Tent Showcase: Gelert Twister 5
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Yes
5
8.45 KG
£149.00
1
Fully Sewn-in
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Average User Rating:
8.29/10 from 21 reviews
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User Reviews of the Twister 5
By: HT James Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating:  Date: 11/06/2012
Having seen the weather forecast we decided to revert to the Twister for this trip rather than risk damaging the 'Posh' tent. It withstood awesome gales and prolonged torrential rain whilst others were knocked flat or totally trashed over three very stormy days. I can't sing its foul weather praises loud enough.
One modification I have made though is to dump the easy up feature by separating the poles from the inner tent. It only adds a couple of minutes to erection time and getting the poles back in the valise one at a time is almost as quick as wrestling the beast into submission all in one. It's far less entertaining for the onlookers though.
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By: Somebody2010 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:  Date: 14/04/2012
The ideal weekend tent for a family of 3 or 4. We (husband and I) managed to pitch this in under 10 minutes the first time we had it out of the bag, which means that we can be surfing in less than 30 minutes from arriving at the site, safe in the knowledge that our beds are ready to fall into when we're ready!
The tent has plenty of space for us, one teenager and one almost-teenager, although with four we find that there isn't enough room for sitting inside the tent. With three airbeds though, there is loads of space for storage/chairs inside. Hubby is well over 6ft, and he can comfortably stand in the tent (never a problem for me!)
I was expecting the tent to suffer with condensation issues, as most of our dome tents have, but the design of the tent means that there is plenty of ventilation. We liked having two doors, particularly as one had a window, but felt that the tent could perhaps do with more windows. The mesh at the top of the inner and the cutaway flysheet meant that the tent was fairly light inside though. I would recommend using a groundsheet under the tent as the SIG does seem quite thin.
I bought the tent second-hand after reading reviews on ukcampsite, expecting it to provide a few hours of fun trying to get it back into the bag, and then being thrown away in frustration! However, we found that it was easy to get into the bag, complete with flysheet. This was almost as quick as pitching the tent in the first place. It did take two of us though, but we've only pitched it twice so maybe we'll find a method that one person can do alone next time - I'll update this review if so.
All in all, a fantastic, roomy tent for a small family in need of a quick-pitch option.
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By: Iowpeter Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: Date: 27/04/2011
Great tent, easy to erect, slightly harder to get in the bag! Does require a bit of practice! I managed it on my own and I'm not that strong! If you roll the tent the tent into the bag pushing down slightly on the tent pole you trying to get in to the bag this will make things a bit easier! I find it easier to put the flysheet in a separate bag as it can be a bit of a pain getting it in with the rest of the tent as often the bag won't zip up completely! I have fould the the ground tears easily as it is not ripstop material! Easily fixed with a bit of duct tape on both sides! I have made footprint ground sheet out of some pondliner I got cheap at a carboot! This helped cut down on the tears! I have always had a lot of people ask me about the tent when ever I go camping as they see how easily and quickly it goes up! with practice it can be just as easy to pack away! that said I haven't packed it away when it has been very windy!
A Great large tent for anyone! Just make sure it will fit in the boot of your car! Hopefully the next model will have stronger and ripstop ground sheet! I highly recommend this tent!
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By: Juanban Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating: Date: 05/09/2010
Perfect for festivals and perfect for weekends away. I am not a camping enthusiast, I like to throw a tent and a duvet in the car with my portable BBQ and go. I don't spend much time at the tent it is just to lay my head and keep my clothes.
This tent is perfect for me for all of the above reasons and I have managed to put the tent up and down by myself. I do agree that it is a little tricky at first but would recommend erecting in your garden a few times before you use it for real.
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By: Bess123debs Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 30/07/2010
I love this tent, big and roomy with a good hight. It is so easy to pitch although you do need 2 people to put it away. It is hard to put away and requires some brute force, but once you get a technique going it's not as bad as the first time! I don't know why they made the wheel/bag so hard to zip up it could have been made a bit looser in order to close it, a bit of a design fault. Shame as the tent is fab!
