By: Katkins0511 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 26/07/2009
I was very excited when I first saw this tent. I was upgrading from a Khyam Classic XL because I needed more room. The Khyam was a dream to put up and I did have some nagging reservations as to how easy it would be to pitch for my wife and I. The sales brochure said it would take a minimum of 2 people.Make that three. The video , which is available to view on the Outwell website ,shows the tent being put up effortlessly by two average looking people but in reality it is almost impossible to erect as shown.The tent has a sewn in ground sheet and the inner is also attached. You are supposed to insert all the poles into position, peg out the back, and with one person on each side, gather up all the poles and stand-up. In reality the tent is so tall and so wide that it flexes like crazy (if the wind had got up we would have been unable to even get to this stage) and when combined with its weighty steel poles and heavy sheet it was a real struggle to get the poles upright. The next task is to insert the metal rod located on the base of the sheet into the bottom of the steel leg. I had to strain like I was down the gym to get the first one in ( my wife couldn't have managed it ) but the real problem was that the tent couldn't be supported by one person whilst this was being done. The end result was that we had to abandon the official technique before we wrecked the tent.
Eventually we managed to get the tent up by threading one cross member at a time and guying each section out as we went. We were both feeling a bit beaten up by the time we had finished putting it up.
We pitched it opposite a Vermont XL (another Outwell tent ) and though ours was smaller overall it was a foot higher and a couple of feet wider and here I think lies the root cause of our woes.It is really too big for two to pitch conventionally.
Anyway once up we were able to relax and enjoy our new home. The front of the tent has a large permanent canopy and it felt very comfortable and sheltered sitting outside. This area was where we kept our gas hob and the kettle boiled very quickly thanks to the lack of wind. Though it didn't rain heavily while we were away it seemed substantial enough to allow us to sit under it and stay dry in bad weather.
The front wall is vertical which is a striking design feature but also very practical for best use of space. Complementing this the walls on the Ohio slope steeply which is great because it maximises the useable space in the tent and saves you having to duck down to reach into the corners. We have one child and so the 3 square meters of area inside is a good size for us but if you want more the Ohio XL has an extra meter or so lengthways.
Another striking feature of this tent are the large windows opposite the inner and they really do make you feel as if you are outside even when you are in the tent. They also rolled up to close rather than down which I think was to allow the window to be longer and improve the view.
The inner tent, with its stripy decor, was a real plus point. It can be divided into two but we kept it as one big space and it made getting up in the night to see to my son much easier. I was skeptical about the windows at the bottom of the inner but when we unzipped them it allowed a flow of air to cool it down in the day as well as even more light. Finally the storage pockets on the front ( which my wife was excited about ) came in very handy for all those things you use several times a day and always get lost ie; car keys, wallet, torch, lighter etc. I was impressed by the abundance of features on this tent: Drying rails; front storage pockets; vented sides with rods to keep them open;electric access point; velcro guy tidies; inner tent pockets and more but all done well and with quality.
This tent does however have a couple of flaws and they relate to its 'Skylight' roof. The salesman who sold us this tent claimed the ceiling fabric was designed to allow light to flood in but rather than bringing a light and airy experience it brought flies.In abundance.
Once in our tent any winged creatures just couldn't resist fluttering and crawling around on the ceiling and we couldn't coax them out. By the end of day 2 it was pretty horrid. Now obviously we could have kept the mesh on the entrance zipped up the whole time but its not really the 'airy' experience we were promised and to be honest with our 3 year old its also not very easy to do. I spoke to other Outwell owners on the site and they all have the same problem. In addition to this I found myself waking up at 5.30 am due to the amount of light in the tent. Though these problems are ones we can live with they are irritating and maybe Outwell should have used a darker fabric here.
To sum up the Ohio is a great tent. It looks good, its spacious, full of great features and despite the pitching difficulties and the insect problem, I can't wait to get out in it in a couple of weeks time to see how it copes in the wind and rain ( but not too much)!
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Offering unparalleled comfort in moderate size, the Ohio L has sleeping accommodation for up to 5 persons in a 3 + 2 universal inner tent. Excellent ventilation in the tent is ensured by the front ventilation wall and the rear door, while ultimate floor protection is ensured by the Outwell Sealed Ground System. The spacious living area has large panorama windows for maximum light intake as well as pleasure from holiday views. Other refined details include clothes rail, the wide front canopy equipped with drying rails for wet swimwear and clothing, the trendy print exterior, and the colour-coordinated accessories. The Ohio L is the obvious choice for families or persons who want superior comfort at home-away-from-home.
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: 25 x 76 cm Weight: Tent: 20.5 kg / Poles: 21.6 kg Poles: Steel poles 19/22 mm, 2 upright steel poles
Features: Large front canopy with mud valance Drying rails at each side of front canopy Front ventilation wall Large panorama windows with roll-up curtains Clothes rail Rear door 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: 26/07/2009
