32 Reviews of the Trout Lake 4
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By: SoggySteve Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2012 Rating:
This is a tough review for me to write as our first experience with out new 2012 Trout Lake 4 wasn't exactly as we were expecting. I will get the bad bits out of the way first as I think it's important this special little tent ends up with a positive end but it's important that any lack in quality control is met with a complaint.
Bought from BCHCamping in Trowbridge (30 miles from home but they had one set up). Our first trip started with myself on my own for a couple of days, then joined by my GF for a few more days. The weather was fine and still. I had watched the video on how to set it up and felt that I could actually manage it on my own. If you are concerned whether you can do the same then I will tell you it's not that hard 'other' than trying to stand the poles up. Opening the front door (to allow the air to pass in easily) helped a lot although remember to close it before you peg the tent down!
Despite how the tent can look a khaki colour in many of the photographs and videos, it's a very pleasant soft green in real life. The material feels solid enough and despite some dubious stitching, felt strong to the touch. On setting up, I realised that the inner bedroom area had been badly stitched which resulted in a small hole in the back. One of the velcro strips at the bottom of the front door simply hadn't been sown in at all. It looked like it had simply been forgotten! This had consequences during the coming downpour. One of the snap in retainers at the top/rear of the inner sleeping area was missing although I have since been informed that it was for a child's bedroom option that is no longer (or was never) available. Outwell have simply not bothered to remove half of the clip in system!??!
The first night I was there was dry. I knew that there is a 'weathering in' period with cotton/polycotton tents so I was hoping for a light rain and then some sun to get through this without leaks. That following evening it rained then dried up resulting in the tent drying up remarkably quickly (I had been told that polycotton take longer to dry then polyester but this is apparently untrue, which makes sense to me now).
So. I hoped that the tent was proofed, or at least had gone through it's first battle with the rain. The rain came back and continued for hours and hours. Come the morning, below the window between the storm door and the front door a small amount of water had been let in which I mopped up with some tissue. Other than that, all good. The sun came out and rather than running for the exit gasping for breath, as i've done so many times in polyester tents, it was pleasantly warm and airy. So much so I drifted back of to sleep. Perfect.! (in fact, rain or shine, i've slept for the longest periods in this tent than any other tent before me (they've all been polyester).
Jumping forward two nights. I awoke in the night needing to use the loo. It was raining fairly heavily. As I stepped out of the sleeping area, I stepped in to a large wet area of the carpet (extra but worth it). I pulled it back and revealed a large puddle of water which took a bath towel to soak up. I checked the door (opposite the storm door) and it was drenched on the inside near the bottom. It appeared properly closed though. The following morning we realised that there was half a builders buckets worth of water creating a pool at the end of the bed (luckily under our double air bed). This combined with the water that we had mopped up represented a substantial amount of water. The inner material of the tent door should NOT have been wet to the level where your hand is dripping when you touch it. The rest of the tent material on the inside was perfectly dry and no other leaks were evident. Since taking it back to the shop it's loosely been concluded that the door missed out on the water repelling treatment that the whole tent should have had.
I phoned up BCH Camping and they politely told me to bring it back to the shop (behind the scenes people were phoning each other at home on their day off to say I was bringing it back which was extremely warming to hear). The manager was called without asking for him and he proceeded to offer probably the best customer service experience I can remember having on any level. We took the tent out of the bag where I showed him the issues i've mentioned and he said that although Outwell want their tent back to ascertain the issues before we would qualify for a replacement or a refund, BCH's policy was to replace the tent completely. Outwell are in Denmark as well so the process would hardly have been swift.
So. Well done to BCH camping. We have a new tent that he personally removed from the bags and check the whole thing over for missing bits or manufactured rips or poor stitching. Despite the shop being moderately busy, he gave the situation all the time it required for me to leave with a smile on my face. Shame on Outwell for missing a bad bit of stitching, for completely forgetting to stitch all the velcro parts on (there are there for a reason) and for seemingly missing out the side door when treating the tent.
