Hi, this is my first time on any forum. We're looking to buy our first tent, it seems a bit of a minefield, we're hoping to make camping a regular thing. here's the problem we're a large family 2 adults 5 kids and the dog(black lab). we're currently looking at vango albany 800 and wynnster hawk 8. Any suggestions would be recieved gratefully. Thanks xxx
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Yes it is a minefield -you can start off being almost certain and then leave ,a quivering wreck of indecision!! Such are the oppinions here. I would not see a large number as a problem , as many hands make light work , even with the youngest of children . Counting your dog as one , an eight birth tent for eight would at first appear right . However , as you will find out, you probably require a tent for at least 10 ( possibly 12 ) . Scour the site and manufacturers websites . Have you a set budget ? Prioritise your spending - shelter ,sleep , substanance , seating . Other things can come later . Also ,do not be affraid to borrow items as you set up .
A few suggestions - Gelert Meridian 10 , any large Outwell and we are getting good vibes about a new comer , Kampa also . Money well spent now is money saved in the future . And do not rule out last year models and second hand .
I will second what numbersix has said,the Gelert Meridan is a lovely tent.We saw one a couple of weeks back and was very impressed.
Its a good price as well...around £299
Outwell Nebraska XL. Not produced anymore, but you can still pick them up from a couple of places (cheaper than originally) - outdoor action £390.
4 bedrooms, big living area, massive porch. Main tent has fully sewn-in groundsheet and fully zipped doors so the dog won't escape.
Downsides - it's BIG, so some campsites won't take it (but you're probably going to have that problem with any 8 man with decent space). It's BIG, so packing it in the car is more problematic and oh, it's BIG, so putting it up is a job for at least 2 of you and will take a while
How old are the kids? if they are all quite young, you could get away with 3 little ones on a double airbed, or in one bedroom with foam mats. standard double airbeds are about 140cm wide, so you need to check the bedroom sizes.
the wynnster hawk will be too narrow to fit 8 people in and not alot of room in the living area with the bedrooms not being big enough for storing anything else.
The khyam ontario or kansas is wider than the vango, and less than £250 if you are trying to keep the cost down.
If your kids are youngish, then the sunvalley 8 might be big enough for you , now discontinued but available on ebay at the moment for £399 brand new.
also look at the royal toledo , similar in style to the sunvalley and available for less than £300, but has metal poles so pack size will be bigger.
Thanks to everyone for repling, we got to keep budget quite low he says less than 250, i think it should be more. kids are 11yr, 8yr, 4yr,3yr and babs who's 6 months.
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the wynnster titan 8 has good reviews and is only £179 here.
you should be able to fit airbeds in these bedrooms and it has a large living area .
sensible to keep budget as low as possible for your first tent, the titan is a discontinued model .
With small kids like yours , you should be fine in one of the previously recomended tents. When I camp with the family, we get our young nieces and nephews all wanting to sleep in each others tents and they just all huddle up like puppies.
then maybe next year if you find that you love camping , you will want to upgrade to something bigger and more expensive.
Actually , just realised the titan is inner first pitch , which might put you off, as if its raining when you pitch the inside gets wet. and pitching takes a bit longer than flysheet first tents.
The vango oregon package which includes the canopy , carpet and footprint might be a better buy, here just over your £250 budget , but the canopy and carpet are well worth having , for the warmth for the kids to crawl about on and the shade of the canopy , which you can also use to cook under.
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Topic: advice on buying 1st tent
