Just a wee update, got my Vango Icarus from a guy on Gumtree who had only used it a couple of times. Set it up on my front garden tonight and it looks in mint condition. Only took about 15 mins to set it up although we didnt do any pegging.
Tent was £100 so saved about £80 on the new price. Also means its less painful if the wind destroys it on holiday!
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OK folks, just want to say thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread.
The holiday starts on Saturday, I feel as if I have spent every night in the last 3 weeks researching, planning and organising. I just need to arrange the Eddie Stobart truck to take all the "essentials" we feel we need!!
Seriously, it has been a huge learning curve and you could literally spend thousands on eqpt. That may come over time but as this is our first jaunt then we have tried to beg, steal and borrow eqpt as much as possible.
We have had a couple of trial runs of erecting and dismantling the tent although this has always been in the dry. When we arrive in Castlebay in Barra on Sat night the forecast is for rain and 30mph winds.......
I will try and take photos, maybe even some videos and hope the camera doesn't get too water logged. And will have the credit card if the tent ends up halfway across the Atlantic and I need a bed for the night!
Our ferry from Oban to Castlebay on the Sat night was delayed about half an hour so it 10pm when we drove off the ferry ..... in torrential rain.
We drove to our first site at Borve and met by the lovely Donald who asked us if we were really wanting to pitch a tent in the rain! He had remembered my email and that this was our first time and that we had a biggish tent so he directed us to a less exposed area of the site and we proceeded to get our tent set up which didn't take too long. Takes longer to do the pegs than it does to get the tent up!
That was the first of 6 nights camping - 2 in Borve, 2 in Shellbay in Benbecula and 2 in Laxdale holiday camp in Stornoway.
The first night in Castlebay , I did not sleep a wink. The winds were around 25-30mph and I lay in my sleeping bag remembering the comment a colleague made about a high tent in wind resembling someone scrunching a crisp packet all night long! I found myself going into survival mode - if the tent came down what should I do, how would we get out. The kettle of water on the hob was the highest item in the living area so that would be brought down etc etc.
The second night was just as windy but we had relaxed with a nice meal of smash, burgers and beans and had washed this down with a few glasses of red wine and that seemed to help me sleep like a log that night!
Third night was in Benbecula, the site itself was lovely and the facilities were great but Benbecula has very little hill cover and the site was fully exposed to the wind. So again, I hardly slept the first night to the extent that on the second evening I had cleared the car and reclined the seat and told my wife if she woke up and I wasn't there I would be in the car. But again I slept like a log in the second night.
Nights 5&6 in Stornoway were fine, very little wind and I slept soundly apart from getting wakened by barking dogs from a neighbouring farm that seemed to be kept outside barking 24/7.
The tent itself held up very well in the winds and rain. In fact in Stornoway we had to help a couple who had a small two person Vango tent with snapped poles! As well as the wind being challenging in a tent, it is even more challenging to try and erect, dismantle a tent in the wind! I think we tried different theories each time!
The Outer Hebrides themselves are fantastic although by far the Barra and Vatersay area are the nicest with the most stunning beaches I have ever seen in my life!
Benbecula was the complete opposite - desolate land that went as far as the eye could see, very few trees just water and marshy grass.
Would post some photos but I can't see how to do it this forum but here is a link to my photobucket if that's allowed
http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/Bobbyg69/library/Outer%20Hebrides%20May%202015?sort=9&page=1
Lovely photos! I even saw a patch of blue sky in one of them!
The tent looks well pitched! Glad you enjoyed your camping trip and survived without any disasters. I've retreated to the car myself one wild Hebridean night!
That Barra site looks lovely. I haven't been further south than North Uist but after seeing your pictures I might just start looking into doing a wee visit during the summer!
So where are you planning to go for your next camping trip?
Have to say, making your first ever camping trip on the OH's seems, on paper, to be a little foolhardy, but you've certainly put my opinion in it's place!
Well done to both of you. So pleased you proved me wrong!
Bobbyq, does the Borve site charge by tent size or per person? On their website it says 1 person tent £7, 2 person tent £14, etc. but I take it you didn't pay £35 a night for the Icarus 500!
Hi there, we were £14 per night for the tent, 2 people and electric hook up. Donald even gave us a loan of a cable to use from the hook up point to the tent free of charge!
Thoroughly recommend site but think you will need to book up as he said he was looking to see how he could expand it as when he first opened he was targeting campervans but now so much demand from tents he is sometimes having to turn them away!
Oh we do intend to try and fit in at least one other trip this year - it might just be local when there is nice weather forecast (!) and when my wife's shifts coincide with a weekend off!
Will be interesting to experience the tent in a calm area, with sunshine and being able to barbecue outside !
Maybe one day!!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Newbie Tent advice please
