Wheels attachment

[Ygerna]

I am looking for a tent, for our family of 5. Would like it to be high enough for us to stand in. Robust enough to last. Budget up to about £300.

 

Anyone got any experience, tips or advice please?

 

TIA

[Chickvic]

We're looking too and quite like the Royal Bordeaux 6SG, this is a six berth tent and seems to have a fair amount of space - it also has a sewn in ground sheet which I insist on, we haven't bought it yet but I would recommend finding a camping shop local to you and having a good look at all the tents set up.

[Jules.]

Earlier this year we bought, via Snowy Howells & her home delivery service a Vango Diablo 600 for £85 in the clearance sale at the Loughborough Go Outdoors store.

 

We have used it twice, once for a week in torrential Keswick rain & mud, & once for a weekend in lovely Cheshire sunshine. It has loads of room for living & storage.

The ony little thing wrong with it is that it pitches inner first, which means this would get wet should it be raining, but I feel that should we ever have to pitch it in the rain that if we had a tent heater then it would dry out quite quickly.

 

Here's a link to a similar thread i started earlier in the year, which will be helpful

 

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=37347&hilit=tent

[milli]

I'd say always go for a tent at least 1 person bigger because the manufacturers ideas can be a bit skimpy! Oh and they say you should always go for a minimum HH (hydrostatic head) of 2000.

 

You can see reviews for practically every tent here: http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/ the forum is also a mine of information.

[C&T]

A good way of selecting one is going to a tent show type event.

 

Somewhere that has lots of tents all erected, so you can walk into them and see if the dimensions work for you. Nothing beats seeing the tent in person before buying. You can check quality etc as well.

 

The descriptions from websites can sometimes be misleading - i.e. they may mention a height that is tall enough to stand up in, but that is only the very centre of the tent, and the rest you would have to duck...

 

A website like ukcampsite.co.uk I think may be able to help you find if there is an event near you - or they also have a forum where somebody might be able to help (never used the forum personally). Or Google is great

 

Oh, and if you want to sleep 5, buy a tent for 7 or more people, so you have room for cases etc

[C&T]

Sorry Milli - cross posted!

[Busybird]

We have a Wynnster Hawk 4. We bought it on line from a clearance site for about £100 when it was replaced with a newer model a couple of years ago. We have been on four camping holidays in it (3 to 5 days each) and the children have used it about as many times again for overnights in the garden. We have only used it in the summer but it has withstood pretty wet and windy conditions. It is still fine.

 

We are a family of 5 and the tent sleeps 4. The children get the pods (my 11 and 9 year old sons in one and my 12 year old daughter in the other with the luggage). OH and I sleep in the middle section which is high enough to stand up in. We pile our airbeds on top of each other by day and use them as a seat.

 

The tent has a sewn on groundsheet (essential) and a separate, small porch that we can cook in (also useful for boot storage). We do very cheap and cheerful, basic camping so a small tent suits us (easier to carry and pitch).

 

If we had to replace it we would go for a tent that had thicker poles and pitched outer first with inner pods hanging from these. Our tent pitches inner first which means it must be pitched when it is not raining (we probably look like some sort of time trialed comedy team when we have had to put it up between showers ).

 

Is your budget just for the tent? Our tent was reasonably cheap but we have also spent on airbeds, sleeping bags, gas stove and canisters, kettle, billy cans, tin camping crockery, camping chairs, torches and plastic boxes to put it all in for transport (useful tables when there).

[Chucky Mama]

I'd say always go for a tent at least 1 person bigger because the manufacturers ideas can be a bit skimpy!

 

 

Good point as they lie people where you would want to keep other things! We have a 10 man tent but it only comfortably sleeps 6 as they use the entrance 'hallway' to sleep people but of course you would really need it for provisions etc. We got ours off eBay 2nd hand. It is a Sundowner and whilst it states it is only showerproof it was fantastic during a camping weekend from hell when it bucketed it down and the winds sent many other tents into the nearby field

[Snowy]

We have the Vango Diablo 900 - ideal for 5 as it has 3 bedroom pods.

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Vango-Diablo-900XP/15

The 900XP has been replaced but you can still get XPs for just under £300. The upgraded models are only marginally different. I love it - camping in comfort! We have never found it a problem pitching the inner first. If it is wet, the inner dries very quickly.

[Jules.]

that's good to know about the inner drying quickly, Snowy

[Ygerna]

Currently looking at an Aztec Palacio 6. Looks to be very good value, anyone got any experience of these? The reviews seem to be quite good but would prefer first hand ones from people I 'know' if possible.

[Olly]

Looks good, but I'd follow the extremely good advice above and see one for real before you decide. Just having Googled this one, it looks as if one of the three 'pods' is 195 x 140 cm - so probably only big enough for a child? As stated above, you need to allow at least one extra 'person' for the size of tent, because the manufacturers envisage you sleeping like sardines, and having no luggage! On that basis a 6-berth might be on the small side.

 

As BusyBird says, there's also all the kit to consider - groundsheets/tarpaulins are cheap but decent rollmats or airbeds and sleeping bags are essential, plus a cooker and various other bits of kit.

 

I'd say it's definitely worth investing in one that has enough room for you all to sit in the main area if it's pouring down.

