Hi, we are new to this camping experience, have been persuaded by my brother to join his family on trips. But we haven't a clue on what tent to buy. We have been looking on the internet but so many to choose from.
Family with three year old possible future increase in family, think we would prefer sewn in grounsheet, would like three bedrooms, must be big enough incase we want to put travel cot in the future or take the grandparents. Would like good living space, something that doesn't take an age to put up and we have got about £300 to spend.
Any advice or points in the right direction would be appreciated.
Thanks
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Is that £300 for the tent, or £300 for all your gear - sleeping bags, camp beds or air beds, seats, tables, cooker and pots and pans, lights, water containers, coolbags/fridges, heaters etc etc?
There is a lot of good tried and tested kit about - not all of it expensive.
Spending less is a bit more of a risk, but search for it on here, and you can get some cracking advice. As with everything, you can throw a lot of money at camping, but for occasional weekends away, don't get too carried away until you know exactly what you want.
Hi and welcome! I would say from your post you would need 6 man+ if you may want a tavel cot you need something that has good bedroom hight. you need to think about your bedrrom lay out, you would want a 3 year old next to you so you don't have to go far to see them in the night! If your thinking of taking grandparent you would want bedroom a bit part (don't want to be on top of in laws!) think about where you would cook if it's rainning, you mau want something with canpoy.
Think you would be best with a tunel tent to get the head hight in bedroom! We have the khyam ontario 8 (about £199) with a sun canopy (about £50) that we add to cook under! it has 1 large bedroom (4man) which we fit travel cot and double air bed, then at other end as 2 smaller bedrooms (2man) which will just take a double air bed but is tight. It has sig and the sun canpoy is great for cooking out the way of the kids.
the outwell nabersak may be worth a look too. Has sig I thin 2x4 man bedroom that can be split. or could be 1x4man and 2x2 manbedrooms.
You can get some nice tents for £300 if that is your budget for a tent and not for all the gear that goes with it.
Look at the Outwell Hartford XL which retails around £279.99 or if you can stretch a little more try the XXL both are wonderful tents and by a good manufacturer.
------------- Degsy Rowlands is my love, my life and a lunatic!!!!!!!! Louise x
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I would just like to add to the query too :) I've been looking for somewhere that can offer a bit of advice on whats good or not tent (and everything else) wise.
TBH the missus caught the Halfords advert the other day - you may have seen the one "Family camping Kit £99.00" - has a 4 person tent - 4 inflatable beds, sleeping bags and 2 torches!. Not wanting to rush out and buy one regretting it later and trying to look into whats about... leads me here :)
Following on from the original post a little, there would be 4 of us (two adults , a teenager and a 10 year old - lethal combination I know!). I kinda like the idea of a 'living space' with separate bedroom 'areas'
Is there any benefit (either way) to erecting the 'inner' or 'outer' tent first?
I'd like the option (if feasible) to go off the beaten track maybe? Not just restricted to the caravan and tent sites you see splattered around the coast (although the missus may need a bit more convincing!)
I've been taking in the thread about the sown in ground sheets and kinda like the idea of a sown in version.
Cost wise - £300.00 notes sounds about right but was thinking that this would be for just the tent.
Quote: Originally posted by planetWayne on 02/6/2007
Hiya All,
I would just like to add to the query too :) I've been looking for somewhere that can offer a bit of advice on whats good or not tent (and everything else) wise.
TBH the missus caught the Halfords advert the other day - you may have seen the one "Family camping Kit £99.00" - has a 4 person tent - 4 inflatable beds, sleeping bags and 2 torches!. Not wanting to rush out and buy one regretting it later and trying to look into whats about... leads me here :)
Following on from the original post a little, there would be 4 of us (two adults , a teenager and a 10 year old - lethal combination I know!). I kinda like the idea of a 'living space' with separate bedroom 'areas'
Is there any benefit (either way) to erecting the 'inner' or 'outer' tent first?
I'd like the option (if feasible) to go off the beaten track maybe? Not just restricted to the caravan and tent sites you see splattered around the coast (although the missus may need a bit more convincing!)
I've been taking in the thread about the sown in ground sheets and kinda like the idea of a sown in version.
Cost wise - £300.00 notes sounds about right but was thinking that this would be for just the tent.
Hope this isn't too much of a noob question :)
Cheers
Wayne.
Hi Wayne - pitching outer first stops all your inners getting wet if you have to pitch in the rain - I would never own another tent that pitches inner first not after having to pitch in rain and then it struggling to dry out - and when it was hot you needed to keep tent open to make sure condensation did not build up - I would deffo go for outer pitch first
------------- Degsy Rowlands is my love, my life and a lunatic!!!!!!!! Louise x
Don't be tempted to squeeze in - a four man tent means 4 can lie down in it. It doesn't mean 4 can sleep comfortably in it. Check the dimensions - I personally think 90cm each is good living space, for sleeping. That's why I bought a 6 man tent for three of us. Having said that, I have gone soft in my old age! (And it is blooming big!)
I wouldn't entertain inner first pitching. With your budget a tent without Sewn In Groundsheet to the living area should have mudflaps around the sides, so you can tuck them in to your detachable living area groundsheet for maximum warmth and draught proofing, while rolling them up when it's hot to give maximum airflow through the tent - also good for clearing condensation build up the next day.
Search these individual queries on here, there is reams of good information and opinion.
I wont recommend my new tent to you, as I've not tried and tested it yet, but I am excited about using it! Put it up today and I'm ver pleased so far.
How abou the Royal Bordeaux 6 Tunnel Tent. I have seen it for £339 at ourdoormegastore. It seems to tick all the boxes and has the added advantage of a zip in porch.
update - I just clicked though from the closed competition on UKCS for one of these and got here where there is an even better price.
Post last edited on 03/06/2007 00:33:16
------------- Christine
2014
April -
BunRoy Fort William 3 sleeps
April / May
Invercaimbe Arisaig 4 sleeps
Bleatarn Brampton tbc July
The Vango Killington 600! Is a 6th Birth tent - pitch the 'flysheet' first and has a sown in ground sheet for the Living and bedroom areas. So it seems to fit the basics - plus room to spare/ extra storage!
Anyone have any thoughts on the make/ reliability of these things (anyone got one!?)
The only thing that could be a little niggle - Outdoor Mega Store seem to think they have been pulled (seems a bit odd as the manufacturers web site says that this is new this year!)
Thanks for all the advice, we have bought a Royal Bordeaux 6 Tunnel Tent today and got it for £285 from a local camping shop, just have to wait for it to arrive now. Couldn't find it any cheaper on the internet, also got discount on some equipment too which is great.
Look forward to using it now.
Thanks again.
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Topic: Help new to camping, which tent?
