Message Forums

Hello all!

Just been on a different link re Outwell Hartford vs Indiana...but been reading this as we are about to buy one or the other.  Our main priority has been a SIG but reading some of these I'm a bit concerned if we're doing the right thing. I believe the Hartford L is SIG whereas the Indiana 6 is a detachable (zip-off I think) bathtub groundsheet. Concerned about a comment that some sites in Norfolk (where I live!) don't allow SIGs, would the Indiana be okay given it's detachable? This will be our first "real" tent and I'm anxious to pick the right one!  Also, being a tunnel tent, does anyone know how sturdy the Indiana 6 is? The Hartford looks quite solid, but prefer the open feel of Indiana, but don't want it to blow away!!

Quote: Originally posted by rooo on 05/7/2007

---

We would have been flooded out a couple of weeks ago without a SIG, but the massive puddle that appeared underneath our tent, stayed underneath.

So I would definitely recommend one!

---

Quote: Originally posted by Andy Pandy 666 on 05/7/2007

   If you can pitch a good tent (with a good groundsheet) reasonably well, draughts and rain won't be a problem to you, S.I.G. or not!...

---

andy.. would you mind nipping over to dorset tomorrow afternoon .......

my husband asked me if the new footprint groundsheet came with instructions and i said yes, andy's.

Quote: Originally posted by Andy Pandy 666 on 12/7/2007

---

Pitch your tent as normal, then go inside and peg down the draught flaps.

---

easier said than done

yes andy.. we will have to stop meeting like this.. i need you to come and give me a hand, pitching my tent!

thanks to the advice you gave me last year ( see 17/9/2006 at 12:19pm) i do have groundsheet pegs, which have proved to be invaluable. Apart from (trying to ) keep the the flaps down, we used them to keep the tarp in place while we sorted out the tent, which kept it nice and clean.

this weekend will be a whole other story. I am expecting it to be bouncy grass on chalk slope ......

my husband tried to follow your instructions andy but it was sooo windy when we pitched the tent we decided to try the next day.. but we didn't get round to it.

the grass was quite spikey and it was definitely on a slope!

I live in Doncaster and during the recent floods my village was entirely cut off (my house was very lucky not my neighbours) While we waited for the flood water to drop we decided to get away from it all and booked on a site in E.Devon (The Shrubbery) I Bought the Easy Camp (budget Outwell) Taranto 600 - £150 and set off expecting the worse!!!

The tent does not have a SIG and is frowned on by hardened campers who see manufacturers such as Vango & Premier Outwells as suitable neighbours. My gripe is in the SNOBBERY of the SIG argument - it is true that most cheaper tents tend not to have SIG but when  several tent owners in my pitches vacinity asked me if my tent remained dry after a week of prelonged delouges with an inch of standing water I began to wonder have I bought a cheap tent?? or have their superior (expensive) frame tents leaked???

I have never put up a tunnel tent before but although not 100% happy with my pitching in torrential rain I did look at how other Expesive tents were put up in the dry and have to admit mine looked tauter and better to withstand the elements!!!

The weather during our stay was what can only be described as freak but my tent without an SIG stayed dry and as for draughts - yeah you get em' but buy a caravan if you if you can't hack been outdoors!!

I may have made a few enemies with my comments but tents without SIG can cut it against the Larger SIG brands and I would rather hardened campers remember their first tent was probably a Bell Tent!!!

Pack the snobbery in and welcome new campers!!  Everyone has to start somewhere SIG or not its down preference and reading this forum might lead people to believe this is a major issue - when it's not as long as you pitch correctly!!

I apoligise to campers who don't share my view of snobbery about tent styles & brands - but you know who you are if you think a Holiday is in a tents name & specs.  Remember the the tents of your childhood when leaky tents, draughts and sleepless nights were the fondest memories and you won't go wrong!!!

I hope to carry on camping (Ha Ha) and I haven't ruled out future upgrades but I won't be sucked into to the world of what year is your tent 2006-7 etc SIG or not!!!

What works works & what don't don't

James (Noah's coming)

Quote: Originally posted by lou.b.lou71 on 17/7/2007

---

.  Remember the the tents of your childhood when leaky tents, draughts and sleepless nights were the fondest memories

---

no they weren't .   It has taken me 50 years to come round to the idea of camping again!

Quote: Originally posted by lou.b.lou71 on 17/7/2007

---

I may have made a few enemies with my comments but tents without SIG can cut it against the Larger SIG brands and I would rather hardened campers remember their first tent was probably a Bell Tent!!!

(I've never done a "quote" before so hope this shows correctly)

Hi James!

