I need a cheap and easy to erect tent for weekends away on my own with kids. I have reserved an Argos pro action 6 person reduced to 45 quid and an argos teepee reduced to 45 quid. Any opinions?
Thanks!
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
I am not going to get all snobish about Argos tents, having seen the vast numbers on our site over the BH. There was a lot of the Pro-Action 6 about . If budget could stretch up to £100 you would have more choice. The Argos Hyperdome has good reviews for a cheap tent , and has bags of space and headroom .How old is the oldest child , as my 11 year old girl helps me pitch my Evolva now ?
We are actually thinking of getting one just so that the next time we are asked to lend a tent we have something I wouldn't worry about lending out.
I'm not snobbish about tents either it's just with the Argos and Halfords tents (I work in Halfords) you get what you pay for and at full price you'd be better off looking for something 2nd hand.
Saying that at £45 you could get lots of good use out of it making it worth every penny. I would say it was worth a try.
I am quite a seasoned camper and have a pretty good sunncamp tent that I am happy to use for longer holidays and if other half is with me as it is mahousive!!
But he often works weekends and I often wish that I could take the kids away now and then on my own with a tent I know will do for a couple of nights and will be easy for me to put up on my own (my oldest is 9 and she has helped with the big sunncamp before but not the sort of help I can rely on!)
The argos tents look cheap and cheerful and look like they would sevre my purpose but I wondered whether to plump for the teepee(the novelty value does appeal to me-sorry to be superficial) or the more straightforward looking pro action 6 man tent
At least there will be more head room in the teepee , and ventilation if we have a heat wave , I would be seriously tempted to have the 12 man version for a bit of fun .
It survived farily strong winds and non stop rain for 24hrs without leaking. To be honest cant really fault it for what it cost, have since passed it on to a family member so their kids can mess with it in the garden. Think the only negatives was some iffy looking stitching and the ground sheet for the porch seem to fit where it touched but as already said it stayed dry and intact so cant realy grumble.
Think "cheap" tents can be an ideal introduction to camping, if you get one that does the job at least - can see how an unstable / leaky thing would be be enough to put anyone off...
Cheers
Liam
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
Some of the Pro-Action tents only have a HH of 1200 and that's just not enough, really. 1500HH is the minimum for the UK. Apart from that quibble, how can you go wrong for £45? Just take some better quality tent pegs and some spare guylines.
Must mention though that there is a rumor that Go Outdoors are possibly selling the Vango Venture 500 for £59.95 for the first week in June. Now there's a bargain...the Venture is a classic weekend tend and good quality. Might be wirth keeping the Argos tent in the bag until you find out?
Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 29/5/2009
Some of the Pro-Action tents only have a HH of 1200 and that's just not enough, really. 1500HH is the minimum for the UK. Apart from that quibble, how can you go wrong for £45? Just take some better quality tent pegs and some spare guylines.
Must mention though that there is a rumor that Go Outdoors are possibly selling the Vango Venture 500 for £59.95 for the first week in June. Now there's a bargain...the Venture is a classic weekend tend and good quality. Might be wirth keeping the Argos tent in the bag until you find out?
Is the Vango Venture a reworked Icarus 500? if so and your rumour has substance I will be sorely tempted.
Quote: Originally posted by campasarow on 29/5/2009
Is the Vango Venture a reworked Icarus 500? if so and your rumour has substance I will be sorely tempted.
campasarow
No, it's been around a lot longer than the Icarus. I think you might be thinking of the Vango Weekender, which is indeed a reworked Icarus and specific to Great Outdoors. The Venture is a dome plus tunnel extension design. Also, no SIG in the living area. It's got a riser groundsheet instead. Specs are on my link above. It's been the classic recommended weekender for some years though, simply because it's a doddle to pitch, sturdy, weatherproof, spacious and can be handled by one person. And it can sleep four on two double airbeds.
Anyway, this seems a great deal, if it comes off, as I posted a thread yesterday about finding a weekender tent with reasonable living area and big enough to stand up in, and had come up with a Gelert Stratus 4 DLX at £89.
Quote: Originally posted by campasarow on 29/5/2009
Is a riser groundsheet the same as a bath tub?
Anyway, this seems a great deal, if it comes off, as I posted a thread yesterday about finding a weekender tent with reasonable living area and big enough to stand up in, and had come up with a Gelert Stratus 4 DLX at £89.
Would this Vango be a better option?
campasarow
A riser groundsheet is not a bathtub one, no.
"Bathtub groundsheet" normally refers to the one in the sleeping pods and is sewn up onto the sides of the inner, creating a tray or bathtub base.
A riser groundsheet is a loose one that is laid in the living area after the flysheet has been erected. It has sides that turn up the inside of the flysheet by about six or eight inches and is toggled into position.
A SIG is a groundsheet that's sewn onto the flysheet, either all through the tent (full SIG) or just in the living area (semi-SIG).
And a groundsheet is just that...a flat piece of groundsheet, shaped to the inside of the tent. It usually sits on top of the storm flaps, if the tent has them.
Very comprehensive and clear answer; I'm OK with my free fitting groundsheet, SIG's and ZIG's but was under the false impression that a riser is a bathtub is a riser
Because sleeping pod ground sheets are 'sewn in' as a matter of course, I never appreciated that they were designated a description. I thought ground sheet types were only attributed to those in the living area, hence my thinking bath tub and riser were interchangeable terms for the type that is loose but toggles to the flysheet.
Any thoughts about the Vango Venture v Gelert Stratus 4 DLX?
I was going to suggest the Vango venture 500 as something to look for. I do indeed have a Go outdoors sale brochure in my hand which states that the Venture 500 will be at 59.99 for 1 week only between 1st June and 7th June. I havn't even bought my first tent yet - so can't comment on tent pro's and cons but looks like a lot of tent for that money on paper. I am tempted myself as a cheap weekender tent but the other half insists he wants 8 berth for a family of 5.
We have had other sale brochures of this type through our door and they have always pulled off their deals as promised. However stock has always been limited and we have always turned up at 9am on the doorstep when we have wanted these "1 week only bargains" to make sure we get one.
Your OH is probably right about needing an 8 berth for a family of 5. A 7 berth would be ok too depending on the ages of your children.
We have a 6 berth (and compared to some the dimensions on ours are generous) for 4 of us including a teenager & a toddler. But as the little one gets older we'll probably get a larger tent so they can have a bedroom each, and we can still have a large bedroom with storage space.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Argos cheapies!!
