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Looking to buy a new tent for the family this summer, Me,the Wife, 2 1/2 yr old and rather large dog (St Bernard)!  Previous camping trips were pre kid days, so old tent not suitable.

Want to get something that has lots of space, but dont know where to start.  Dont want to just buy based on berth and price!  Any suggestions?  Dont plan to go abroad this summer, so have a good budget available for tent. 

Also,what accessories would you recommend?  I am a bit of a gadget freak and can get carried away if I let myself! 

Hi Mr Bob

Started to read the reviews and thought someone might be able to help narrow my search down.

I suppose my post is quite unspecific.  Maybe what would people recommend as the 3 most essential pieces of kit, and the 3 most unnecessary pieces of kit that people buy and then dont need.  Eg Toaster for Gas Burner?

Thanks for your assistance

There are so many to choose from, you may want to wait until March and visit one of the large camping shops with displays to get a feel for what you like. We are all likely to recommend the tents we have, such that the list of suggestions will be over-whelming... Once you've had a look at the actual tents and drawn up a short list, then take a look at the reviews before buying to find out if any have particular niggles.

We are a family of 2 plus toddler and used to have a dog. We went for a 6 berth Vango Columbia 600 comprised of 2 bedrooms, the larger of which can be divided into 2, making 3 bedrooms. This allows us to have the little one in with us at the moment, but allow him his own privacy later. He's 3 and already possessive of his "bedroom". The smaller bedroom pod we use for bags, food, etc to keep the main living area free for the stove, table and chairs, tumbles and playmat (our tent has room to keep the playmat well away from the stove). Note that a single airbed can be 180-195cm long and between 70 and 85cm wide. Doubles can be up to 140cm wide. There may be others even bigger - so check what you are likely to use and the spec of the tent. Generally the number of persons a tent will take is one or two less than that advertised.

We also got a tent with a small side porch for wellies etc and to act as a wet weather barrier between the mud and main tent. We also went for a steel framed tent for strength rather than fibreglass and one with a very high waterproofing rating (5000HH). A 2000HH is the minimum really for family tents these days. Just a note - Vango has something called a TBSII (tension band system), which is an internal strapping system for tunnel tents that reduces the flex of tent poles considerably during windy weather.

A tent carpet is a great idea with toddlers - so soft to lie on - as is a footprint groundsheet (goes on the ground under the tent) if the tent has a sewn in groundsheet. Allows the tent to go away clean. 

A front canopy is often on the list of people's requirements, but this can be a bit like a kite in very windy weather unless secured well. We went for a tent with both a sloped front and back so that it is aerodynamic in both directions to shed wind. Tents with upright fronts perform best if the back of the tent is pitched into the wind - unfortunately the wind can change direction. Sloped fronts/doors, however, mean that the rain will come into the tent unless you keep them shut or have a canopy. A separate canopy/extension does, however, also mean that you can add additional living space for longer stays.

Our tent is being discontinued for one with even more extras and higher price tag to suit... but tent designs keep changing. There are so many out there, its best to develop a shopping list of attributes you want and then go looking...

Helen

Re. best basic items:

stove - campingaz kitchen plus/extra - stove with gas rings and griddle with integral stand, windshield, shelves etc. Avoids need for separate camp kitchen unit.

(Royal alumium roll-up) table with adjustable legs (for when the pitch is not flat).

Compact chairs (including an adult height one for the toddler even if you have a childs one) - otherwise they can't reach the table to eat.

A nested set of saucepans and kettle so they don't take up packing room (we use a Trangia set) plus compact versions of kitchen tools and a ready packed set of kitchen items, cutlery and crockery. We use a couple of 10litre tupperware containers from Wilkos to house these. One can double as a washing bowl. The lid keeps out wasps and flies from any dirty washing.

A couple of Wilkos UFO lights (£4 each) - highly recommended on this site for tent lighting.

Beds - up to you - but Coleman comfort airbeds (£20 single, £30 double) plus powered pump have good reviews. Note - not all airbeds are of the same reliability!

Anything else - just use the search box and you'll find plenty of recommendations.

Good luck!

Helen

I can highly reccommend the Khyam Ontario 8 (called the Ontario 8 XC this year!)

Essential kit for me is good quality sleeping bags, something to cook on (I love our 2 burner stove with grill) and EHU (I'm a big wuss and need my heater!!)

Basically you need something to sleep on and in, something to cook on and with, something to eat and drink with, somewhere to sit and some form of lighting.

Nice things but non essential are things like a portapotti, camp kitchens, wardrobe/larders, EHU, kitchen tent, carpet, extentions, BBQ......

Then there is the list of Things I Must Never Camp Without:
* matches
* bottle opener/cork screw
* ALCOHOL!!!!!!!!!

I would strongly recommend insulating the ground between the bedroom pod floor and the airbed - picinic blankets are a very popular chpice as they're cheap and do the job well.