On the positive side. The tent is potentially lovely. It's easy to work with although learning the ropes with the windows and door retainers will take some practice. In the wet it 'promises' to keep you dry. In the wind, it holds it's own very well. When it's sunny, it opens out so much that just sitting there shading from the hot sun doesn't make you feel that you're missing out on the fine weather. It breathes excellently, it's a lovely colour (earthy) and is remarkably quiet when it's windy.
I can only hope that the new tent has all the properties that we expected from the faulty one. Many of which we've enjoyed already. If you're thinking of buying this tent then I would hate to think that i'd put you off. It's a cracking dwelling, just make sure you look out for issues with the manufacturing and take it back to where you got it if you find any. Buy online at your peril. If I had have done that to save myself a tenner or so. Than I would be footing the bill to send it back to them as well as waiting for probably weeks to get a replacement or maybe the soggy one back with a couple of bits replaced. If you're in the market then I highly recommend BCH camping. It's the first time i've used them and it wont be the last. Privately run businesses versus large warehouse style outdoor shops are clearly better so we should support them as they support us in the way we expect when things go wrong.
The Troutlake 4 is a great tent. It's perfect for couples or a couple with young children. The living area allowed for a couple of little Coleman tables that we bought (the mini ones that aren't that mini really, which have a mesh magazine style rack at the bottom), two lazy boy chairs with enough room to move around. Using the second bedroom as a storage area worked very well as our double air bed fitted comfortably in the other bedroom.
Next stop, France and Spain for three weeks. Wish us well with the weather and the new tent! If the price scares you, but you feel you could stretch to a polycotton or a full cotton tent then I highly advise you do it. I'll never go back to a polyester tent after experiencing cotton.
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By: Mark1010 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2009 Rating:
We bought this tent in an end of season sale in 2009 and paid approximately £450. We also purchased the footprint which is well worth it to protect the sewn in groundsheet and we have since purchased the porch which is very expensive but again well worth it especially as it gives you somewhere to cook safely in inclement weather. We have used the tent on eight occasions ranging from a weekend stay to a weeks holiday and have had no problems with it at all. We have just used it for a week in Yorkshire commencing with the Jubilee weekend and despite the constant heavy rain and high winds the tent did not move or let in the rain. It is extremely easy to pitch and despite being poly cotton we can usually get it dry in a few hours in the sun pitched on the lawn or in a day hung up in the garage.
The construction of the tent is excellent it is well designed and very well made. Being polycotton it makes camping warmer, drier, quieter and much more comfortable than in a nylon tent. The only criticism I have is that being polycotton and having aluminium poles it is heavy and takes up a lot of space when being carried but I suppose that is the trade off.
This is our second tent and is by far the best I would not hesitate recommending one to anyone.
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By: Roamfree Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
I bought this at the end of 2011 for a bargain price of £430 with the groundsheet. Always hunt for tent bargains at the end of the year, in the middle of winter!
Last year I was camping with friends in France, near Bourganeuf, making our way down South. I had my trusty old Coleman 3 man wedge, treated in Nikwax (which had coped fine in Australian monsoon downpours) and they were in a borrowed cheap and nasty 4 man generic brand nylon tent. That night, the mother of thunder storms parked its self directly overhead. Lightening striking within the immediate vicinity, made for an interesting night with rain drops the size of marbles!
Needless to say, both tents got in trouble. My Coleman's water proofing failed after about 20 minutes and I was left hiding under bin bags, huddled up trying to keep dry as a fine mist fell from the roof with every rain drop. Hilariously, (I thought!) my friend's tent had failed quite spectacularly in the high winds and now resembled more of a torn flag than a tent. I heard them making a run for it at about 3 in the morning, child in tow, legging it towards an empty canvas caravan tent for cover. I think they are now forever emotionally scarred when it comes to camping! I decided that I couldn't abandon my beloved tent that had seen me through so many good times, so stuck it out through the night. What an idiot. Still, we all had a good laugh about it the next day and we're still laughing about it today!
