Hello, people, newbie checking in and looking for advice!
First off, a confession - I'm not a natural camper (forgive me?) . However, I do go to a week long event camp evey year, and have done for several years. Up until this year I have had an old fashioned rubberised canvas frame tent inherited from a local guide troop, but this year the door zip decided to give up the ghost - on the first morning!
One emergency tent purchase later saw me set with a 6 man tunnel tent, but that got taken back at the end of the week due to poor quality and several major manufacturing faults, so I'm now searching for a new tent, and need all the advice I can get!
Wish list is as follows:
- MUST be able to stand up in the majority of the tent (including sleeping areas) - this is my Cardinal Rule of Camping as I'm nearly 5'10"!
- Definitely NOT inner pitching first - UK weather and all that!
- At least two SIG inner tents; others will be sharing at times, including some married friends of mine. One has to be capable of taking a double airbed (or two singles) plus suitcases, the other only need be single airbed plus suitcase. Guess this puts me in the 6 man range.
- Good size living area, capable of having a cooking area plus table and chairs. Not fussed about SIG; never had it before, and removeables are easier to clean.
- Good ventilation and light - through draughts on hot days are something I never had on my frame tent (one door only), and the side doors on the tunnel tent were most welcome!
- Good quality - it may not get used too much, but I do want it to last me a long time!
- Possible for one person to assemble at a push; straigtforward with two.
- Not too expensive, preferably under £200 if that's not too optimistic!
The tunnel tent I returned was almost identical to the Gelert Vario 6 (I think that's right!) another friend at the camp had, in the 4 man/2 man sleeping area configuration. I rather liked that design, as it gave us the large social area at the front with the sleeping areas tucked away at the rear, rather than sleeping areas at each end as many layouts have.
However, I'm open to suggestions, be they tunnel, geodesic, or traditional frame tents, as I have no idea what is out there at the moment! I've had friends recommend Lichfield, Vango and Sunncamp, but I don't know which are the better quality ones these days.
Anyway, all comments and suggestions welcome, and thanks in advance!
~Jes
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I would have suggested an Outwell Indiana 8, as it meets all your criteria. It would have lovely living space for you, particularly when the third bedroom was left out on those times when you didn't have any guests calling.
But I hesitate to say that it could be put up easily by one person. Very straightforward for two though. MT
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
I'd suggest something from the Kyham range http://www.khyam.co.uk/ but the prices are significantly more than the £200 you are looking at.
They are easy to put up solo and definately good quality,
Most modern tents don't have a cooking area as such, we tend to use kitchen tents. I really think your best bet would be a canvas tent but they tend to double your budget at least.
Hey, thanks for the responses so far; I would have responded sooner myself, but discovered that work (bless 'em) has the internet filter set to 'vicious', and it blocks anything with 'chat' in the URL, including this forum...
The Outwell Indiana 8 looks good - in fact the Indiana 6 looks very similar to the tent I returned, and might also be worth considering as I wouldn't rattle around quite so much if I ended up solo. Extra space is definitely tempting, though...
I have had Kyham recommended to me by another friend, but you're right about the price! I'm actually not desparately worried about solo setup being straightforward, as there's always help around at the camp I go to, and I've done the old frame tent solo on more than one occasion, including in high winds (which was interesting, but ultimately successful!).
I should clarify - by 'cooking area' all I mean is 'enough space to use the my cooker on it's stand and also have table and chairs out', not a kitchen as such - I want to leave the cooker out 24/7, but not be tripping over it or the cool box all the time!
I do like frame tents, it has to be said, but they do seem to be so expensive and hard to get hold of, not to mention heavy!
Anyway, tanks for the input so far; please keep the suggestions coming! Also, as the end of the season will be rolling around soon, is there potential to pick up a bargain on a new tent from some places? I'm in the Berkshire are, if that helps.
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I definately would not attempt putting it up on your own but with help it's pretty easy to put up.The price has plummeted recently as it'd an old model and it's well under the £200 mark you mention. It is massive though. I've had mine for over 3 years now and it's superb. You could take out one of the bedrooms for even more room.
The standing height is huge. I can't touch the celing inside and I'm 5'7 and we used it recently and had enough room for a group of 10 on chairs to sit in the living area.
BTW when I bought it. it was a £500 tent (not that I paid that for it lol)
I'd recommend the Outwell Indiana 6 (rather than the 8) -especially if you want to put it up yourself.
I would say that it would be possible to pitch it yourself. I have the 8 and I reckon that I could do it single handed if I really had to - the 6 would be slightly lighter and therefore slightly easier.
The bedrooms are both big enough for a double air mattress + luggage, and you can take one bedroom out if you want to. There's also loads of socialising space. Oh and it's tall all the way through, including bedrooms - I have to stretch to reach the roof (although I'm only 5'4") I believe the height is 2m-ish
If you're going to (hope I'm not teaching egg sucking here!) a few things I've found through trial and error - put all the roof poles in and the front legs. Unzip the door, then raise the front and put a peg in the front guy (not quite vertical, so it doesn't drop forward) then put the legs on each section in turn and put them in roughly the right place. If it starts to tip forward, pull the back out a bit (not tight though), and put 1 peg in, it's just enough to stop it tipping forward while you do each section. You do have to release the tension on the 'back' peg before you do the next section to make sure it'll go up.
