cable, so no hanging wire from the top of the tent, and a little clip on organiser to put stuff in.
I have only had a few very minor problems with this tent, but ours was one of the first ones made, so the problems I had may have just been teething troubles. The most annoying one is that you have put the tent up and have it all correctly pegged down,guyed out and everything, open the front door for an hour or so to get all our stuff inside and set up, and two of us have to wrestle the door zip closed again!
(as for the robustness of the zippers I have managed to snap one of the zip pullers and am currently using a tie wrap) this is only a temporary problem and seems to right its self after a day or so!
We mentioned this to a one of the yeomans guys at one of their shows, and he advised totally unpegging the tent down one side to ease the tension in the fabric, but we find it easier to just only half unzip the door and wait!
Other minor problems include, organiser had the tabs in the wrong place, if you put it up it was back to front and you could not put anything in the pockets!
One of the guying points at the back came unstitched.
But even inspite of these minor niggles I think that is possibly one of the best and the most innovative tents on the market today.
By: Alipete Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 09/05/2008
Excellent tent all round. Strong (proper) canvas, loads of space, very heavy duty groundsheet. Takes a bit of getting used to putting it up (really needs two people minimum) but we worked out that if you start with the back and pull it out forwards it works well. Should last for years!
By: Simpsonj Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 08/05/2008
Wow, what a fantastic tent! We had a good look at a number of tents before buying and really went for this because of the robustness and feeling of quality with everything that you touch. The zips are almost industrial in feel, the groundsheet is heavy duty and feels like it would withstand real flooding. While we have only just started using it on a relatively nice bank holiday, I would feel confident that it would withstand some serious weather conditions and you'd feel very warm and snug inside. There are plenty of guy ropes (luminous so you don't trip over them at night), the ventilation is good and can be closed in colder weather (useful on the first night which dropped to 5 degrees!), the poles are easy to fit and strong. Given the canopy doesn't come all the way down on each side, is good for cooking in poor weather (we had a table just to the side allowing us to stand in cover with cooking smoke not coming in to the tent). Finally, both sides can be opened up which in hot weather would be good for additional ventilation.
On the downside, given the robustness of the tent (Polycotton, aluminium poles) it is both big and heavy to transport. However, doesn't distract from the tent itself.
Can't wait for my next trip!
By: Tallman Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2007 Rating: Date: 07/05/2008
This tent has a good feel to it being canvas and therefore not prone to condensation. It is also quieter than other fabrics when there is a breeze or it is raining. The tunnel design is extremely stable in stormy weather. It is easy to erect as I have often done so single handed although it helps if you are tall. The groundsheet which is of heavy duty material zips in giving exellent protection from unwanted intruders. Six windows give a light and airy feel with plenty of ventilation. With the curtains down it offers a private roomy living area where there is plenty of space for a table and chairs and space for storage. The sleeping pods are fitted with two way zips for quick entry and exit. This tent is sold as a 6 man tent but I would not want to sleep more than 4 adults in the pods. There is however plenty of room in the living area for a further two people to sleep comfortably. The crowning glory of this tent is the front canopy under which there is ample room to sit sheltered from the sun or rain. All in all a safe, secure and roomy family tent which is a joy to be in.
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This fantastic new invention turns a can of drink into a sealed bottle, protecting drinks from being spilt, keeping out creepy crawlies, and keeping fizz in. They are a must for any camper or caravanner.
This spacious version of the Bear Lake sleeps 6 persons comfortably in 4 + 2-berth inner cabins that have standing height. Easy to pitch, the stability of this tent is enhanced by the sturdy alloy pole system and the numerous guying points. Other strong selling points include the zip-out tarpaulin groundsheet in the living area, the zip-off front canopy, low-light windows, no-see-um mesh screen doors, 2 side doors, 1 front door, and excellent all-round ventilation. Bear Lake 6 is a high-quality family tent that will provide years of service life and trouble-free camping.
Specifications: Flysheet: Outtex® Airtech Inner tent: Polycotton Floor: PVC Tarpaulin Pack size: Tent: 40 x 101 cm / Poles: 24 x 100 cm Weight: Tent: 38.6 kg / Poles: 13.1 kg Poles: Alloy poles #6063, 22
Features: • Zip-off front canopy • Organiser pockets • Full length mesh pockets in the inner tents • Lamp holder and light cable tidies • Reinforcement patch on all stress points • Adjustable pegging points • Luminous guy ropes • Heavy duty Outwell zips • Outwell doormat included
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Date: 13/03/2010
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