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By: Alanlucyboys Reason: I've used one Made in: 2010 Rating: Date: 25/07/2010
Excellent tent. Two adults and three kids (9,7 & 5) took up about 60% of the floor space and I could stand up in the middle (6' 3'). First time pitching (after watching Youtube video a few times) took about 10 mins, taking down was probably even quicker - there is a knack to getting it back in the bag but the advice given on someone elses review helped - don't worry the poles are designed to bend - just curl them in! Exactly what we wanted for a week-end camping rather than lugging out Outwell Vermont XL with us.
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By: Mickeyboyc Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 20/06/2010
We have the Curlaway (have uploaded pics) which is the same as the Twister but the colours are different. On our first pitch we were the envy of several other tent users who watched us flip the tent out of the bag and have it mostly pitched in five minutes flat. (However, they had a leisurely chortle at us the following morning as we tried to pack it away again)
The tent is indeed huge for what we were expecting, if you were using it as a dedicated sleeping area you could easily fit five people on airbeds in, though if wanting living space probably fewer. Lots of space and height, terrific as a stopover/weekend tent. It does however flap a lot in a stiff breeze (we used it on a coastal site) - the tent itself stayed steady but was very noisy as long as the breeze persisted, which could keep light sleepers awake. They shouldn't need to worry about its stability though.
The diagram in the bag has an amusing cartoon of someone easily sliding the tent back into its bag again single handed - no chance! After three pitches we are getting the knack of it, but it still needs both of us, one bending the poles and the other forcing it into the bag. I agree also with the earlier review about the strain on the zip.
All in all though, an excellent short-stop tent.
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By: Mollygamps Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 04/06/2010
I read all the reviews before buying this tent! Thank you! :) Our old 6 birth tent took too long to put up. We just tried our Twister 5 out for the first time and we are very impressed.
Its a great size- ample for three beds, camp table, chairs, bags and camp kitchen etc. We had trouble putting it up in the wind as it is so light it was trying to inflate and fly across the field before we could get it pegged down. The 'how to erect' videos don't show you all the little ties to fasten and hooks to clip- I'd say it takes a little longer than 5 mins to put up properly.
We also found it quite noisy at night- I don't think we had all the guy ropes tightened and all the attachments tied and it flapped like crazy in the wind- which kept us awake all night (something to remember next time). We also found that the wind was blowing under the fly sheet and into the 'ventilation mesh' that covers the top quarter of the tent, making it drafty at night. We put the heater on in the evening and the heat just disappeared out of the ventilation mesh.
Hopefully next time we use it it will be warm and not windy! Ha!
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By: Cat T Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 19/08/2009
We bought this for short breaks (as our other tent takes about 45 minutes to put up) and it's fantastic. My husband is 6ft 4 ins and it's plenty big enough for him -we have 4 single airbeds in there and it's big enough to store everything as well. It literally takes just a few minutes to put up and take down once you get the hang of it - my only concern is the zip on the bag is under severe strain when it's back in, it could be a bit of a nuisance if it breaks - the poles wouldn't pop out but you could have a lot of fabric hanging out. You do need a reasonable amount of room to roll it back in but it goes away very easily provided you bend the poles hard enough. We do use a separate groundsheet underneath to protect the sewn-in one. We're really pleased with it and would recommend it.
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By: Calpyline Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 30/07/2009
We bought this as a weekend tent since our larger Vango tent takes around 2 hours to erect! This one takes around 5 minutes and only needs one person to do so!
We are both 6 ft tall, have two children and a large dog and the space inside was more than adequate.
We bought a set of porch poles which enabled us to have an additional canopy at the front during a scorching weekend and this provided a shady spot for the dog. The second time we used the tent we used this additional space as shelter from the rain.
Having two doors allowed us to open both sides of the tent on a really hot day so the interior stayed nice and cool. During the worst rainy weather everything stayed bone dry and there was plenty of space for us all to laze around reading books, playing card games and even eating without feeling claustrophobic or squashed.
