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Hi all.

Having not been camping for 36 yrs, I decided to give it a go again.

I have recently purchased an Orchy 400 for a good price of £140 includes Footprint.

I spent a lot of time looking for something that was easy to put up single handed but didn't want to be in a tent on my hands and knee's at my age. I concidered the Outwell Carolina but it was beyond my budget. (yeomans now selling them off for £140)

Next I looked at the Vango Tigris 400 but decided in the end on the Orchy 400, mainly due to it being slightly smaller than the Tigis but also has the crossover poles which should make it stronger in high winds.

I did a 1st pitch in the garden. I pegged out the footprint and realised just how big this tent is.

It took me roughly 30 mins to pitch the tent (without the guy ropes) once I sussed out which pole went where. Started off by trying to put one of the main poles through the Eyebrow sleeve :-(

It went better than expected but might be a bit different if windy but I recon if the corners are roughly pegged in windy conditions it should be ok. One problem I found pitching the tent in the garden is the lack of room to swing the poles around.

All in all very impressed with it, plenty of room inside for kitchen units etc, shame they don't supply the front canopy poles. Can't find any all out of stock, will have to wait till next year.

Roll on next spring and 1st camp..

Steve

Hi Steve

Yes, with ours we do a "quick peg" at the corners along one side, so there's something to work against. Often there's no enough room to fold out the two biggest poles, so we feed them in unfolding as we go. I'm not sure if that's recommended or not, but it works OK for us.

We got the Vango 1.8m king poles for the front door earlier this year, and they work well (see pic). A quick Google shows all sites I could find are indeed out of stock, but any pair of poles about that height, with a point, should work just as well. They don't have to be Vango. They do a bigger set, 2.1m from memory, but they're too high I think.

Use all guy/peg points, good pegs, pitch bum end to the prevailing wind if possible, and enjoy !

Roll on next season !

Hi Andy, and welcome

Q1 Can't help, as our stuff is all packed away now. Tent spares .co.uk have good info on pole diameters.

Q2. There wouldn't be on our 600.

Hope you enjoy your new tent. We have with ours, and are literally booking for Wales next year right now. We've never had a problem, but, as ever....

"Use all guy/peg points, good pegs, pitch bum end to the prevailing wind if possible.."

Hi Andy

You're welcome. Sorry I couldn't help with the pole dimensions, but by process of elimination I'd guess on your Orchy 500 the main ones could be 5 section, 11mm

http://www.tentspares.co.uk/p0/orchy-500/363994.htm

If the pole channels in the material are thick enough, it might be worth looking at the 600's 13mm, but the length might need adjustment. It shouldn't need to be done, but the wind affected Orchy's seem to have mainly been the 400's/500's.

Personally, I'd guy everything, ensure the poles are in line with the tent channels, and guyed in-line, then suck it and see.

We'll be on a Welsh cliff top next June, so will truly put the "collapsing Orchy phenomenon" to the test !

Hey Andy

Well, from memory, you've more poles than we've got, but if the leaflet isn't too clear, try the pitching instructions here

http://www.vango.co.uk/products/tentsinfo.aspx?productid=13&modelid=14&id=16

Certainly worth a test pitch in the garden when weather permits. Did yoiu get an Orchy footprint/carpet etc ?

Peak District/Forest of Dean sounds good. We've just firmed up on Fishguard Bay for June

http://www.fishguardbay.com/

taking a box of delta pegs !!

http://www.deltagroundanchors.co.uk/

Roll on

Well I'd just like to reassure those of you that are concerned with tent collapsing... We have camped in March in the south of Wales, in a very exposed site that is on headland near the sea, and our tent stayed put the whole time! It has withstood rain, wind and snow! OK, it may have developed some leaks, but like I've said before, we didn't really look after the tent. I think as long as you pitch it properly it will be fine.

I would be concerned about putting in double poles putting strain on the tent material... coz that's the only thing that has let us down... leaky seams... I really don't see the need for re-enforcing the poles... OK, we may have had some nights where I've thought 'OMG the tent is going to fall down' but it hasn't. I do think it is scaremongering about the tent collapses. They mustn't have pitched properly in my opinion. No offence intended, but it's true... our tent has never had any structural problems and we have pitched in adverse conditions...

As for spares, we're sorted coz we've got a full set... at least the Pink Palace will live on! Can't WAIT to try out the Blue Palace!!! I swear I'm gonna take care of it! And if I don't I deserve to be punished!