I 'awoke' a couple of hours later, soaked through to the bone. Sleeping bag resembled a wet tea bag and my sense of humour was struggling. As I glanced around a campsite that resembled a scene from Saving Private Ryan, I noticed one tent standing proud, in tip-top condition. The Outwell TroutLake 4. After having a closer look, it was completely dry inside and solid as a rock. Sold!
I ordered from intertent.Co.Uk who delivered quickly and with good communication. This tent is pretty heavy – two bags around 36KG all up. One with the main tent material and inner rooms and the other with the aluminium poles and heavy duty bathtub zip-in ground sheet. Both bags have decent shoulder straps and are pretty easy to carry short distances.
Erecting this tent can be a bit of an effort (although i've only done it 3 times) and I would suggest that doing it on your own would be a frustrating experience, if not very difficult. If it's wet & windy then you're really going to want two of you chipping in. Having said that, it's very straight forward thanks to the excellent colour co-ordinated pole system and there are slots in the poles to ensure that they are the right way around. Figure on 25-35 mins for two of you, including the ground sheet. There are a lot of pegs with this tent (3.5KG's of them!) so remember a rubber mallet or your hands will hurt. I should imagine that you could get this down to 20mins with practice.
Once the tent is up – it's massive inside and it feels incredibly stable. I'm 6'3' and I felt very comfortable walking around.
This is my first polycotton tent and I was amazed at how much more homely this material makes the camping experience. It really is quieter inside than nylon tents and the temperature is far less susceptible to big fluctuations thanks to that better insulation. In direct sunshine in hot environments the tent does still get warm inside, but nowhere near as hot as a nylon tent. The full bucket zip-in base is also a wonder as it prevents winds from blowing through the tent and keeps out all the ants and other bugs, not to mention keeping out water. It gives you a secure feeling knowing that your more or less sealed in from the elements. The floor feels robust and thick enough to last many, many seasons without puncturing or wearing out. I don't have the carpet. (Seriously, £45 for a tiny thin blanket?!)
I have used this tent on a couple of occasions without the inner rooms attached. As such, it's perfect for 4-5 people to sleep in, on separate inflatable beds each, with space in the middle to walk about by the door and plenty of floor room to store you bags and clothes etc. It really is very comfortable. With the inner bedrooms added you feel even more insulated although it's now more suited to sleeping two couples or, if you unzip the centre wall between the two chambers, one nice big space for one couple.
It has only rained heavily twice on the same camping trip whilst using the Trout Lake 4, and I have to say that it was perfect. Not a single drop of water made it in to this tent in two heavy downpours. Okay, so I haven't yet tested this tent in prolonged light rain, but my hopes are high. All external material remained hydrophobic with no areas of darkening suggesting that the water may have impregnated the material. There was some slight condensation on the inside, but with 3 of us in the tent at the time and humidity levels being pretty high, this was to be expected.
Ventilation is pretty good. There are vents about all the doors and windows, so even in the rain you can have these propped open to get some airflow. I was missing one of the Velcro props that hold up one of these ventilation areas, from the factory. But that's the only negative, and it's a tiny one. Each window had 3 layers, the outside clear plastic, the inner nylon mesh then the inner privacy material.
There are 3 doors on this tent. One big main front door, whereby the entire front door flap at is supported by two poles (supplied) with two guide ropes (supplied). And one side door on the left (if looking front on) with an added supported cover and another door on the right without the added supported cover extension. This makes for a tent that you can pitch in almost any orientation and still have easy access to. I did feel that it was a shame that both side didn't have the extended rain cover extension – maybe they will add this in future. I would also like to see this supported awning on the front of the tent too.
Taking down and packing away was really very easy and all the items packed away without the usual frustrating experience of having to pack and re-pack everything to fit in the slightly too small carry bags! Just a last comment on overall construction quality, and attention to detail, I found it to be superb, very well crafted.
