I want to get out camping a bit more this year. I'm after a weekend tent, but not really sure what to go for.
There will be 4 of us and we may sometimes have the dog with us, sometimes not. Our kids are teens and boy/girl so separate rooms needed.
I am torn between having something easy, quick and small to put up, and making sure we have enough room to all be comfortable and have space to lounge round, not get under each others feet.
Any suggestions?
Maybe share what you have for short camping trips and why you love it.
Thank you in advance.
------------- Finally camping under CANVAS.
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Think I'm probably of the opinion that at my age, I'm entitled to a few luxuries, so camping normally errs towards 'glamping' rather than minimalist 'surviving under a bivvy'!
That said, for a 5 day camp this year our usual comfortable 2 bedroomed 6 berth tunnel tent was sacrificed (for logistical reasons), instead we took a couple of small quick to erect personal tents (technically 2/3 berth, but only occupied by one - we're a couple of mates with no desire to be snuggled up cosy with each other and valuing our own space!!!!!! ) to use as bedrooms and 'lived' under a large tarp. We sat, cooked and ate ('kitchen' was a two burner stove on a stand, and a gas camping fridge, with a smallish fold up camping table as a food prep area), and generally sheltered (from torrential rain to scorching sun at either extreme!) under the tarp. Used a wind break to form the back wall of the 'kitchen' and to provide a little privacy from neighbours.
Have to say it worked really well. Not a set up we'd ever used before, so a little experimental, but turned out OK. The small tents were intolerably hot in the daytime sun, and too cramped for real comfortable lounging around, so some other shelter was essential (we used a Decathlon QUECHUA MULTIFUNCTION CAMPING TARP AND AWNING - FRESH XL, which was brilliant at both keeping the rain off and giving cool shade from the scorching 40C plus Sun).
Anyway, point being, our needs were not so different to yours, so maybe consider just bedroom 'pods' and a open tarp for a living space. Weather can obviously make or break that arrangement! - we were in northern France, where the variability is just as bad as UK, but temps almost assured to be a little higher! With an open tarp type set up, wind is the real killer, ours was given a good 'blow' in a couple of squalls, but good HD pegs kept it secure, and ours is a quite robust tarp with good reinforced anchor points and multiple webbing guys.
There does come a point where this mix and match set up becomes more work and more gear (bulk/weight) than a single large tent, so some thought required. Our tunnel tent is a heavy beast with steel poles (not that we could use it this year due to aforementioned logistics), undoubtedly WE travelled lighter and pitched camp quicker than we would normally do, even allowing for setting up the tarp for the first time and having to discover optimum usage.
Having camped for around 50 odd years, there are a few things that experience has taught me are essential to me now in a tent (partly due to age and having NO desire to crawl around on all fours! - unless the Demon drink dictates otherwise for Health and Safety reasons! ), enough room to stand up (at least not needing to dress/undress lying down!!!!), enough space that you don't constantly keep touching condensation soaked tent walls, sheltered cooking space that's NOT in confined living/bedroom area of tent, somewhere to change/keep wet clothes/boots OUT of the main tent space. Even though I usually use my caravan rather than a tent, I also put up the awning to use as that invaluable wet gear, wet dog (yes, the dog comes caravaning with me) cleanup/storage space - nothing worse than dragging all that wet and muck into your living area and then festering in it for hours until it drys up!
Do you have a budget in mind? (Assuming you have everything else you need, as you go camping already.)
And do you need 3 bedrooms or 2 (ie mum shares with daughter, father with son)? Three would mean a child’s friend could come too.
I think there are tent reviews on UKCS, if you get a different suggestion from everyone.
Cabanon Barbados (if you can find one!). Easy enough to pitch, large bedroom inner with dividing curtain so makes either one big bedroom or two doubles, you can use the living area when a third bedroom space is required then put the extra bed and bedding in a bedroom during the day.
Not the cheapest option (unless you can find used) but comfortable and dependable, versatile and super-easy to pitch.
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Or, a Karsten 350 with 3-piece curtain set, for all the reasons stated above (but even easier to pitch). Again, you could look out for a good used one to keep costs down.
Quote: Originally posted by lidds0 on 30/12/2022
Cabanon Barbados (if you can find one!). Easy enough to pitch, large bedroom inner with dividing curtain so makes either one big bedroom or two doubles, you can use the living area when a third bedroom space is required then put the extra bed and bedding in a bedroom during the day.
Not the cheapest option (unless you can find used) but comfortable and dependable, versatile and super-easy to pitch.
+1
Many other similar/slightly different versions available from a number of Dutch makers. Good design.
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Topic: Weekend Tent
) to use as bedrooms and 'lived' under a large tarp. We sat, cooked and ate ('kitchen' was a two burner stove on a stand, and a gas camping fridge, with a smallish fold up camping table as a food prep area), and generally sheltered (from torrential rain to scorching sun at either extreme!) under the tarp. Used a wind break to form the back wall of the 'kitchen' and to provide a little privacy from neighbours.
), enough room to stand up (at least not needing to dress/undress lying down!!!!), enough space that you don't constantly keep touching condensation soaked tent walls, sheltered cooking space that's NOT in confined living/bedroom area of tent, somewhere to change/keep wet clothes/boots OUT of the main tent space. Even though I usually use my caravan rather than a tent, I also put up the awning to use as that invaluable wet gear, wet dog (yes, the dog comes caravaning with me) cleanup/storage space - nothing worse than dragging all that wet and muck into your living area and then festering in it for hours until it drys up!
via mobile 30/12/2022 at 2:04pm
