I am a COMPLETE novice!
I managed to get my husband to agree to a family camping holiday and (thankfully) we had a wonderful week in Cornwall and, thanks to some brilliant friends, we managed to borrow almost everything we needed!
We had such a good time that we"re going back next year! That means buying a tent...
I thought we had narrowed the field but have just been blown away by a clever young man in a camping shop in Chichester! He started talking about the denier of the Vango and Kampa tents being double that of Outwell and he felt this was a very important factor...
My question is then...
Is the denier actually important? If no one else even mentions it in their blurb, how important is it?
kind regards
V
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I would have to say that the salesperson was neither clever or smart( smart being essential for sales).You left the shop feeling confused, he made no sale.
It is difficult to make choices based on specifics as most manufacturers don't compare like with like ie. denier ( thread diameter), tpi( threads/inch), gsm (grams/sq metre) ,ounces ,hydrostatic head , never mind the makeup of the fabric. And that's just for the outer material.
Don't get too hung up on too much detail, decide on the style/layout & price that suits you then check out the reviews on the tents that meet those requirements.
You may not find your ideal tent straight off but that's half the fun.
------------- The cheap tat was much better quality when i was young.
We've narrowed the field to several possibilities including Montana 5/6. We prefer the Outsell tents so far because they seem to have more space inside (for wet days with young children). That was until we looked at some of the Vango Air tents like the evoke etc which are also fairly large inside.
So for example...
If everything else is equal: Outwell 6000HH, and Vango 6000HH. But if Vango fly is 150Denier versus Outwell's 75Denier, does that make the Vango better?
The Denier of the fabric is important for the following reason, the higher the Denier the longer the tent fabric will last when exposed to UV from the sun. Translated into weeks of camping use, the 75D tents are only going to last half as long as the 140D ones. With this knowledge you can then decide if a tent represents good value for money based on how long it will last. I think most of the Outwells use the cheaper fabric other than the smart air polyester ones. Vango and Kampa do indeed make more tents in higher Deniers. Its just one thing to consider along with hydrostatic head, pole type etc etc. As in4apenny says, probably best to start with tents with a layout that you like and go from there.
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Oops posted at same time as Jim so my reply is not directed at his post.
Just a thought on denier, given equal material composition then a higher denier will be more durable but the if there is a difference between manufacturers this may not hold true.
------------- The cheap tat was much better quality when i was young.
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Please do! Any and all advice gratefully received. Ill admit to being a little worried about the airbeam...is it just a flash in the pan or is it (as 3 retailers have said today) here to stay??
Quote: Originally posted by Jim1977 on 19/8/2015
or even airbeam vs airbeam, the choice is bewildering really and some systems are quite different to each other :)
Yep. having seen the mess from some of the blown polythene tubes there's only one real option;)
------------- The cheap tat was much better quality when i was young.
Vicdominy, theyre here to stay for sure, but as in4apenny says, those from Outwell, Vango, Kampa, Outdoor Revolution etc are all made of similar polythene tube construction protected by two fabric sleeves. These beams inflate to about 6-10 psi depending on make and rely on the fabric sleeves to prevent them bursting. Some have single inflation point, some have multi inflation point, some have pressure release valves. It's an emerging technology at that price point and each year the systems are changing and no doubt improving.
The Karstens are made of thick rubbery tubes which inflate to 60 psi, twice a car tyre, and 10x the pressure of some systems and use a tried and tested system they've been using since the 1980's.
With all the systems, the airbeams work great in windy weather, no poles to snap or bend, the failures you hear about tend to be failures of the system rather than weather damage (unless you count heat exploding the polythene beams). With guys etc the pitching is quicker but not hugely quicker, it's more a case of pitching being less effort generally and allows you to easily solo pitch a large canvas or polycotton tent.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
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Topic: Denier
