Hi. I'm new to this. Went camping a couple of weeks ago with my husband and 19 month old daughter and got the bug!! We are looking to now get a family tent to replace my husband's 4 berth sunncamp, but we aren't sure what to get. We really want a large living area and 3 bedrooms with a view to having another child in a year or two. Also it is important to have height in the bedrooms to accomodate a travel cot. Any recommendations? We like the Wynnster Mercury 9 excel, but not sure about it's ability to stand up to bad weather. The Outwell Hartford XL/XXL seem to be favourites of alot of people on the site?!!
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I think we will probably go for the Hartford, but still unsure whether the XXL would be too large. Am a bit concerned about fitting onto pitches. If we have another sprog though we would still have space for storage etc. I really want enough space in case it pours with rain as well. Money a factor too. Found an XL for £245 on web. Seems a good price. The XXL seem to be at least £349.
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Have you looked at Outwell Sun Valley 8? We have one and find it offers load of internal space, but because of it's more standard shape takes up less space on a pitch.
Hi there, we are a family of 5 plus dog and have a Wynnster Mercury 9.
We went looking for a replacement tent for our small Khyam last year, convinced that the Hartford XL/XXL was the one we wanted. However the Wynnster won hands down for us after looking at the tents actually on display:
ADVANTAGES: Masses of central room for rainy days play and eating inside. Light and spacious feel to the tent. Large entrances both back and front, which on warm sunny days makes the tent really airy. Stood up to high winds and torrential rain this year and last. Quality manufacture. Huge porch area. No inner in face syndrome as sleep at right angles to the door. One side is sectioned 2 & 3 with a dividing curtain, so the three means plenty of space for the double bed.
DISADVANTAGES: No sewn-in groundsheet. We don't mind this as you have an exact footprint groundsheet for the whole tent and there are storm flaps you can peg down if it is windy. We like being able to easily walk in and out of the tent all the time rather then stepping over the a bath tub g/sheet (it's a personal thing with us campers!). The slope of the porch door is a bit awkward when raining (can't really explain what I mean and is only a minor niggle !)
If we had the choice again this year, we would still opt for this tent as haven't seen anything to beat it yet in the price range, £219 from Allweathers. (Just might be tempted by a Montana 8 if they made one...........!!)
The Hartfords are also excellent quality - I expect in the end you just need to go with your gut feel, as neither tent would be a mistake. Good luck !
We are planning to go and see the tents again up this weekend and compare. The trouble is finding somewhere near us that sells the wynnster. We only came across it two weeks ago in Dorset and don't have time to trek that far. I must admit that was my first choice, but my husband is keener on the Outwell. We'll see!!!
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Well Liz T you were right. We have just got back from looking at an Outwell Hartford XL and we have decided to probaly go for the Wynnster Mercury!!! Having seen my daughter trip not once but three times over the sewn in groundsheet, we made our decision!!! Also it didn't seem as big inside as we had remembered. Just have to look around for the cheapest price now!!!
Have just sold my Hardford xl on here actually. It is a great tent,but having experience of taking a travel cot then i dont think it is suitable. The bedroom pods seem to slope inwards a lot and we found that made the bedrooms lower than epected and a little bit small. You could put a travel cot in the living space but that would then take up space for other things. The Hardford is still a great tent and very strong,we were battered in terrible storms and the tent did not budge!
We bought it on recommendation,but with three young children it just didn't offer the space and versatility that we need.
Have to agree with you. It is important that we can fit a travel cot comfortably in the bedrooms. We did see a Campus Arizona which was almost identical to the Wynnster Mercury, but not sure of their quality. They are certainly cheaper. Anyone know what they are like?
"Having seen my daughter trip not once but three times over the sewn in groundsheet"
I wouldn't worry too much about this. On our first ever camping trip our daughter (2 at the time) fell over the SIG every time she went through a door for about half a day. I don't think she has tripped over since.
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Went for the Wynnster Mercury 9 Excel in the end. Hopefully arriving in a few days. Can't wait!! Got a good deal as well from World of Camping. Got them to price match Allweathers and got it for £246.00 delivered and with a free Wynnster wardrobe! Fab. Hopefully we've made the right choice.
Hope you enjoy your Wynnster ! I like the sound of the wardrobe - where does it go?
Couple of pitching tips based on past mistakes ! We were not very observant re colour coding and managed to to get the g/sheet attached back to front because it does fit that way as is symmetrical. However there is a good reason for it to be the right way otherwise you miss a fixing point in the middle for the inners. Also whoever sewed a couple of the inner tent tags had mixed up their yellow, orange and red, so just beware if doesn't seem sensible when hanging. Though I expect just a one-off as a test for us ..........
My mother made us a made-to-measure tent tidy with lots of all different size pockets that we hang between the inner doors of the 3/2 side - absolutely brilliant for pens, keys, suntan lotion etc.
Sorry also meant to say, make sure you attach the little loose square piece of ventilation cover to the top of the dome before you errect the tent, otherwise you will not be able to reach it after the tent is up.
The wardorobe is free standing, so we'll probably put in the spare bedroom or not put the inner in and put it in the gap. You can see them on the World of Camping website. I've actually ordered a tent tidy already. It seems a good idea to keep things tidy and keep things out of my daughter's reach! Hopefully we'll find somewhere to put it.
Thanks for all the tips on pitching. I'll show my husband as he's the expert really.
Have booked a weekend in Dorset next month. Can't wait!
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Topic: Hartford Xl/XXL or Wynnster Mercury 9