So there you have it. I am seriously impressed with Outwell's offering and other than adding the awnings to the other side and the front; I can't really find anything to complain about. This is a fantastic tent for a family of 3 or 4 and it's a superb tent for 4-5 friends to go away in. Solid in all weather, very good waterproofing, dependable and durable. You can't ask for more from a tent. (Apart from being half the weight and price would be nice!)
I'm heading back to the SW of France later in the year. I hope the thunderstorms make a reappearance so I can feel warm, dry, cosy and ever so slightly smug in my new tent :)
Happy camping. I'll update this at the end of the year to see if all is well.
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By: Soapyagm Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
Bought this to replace a slightly larger polyester Wild Country Tent. We have fancied a polycotton tent since seeing a large selection at a couple of Yeomans Tent Displays. We managed to pick up a full package including a carpet and groundsheet protector from the above at a very good price.
The tent has not disappointed, the wife and I have a bedroom each and there is easily enough room to store spare clothing in the bedrooms without the need for a wardrobe. We bought the tent for two people and find it to be a perfect size without being too big.The build quality is very good and once up it does not move or make a sound in the wind. It seems a good bit cooler in full sun and warmer at night when the temperature drops.
The 3 door layout with windows mesh and curtains has endless possibilities enabling cooling and shelter from the sun whatever time of day. The zip in groundsheet is very substantial and gives a deep bathtub effect. So far very pleased. It is a bit heavy to handle but that is the price to pay with polycotton. I would say its worth it.
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By: Ashy55 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
I have admired this tent from afar from the first time I saw it at Yeomans outdoors in about 2008. The quality and attention to detail conspired to make me think that I must have this tent. My desire only became reality at the end of last year , when I managed to pick up this tent for a fantastic price. I took it to Waunfawr in November 2011, outside the normal range of most camping trips. It certainly lived up to my expectations. I already own a Bear Lake 6, so I knew it would be good.
Good points - easy to put up, generous inside (tardis), quality material, warm in cold weather, looks good! (looks the business!)
Bad points - can't think of any! Will repost when I get the chance to take it out again.
I have got the front extension as well, so am looking forward to pitching that too. Didn't pitch front extension in Waunfawr as it was a bit windy - didn't want to have to drop it onto mucky grass!
It's the bees knees!
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By: Nedra1 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
The third trip in this tent was on a very windy weekend and we took our nine year old grandson with us.
On the Saturday morning the weather forecasters suggested that the winds gusting up to 50mph would hit our area whereas previously it was suggested that they would be further north.
The strong winds started on the Saturday afternoon and continued until the late Sunday morning. During this time it was noisy and we were very aware of the wind. However, on the Sunday the tent had withstood the gusts and nothing had moved and nothing was damaged.
I was very careful to peg the tent down very securely using every single pegging point and it performed admirably.
I know there is a review on here which talks about very strong winds in the Outer Hebrides and one of the tent poles bending. I am aware that sites and the position of the tent can make a big difference but I am curious to know what sort of wind speed these tents can withstand.
Outwell give guidance with some of their models saying that they can withstand force 9 and 10 gales. However, they give no such guidance with their polycotton tents.
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By: Nedra1 Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
So far we have used this tent twice and find it to be excellent.
My problem is that my only distant memories of camping were of very different experiences. It was always enjoyable but you woke up to a clammy, damp atmosphere and if it really rained more often than not water came into the tent. I have even experienced tents being blown away in Central Iceland where we had to go and retrieve them because there was no other option.
More recently we have done shows in marquees and come back in the morning once again to find everything very wet from condensation.
To actually be in a tent where everything is not sodden in the morning and nothing gets in uninvited is almost unbelievable.I am sure that the combination of a very substantial detachable groundsheet, the polycotton fabric and the half or dozen ventilators combine to create a pleasant atmosphere.
The one challenge that the tent has withstood with flying colours is fairly strong winds when it felt very secure.
