Hi,Im looking to buy a tent and not sure what to get, Must be a family tent for 2 adults and 3 young boys ,3 Bedrooms ,I have been looking at the Aspen 700DLX and the Diablo 900XP, I have not been camping for years so its all new to me.
Last time was in a frame tent about 15 years ago.
Can anyone hepl?
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we looked at the same two a few months back and after weighing them both up we went for the aspen,reason being the head room in the aspen not just the living area but also in all the bedrooms is better than the diablo.You get the height all over the tent but the diablo bedrooms looked a bit cramp.
its a bit of a pig to put up but once you know how to pitch it its ok
takes me and my 14yr old daughter just over 1hr from start to finish.were pitching it tomorrow for only the 4th time at oaklands in lytham (why am i still on here at this time of night!!!!!) we pitch it the new way as seen on the aspen pitching video
at the end of the day you got to make your choice . We chose the aspen cos of the height and now know we made the right choice.
hi , we have both tents we have diablo 900 for longer trips and the aspen 700 for shorter trips i find both are equally good,
the aspen is our newer tent and is a lot easier to pitch than the diablo ,mainly due to less time consuming pegging out . i have been out in bad weather with both and they both coped really well .
there are two adults 3 children with us and obviously the diablo is bigger and you have lots of room , but to be honest we get on fine with the aspen as well
just go with the one that appeals more to you personally then you cant go wrong
I now swear by our Aspen 700 DLX. We previously had a similar tent to the diablo and it took me some 1 & a half hours to do start to finish....so many guy lines! the other problem is also that if the ground is not perfeclty level you may have the odd bit of flysheet touching the inner on the diablo style. Not yet had this problem with the aspen as its shape allows a little more flexibility on uneven ground.
I can do the Aspen in 40 minutes with a few minites help from the missus when the fly sheet has to go over. I use the "new" method although this was the way I assumed it was put up anyway, so I don know the old method.
We were out last weekend in the aspen and we had gusting force 8 on the back corners and it was fine with no leaks.
I would suggest you consider where you are putting your gear inside and take the one you prefer. each tent has pros and cons, so it is whatever suits you.
And dont forget a footprint/groundsheet.....its great for getting it in the right position and as they are so big this can be very important.
Jas
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I have the 700, The reason i chose this, is cos of the full sig, 3 bedrooms together(not spaced apart) you can stand up in them (unlike the other) large living area with plenty of headroom, and 3 doors so you can always be sheltered from the prevailing wind, Ive got to say, im realy glad i chose it, used it 3 times now and again in august. Bob.
what can i say but team aspen rocks ................watch this space fellow aspen owners,i was told something recently egarding the 08 models imo not good news but i am currently checking it out before i go public....happy trails
Quote: Originally posted by PEGWIL on 02/6/2007
what can i say but team aspen rocks ................watch this space fellow aspen owners,i was told something recently regarding the 08 models imo not good news but i am currently checking it out before i go public....happy trails
so should i upgrade my aspen 700 next year to the 07 model?
We looked at the Diablo but were bowled over by the Aspen 700DLX and have no regrets.
The 'footprint' is probably a footprint groundsheet cut to the same shape as the tent. It saves the SIG getting muddy and gives you some added protection and comfort. I believe the footprint groundsheet from Vango is due late June.
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Quote: Originally posted by Hunter 59 on 02/6/2007
Thank you all for your great feedback. Im taking the OH to have a look tomorrow!
I seem to be drawn to the Aspen 700DLX just for the ease of putting it up and the space.People have mentioned a footprint? How does this work?
Can anyone also give me any feedback on what cooker/stove I should be looking to buy?
T Hunter
Hello Hunter 59, Good choice with the Aspen!!
We have a footprint for our aspen 700 - it is a genuine vango groundsheet cut to the same shape/size of the aspen floorspace, it is supplied in a bag with pegs. Put it on the ground first where you want your tent to be, then pitch the tent on top - protects the bottom of the tent from getting damaged/punctured or dirty and also acts as a good quide to getting your tent in the right position. I got mine from outdoormegastore.co.uk for about £30. and is well worth the investment - you could however just use a large tarpaulin but make sure none of the tarpaulin pertrudes around the edge of the tent otherwise any rainwater can sit on it and then run under your tent, this can sometimes cause any water to come up through the seams of your floor.
With regards to cooker - I would recommend the Campingaz Camp Chef, it has 2 burners and a grill, costs approx £40-£50 (widely available - towsure,millets,ebay, camping shops etc..), I have found this really reliable it is easy to clean and packs down neatly into a carry bag. Suits our family of four well and of course it is blue so will match the aspen!!
Take a look at these links for the footprint & the cooker, hope this info helps!!
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