You can pick up some good bargains at the end of the season but there also some very good bargains to be had right now. Go have some good offers on and Millets have 50% off some of their tents currently. You do also get some good ones just before the season starts too.
The best thing to do is to decide on the tent/type of tent you want and then just keep an eye on prices. That is what we did and got our main tent at the end of the season at a knock down price a few years ago.
This year I'm sure the weather is having an impact on tent sales. The best time to buy is probably at the end of the season but you run the risk of the tent you want selling out. The last few weeks have seen some good deals. As an example the Nevada M sold for £170 which started the year at £320 and is now about £260
It's worth also watching EBay/Gumtree/Preloved as no doubt some people will sell all their camping equipment and tent because "it's not for them" but tent and equipment will be like new.
If you go for an end of season "bargain" I would advise avoiding ex demo tents, most peoples tents would probably get around 20 days of use on average, an ex display tent could have been erected from early May to end of August, the equivalent of five years of exposure to ultraviolet rays, they do degrade over time and your "bargain may not last as long as you might reasonably expect
Good luck whatever you do........
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The problem with end of season deals is that retailers use them to sell left over stock so the tent you want may not be available if it has sold out and you could end up paying more for next seasons model than you could have paid for this years. If you dont mind which tent it is and are just after a good deal then end of season is probably the best time to buy
------------- 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
Thanks for all that, we just need to stop changing our minds about which tent we went.
Caster, I'm afraid I have to disregard everything you say because a. There is a creepy spider crawling across your post and I have to scroll down as fast as I can before it gets me and b. I'm a City fan!
Tesco direct have the gelert corona 6 for £60 but obviously may not suit everyone. If you let us know how many will be camping and what seasons the tentaholics amongst us will be more than happy to help you spend your money
Ooh a personal shopping service, excellent. Ok well I want:
6 berth
All the sleeping at one end so the kids are near us at night
Bedrooms to have the option to divide or be all one
A bigish living space For table, comfy chairs, storage etc...
A side door as well as a front door
A canopy or some shelter so the door(s) can be open in the rain
A lot of light in the living area, so big but screenable (is that a word) windows
SIG (get me, I know the lingo)
A reasonably high HH
From a store with good customer service so if there is a problem we can take it back
Good reviews on here
Less than £500 unless it's part of a too-good-to-miss bargain package including carpets or something
Fits on a single pitch
So far I am thinking of a Kampa Croyde or the Gelert beyond 6+2, not so keen on the way the front slopes on the Outwells, if the doors open, the rain comes in. We saw an ex display Vango signature amazon 6 in Winfields at the weekend, but (football loyalties notwithstanding) Caster's advice to avoid them makes good sense so I think we will steer clear. Like the tent though so if there s a deal to be had, we'd consider it.
You wont go far wrong with the Croyde as its excellent value for money or for that matter the Montana 6 in Mocca. If funds could stretch a little further then the Kampa Filey 6 is also a very nice tent and at the risk of annoying some people its better quality than either the Croyde or the Montana 6
------------- 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
arsenaldes has made some good recommendations. The Outwell Montana Mocha is coming down in price and at £334 is a good suggestion (see Yeomans/Go Outdoors post)
The Croyde is a great price and Kampa are looking very competitive on price this year - certainly getting good reviews. Most of the Kampa stockists are independent retailers with generally good feedback - one or two shop owners post messages on this site as well. One thing about Kampa tents is they have a more uniform pricing strategy between retailers so you will not find big swings in prices – you may save a bit more if you buy a package deal though (tent, carpet, footprint)
My best bit of advice, try to see some tents on display to get a feel of what you like/don’t like and then see if we can help to find your tent at the best price!
We have a Gelert Beyond 5+2 - the 6+2 wouldn't fit the basic pitch at a preferred site we go to. We are a family of 4 and don't use the 3rd bedroom. We viewed at Winfields before getting a better deal elsewhere. It's currently up in my garden flapping around! We loved the space and all the windows, having previously had a tent without any windows! One thing I would consider is that all that space is awesome in the daytime but by night if you are a bit chilly with EHU, takes a lot more to heat it up. Some tents have sectioned living areas, though I'm thinking of The Outwells like the Clear Lake and the Tennessee 5 (out of my budget!). It's another thing to consider!!
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Topic: When to buy