On other parts of the site people talk about camping being relaxing and addictive. There are so many adjustments that can be done to this tent that you can happily zip and unzip doors, mosquito nets and windows many times a day and this is hardly demanding work.
I don't think many tents have as many options for adjustment and this means that you can always be comfortable whatever the weather, hot or cold.
So far we have only used it for the two of us and it is plenty big enough for us. We have tended to use the one bedroom with the other used for storage.
I can't really fault this tent; the only problem is that it has made us curious about other tents and what they are really like.
My wife is very keen to acquire a canvas belltent as well as this one and I may even be tempted to do a bit of wild camping with ultra lightweight gear on my back.
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By: Flippsy Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2011 Rating:
We bought this from a website in May 2011 without having seen it pitched before. Perhaps that was risky, however we knew of Outwell's good reputation and did compare its features against other possibilities from reviews and pictures on the internet. We have been largely very pleased with it and have used it now for a total of 5 weeks on holidays spent in the Cairngorms, Orkney (famous for wind), NW Scotland and the N. York Moors. The weather has been VERY mixed and it has certainly stood up to all sorts. It is much quieter in wind than the average tent, which makes it easier to sleep in. There is not that clammy feeling you can get in polyester tents either. The downside is the time it takes to dry if wet and the weight and size of the bags. We do manage as a couple, in one (large) car to take everthing we like to be comfortable (chairs, table, kitchen corner, BBQ etc).
We bought it to replace a polyester tunnel tent that had blown down during a gale in Scotland with ripped fabric and broken poles , because we wanted to feel more secure. We are experienced campers, having had multiple tents all our lives - and we both qualify as pensioners now!
3 quality issues affect our rating however and although minor, were a disappointment considering the price of the tent: Only one hanging point was attached to suspend the inner tent at rear, when 2 hanging straps are sewn on to the inner itself. There was a missing prop for a ventilation cover. A small portion of seam, low down near the storm porch immediately leaked as soon as rain began and despite application of seam sealer has not really been cured yet. No other leaks occurred happily, but we were stunned to find a large puddle of water underneath the carpet when we took the tent down as a result of this tiny bubble of water dripping through the seam.
These niggles apart you get what it says on the tin!
Pitching is interesting and heavy work in strong wind with 2 of us, however we have not been defeated yet and it was not as difficult as we feared. There are a LOT of pegging points and this is what takes time when putting the tent up. The raising of the outer tent only, initially pegging only at say 6 points, can be pretty quick - 10-15 minutes. We were very pleased with the zip in groundsheet, reduced those draughts round your feet and the ingress of various forms of wildlife which used to delight our children in our old frame tents! We bought a footprint, which certainly made pitching easier and kept the groundsheet clean, but we did not realise that rain would also be driven onto it, (beneath the groundsheet), making it necessary to spend quite a long time removing puddles before being able to take the tent down, if we want to fold it up on a dry base!This will happen of course, with any footprint system.
The mesh doors were excellent against the midges and we liked the flexibility of being able to open all the windows/doors on 3 sides of the tent. Of course this means lots of zip zipping and fastening with toggles. A peculiar feature (to us) is that the 'outer' doors are not zipped along the bottom - merely velcroed. This did not in fact produce any draughts because the mesh doors have a solid panel at the bottom and are fully zipped and they stabilise the outer tent fabric. The side doors are not as easy to get out of as those of old frame tents used to be, unless fully rolled up - but you win some you lose some, and the storm porch was a worthwhile addition.
The inner tent was roomy for 2 when the divider was rolled away, but our double air bed did not fit in the middle because of the remaining fabric divider and any other orientation meant that someone was squashed up against either the side or the rear of the tent. We therefore had to buy 2 single beds and place them side by side on each side of the dividing bay material. This then worked really well and we both had space alongside our beds for our personal possessions, and could get up and go out of our personal 'doors' without disturbing each other.
