Having posted last week saying I wanted a family tent for up to £300 we went to Pickering to see the Yeomans exhibition. We went to look at the Montana 6 but now I want a Bear Lake 6!! We are seriously considering if we want to spend that sort of money but one query we have is how much space it takes up in a car. I'm just wondering what sort of size car those of you who have this model drive? How easy is it to pack up all the other things that are needed as well as a huge tent?
When we used to go camping regularly we would go for maybe two one week trips and 4 or 5 weekends a year, we used the same tent for 5 or 6 years. I'm thinking that if we went about the same now then the Bear Lake might be worth the extra investment. Any comments on spending the extra for the Bear Lake would be appreciated. I've already read all of the other threads on here and get the feeling that most people think that if you can afford it then the Bear Lake is worth it.
Is the bearlake straight out of the box. We never managed to get it back quite this small, however the bag sizes are very generous so it is not like you struggle to get it back in the bag.
We drive a Honda FRV and it fits quite well in the boot:
the other bag is directly behind the green one in this picture. Underneath it is folding table, camping chairs, little stove, collapsible shelves and a few other bits and bobs.
The Bear Lake is a lovely tent but for me it's not a weekend tent. By the time you've zipped in the groundsheet and attached the inners it would take a fair bit longer to pitch than the similarly sized Montana 6.
The Bear Lake is very comfortable andideal for longer family holidays.
we have the bearlake 6 and it is worth the investment we have used it for weekends no problem 45 mins its up .we have a picasso but the tent is on the roof bars we keep the car empty for 14 stone newfoundland dog lol go for it you wont be sorry . denise
We've a Mazda 6 hatchback and it was a tight squeeze getting the Bear Lake 6 in with all our other gear. Both the tent and the pole bags will fit crossways in the boot, but could only then get eveything else in by puttting down back seat (the 2/3 side) - not a problem as there's only three of us.
This was our first trip and only 30 miles from home but when we go further afield in the summer I'll be looking at fitting a roof box.
We're really pleased we bought the Bear Lake as despite its bulk and weight it really is a superb tent.
We have just had a weekend away in our BearLake and it was fantastic!!!It was our first weekend in it and it didn't take too long to pitch..Am sure it will be even quicker next time. My husband took it down by himself whilst i kept an eye on our little girl. It was really lovely, roll on our next weekend away in it!
We had the Nebraska XL last year and swapped it under warranty for the Arrow Lake (same as the bear lake but with an enclosed porch rather than the canopy).
On our first trip it took 40 mins to pitch and 50 mins to pack up (inc. cleaning/drying the ground sheet) so no major issue even for weekend trip.
As it's a polycotton tent it is warmer in the evenings and cooler in the day than nylon but if, in the future, it is wet when we pack it, we may have a problem as it will be quite unmanageable to pack and lift and dry.
We have Passat saloon but needed a roof box for this tent as it's packed size is huge (30-40% bigger than the Nebraska XL. For longer trips we have a 4'x 3' trailer and the tent and the poles pretty much fill the floor of this.
We also considered the Montana as a replacement for the Nebraska XL but now we're very please we went with the Arrow lake even though its packed size is much larger.
The lake tents are superb quality and provided you have the space in or on your car you'll love the Bare lake.
Thanks for all the responses they are much appreciated. We have a VW Touran and we are planning on buying a roof box so I'm hoping that we will fit it all in. We are going to go and look at tents again on a week day (the little one will be at nursery!!) so that we can have a really good look before we buy. I am becoming more and more convinced that we will buy the Bear Lake though :)
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Topic: Bear Lake 6 packed size?