Just read your post and would like to extend a big welcome to you, and other "new" campers.  I absolutely agree with you on the above comment.  We bought our first tent last year.  It was a cheap and cheerful 4 man from Tesco for £60! It was single skin with bedroom pods hooked in either end and a loose g/s for the central "living" area.  It was VERY basic, but it was our first camping trip as a family and we weren't sure if the children would like it. 

We went to G Yarmouth in August 06 when it flooded!!  (Though nowhere near the extent of what you've suffered, and my heart goes out to all flood victims at the moment)  Anyway, we pitched up in a field next to my sister's better (but not top brand) tent, and 2 other families in what looked to be expensive tents, quality tents.  The other people were very friendly, but we did feel somewhat embarassed as we pitched our little tent.  We needn't have worried...the first night the rain was so bad that the next morning one tent was packed up and the family had to leave early due to leaking.  We felt quite smug with no problems at all!  The second night again it rained so hard I could hear dripping in the middle...I went to investigate and foolishly (I now realize!) wiped the drips off the inside, causing the water laying on top to pour through on top of me!!  Aside from that it didn't spoil our holiday and we decided we would continue camping.

I'm thrilled that last week we bought a better quality tent and we will be trying it out on Saturday night at a family bbq!  But we will have very fond memories of our first ever tent and camping trip.  I was reluctant to spend too much on the next tent (we were lucky and got a £300 tent for £162 on eBay!) as, like you, I feel it's just a base for the holiday that YOU make.  And I certainly won't look down from my "good" (I hope!) tent, at tents like my first, rather I will cheer them on and encourage them to enjoy it, whatever their budget.

I hope you have many more happy camping trips in whatever tent you use.

Best wishes

Hi all,  I really need some advice and hoping someone can help! Have been looking for 6 man tent to buy and realise it's not as simple as all that, and am now totally torn about which one to get. I am relatively new (camped as a child and once 3 years ago with kids in small tent, 3 days), and need something with big living space + windows, bedrooms - 2 and 4 berth or one with divider. Love the look of Easy cos 6 frame or gelert lokon vario 6 tunnel, but am stuck on ...... yeah, thats right....SIG or no SIG! (didnt know what SIG was till yesterday!)   I'm imagining us inside, pouring rain, soggy floor, damp, cold etc. My youngest is 2 so have to consider carefully. Its a big spend out 4 me, so kinda have to get it right 1st time. I have to be able to erect myself with "help" from 12 & 6 yr old. Are frame tents heavy/difficult etc. I have read postings and have learnt nuff but am still CONFUSED! Any help very much apprieciated.

Hello!

Well I'm relatively new to this too, but having upgraded this month I will share my findings:

We are a 2+2 family, and having started in a very basic tent (see above!) we decided we wanted to do more camping so needed something more substantial.  We spent hours visiting camp shops, trauling through the internet and asking peoples' opinions, and in the end decided on a VANGO diablo 400XP.  I highly recommend it. We practised putting it up last weekend (about 1hr 45mins 2 adults) and down (about 1hr 15mins) then last night slept in it in my parents garden after a huge bbq!  This time it was approx 1hr 15mins, but we were chatting to admirers as we provided the entertainment!  I'm sure on site we could probably get it to 1hr. Putting down today was 1hr or there abouts, again, could probably do it quicker.

Anyway...I LOVE this tent!  This is a 4 berth, but also comes at 6 and 9 berth (huge!!)  The 2 double bedrooms are big enough for double airbed and have pockets either end.  There is a roll up curtain to allow airflow in the mesh, and on the flyshhet there's a flap. Nice big living area which has a rear door, windows with mesh bits again, and a door out to the porch.  The whole of the living area is sewn in, which means if you wanted, more people could sleep in the middle.  The porch area adds invaluable space for leaving shoes and wet coats etc.  It rained very hard last night, but not a drop entered our tent.  The porch has a bathtub g/s which is adequate.  We also invested in a footprint groundsheet, which is a loose sheet that acts as a template for the main body of the tent.  I'm so glad we got this: when we pitched the garden was wet but we were able to lay out the footprint, decide where we wanted to pitch, then open out the inner (inner first) ON the footprint so keeping it off any mud.  When we got up this morning the tent was filled with sunshine and beautifully warm, even underfoot.  As we packed away we were able to fold everything on the footprint to keep it dry, then we just hang the footprint over the line to clean off the grass and mud.

It really was a lovely buy.  I know what you mean about not spending too much though, but it's worth checking online.  Ours was RRP £300 (which it's worth but I couldn't have afforded) but we found it on eBay from a shop and bid and got it for £162...bargain!!  It DOES need 2 people to erect, BUT it's not heavy or particular difficult and my 13 year old would have easily managed with me if necessary.

I've just realized how much I've written...sorry, I'm just really excited about it all at the mo and wanted to share!  Roll on my August camping holiday!

Hope you find a tent you're happy with, let us know!

Regards,