Other features: The storage pockets were helpful and more than enough. The luminous guy ropes are very sensible. We did not much like the fabric toggle ties on the curtains - we prefer elastic. The ventilation was good - we cook on a double burner on a raised surface inside the tent and the steam just went straight up and out. The carpet was great underfoot and seems to be quite resistant to stains and to repel water. We didn't buy the canopy.
We are picky, so there have been a few negatives mentioned - but we were really very comfortable and happy in this tent and did not see any other tent on all the 7 sites we have been on this year that we would have preferred!
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By: Stirling Gow Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating:
This was bought as an alternative to our old 4 man frame tent & it looks like the frame one will be getting the boot!
We didn't really intend to get another 4 man but after a disastrous weekend with another make's 3 man of a similar style (but not a canvas/cotton tent)we couldn't find anything smaller of the quality or with the height & living space under 4-man (I'm just shy of 6 foot so need some head clearance!)
The Outwell we can hardly fault. It took a few goes to figure out the easiest way to pitch/strike but I'm please to say I can actually do this on my own provided there's no wind! Two of us manage fine. It just takes a bit of thought/planning & practice. We even took it down on a very windy morning at Aviemore late August last year & managed to pack it away with little or no bother.
It does need a fair bit of space for the two bags (one for tent & inner + one for groundsheet pegs & poles), in the car, but we manage in a Hyundai Getz!
Well constructed from excellent materials. It is a bit heavy but considering it's size I'd rather that than it be flimsy, I've seen a few of those ones destroyed in the Scottish weather!
Good solid hoop poles which are easy to assemble & slot into the 3 guides in the tent with little bother.
Plenty of guy ropes in fact more than you need unless it's really windy.
Good ventilation.
Excellent living space, since there's only two of us we use the two sleeping areas like a bedroom with one for sleeping & the other as a changing room! Comfort or what?
All zips are good quality & none have snagged yet.
The zip in bathtub groundsheet is brillant & of a heavy gauge composite material so I reckon only the roughest ground would be a problem, but you can buy an additional 'footprint' for the Trout.
Loads of mesh lined windows each with openers if it gets too warm & they all have curtains which give you privacy if you wish.
The triple door option is ideal especially if the wind/rain changes direction! Though the porch is only on one of the side doors so try to plan your pitch accordingly. By the way despite 3 doors they aren't a draught problem as such.
I have plenty of headroom & even in the slightly sloping bedroom area the inner tent clears me at it's highest end.
We've had no leaks with this tent since using it & have endured some pretty heavy downpours & strong winds in the Highlands.
All round a pretty serious piece of kit & well worth the expense.
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By: SpinningYarns Reason: I own(ed) one Made in: 2010 Rating:
We bought Outwell's Trout Lake 4 from Go Outdoors in April 2010. It is the 2010 model with the storm proof side porch. We used it for four, week-long, UK holidays during 2010, three of which were predominantly sunny and dry, and one of which included some very windy and wet weather indeed.
We're a couple and would say that the TL4 is ideal for two, or two and one or two small children. If you're a bigger group, then we'd suggest a tent with more space. Also, we don't cook a lot in the tent or spend large parts of the day on site – if you do, then again you might want something larger or go for the extension. On the latter, we've heard that the extension doesn't fit flush on account of the new side porch fitted to the 2010 version. We'd advise checking that out before buying if you want that option – perhaps the 2011 model will rectify the problem?
You'll need to take into account weight (and car space) too – particularly if upgrading from a polyester tent as you'll notice the difference. It's hefty even for two: we've disaggregated the flysheet, ZIG and bedpod into separate bags, which helps. Pitching is straightforward, but takes some time, mainly because of the ZIG – we live in the slow lane so no issue for us (just an excuse to drink more beer/wine and eat more cheese while setting up). However if you have impatient kids or are away for just a night or two you may want to go for another tent.
For two campers, the TL4 is perfection – the bedpod area will easily fit two camp-beds or a king size airbed (length or sideways) and you'll also have plenty of space for cases, boxes, loo, whatever; and for manoeuvring around the beds themselves. The living area has lots of space for a table, chairs, larder and a small (heat up and scoff) cooking area! Overall, the TL4 can accommodate everything you'll need for a week's camping without having to traipse back and forth to the car in the pouring rain.