[Snowy]

Whichever one you get - do make sure that the groundsheet is sewn in. Nothing worse than wind and rain gusting under the skirts! Thats why I like the diablo - you can zip yourselves in and you are in a cosy inner tent, warm and dry. You do get what you pay for with tents - don't go for a cheap one, unless it is normally at a much higher price and on a very good offer (like Jule's Diablo! ) We started off with a cheap one, fine if the weather was good, but we had to abandon it during one holiday as we just got cold and miserable

 

My thoughts on the Aztec - if the weather does turn bad, you will have nowhere to cook. You would be better off with one with a largish porch area that you can do the cooking in. Plan for the worst possible weather and it can get better!!

[Ygerna]

thanks everyone The Aztec was discontinued on 2004, so I am guessing thats why the price I am looking at is so low. I am going to try and get to a Tent display showroom type place near Guildford at some point this week and try and see whats what. I may leave it a few weeks before I buy one now anyway, not sure I will get chance to use it this year now, so may get a better deal if I buy nearer the end of the season

 

However, PLEASE keep the tips coming, I am really finding it useful

[milli]

Just to say that some people find they prefer the ventilation of a non sewn in groundsheet and also they are easier to clean and replace if necessary, and some people would say they are more environmentally friendly as you can lift them up during the day to allow the grass to breath.

 

However I must admit i like the sewn in ground sheets from the point of view of keeping bugs out and making me feel more secure in case of torrential rain etc.

 

Edited to add: If you do cook in your tent porch please make sure you have very good ventilation and no-one is at risk of getting trapped, fire can rip through tents really quickly and with a fully sewn in groundsheet there is little ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

[littlecrow]

I remember those days and nights of camping .. the weather , rain, rain and more rain .. lol

remind me why you want a tent! .. lol

No really .. we did have some good times as kids, you dont seem to mind, I even bought my son a lil two man tent for his birthday and hes had it up in the garden for a week now Loves it ... so very good luck in your hunting.

[Christian]

Not sure where you are Ygerna, but found this -

 

 

http://brighton.gumtree.com/brighton/31/43057031.html

[Snowy]

Just to say that some people find they prefer the ventilation of a non sewn in groundsheet and also they are easier to clean and replace if necessary, and some people would say they are more environmentally friendly as you can lift them up during the day to allow the grass to breath.

 

However I must admit i like the sewn in ground sheets from the point of view of keeping bugs out and making me feel more secure in case of torrential rain etc.

 

Edited to add: If you do cook in your tent porch please make sure you have very good ventilation and no-one is at risk of getting trapped, fire can rip through tents really quickly and with a fully sewn in groundsheet there is little ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Good points Milli! Must admit I do like the security of the sewn in ground sheet.

And I'm not keen on cooking in the porch - you are right about the risks. If we have room, we put up an awning over the porch and keep the cooker in there. Otherwise it is outdoors unless the weather is bad.

[PurpleTree]

Here's our tent, and assorted camping 'essentials'

 

 

It's a Cabanon, and I love it although I don't think you'd fit 5 into it. Cabanon are fab tents though and looking on Ebay you might be able to pick up a bargain. We've used this one abroad and in this country and it's withstood pretty much every type of weather.

 

It doesn't have a sewn in groundsheet in the living area, but the bedroom areas do. I've never been bothered by it, we use cheap blue tarpaulins under the whole area and a couple of fleecy, waterproof backed picnic blankets in the living area, makes it nice and cosy.

 

I'd recommend looking on http://www.towsure.com/ for equipment, they also have lots of offers on tents.

[Willow]

I'd echo the take a look at tents rather than just off a web site. I bought a Vango Kura 600 without seeing one for real and it's huge First time we put it up my OH was rather grumpy about the size

 

I'd gone for a 6 berth for 4 with 2 separate inner tents so there was plenty of space in the inner for bags and also room to include one of my nephews whenever he was free at same time as us holidaying. When there is all 3 boys we need them to use carry mats instead of airbeds as you wouldn't get airbeds for 3 in a 3 berth inner tent.

 

Our tent has a sewn in ground sheet but I also got a shaped separate ground sheet for the specific tent which is great for pitching such a large tent. It means we can pick position to pitch making sure it would fit without getting the whole tent up.

 

I'm glad I got such a large tent with huge living area as there is plenty of space for us on a weeks holiday but if we just wanted to just go away for a w/e I'd go for an additional smaller tent (neighbours that camp a lot commented that they have 5 different size/type of tent to cover all options and that now makes sense).

 

Look carefully at ease of pitching - it always takes longer that the guide times and go for as easy to pitch as you can.

 

And yes the other bits add a lot more cost !

[PurpleTree]

Just thought the Camping & Caravanning Club website has lots of useful info if you're new to camping, here's the link to the tents bit http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/newtotents

[Scramble]

I love our Outwell Montana 4, it has a built in ground sheet and you don't have to bother putting the inner tent up either. I find it's very spacious for our family of four and we have a canopy as well which is something extra

 

They do an Outwell Montana 6....basically the same design but for six...

Have a look here...It also has a 360 degree online tour

It is slightly over your budget though

[Ygerna]

I love our Outwell Montana 4, it has a built in ground sheet and you don't have to bother putting the inner tent up either. I find it's very spacious for our family of four and we have a canopy as well which is something extra

 

They do an Outwell Montana 6....basically the same design but for six...

Have a look here...It also has a 360 degree online tour

It is slightly over your budget though

 

Nice isn't it?!

 

I am working on DH to increase the budget, the £300 is my birthday money, so I am hoping I can guilt him into adding a bit to it

 

Edit to add... The reviews on the Montana 6 are very good. I WANT this one, LOL. I've sent the details to DH.

Edited August 17, 2009 by Guest

[Scramble]

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[Ygerna]

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