Hi everyone, very new to this site, although not to camping, so I don’t know if I’m posting in the right place. I’m writing this review to hopefully help someone else looking for a tent.
We have had many tents in our camping lives, I’m 75 and OH is 79 and still camping.
We are on holiday near the new forest and when we arrived put up our well used outwell Delano 5 only to find that night after heavy rain it leaked. We are hoping to re proof when we get home. Not wanting to cut the holiday short we went to the nearest tent sales WOW at Eastleigh Hants and bought a tent, unseen, because they don’t display them, just keep them in their warehouse.
It came with minimal pitching instructions, a problem if you are a new camper, admittedly, easy to erect if you’ve pitched tents before. I specifically asked if it had a sewn in groundsheet and was assured it had. It hasn’t, the only bit it has is a ground sheet sewn to the bedding compartment. This does not go under the compartment just to the front of the tent. It doesn’t touch the sides of the tent. It has a couple of bathtub bits to toggle to the front but not in front of the main door or side door so rain can come in, as can insects etc. it has no windows, the top half of the main door has a flap with mesh behind it so you can open for ventilation but sitting in the tent you can only see the sky through it, it’s too high.
If you want a cheap tent, for weekends for two people, you can’t fit many more than that in, it’s fine but make sure you see it erected before you buy, had we seen it up we wouldn’t have bought it.
I just hope we can re proof our Delano, otherwise it’s look out for another similar.
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Reviews are always welcome and useful to others. There is a specific part of this web site for submitting reviews here: https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/ . They are much easier to find for anyone looking for a review than a post in the chat pages, where they tend to get lost with time unless being VERY specific with a search term. You might like to re-submit your review there for the benefit of a wider audience.
Now, maybe I'm going to be the Devil's Advocate here, there is nothing in your review that 'should' have been a surprise, all features (or lack of!) are pretty clearly stated in the specification and photos (available from many sources).
Not being critical of you, perhaps more a shortcoming of the sales assistant if you asked the right questions. Buying anything in a desperate situation sight unseen always carries risk, the more so if unfamiliar at all with the item.
I cant find details of your old Outwell Delano anywhere, so can't make comparisons between what you had and what you purchased as a substitute, therefore difficult to anticipate your expectations.
TBH it's not a tent I would buy through choice, that said, I've got a near identical Eurohike Rydal 500, but that has the features you highlight as shortcomings, such as full SIG and windows - that was picked at leisure and with research to fulfil a brief of low cost, lightish weight, smallish footprint, easy erect etc. for shortish stays on miniscule designated pitch space.
As tents go, it's not so different to many a tent I've used in the past with it's 'shortcomings', but it's aimed at a market sector looking for minimalist spec, and it will no doubt fulfil that need. Experience has taught me to 'raise my standards', so personally I do indeed look for full SIGS etc.
Hi thank you Monty for your reply. You are right, the tent is a basic, simple to erect, fit for purpose tent, if that’s what you’re looking for. It’s keeping us dry and standing up to the blustery weather.
My complaint, for want of a better term, was with the assistants description. I specifically wanted a SIG,and she assured me it had one. The loose front groundsheet is sewn to the bedding compartment, but has no bath tub in front of the doors, so water can enter there. We were a bit stressed at the time and the pictures and description in the shop didn’t show this, we really went on the advice of the salesperson. I have left a review on the review part of the website which I found shortly after posting originally.
The description I read did say sewn in groundsheet, which the front part is, but if like us you wanted a fully SIG then it is a bit misleading, I just wanted to point that out to anyone who maybe read it the same way I did.
This trip was to decide whether or not at 75 and 79 we were too old for camping, but have definitely decided, despite the stresses of the week, it’s all part of the fun and we’re going to ‘carry on camping’. Thanks again for your reply take care, Sue.
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Topic: Outwell Earth 5