The TL4 replaced our 20 year old, 2-berth Cabanon to give us more room and comfort, and the convenience of storing our belongings inside. We'd say it is worth the cost and the design is extremely functional. While the build quality is not up to immaculate Cabanon standards, it is still very good – the polycotton flysheet material is excellent, the ZIP groundsheet is robust and the alloy poles/zips seem built to last – there's also access for EHU cable and plenty of storage pockets for bits and bobs. The storm porch is really useful too, and we used this as our main entrance/exit – we could leave just the mesh curtain zipped up and be confident of the tent being well aired and also dry on our return (even should there be a rogue thunderstorm).
We endured two, 10 hour-long deluges and one night-time storm! The TL4 stood up effortlessly. A caravanner over the way said next morning (through gritted teeth) that he kept looking over during the gale to see that our tent didn't budge an inch (secretly, we think he was hoping for a catastrophe!). We have to say we were absolutely snug as bugs.
We'd recommend the footprint and carpet – while the ZIP is really substantial, we did get a rip in the footprint from a discarded peg, which might have penetrated the ZIG otherwise.
We've noticed from other reviews that Outwell's quality control can be an issue. We can concur that a couple of seams had thread unfinished, but – while unsightly – these didn't compromise the tent (and we simply took some scissors and tidied them up ourselves). Also, the nuts on the side porch are prone to liberate themselves into the grass when you least expect it – so carry some spare nuts with you. Finally, condensation can be a problem on the two low-down windows next to the bedpod area (these windows are standard on the Lake series we think) You'll need to wipe the windows down if you're anxious about a bit of water condensing and beading down (unfortunately – depending on how you arrange your beds – it may be an upheaval to gain access to do so).
Overall, the TL4 is an excellent, value-for-money tent that looks the part. We'd say that the tent design and lay out is spot on for a comfortable, week-long camping experience for two. No regrets. To our way of thinking, the TL4 has paid for itself within a year.
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The manufacturer has advised that this model has been discontinued.
The compact Trout Lake 4 is ideal for the smaller family or couples who demand a little extra space and superlative quality in a full-featured tent. This three room tunnel comprises two bedrooms and a living room that features the superb panorama front. It is made from our unique Outtex® Airtech polycotton with alloy poles housed in flat pole sleeves, and a Zip-out colour-coordinated groundsheet. Good looks are emphasised by the Outwell Floating Guyline System while the Outwell Wind Stabilizer and Easy Pegging Systems enhance stability and easy pitching. The inner has the new stripe front. Features include a Rain-safe side door and the ability to create a screen house by opening all doors to reveal a backing mesh door panel – a great way to maximise the amount of sun and breeze entering the tent while keeping out bugs.
Recommendation: Smaller families and couples will love the quality of this compact full-featured polycotton tent.
Type of tent: Three room tunnel tent Sleeps: 4 people Rooms: 2 bedrooms, 1 living room Pitching way: Flysheet first or as one Flysheet: Outtex® Airtech (65% cotton / 35% polyester) Floor: Tarpaulin PVC coated 100% polyester, 10,000 mm hydrostatic head Inner tent: Breathable 100% pongee polyester Pack size: Tent: 29 x 106 cm / Poles: 24 x 97 cm Weight: Tent: 18.0 kg / Poles: 15.7 kg Poles: Alloy poles #6063, 16/22 mm, 2 upright steel poles
Features: Large panorama front Enclosed rain-safe door and additional side door Mesh in each door Zip-out colour coordinated groundsheet Front door and groundsheet can be zipped together Large tinted windows with polycotton curtains Striped inner tents Organiser pockets Mesh pockets in the inner tents Lamp holder and light cable tidies Reinforcement patch on all stress points Adjustable pegging points Heavy duty Outwell zips Outwell doormat included