Quote: Originally posted by mikegalagher on 25/11/2009

"Well, from memory, you've more poles than we've got, but if the leaflet isn't too clear, try the pitching instructions here"

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I thought I seemed to have an extra pole...  I guess I'll find out...

I'm watching a footprint carpet on Ebay at the moment so hopefully I may have one soon.

I'm thinking of making an order for some delta pegs too.

Chelz, thanks for the reassurance.  It's good to hear that there are Orchys out there withstanding the beautiful british weather!

Quote: Originally posted by AndyT23 on 25/11/2009

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Chelz, thanks for the reassurance.  It's good to hear that there are Orchys out there withstanding the beautiful british weather!

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No problem Andy. I feel it's my duty as the founder of the Orchy Appreciation Society to share my personal experience of the tent.  OK, it's not perfect, but it has never REALLY let us down, and I wouldn't want anybody to be put off by the fear of it collapsing when ours has withstood some pretty tough abuse. There have been some times in the middle of the night when I've thought 'the tent is just going to blow away!' but it never did thankfully!

One thing about the footprint... we have one and I think it's a good idea. But each time we've pitched withit, we'eve never actually got the tent sitting perfectly on the footprint. There's always a bit that shows... and I know it's not supposed to do that... Anyway, hope you managed to get yours!

Quote: Originally posted by Chelz on 10/12/2009

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One thing about the footprint... we have one and I think it's a good idea. But each time we've pitched withit, we'eve never actually got the tent sitting perfectly on the footprint. There's always a bit that shows... and I know it's not supposed to do that... Anyway, hope you managed to get yours!

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No such luck unfortunately!  I keep forgetting I'm watching them.  I've missed one footprint and at least 3 carpets now!!  The carpets went for bargain prices too.  One brand new went for a tenner. 

Oh well there's no rush.  We're not away until April.  The girlfriend and I are still arguing about whether I'll be parking my motorbike in the living area of the tent if we're out in the car somewhere together when on hols... 

Well I'll have to keep reminding you!

Blimey! A tenner? I'm gonna have to get on there. But then I'd get told off if we end up with two carpets. I really do prefer having a proper fitted carpet that fits the shape of the tent. Have tried other rugs with the Kura as the proper carpet doesn't cover the entire living area, which we thought was stupid... and we end up tripping over the picnic rugs.

And sorry Andy but I'm going to have to side with your girlfriend on the motorbike in the tent argument! We've had a cooking oil leak in once and that was bad enough! LOL.

Oh and we are now in possession of our new Orchy that Father Christmas brought us!  Can't WAIT to try it out! Come on spring!! Hurry up!!!

Been a while since I visited the appreciation society so I thought I'd look in.

I finally got a carpet for £30 in the end which from what I can see looks to be a reasonable price.  I'm now looking at 210cm King poles and also being tempted by a premium extension...  I don't think the extension will happen this year tho.

I had a little trip to my local camping store and in their display was a 2009 Orchy 500 identical to ours, guyed out very loosely and catching some substantial gusts at a 45 degree angle to the door.  I watched it a while moving around a bit but guess what?!.... It didn't collapse!   That cheered me up no end.

I'm getting things together now ready for the first outing of the year on the 23rd Apr.  I can't wait!

Chelz, I can assure you my bike does not leak!!!

Update on the new Orchy! It's FANTASTIC! Went away a couple of weekends ago for a long weekend. It's even better than the Pink Palace! The zip for the electric hook up is much better and the velcro for the light (we used an electric inspection light) was a great extra touch. We could see the Scrabble board much better! No leaks, it withstood a night of heavy rain and the usual strong Welsh coast wind... and the blue colour makes it seem brighter... Oh and we seemed to pick a nice warmish weekend. I get cold pretty easy and it was fine. OK, we did have the fan heater, but I was nice and cozy in my sleeping bag. And I wore my hat which I also discovered makes a good sleeping eye mask... in the morning I'd just pull it down over my eyes! LOL.

We've still to try the standard canopy with our Orchy. We have used it with the Kura and it's a great extension. We really need it to keep the bicycles dry as they got pretty wet being left outside. As we share the Kura with my mum and dad they've got some of those rubber tiles to use in the under canopy floor area.

Well Andy, I can assure you when you least expect it your bike will leak! And you'll REALLY get it in the neck from your girlfriend! LOL. I oiled my bicycle chain at home after we'd camped and it dripped all over the kitchen floor! But I got away with it probably coz I had to clean it up...

We're already planning our next long weekend towards the end of this month. Can't WAIT! Then summer and whole WEEKS of camping!!! WOO HOO!