Being new to camping and now looking at purchasing our own tent like most its the dilemma moment!
Have done the Yeomans display and are torn between the wolf lake 5 and 7, we are a part time family of 4 plus 2 dogs, with my two step children aged at a 5 year old girl and a 12 year old boy hence the 7 is drawing us as it provides the 3 bedrooms and less bickering is forseen in the future at night time, my husband is a fireman and neither of us shy of the manual labour side when putting up, but what i really would appreciate is some feedback from the owners out there who have had either and could give me some pro's and con's please, my husband and i would like to use it on our own when we don't have the children and dont have the money for weekend tents etc. This is a major investment for us and something we don't want to make lightly or wrongly.
Any info would be greatfully received.
kind regards
Louise
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Hi Louise, we had the same dilemma earlier this year! We ended up with a Wolf Lake 5 which suits our needs as the kids share the bigger bedroom and we share the smaller one. The smaller bedroom fits a double airbed which we sleep on but it is on the cosy side - especially for 3 weeks in the summer! We miss the bedroom space in our Montanna 6 (3 + 3) but we wanted a tent with a built on canopy for ease of erection. The Wolf Lake 7 has a setup with the bedrooms (3 + 2 + 2) and this could give you the bigger room and the kids their own each (heavy though - the 5 is pretty heavy and takes up a lot of space - our Galaxy is pretty ram even with the biggest roof box available). We will see another season out in the 5 and see what's available after that. We weighed it all up and thought that you spend most of your time sitting outside (in France) the tent anyway and in most peoples eyes they see the Wolf Lake 5 as a big tent and their would be plenty of room for the dogs in the lounge.
Thank you so much for the reply, if you had to make the decision again would you choose the 7? We have a trailer to stow all our stuff in which should help, and having seen the tent up at the Yeomans exhibition, along with the reviews in regard to pitching etc on the this site, we kind of feel its going to be a bit of a slog until we got a season under out belt so to speak.
My husband who drives a fire engine dare not drive in france, so we will be camping in good ole England with the not so predictable weather for now, then maybe I will have a go myself driving abroad.
Again thank you for the reply you have actually settled my mind on a few areas.
regards
Louise
Hi Louise, let me give you my experience as a WL5 owner. Am a lone parent (now) with a 5 yr old boy. I pitch it solo (am petite and 5'4"), its manageable, but tedious and I am fairly tired after camping and de-camping each time. And cranky too!
We camp abroad annually and locally regularly. I love the space the WL5 provides us, especially the living area ... I have an area set up along one side of the tent with a table-top fridge, shelving unit for storage (a canvas thing on a metal frame, from IKEA), a kitchen worktable with food storage under it, camping-loo, etc In good weather the rest of the living area is used mainly in the evening only, but trust me when the weather is bad outside day-time its wonderful to be able to function properly within the tent and do all the living inside it (plenty of room for the fold-out table+4 chairs, camping chairs, tables for games / lights / books, etc. It would be easy to live in this tent for a long period of time for the two of us. Given that you camp with 2 dogs and also sometimes with 2 children, I would think that you would need the WL7 in my opinion. Extra children means extra bedding, extra luggage, their games / entertainment / etc ... Same for the dogs ... two dog beds I'd guess?
As for the bedrooms: last year we slept on SIMS on the ground in the larger bedroom pod and used the smaller pod for storage. This year we had bought Outwell Posadas single beds which (since they are raised off the floor and thus the sloping walls of the tent impact them) we could no longer use the bedrooms in the normal way otherwise the beds would be sticking out into the living area! .... what we now do is zip down the divider between the two pods and we have created this into one very large bedroom with the bedrooms going across-wise on both pods with a side table between our beds .... it really looks great and feels just like a proper bedroom (sort of!).
I suppose if I were you I'd be weighing up how often you will be camping as 2+2 kids; if its not often then perhaps the WL5 is sufficient (even with dogs); but if your dogs are big and your step children will camp regularly with you then I'd go for the WL7 and you'll be glad you have such lovely space all around you.