I thought we would struggle to stay in this tent having been used to a Diablo 900 and an Aspen 700DLX but we were all pleasantly surprised with just how much space we got for our money.
Even taking the tent down and putting it away was not nearly as bad as we had anticipated having read all the stories on here. Our first attempt took 10 minutes but now we can do it in less than 5!
Highly recommended!
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By: Kay62jj Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 25/07/2009
Very, very pleased with this tent. It is my 3rd and by far the best. Loads of room inside with excellent headroom tall enough for someone 6ft and enough room for 2 adults and 2 kids with space in the corners for clothes or stuff you want to keep dry. The flysheet extends beyond the tent at the doors so good for shoes etc. Quick and easy to put up (less than 5 mins including pegging out) and even the taking down is easy.It's all in the knack. I'm 5ft 4in, female and size 10 and I can erect it, take it down again and roll it back into the bag by myself. Don't be afraid to bend those poles as you roll the tent back in the bag. There is a very helpful video on youtube that shows you exactly how to do it. Highly recommend this tent.
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By: ItsIllak Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:  Date: 02/06/2009
Just a quick note about putting this back into the bag. I'm new to camping and have only put it out and back in the garden (in fair weather), but.
Once you've flattened the tent down (easy), and bound the four poles on one end together (pretty easy), you need to push down on the poles while rolling the bag along the ground. Give yourself 6 or 7 meters ahead to accomplish this.
Getting started is the only real problem and to be honest It's unlikely you'll be able to fully do the zip up. The only problem I had was the initial worry about snapping the poles. I now don't think that's very likely without some heavy machinery! Once you've got the knack, it's <5 mins to put it away and similar to put it up and peg it out.
If I get out to a campsite in it, I'll come back and say how I felt about using it, but my guess is that others are more experienced in that anyway and it all seems to be very positive.
I might get myself some poles to give myself a 'porch' area on one side.
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By: Hairywol Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 04/05/2009
Have just used the tent for the first time over 3 nights May Bank Hol. We bought the tent for shorter 2/3 night breaks rather than lug our Vermont around.
The tent comes in a disc-shaped bag about a metre in circumference and is not difficult to carry short distances. Inside the bag is a flysheet to attach once the inner is up, and the inner itself. It also has pegs included but I have my own collection of much sturdier ones so these ones were not used.
The fly is set to one side. The inner has the poles pre-attached and these are curled around the circumference of the bag. Once the end is found the inner springs out with little coaxing. From there is is a minute's work to attach a number of clips to the poles to assist rigidity. Once this is done attaching the fly with a number of clips and ties is also straightforward - but ensure they are all secured for maximum rigidity. Pegging out is also very straightforward and easy, and the whole process takes less that 10 mins, with the inner protected from rain after only a coupe of minutes.
Thus completed the tent is far bigger than anyone would have thought possible from looking at the bag. There is useful headroom for a 6-footer to stand comfortably and the tent would indeed sleep five comfortably. It is a single space with no bedroom, but this was not a problem because the two doors both have bug screens and the inner has a bathtub SIG. The apex of the tent has large mesh panels which are covered by the flysheet (which also has doors, one with a window), making this a very well ventilated yet cosy tent. There are some pockets for small articles and a ring to hang a light.
Outside the inner doors the fly extends to create two spaces for shoes, bags etc. - much more useful spaces than photos suggest since they comfortably accommodated our 35L electric coolbox and several other pieces of kit.
As other reviewers have said, the groundsheet is rather thin, though this helps with packing away. I spent a fiver on a square groundsheet to use as a footprint, but would have done anyway. Would recommend nevertheless.
