We're a family of 4 completely new to camping and looking for a suitable tent. We like the Gelert ones, but are torn between the Vario 6 and the Satellite 6.
Are there any obvious (dis)advantages to either of these over the other one? Are they okay for beginners - easy to put up is quite a major criterion for us!
Help or advice much appreciated.
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Hi - I see this is your first post here on UKCS, so hello and welcome!
I don't know either if these tents very well, but the general point I would make is that tunnel shaped tents tend to be the more simple shape to put up, but are more reliant on being well guyed out as they are not as stable as dome tents, which get extra stability form the crossing over of poles.
Have you seen both tents in the flesh? Are there any obvious differences between them -e.g. bedroom heights, layout, weight/pack size etc? It may just be down to personal choice in the end -does one just "feel" right for you?
Oi you mean the Wynnster Satellite 6 - it is superbly stable. We camped last year in sawanage and woke up one morning to wee tents damaged byteh wind. The three pods off the central dome give the satellite so much stability that we didn't notice the weather!!
The only con is the headroom (particularly in the sleeping pods). Due to serious grief from HWMBO we are now ocnsidering buying one of the new pseudo frame type tents (e.g. vango vail).
Don't regret the satellite and may even carry on with it this year!!
We had the Gelert vario 5 tunnel tent and it was brilliant big when opened but packed up in a nice & neat into a little pack ,weight about 26kg.very easy to put up after practice 4 long poles lift up and attach at the botton ,guy ropes in and then put the inner tents in used to take us around 30mins in total but if you left the inner tents in well it would be even quicker can't say much on a dome as we have never had one.got ours off ebay.
Thanks very much all for the advice and the nice welcome! I think dome is the way to go for us. We've seen a montana 6 too, which Tony mentioned, and liked the look of that - but it was a 100 quid more expensive than the Gelert. Don't know if it would be worth the extra...
Quote: Originally posted by Merry Terrier on 19/2/2006
Hi Surfin' , Foggers is a woman, it's Mystery Dick that's the chap.
Who wears the trousers? I couldn't possibly comment! MT
Hey MT - I posted back at ya yesterday on your thread about needing a festival tent for Riff, and I provided a link ot photographic evidence of the existence of my OH - in action at the UKCS Settle meet in May 05............here
.............and neither of us wear trousers, I prefer a kilt and Dick wears a tutu.....
And to Surfin' - no offence taken. My natural air of authority on camping matters means I am often mistaken for a bloke. The tattoos and pint-drinking habits don't help either......
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Sorry Foggers, only messing about. My only excuse is that its been a dark, wet, grey February afternoon when the only alternative was to do the cleaning ....
Anyway, I quite like the idea of Mystery Dick. Swooping in and out of tents and leaving boxes of Black Magic on women's lilos when they least expect it etc MT
------------- Tackling life the Western District way
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: Dome or tunnel?
