We are after a little help as there just seems to be so much choice of different tents!
We have recently got into camping. We planned to do it 5 years ago and bought a 3 man tent, but my wife got pregnant and we didn't get round to using it. We recently did go camping with our 3 year old son and used our 3 man tent, which was too small.
We are now looking for a fairly decent tent for 2 adults, 1 child (room for 1 more possibly in the future) and 1 whippet! We intend to maybe use it 3 or 4 times per year for trips of up to 4 to 5 nights and hopefully in good weather!
It needs to be reasonably easy to put up and have plenty of space. Ideally we are looking to spend up to £300.
Many thanks for all your help
David
Post last edited on 08/09/2009 16:30:40
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me and OH feel all new to camping again now after 7 years of not doing it, we have 2 daughters (6 and 2) and Tilly the dog. we went for it this year and like you wanted to find a tent that would meet our needs, personally we went for the Vango Amazon 600. We absoloutely love it, HUGE living area, so on those wet days there's plenty of room, 3 double bedrooms, 1 for us, 1 for girls, and 1 to store things like clothes ( my walk-in wardrobe!) it is quite simple to put up with 2, and i'm only 5ft 3! ( about 1 hr, inc setting everything up) and there's so much headroom.
The only downsides maybe it's quite large packed away (large wheeled bag for tent and heavy bag for poles) which wasn't really a prob for us, altho gettin a trailer for next year!
Also i have heard that vango are discontinuing soon, which may mean u could pick up a bargain, we paid £330 in July, but i have seen them online for £299.
Hope u find the right one for u, this site is definately a big help in deciding!
We've all got different experiences, but we were in your position this time last year and have learned a lot in the intervening time! We are a family of 2 adults, one 10 year old, only one adult can put the tent up.
My advice is to look online for ideas, check out the reviews on this website (people's actual experiences are the best possible guides in my opinion!) and then try to see as many tents as you can up in real life. Check to see if you have a local camping shop with a good stock of erected tents, so that you get a feel for what you're buying. Don't go for anything under a 3000mm hydrostatic head unless you're going to be a truly fairweather camper (and these days of Met Office messups who can guarantee that?) and make sure there is plenty of light in your living area in case you do have to spend time in it!
There are two main tent skeletons; aluminium or steel poles, or lightweight tension (bendy) rods. The first type is heavy (even the ally ones) but the tent virtually holds itself up for pegging and guying; the second is much lighter, and generally quicker to put up, but the rods have to be bent under tension. If you buy a tent with these, always choose one where the retaining pins are on adjustable straps because otherwise you can break your back and the poles trying to get them in!
Look at door design. Ideally you want doors and windows with mesh liners so that you can have airflow without letting insects in. If the door slopes inwards, opening it in the rain will probably make the inside of the tent wet. So make sure your main door has a built-in canopy of some sort, doesn't have to be a very big one.
Sewn-in groundsheets (SIGS) stop draughts and bugs from just walking into your living space. But these usually create a "doorstep", a raised lip which you have to step over. Our weekender, a Vango Sungari 400, actually has a sewn in groundsheet that goes flat at the main entrance! So no more of me going flying through the tent lol.
Bedrooms. Little ones, and not so little ones, may feel insecure in tents, and separate bedrooms may be too isolating for them. One big inner that you can zip apart might well be better for you than two individual inners. Also, they give you the option for dividing the room up as you like it, or if not divided, using the entire space as you need to.
Finally that I can think of, some tents go up inner first, with the outer flung over the top. Not a good idea (to me anyway) if you're going to arrive in a bit of rain or wind. I'd recommend looking for outer first pitching.
Blimey jenchris hit the nail nicely! All good stuff.
My 3p worth (inflation eh?) Wait a couple of weeks, then check Preloved or Ebay, there will be loads of bargains from people who have tried it and don't like it.
Buy the VERY best quality you can afford. For me this meant a Poly Cotton with aluminium poles (very rigid and safe in winds)
Do consider getting the footprint to protect and help keep the groundsheet clean. Oh yes and remember that there's only SO much space in your car lol!
In theory you should have most of the Autumn and all of the winter to get your stuff together, so good luck and keep us informed, we're a nosey bunch, well I am
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
You only have to look at virtually every campsite going and you'll see oodles of Monty 6's and they can't all be wrong. We bought ours after lots of advice from this forum and we have NEVER regretted it. A great family tent for us four, two adults, a teenager and a 9 year old. We have the extension too which is fab. Can't recommend it enough.
------------- If you have a problem stressing you, sort it. If you can't, there's no point worrying about it coz it won't make a blind bit of difference!!!! Jules
I love my tent The Wild Country Halo73. Just have a look at the reviews. You should be able to get it for £200. It's a very beautiful and strong tent with a SIG, flexible sleeping and porch. It takes about 30mins to put up.
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Topic: Decent Famly Tent
The Wild Country Halo73. Just have a look at the reviews. You should be able to get it for £200. It's a very beautiful and strong tent with a SIG, flexible sleeping and porch. It takes about 30mins to put up.
