Hi all, I just moved this message from the equipment section.
We are complete novices when it comes to camping so please bear with me. Doing research now so that hopefully we can buy equipment and practice in the garden for next year. We hope to travel in Europe for 6-8 months, career break. Will drive and are hoping to use campsite for at least half of accommodation. Have literally never set up a tent! Would like a good quality tent with living space and cover for rain that is high enough to stand up in. I read great reviews about Outwell Montana 6P but think it may be too big and difficult to pitch. Would be really greatful for advice on all equipment we will need but especially the tent. Thank you and apologies for the essay. Angie
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Welcome to the forum Angie, firstly I think your going to need a trailer, unless your mode of transport is other than a car, as for the tent, well my first choice would be a Karsten,
Also canvas type, I am biased and would only ever go for heavy cotton, a compromise would be Polycotton but no way rip-stop nylon polyester.
A proper portable fridge is a must, the Mobicool FR40 is the real deal, available from SVB.24 in Germany for the best price.
I guess you will have a EHU, although it is nice to cook on gas, I would either go for a couple of CampinGaz 907 cylinders, or if you you have room a couple of 5kg Le Cube Butane cylinders which you can get over in France, very cheap refills compared to CampinGaz.
Good luck, that is a fantastic trip that you are planning.
If you are planning to move around frequently, really think about the size and weight of the tent in terms of how long it will take you to set up. We started off with a tent going to France many years ago with the intention of doing 3 or 4 sites during a 2 week holiday. After setting up on the first site we were so knackered that we decided it was too much bother to move so soon and ended up only doing 2 sites for about a week each. That tended to be our pattern for the next number of years but we added a little pop up tent to our kit so that we could easily do quick one night stops without having to set up the big tent. In retrospect, the tent we had was too big. It seemed great in the camping shop as it provided loads of space for us but you need to offset the size of the tent with how much time and effort it will take to put up.
------------- Pixie
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Resisting loads of stuff is important. I have a cotton tent and can fit 3 people and all our gear in a Skoda Roomster with no roofbox or trailer, and personally I would prefer not to go on a long tour with the speed limit if a trailer, and the parking and security issues when you are not camping!
So a few factors to bear in mind when looking at size of tent and pack size of tent!
Table, folding chair each, I put our stove on a small table, 1 folding cupboard with worktop, sleeping mats, sleeping bags, whatever you use for cooling, and that is your basic kit.
Welcome to the world of mosquitos, chemical toilets, soggy fields and great fun.
Assemble together what you think is the bare minimum to take with you, and then only take half of it.
Concentrate on how to keep dry and how to keep warm at night.Everything else can be improvised
For an extended period, and sun, I would definitely, as others have suggested, go cotton or polycotton as a material for the tent, for all sorts of reasons.....
Like wise for a plethora of reasons, everyone favours various types of tent....and I'm no different. For simplicity, and robustness, I would go for a good bell tent....not all bell tents are the same. I would go for the highest sidewall on a bell tent I can find, and in your situation, a zipped in groundsheet would be very versatile.
Dutch pyramid tents are quality and robust...tend to have many poles, and arguably less ventilation options, dependant on model.
I am fortunate to have used a couple of each of the above styles
You will get lots of responses, and lots of views. Options are limited, but try if possible to get to see tents erected.
ps love Stuarts message above! So true.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
We had an Outwell Montana 4 berth (for 2 of us) for a few years. Didn't take long to put up, and stood some really poor weather, and even added a porch later. Beware of the kit though...it DOES mount up!
Hi, the only two things i recommend are line-locks, and delta ground anchors.
When guy lines get wet they can be a nightmare for de-tensioning, line-loks will stop this happening. As you have already mentioned pegs, the ones generally supplied are poor, get a few delta ground anchors, they are brilliant and will absolutely not be pulled out by wind. Links to both below.
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: New to Camping
via mobile 07/5/2020 at 8:36am