With all the inner and flysheet doors secure our tent endured strong winds and heavy rain with ease. Its wind-cheating shape definitely helped. However, in the small hours I lost a battle of wills with my bladder & needed to exit. The zips at the bottom of the steeply-raked flysheet were an absolute bugger to reach - I had to get to my hand and knees to accomplish this in a situation where time was very pressing (as was my bladder), to then have rainwater run off the fly onto me as I exited. For the second and third nights I tried using a couple of upright poles (not included) to turn one of the doors into a canopy which I left slanted to let rain run off during the night. This was a huge success and subsequent egress was transformed. Again the elements were trying but the very sturdy fly and the waterproof inner meant that there was no reduction at all in snugness and the tent remained completely dry throughout (NB use the flysheet door without the window as that is half-mesh which would let water through).
While the tent erects in a matter of minutes, packing it away is a bit of an Achilles Heel. Folding the fly is easy enough, as is getting the inner to lie flat on the ground. Once accomplished, the ends of all four poles need to be secured with an attached velcro strap and this can require some strength.
Once the poles are secured they are inserted into a pocket inside the disc-shaped bag so they won't slip, and the idea is that the poles are then rolled into the bag.
I had a practise alone in the garden before we went and it does take a balance of skill and strength. Well-chosed expletives also helped on that first try! But half the problem is having faith that bending the poles alarmingly won't break them (one would never bend poles so tightly in a normal tent). Once one is confident, curling the poles is straightforward and almost easy with two. But it does take strength.
To sum up this is an excellent tent for short breaks, especially for a couple or small group of friends. It takes up very little space in the boot, pitches very quickly and easily, and with practice I am sure we will perfect our packing skills.
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By: HT James Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating: Date: 02/05/2009
I have only given this tent a 6/10 rating due to the awkwardness of packing the blasted thing away, otherwise it would rate at least 7 and possibly 8/10. Be warned, it requires a degree of fitness that wouldn't shame a professional athlete, combined with the mental agility and tranquillity of a Zen master to re pack! Having recently had a fairly serious coronary it was a bit of a trial. This is the Krypton factor at street level, and It’s definitely a 2 person job.
Having said that, there is a real 'knack' to it and it does get easier with practice, just make sure you have the luxury of fine weather to try it out a couple of times, trying to repack it in anger for the first time in foul weather would be a nightmare. I do have a few quibbles about the quality of the stitching in places and I would have returned it had I not been in a rush and couldn't be bothered with the hassle. Other Gelert gear I have used has been first class in this department so I'm wondering if a 'second' slipped through the net undetected. The zip on the bag gave up the ghost on the first run, I definitely wasn't impressed with that. Oh and watch out for the poles springing out of the bag as you unpack it, I was nearly a candidate for the Vienna Boys Choir, just what I need!
OK rant over, on with the review.
This is a LOT of tent for the money, big and roomy with decent standing headroom in the middle even for my 6' plus. Time to erect first time out of the bag with two people was under 5 minutes, and it wouldn’t be difficult solo. Impressive, and I'm not easily impressed! The groundsheet seems a little flimsy for a family tent, it's never going to be a backpacker’s tent so sacrificing a few grammes here for something a bit more substantial wouldn't hurt. I’m not sure about the ‘cutaway’ flysheet, preferring something full length, but the design does seem to function OK, so I’ll just put that down to personal prejudice and learn to love it. I think this tent could easily be scaled down to a 4 berth whilst retaining the same footprint, affording a bit more porch space. Either that or a longer flysheet.
Am I happy with it and would I recommend it? Pretty much a yes on both counts, although there are more practical tents in the same price bracket, it’s not a patch on my old Vango though, which only went the journey due to being heavily snacked on by rats whilst in storage.
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By: Vcdub Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 27/04/2009
This tent is also known as the Gelert Curlaway 5 man. I took my tent back to Gooutdoors because it had a damaged zip, they had no problem changing it, the problem they did have was that not one member of staff could get the tent back in the bag I was told. So I showed the member of staff how to do it in two minutes, so don't even ask for a demo, reason being he said they had stopped selling them due to the trouble of putting them away. Apart from my two man pop up tent this is the easiest tent I've seen for the size so don't be put off!
