Am planning on taking my family camping for the first time this summer. I haven't been since i was young and am scared of picking a rubbish tent!!!
There is 5 of us in total so want either a 6 or 8 man tent. Can't afford to spend hundreds especially as i don't know if my boys will enjoy it and want to go again (fingers crossed they will!).
Please help!!!!
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I think if there's 5 of you you probably want to go for an 8 berth if you can. Maybe something like Gelert Horizon 8 reviews http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Gelert-Horizon-8/524 which gives you enough space and a good sized inner bit for rubbish weather. You can buy a porch to go on these as well.
Should come in at about £270 or less for just the tent. Have a look in the used section on here as well.
Good luck and have fun
Sharon
------------- Sharon
Life's not the breaths you take but the moments that take your breath away
Seems a good buy on link below and boys and camping, go together like sugar and spice, pretty sure they'll love it afterall camping is just a big fun adventure
I can understand your apprehension at spending a lot of money on something that the kids may not like. But I'm sure that you and they will love it and then you may be faced with the prospect of wanting to upgrade to a better tent.
I believe that, although not the cheapest, Outwell tents are very good for families. This is partly because they have lots of windows; so if you are stuck inside on a wet gloomy day then you can still see outside and not feel so claustrophobic. Also consider KAMPA tents; though they are not as easy to get hold of or see one on display they are very good quality, can be a bit cheaper than the Outwell equivalent and tend to have all the benefits of Outwell.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
By the way, if some of the kids are old enough, there is the option of getting a five or six, berth tent as your main tent, including comfortable living area, and having a small, inexpensive tent for a couple of them to sleep in on their own......they'll love that. We've had 8-11 year olds sleeping in a small tent right next to ours - they loved the "freedom" and we loved the space.
If the kids are too young to do that then have one adult and a kid in the small tent. That way you can get a smaller but good-quality main tent for a lower price.
If you're don't want to spend alot of money I would seriously look into second hand. The reason is because at this time of year alot of used once 2010 model tents will be appearing on places like ebay and gumtree, because of the folks who 'tried' camping and didn't take to it.
There are few tent makes to avoid at all costs. They are Rage, Leben and Skandika, they might seem massive and appear value for money but they're poorly made, with few pegging points and flimsy material.
Stick to known recognised names. Outwell are good that is true but they are also expensive. Vango, Gelert, Lichfield, Sunncamp/Khyam, Easycamp and the Hi Gear range from Go Outdoors are all going to be more affordable, all companies considered mid range or thereabouts. The Hi Gear range is Gelert, you'll recognise the tents from the Gelert range but they'll be a different colour.
I'm going to suggest Vango to you, because of the TBS system which makes their flexible pole tunnel tents more stable in windy conditions. In particular look at the Icarus 600 or if you want bigger the Tigris 800.
And I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but I'm not adverse to what is often called the 'Halfords Special', which is the 6 man tent with all the airbeds and sleeping bags thrown in. None of the stuff is all that great, the airbeds need extra insulation underneath anyway, and the sleeping bags are only good for spares. But the tent isn't too bad and you'd be fine with it as long as you upgraded to good sleeping bags and remembered to take something to put under the airbeds. The two most important things on your camping trips is your tent and your bed. Get those two things right and everything else (stove, heater etc) can come from a discount shop.
Take a look in Go Outdoors or a local camping shop that has a tent display. The tent has to fit your needs so if you can actually get a look at one "in the skin" so to speak, it will help you much more than any of our advice on here. You cant go wrong in a reputable camping shop. My only advice is avoid Ebay private sales unless you know exactly what to look for. Some of the tents on sale on ebay now are going for silly money though and probably arent worth half of what they are being sold for.
------------- Always forgive,Never forget;Learn from mistakes,But Never regret;People change,Things go wrong;Just remember life goes on
Cool campers use Delta Pegs.
The happiest people aren't the ones who have everything they are the ones who make the most of everything they have
I can highly recommend the Khyam Ontario 8. Very easy to pitch, 3 large bedroom pods (4+2+2), spacious living area (3.7m x 3.2m), SIG, 5000HH rating, large windlws, good ventilation, standing height (225cm), poles can be used to canopy out the door to form a sun porch. You can also buy carept and sun porch to turn it into a real home from home.
You get a lot of excellent quality tent for your money.
One very windy day last year in Ashbourne, there was a family at the side of us with an Halfords tent. They went out for the day and returned to find their tent had vanished, probably into the next county!! All that remained were a few pegs scattered around. Poor sods!
The problem with second hand, especially tents, is that you don't know for certain how well it's been taken care of. If it hasn't been taken care of then, when the weather turns bad, you could be in for a very unpleasant time.
I've heard said that you can pick up some absolute bargains on ebay and if you do get something very cheap from a one-time camper then pitch it in the garden, check all seams, get the hose pipe on it and maybe you'll get lucky.
Take a look at the Outwell Vacanza range in Argos, you won't see them 'in the flesh' so to speak, but many of them are very similar to the 'real' Outwells you will see at camping shops, they're just a bit cheaper (and blue instead of green or taupe!!!)
Quote: Originally posted by Gareth29 on 14/3/2011
Shame on you Victoria recommending the 'Halfords' range of tents!
However, the rest of the advice is spot on.
Aye but how many people have got the camping bug by getting an argos or a halfords special. Loads of people. I think it's a relatively budget consious way of finding out if you like camping or not, better than spending alot of money to lose out when sticking the whole thing on ebay. The ones that really like camping start gathering better bits and bobs the following year and all the bits that came with the Halfords special can still be used as extra layers or for spares.
As for 2nd hand...ask questions...buy local....and get assurances that if there is any problem you can return. In fact the best way is to get the vendor to pitch it, or for them to let you pitch it in their garden. At the very least open up the package and check for obvious tears, mildew and broken poles. Missing pegs are no big deal, they're cheap. Broken poles are easily repairable, offer them a lower price though. Mildew is a no no...don't touch a mildewed tent with a barge pole. I'm not saying it's best to buy second hand, but if you have a fixed budget you might get a better brand or bigger tent for the same money.
Quote: Originally posted by je11ybean on 14/3/2011
hanks everyone for all your advice.
You've helped make it all less confusing for me which is great!! One more question, do you recommend a 2nd hand tent or am i better off buying new?
Thanks again
We have just bought a Wynnster Montpellier 8 berth for only £149 as it is last years (2010) model! We also had an absolute bargain with the footprint, carpet, canopy and windbreak. All new and including the tent cost less than £300! We have had a trial run and think it is great. Plenty of space. Either google it or eBay. Good luck.
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Topic: 1st time camper - help needed with tent