Much and all as I love the WL, its too big / cumbersome and takes too long to put up for short stays, so I now only use it for long trips, and I have since bought a little weekender. I love the WL though a lot ... whichever you go for, you'll be pleased with the tent. Good luck,
Humbird
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You certainly have given us much to think about, I can imagine with just you and your little man its certainly no mean feat setting up and I greatly admire you for that, but hey us women are keep calm and carry on.
If i could ask you one thing, it would be the point you made in regard to the short stays, we live right on the peak district border, so we would ideally like to do regular weekends away with and without children, so in light of all you have said, how long realistically are we looking at after some practice to pitch the 5 between us?
The 7 in all honesty looks huge, and its the bedrooms that draw me, my 12 year old step son, whilst a good lad is at that age where his 5 year old sister is at times someone he wishes to retreat from and the separate bedroom would provide this, I'm doing the woman thing and looking at the big picture of 3/4 years down the line with a teenager that will not wish to share a bedroom with his baby sister.
I have the winter to think it through, if only outwell did a tent workshop where you could go and have a go at pitching!!
Thank you for your time, it really is much appreciated.
Louise
My son whose just turned 13 has had his first year camping next to us in his own 2 man. He loves that he has privacy from his 2 younger sisters and is responsible for pitching and putting it away himself. I let him sleep in the living room in it a couple of times so he was familiar with it before we started camping at Easter. If you're thinking 'down the line' then you might find that a teenager might not want to be in the same tent!
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I would imagine a 7 would not take much longer than a 5 to erect, just be heavier to handle. We bought a weekend tent and found the time difference wasn't that great between them - it's the stuff that you take with you that seems to take the longest to pack. We can get the 5 up in less than 45 minutes including bedroom, groundsheet and minimal required pegging ( rarely peg the side guy ropes unless very, very windy - tent is solid). To take the tent down after everything else is out of the tent takes less than 30 minutes including the footprint. We have just bought two Isabella awning bags and this makes putting it away easier. If I had to buy again ......Wolf Lake 6 would be perfect with a 3+3 bedroom!
Thank you again for your reply, with all the very helpful advice and experience shared from yourself and others, I think with our situation and with your last piece on time taken to pitch and take down, i think its swung us for the WL7, it may be big, but were up for the challenge and if you have found little difference with a weekend tent then thats good enough for me, 45 minutes to pitch thats our benchmark my husband says!! ;)
In the short time ive used it this website is brilliant, the help and warmth from people is in these times is a breath of fresh air.
Thank all of you for replying, it is very gratefully received.
Louise
hi we have WL7 and although it looks huge ,on a week long camping holiday the space is well appreciated. last holiday we used it with 2 adults and just 2 children ,so they had a bedroom each which was a novelty for them.
I would go for the 7 as the pitching time wouldnt be that different,it isnt hard to put up but it is very heavy.
we have now made the deicsion that for next season we are going to buy a quick erect weekender as the wl7 though I love it,is too heavy/big for one or two nights for us. we used it for a weekend a few times this year but it got to be a nuisance especially if like us,you have to put it back up once you get home to dry it.
Go for the wl7 as you wont be disapointed,it is an amazing tent,in heavy winds where tents around us were bending and creaking opur wl7 hardly moved, the difference inside it compared to a polyester in the wind is awseome.
but also be prepared to maybe budget for a cheapie weekend tent for one nights away.
------------- tent and gear all packed away now and making plans for 2012
plans so far..
Easter..Nantcols
August..Bristol balloon fiesta
August..Cornwall..of course!
Think you have sealed the deal, with all the other helpful replies and now yourselves who have a WL7, with working shifts we would probably never be away less than 3 nights, so you really have made the decision for us.
Thank you so much, am still blown away how helpful people have been.
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Topic: Outwell wolf lake 5 or 7
