I looked for an 'intro' section but couldn't see one so have opted to introduce myself here.
A long time closet camper who has only just recently successfully persuaded the OH to give it a try. To her surprise, it wasn't a total horror story anspd so now we are looking at buying a decent tent.
The instruction fron the OH is that she doesn't want to feel cramped or claustrophobic so we went and had a look at several on display yesterday. It came down to 2. A Vango Beta 550XL and an Outwell Lindale 5PA. The latter is an ex-display with a couple of hundred quid off the rrp but was unsure whether this would be a 'bargain' given it has been out consistently for an extended period. We decided to err on the side of caution and came away to do some research when I happened upon your lovely forum last night.
It is certainly a minefield and so I would be extremely grateful for some expert unbiased advice on models similar to those mentioned. Ideally, my thinking is we would want something that can stand up to a bit of rough weather should we get caught out. We'd (that is the OH) wants to be as comfortable in a tent rain or shine.
Thanks in advance,
Dog
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Welcome to UKCS. At least you’ve done some research - some folk just ask what tent they should get…
I’ll leave specific recommendations to others as my tent experience is out of date. What I would say is that apart from a pop up festival tent, all tents you get now now are pretty bomb proof when it comes to bad weather. The days are over, of waking up after a storm to see shapes still sleeping under piles of collapsed material. Maintain it & it’ll keep you dry for many happy years of camping.
Your caution over an ex display tent is well placed.
Polyester tents have a shelf life dependent on how long they spend in UV light, which degrades the fabric.
Have a look at the Vango Icarus 5 deluxe, which using Blacks / Millets current 20% off code can be had for about £200.
These are excellent tents. Tension band system for wind, high spec waterproofing, flexibility wrt doors/ insect mesh screen, good windows. Properly enough living area to sit in if it is wet. Last for ages.
Thank you both for your replies. Ended up doing my own due diligence and decided, as you rightly suggested, Deborah, that an ex-demo left out in all weathers would be a false economy.
So, it came down to a toss up between Outwell & Vango, or so we thought. This was narrowed down to Outwell purely on their 'Quick & Quiet' magentic door closing arrangement, which the OH was taken with.
We did a tour of a couple of other showrooms (those with tents on display indoors this time) and then saw the premium range from Outwell, the poly cotton range. We had a look at these and decided on the Springville 5SA. The only trouble was... there were none to be had. All still stuck in China! (Maybe a blessing in disguise here)
On asking the guy what would be a good quality alternative, he suggested the Dometic Boracay FTC 3 TC. A nice looking tent but it lacked space. Well, enough to be kind of comfortable in. It turns out Dometic, who are part of the Kampa brand, do a 4 berth tent, the FTC 401 TC ( Here ). Didn't have one to show but he gave us an idea as to the floor space. So, after 2 hours or so, we said we would have to go and have a think and look over the techs & specs, plus the temperature was really getting up by now (this was on Tuesday).
On looking over the product online, low & behold, we came across the Dometic Ascension FTX 401 TC ( Here ). What a tent! I could have bought this on the spot but the OH suggested we sleep on it (damn that sensible head of hers).
It came down to 2 things. Firstly, if we put it away wet then where could we put it to dry out when we got home (too many plants in the garden)? Secondly, could we really justify the additional £800 for it? As nice as it was, and as good as it was that there were add on's we could get and the flexibility to do more things with it were a real attraction but... the sensible head won!
Will be picking it up a week on Sunday and have a week in Brittany in early September on the radar, subject to getting the necessary paperwork to travel.
Will post reviews of both tent & site/s.
Big love to you all!
Dog
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Glad you’re sorted.
We had a huge Cabanon Pyramide, and if it was still raining when we got home we dried it by draping it over various sofas & armchairs.
I wish you many happy times in your new tent, and may it be dry at packing up time. The last job your shower towels will do is wiping down the groundsheet, which will always be damp.
Fiona, your reply did make me laugh. My OH will have a 'special' cloth for wiping down the groundsheet. She has cloths for all manner of purposes. I generally find it easier to not question or query her methods on matters of this regard. As for draping a tent over the sofa and armchairs... she had kittens the one time I misted the house plants recently and didn't wipe any excess off
Deborah, the magnetic closers on the Outwells are a very simple yet clever idea. I think more manufacturers will employ this in later models.
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A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Newbie advice on new purchase
via mobile 10/7/2022 at 8:07am
. That’s camping for you.