The only reason I'm not taking the 8 when I go camping in a couple of weeks with the kids is cos hubby's worried that I might break it!
Anyhow, hope that helps
------------- Gilyan.
Lead me not into temptation - I can find the way all by myself!
Vango Oregon 600 ? Dead easy to pitch solo, pitches outer first and lots of space inside. You can`t stand up in the smaller pod of the 600 though. The 2006 version has a riser groundsheet, if you can find one. The 2007 version has a SIG. You can also leave the smaller pod out and pole out the end door for ventilation.
There`s also an 800 version, though that would be slightly more work to pitch. Two big bedrooms, two doors, more living space.
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Thanks all - very useful info, please keep it coming!
Gothette: I was wondering about waiting for winter, and if that's when the bargains will be found, then I'll keep my eyes open now just in case, but plan to make my move then Oh, and worry not - we do usually cook outside with a windbreak; indoors is reserved for bad weather only, and in the centre of the tent well away from the walls, plus the stand is well below waist height. In fact, the returned tunnel tent is the only one we've been able to do this in; old frame tent was much too small, and cooking huddled just outside the doorway with a brolly on rainy days was the norm, as for us it's not worth investing in a separate kitchen tent.
Love your big tent, by the way! Too rattly for me, of course, but a girl can dream... I don't mind older model tents, though (not proud, me!), so if any match the criteria and are still available at good prices post 'em up!
Gilyan: Thanks for the tips! Sounds remarkably similar to the techniques I discovered for doing the old frame tent solo, especially in wind, so hopefully I'd be OK - I am reasonably strong (thanks to horse riding and swimming). Hopefully I'll have company, and there's usually help around too, but nice to know it could be done if needed.
One question on the Indiana sleeping compartments - would they take two single airbeds plus sleeping bags and blankets (or duvet in some cases!), and still have room for luggage? We could possibly have a married couple plus two single ladies, who obviously wouldn't be sharing a double!
Val: I have had a look at the Vangos, as I'd had them recommended. The 600 I'd have to pass on, due to the low second pod. The 800 solves that, but I think I prefer the Indiana layout. I'll bear it in mind, though.
Quote: Originally posted by Jesthar on 09/8/2007
Love your big tent, by the way! Too rattly for me, of course, but a girl can dream... I don't mind older model tents, though (not proud, me!), so if any match the criteria and are still available at good prices post 'em up!
It's far too big for me and OH generally too which is why we have the Freelander. But it was a bargain and I thought it would be useful for camping as a group with friends and it has been. We call it Billy's.....a wag neighbouring me at a bike rally once said **** me it's billy smarts! and the name stuck
I think there would be space for 2 single air beds, although I haven't tried it - my 2 kids sleep on a double at the moment although I imiagine that will have to change when my daughter's a couple of years older.
My kids each had a small suitcase flat on the floor, one on each side of the double airbed, so I think there would be space for luggage even with 2 singles - as long as it's not huge luggage. Although, having said that, huge luggage could be laid on the airbed to access it then fastened up and stood back up again. So I'd say yes, probably.
hope that helps
------------- Gilyan.
Lead me not into temptation - I can find the way all by myself!
It has 2 bedroom compartments, both at one end. They are split into 4 man & 2 man which is roughly 1 large double and 1 large single with plenty of room for luggage.
The bed pods have SIGs and the living area is removable.
The living area is large in comparison to a lot of tents.
It pitches outer first.
The whole front rolls back and also has 2 side doors and 2 windows so there is plenty of ventilation.
My OH and I put it up together, which is easy enough and I think it should be OK to do on your own.
The quality so far looks good but only got in April and have used it 4 times so far so can't comment on the long term.
They are being sold here for £115 as it is last year's model
I also saw a Quechua T6.2 something on a site at the weekend. This looks to be a tunnel version of the Pegasus 6 which would mean that the head height was the same throughout. The bedrooms seem to be split into 2 lots of three but look big enough to work as doubles. The only thing I didn't like as much was the fact it didn't have mud flaps. I don't know about prices on those I'm afraid but here is a link to their website. As far as I'm aware Quechua are a good make too, although I have no personal experience of them.
hi, we have the outwell vermont l and are very pleased with it, not only did it stand up to all the rain we have had lately but on the hot days the windows x 6 open fully so the breeze can flow through. We have a high queen size air bed in the 4 man area and a double in the 2 man area and in ours there is still plenty of room for cases.
the living area is great and if you want more room you can unzip the covered porch area, where we do all the cooking and have our table and chairs.
I hope this helps, please look at the outwell site as there is also an xl for even more room.
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Topic: Reluctant Camper in search of new tent...
. However, I do go to a week long event camp evey year, and have done for several years. Up until this year I have had an old fashioned rubberised canvas frame tent inherited from a local guide troop, but this year the door zip decided to give up the ghost - on the first morning!
Oh, and worry not - we do usually cook outside with a windbreak; indoors is reserved for bad weather only, and in the centre of the tent well away from the walls, plus the stand is well below waist height. In fact, the returned tunnel tent is the only one we've been able to do this in; old frame tent was much too small, and cooking huddled just outside the doorway with a brolly on rainy days was the norm, as for us it's not worth investing in a separate kitchen tent.
