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Camping under canvas

Topic: First tent purchase - blackout essential!

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CWBrighton

03/1/2016 at 9:01am
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Hello
I am a newbie here and a newbie to camping too! Please could someone help with my first purchase?

Over the past few summers we (me, my partner and 2 small children aged 3 and 5) have borrowed tents to go to music festivals and have decided now is the time to get one of our own.

What we need is a a spacious tent for the 4 of us, that is easy to put up (we are once a year campers and are SLOW at putting them up) and they absolutely have to have the black-out sleep system for the children (who will be up with the sun otherwise!).

I understand that Kampa do SleepTite and Vango do Lights Out but I can't work out on which models or if you have to buy them separately?

Can anyone help me out with some advice? Many thanks!

pnefan

03/1/2016 at 9:12pm
Location: Preston
Outfit: None

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Could you persuade the children to wear sleeping masks. Would be cheaper if you could. We use airline mask. Work a treat. Would also give you a greater choice of tents.

memories

03/1/2016 at 9:15pm
Location: Berkshire
Outfit: Outwell Yosemite Falls +Vango

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As would rigging a black out curtain on the roof of the sleeping pods?

Campernic

04/1/2016 at 12:14am
Location: Northern Ireland
Outfit: Bell Tent Vango Coleman and Quechua

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First, Vango are producing black tents for 2016 and one of them is a Vango Ark 400+ which is maybe a little compact for what you are thinking of, but just letting you know that option is there. You can also get a black Tepee from Easycamp although it is single skinned.

Second you can take any tent, and drape 'Weed Control' fabric (dead cheap from B&M Bargains) in the space between the inner tent and the flysheet and secure with a few clothespegs.

Third you can buy a Thermotent (if you have the budget and are able to carry the weight) which has a black quilted inner.

Fourth, I've seen the darker fabric in the Vangos, it's not black more of a mid-dark brown and actually it's quite effective.

Lastly, I do find an eye mask and ear plugs are festival essentials anyway.

Eskymew

30/1/2016 at 9:31pm
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Hi, we have a vango with a black out liner, however it doesn't really work.
We also camp with two little ones. (Last year they were 2 and 4) I wouldn't worry too much about the early rising, mine never go to sleep when camping and are usually up for a couple of hours after their usual bed time. This means that they do sleep in a bit longer in the morning. We usually find that chocolate brioche and DVD on the lap top will give surrounding campers an extra hour of peace and quiet.

Just let them burn off load of energy and get lots of fresh air, if they are tired they will sleep better.

Bob61

31/1/2016 at 12:37pm
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Coleman family tents seem to use darkened bedroom pods. I have owned a couple and although the pods are made of a grey material with double skinned doors incorporating black fly mesh they certainly don't change day to night and unlikely to fool kids. The black weed control fabric, as mentioned, might be more useful.

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