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By: Cheekymrs Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating:  Date: 13/04/2009
Erm. 1/10 for putting it down! 10/10 for everything else!
Space was excellent - storage front and back extremely useful. Fantastic performance in high winds and rain. We (my husband, myself and our son) loved it - loads of space and superb in bad weather.
But. Putting it down became a standing joke between us and another family we often camp with - it took both husbands to do it. With a lot of swearing/red faces - not to mention far too much amusement from those of us watching.
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By: Davetaylor3001 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 06/04/2009
I bought this last year as my wife didn't want to spend ages putting up a tent with two young kids running around. It goes up in minutes even for one person, however, putting it down is more complicated. It took us a few practices in the garden before we managed to figure it out. Once you know how though its quite straight forward. Loads of room inside for all of us and our equipment. If your looking for a large family tent that goes up quickly then this is for you.
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By: Vcdub Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 06/01/2009
I've just used my tent for the first time in the lakes for two nights on the 4th & 5th of jan 09. I was very impressed, putting the tent up is easy & quick but putting away is not for the weak or impatient but get the knack right & you've cracked it
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By: Patterson24 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 02/08/2008
What a smart tent, really good looking and very easy to put up. Packing it away was another story and easy once you have got the knack of it. It is massive my 6ft boyfriend could easily stand up in it and there was loads of room.
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By: Sadpingu Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 15/07/2008
I got one of these I needed a tent I could stand up in that I could put up and take down on my own and it seemed like a good idea.
It went up fine, takes a little while to tie everything together but you'd have to try very hard to get it wrong and it feels quite strong when its up. There was loads of room for me, I was quite lost to be honest and my 6'5' boyfriend can almost stand up in the middle. It actually felt like you'd get five people and kit in there.
It rained almost constantly for two days after I got it up and there were no leaks and no water pooling anywhere either. It had to be put down in the rain and when I got it out to air it the water was still in droplets on the flysheet rather than having soaked in.
However, getting it down was a nightmare. The rain didn't help but 4 people couldn't get it in the bag. We got it jammed in the car and when I got home the boyfriend put it in the bag in about 20 mins. Its definitely a knack and despite knowing how to do it now I just can't actually get it to work. Its definitely not the tent for the impatient!
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By: McSpud Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2008 Rating: Date: 29/05/2008
I got one of these today and as it was so sunny I put it up. It's pretty easy to put up and I had it up, pegged and guy roped in undeer 10 mins single handed. With help and a bit of practice this will easily come down to under 5 mins.
Putting it away wasn't too bad and probably took less time than putting it up although there is a knack to it. The instructions are sewn into the tent cover and if you follow them you should have no probs (my wife didn't recon she would be able to do it herself. I think she might). You roll the poles into the bag while pushing them down, using the ground to keep the poles bent.
For a weekend tent or for an overnight stay on a long trip I don't think you could go far wrong with this. We will be sleeping 2 adults and 3 kids ( 2 teenagers) in it and it looks like there's plenty of space
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Manufacturer's Description
These innovative tents, exclusive to GELERT, give quick camping a whole new twist. The unique design allows these spacious tents to be pitched in a matter of minutes. Then when it's time to pack up & go home simply roll your tent back into the convenient bag & away you go.
This is a superb quick erect tent. With maximum space & great height this tent brings quick erect camping into the family market. For the family that do not want to spend time pitching their tent the Twister 5 offers a unique camping solution to this dilemma. Ideal for the family weekend away.
Features:
* Unique 'roll away' system to pack away the tent
* Quick & easy to pitch
* Double skin construction
* Excellent ventilation
* 2 doors with window & mesh in 1 door
* Can be used with or without flysheet
* Bright guylines for extra visibility
* Pre-attached guylines aid pitching
Quick Pitch Video View a video on pitching the Twister 5 tent!
Poles: 4 x 8.5mm Fibreglass
Pitch: Inner first
Taped Seams: Yes
... there may be more info on their website
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