I bet we would be looking north of £4000 for a karsten set up which would give enough room for a family and pets,
They do look nice and will last and last no doubt, but where does camping and common sense meet?
Some pay up to 1500 for a poly tent that will turn to powder under UV after a few years. ... If a Karsten lasts 25 years, and it should, it will work out cheaper than 25 years of buying polyester tents. When poles are too much for me, I will fork out for a Karsten.
Quote: Originally posted by john,mel,3kids! on 06/9/2018
I bet we would be looking north of £4000 for a karsten set up which would give enough room for a family and pets,
They do look nice and will last and last no doubt, but where does camping and common sense meet?
Keep an eye on eBay etc for used ones - might get one for more like £2500.
There was a post recently on the Karsten Facebook group where in the storm last month several families were forced to refuge for the night in someone's Karsten. Who wants scared kids and a wife put off camping when you buy a tent that you know will be the one giving the refuge not needing it.
When you consider what you will sell it for when you've finished with it the price is not as bad as you think, even more so if you buy used.
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It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
Quote: Originally posted by Mitchamitri on 07/9/2018
It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
We camp because we always have and we enjoy it. It wasn't because it was a cheap way to holiday. With that in mind we get the best kit we can afford be it car camping or backpacking. The five star hotels aren't usually worth the price.
Karsten tents are for everybody who wants to stay warm and dry in this American weather. We do not sell a tent in the United States that is comparable to the Karsten. But our weather in a lot of places is severe very severe. You need strength durability and 100% waterproof tents to feel safe out here. I personally plan on living inside the tent for years so I don't think i can count on anything but karsten
It all depends on your point of view some people love a five star hotel and lIove the extravagance even if it''s not great value. I love both a fancy hotel and camping so when they set up camping in the grounds of a riu palace I'll be there !!!
Everything is personal taste.
Quote: Originally posted by Mitchamitri on 07/9/2018
It can be quite a difficult argument that spending £4k on a tent is a good idea - my wife would never buy second hand and for that money the instant comparison including camping kit etc is two weeks five star abroad. It's not an investment in that case. I guess it's extremely rare for anyone's first tent to be a karsten as much as it's rare for anyone's first car to be an Aston Martin. For us, we will stick with our cheapo polyester tent until our family have flown the nest then maybe upgrade to a karsten , but by then we won't have to holiday at peak season and it'll only be the two of us so five star hotels here we come -:we will be camping less I am sure, which will make the karsten a luxury item . I do think it's easy to forget most people start camping because it's a cheap family holiday, not because they covet the very best tents , titanium cooking stoves, and £500 self inflating mattresses that roll up to the size of a peanut. For many of us it's damp loo roll , swingball, and baked beans, and if it falls apart thats a risk you take or you end up doing nothing.
Karsten 's seem to me to be the very best tents but it's not right for everyone
Agree completely, I have a 500 quid tent, canvas, nice place to be. If it went and borrowed money to buy a superior tent such as the karsten I would never hear the end of it off the kids
Quote: Originally posted by quilly101 on 23/6/2016
My Montana is polycotton, not polyester. I am biased towards it as we have had it a long time. Once we get the additional pod for the Karsten at the end of the year (this will then give us the same room we had in the Montana) I suspect that if you were to then ask me again the answer would be definitely Karsten, Purplebean made a fair point about how they 'feel' when you see one in the flesh as it were. My 5m bell is one of the heavier weight versions at 320gm and the Karsten is a similar weight canvas. They're both very reassuring to be in, but the Karsten is far easier to put up and has more windows than my bell.
Very interesting comments re ease of setup - I guess an air tent with maybe an electric pump, v's a single pole, but heavy material in the bell. How about the guying? - is there much additional guying for the bell over the Karsten pod?
Many thanks :-)
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We were pitched next to someone in a large bell a few years ago, it certainly went up quickly, although more guys than our pod. When calm I would say 7 guys is the minimum you need on the Karsten. 6 holding out the side flaps (we don’t bother with the ones on the front) and 1 long guy holding an air pole. If strong winds you can add up to 3 guys per air pole.
One thing to mention though is the wall height in the Karsten pod compared to the bell. Those side flaps give you a 75cm high vertical wall to put furniture up against. This increases to a metre in a 380 pod. I guess in a bell the wall is much lower to put things against.
Quote: Originally posted by OzBoi on 30/6/2019
Very interesting comments re ease of setup - I guess an air tent with maybe an electric pump, v's a single pole, but heavy material in the bell. How about the guying? - is there much additional guying for the bell over the Karsten pod?
Many thanks :-)
My bell tent was 45 pegs plus an additional 8-10 for the tarp out front. Last weekend I had my 350 pod up with the combi awning/connector and a tarp out front and used a total of 30 pegs for the lot. Montana Lake and Bell tent both sold some time ago now.
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Topic: What is the appeal of the Karsten?
