Hi,
We are thinking about buying a new tent after not really camping properly since having my 2 babies (who are now 2 & 3!)
I really like the vango maritsa 700 and the outwell montana 6 - as I want a tent with the bedrooms all at one end and a large living space.
Which is best?????
The man at Go Outdoors said these are both hard to put up and i've also read that you can get charged double for having a big tent. Is this true?????
Any advice would be greatly appreciated
Thanks xx
------------- bex
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I have been on a site where they charged per person but charged a supplement for every extra person-tent you had compared to the number in your party +1 (I think that was it)
e.g. a couple in a 4-man tent would pay a 1-person supplement whereas 4 people in a 5-man wouldn't incur a supplement (but 4 in a 6-man would)
We also have 2 small children (1 & 3) and wanted everyone together at one end which is the main reason for not using our Kura 600 any more, though the size was also an issue for us. We like quite basic sites generally and felt a bit embarrassed in such an enormous tent!
We've gone for a Nevada M (which my other half can put up on his own while I try to corrall the kids!) and is quite a sensible size for short trips or where space is tight. And then we've bought an awning and extension... probably ott to have both as an awning on its own would be fine... but we thought it was nice to have a really flexible set-up (and, although outwell say you can't do it, we figured if we ever want something MASSIVE we can add the extension to the awning... though we've not tried it all together yet so I can't confirm it'd work. Someone on here, I think, did the same with their montana 6...)
If you are looking at these - have a look at the Vango Columbia 600 which has a similar spec to the Montana 6 (much higher than the Maritsa) and was Vango's premium tent version of the Montana in 2009. Given that retailers are using a photo with fibreglass poles whilst the tent actually has steel poles there are still a few out there (retailing for £250 - RRP in 2009 was £450 and would be over £600 today). Check out the reviews.
There are a couple of Vango Wide canopies new on eBay at the moment (very rare) but the canopy for the Samara 600 will also fit. You can join or cut down carpet from another tent to fit and similarly make a footprint (either from tarpaulin or from one of Vango's universal PE groundsheets).
You need 2 people to put it up given the steel poles, but you'll encounter this with any steel poled tent (including the 2 you mention). We've only been charged for a standard pitch with our Columbia 600.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
sorry me again.... have you looked at the Outwell Delaware as an alternatitve to the Monatana? Or did you want a 6-man?
We saw one at a camping show and I was really impressed - 5berth at the back of the tent, lounge and then a front room which was enclosed (and had a zip-in ground sheet) but could be opened up fully or you could even zip off the whole front bit so you just had it as an open shelter.
Expensive but not so much when you compare to tent+awning
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I would seriously consider the Kampa Filey 6 as an alternative to your two original suggestions
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
I know all the poles are already set out for him, and the tent is already unpacked etc,etc but it's still a damn good effort.
I going to use this method to pitch my Corado 6 in a couple of weeks when we go to wales for a few days, there's no reason it shouldn't be compatible with all steel poled tunnel tents.
Hi there, i have a 2011 maritsa 600 and it is super easy to pitch!! the poles are heavy so we have developed a 'one at a time' approach which many campers do when pitching steel poled tents. It is rock solid in strong winds and after our first pitch time being over an hour, our second being around 45 mins, when we had our first camp in it we got it up in just over 15 minutes, and while i then put the bedroom pods in, my other half went round pegging out the guy ropes and fiddling with it! lol
i absolutely love it, especially the built in porch - this is what sold the tent to us, seeing as it has a proper sewn in groundsheet. We also wanted somewhere to keep the kettle and fridge away from our little one and it does it's job perfectly!
As for being charged extra, only some sites do that, and i would try and avoid them because i assume it means i am going to be squashed in next to my neighbours!! lol most places i have looked at charge by the berth of your tent, and then for extra adults/dogs/cars/awnings etc so just shop around, and the site search on here is excellent!
So i would def go for the Maritsa 700 :) Everyone has a monty - go for something a little different
Oh and my girls are 6 and almost 2 and have their own bedroom pods, but number 3 is due mid September so glad i got a family tent with plenty of room to grow!!
We have a Maritsa 500 which I know is a bit smaller, but still the same principles for pitching it. As long as there are two of you, you will be fine - we use the Cross Camping method which you will find on here if you do a search, and that works really well for us. As Lauren says, the tent feels really nice and sturdy once it's up and I love my porch - all the kitchen stuff is in there and it means the main body of the tent, and most importantly my carpet, stay nice and clean as we can take our shoes off in the porch.
As I say, I know the tent would be a 700 so bigger than ours, but we haven't had any problems with sites charging extra, and if they did, I would just go somewhere else!
Enjoy doing your research and let us know what you buy in the end
Hi, we bought a Marista 500 last year for the 4 of us (2 adults 2 children 2 and 5) but it was faulty (bedroom fixings kept breaking) we changed it for a Marista 600 but we found it much more difficult to put up than the 500(weight, and sizes of poles). We have since sold it and bought a Montana which I have pitched twice in the garden. It is so much easier and quicker to put up and take down.
This is what we found - Marista postive points - built in porch, loads of storage pockets. Multiple electric entry points. Negative points - with all the different sizes of poles and width of tent was difficult to put up. When its raining you end up with water in the tent when you open the door because of the way they open/slope. Pegging open all the vents took to much time
Montana positive points - built in side porch which will be our toilet & boot room. Shape and poles all the same size make it very easy to put up. Vents quick to open. Negative points - only one electric entry point, we have had to buy the awning for extra space on longer breaks.
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Topic: vango maritsa or outwell montana 6??
there are still a few out there (retailing for £250 - RRP in 2009 was £450 and would be over £600 today). Check out the reviews.
