I've just ordered our bear lake 4, so I can't yet comment on how good it is. All I know is that after looking at loads of nylon tents, the BL felt like such a big leap in quality.
For us, these were the reasons we chose it:
* It's darker, so we won't wake up at dawn!
* Breathable fabric so it's cool in hot weather
* Warm in cool weather
* Great design giving us good space (2 adults and hopefully a dog soon!)
* Dividing bedroom
* ZIG made the tent feel cosy, but you have the option not to use it.
The disadvantage is the weight (we'll just keep our old tent for flying abroad). Cost was £500, so expensive, but we reckon we'll get lots of use out of it, so relatiely that's not such a disadvantage. The fabric is an unknown quantity, but then, if it lasts 5 or 6 years that'd be great, any more would be a bonus.
I'll let you all know how it fares in Aberdeenshire in a couple of weeks!
Hi Liddenham, we like the cotton / polycotton tents and have ordered a Trout Lake for a weekend tent after a lot of research and visits to camp shops. We have put this on hold though currently as the 2008 Outwell range is a lot different to the current range, will have to wait and see.We have a few synthetic tents and never had any issues with any of them, the oldest now being over ten years old with no colour fade and still waterproof. We prefer the look of the modern ranges of cotton / polycottons (Lakes, Eureka's) over the more traditional design of frame tent if that makes sense, but agree a cotton / polycotton mix is a lot nicer material to a synthetic fly.
We have a norfolk lake and to be honest didn't really research it an awful lot. We liked the layout and the feel of the tent. I liked the ZIG, the windows with netting thus cutting down on insects. I don't like synthetic tents it feels to flimsy for me. I do like the frame tents, but my family preferred the look of the lakes. I would love a small frame tent for weekends and I am always looking out for one. I don't where it says about the HH being 3000? It doesn't say that on the web site.
Hi Liddenham, we like the cotton / polycotton tents and have ordered a Trout Lake for a weekend tent after a lot of research and visits to camp shops. We have put this on hold though currently as the 2008 Outwell range is a lot different to the current range, will have to wait and see.We have a few synthetic tents and never had any issues with any of them, the oldest now being over ten years old with no colour fade and still waterproof. We prefer the look of the modern ranges of cotton / polycottons (Lakes, Eureka's) over the more traditional design of frame tent if that makes sense, but agree a cotton / polycotton mix is a lot nicer material to a synthetic fly.
Rickit, where've you seen this? Might put our tent search on hold for this season if that's the case.
Hi, we're loking at buying an Outwell Minnisota 4, can anyone tell about this stability spurb. We're currently got a Blacks 3 man geodesic and an old cotton pyramid tent(budget version)which suffers a bit in a strong wind. We do most of our camping in Scotland or on Dartmoor so need something that will stand up to the weather. Does anyone actually own one of these tents? Thanks
PS We're looking for something that we can stand up in, looked at a Sunncamp yesterday, outdoor display, back end of which nearly folded in half with the wind.
Sorry for jumping in on this thread, but we are seriously considering an Outwell Trout Lake 4. Could anyone confirm whether or not the Outwell 'lake' series fabric must be pitched to dry? I'd also be interested in any comments regarding stability / waterproof qualities etc. (a lot of our camping is in windy coastal locations).
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Topic: how good are Outwell tents
