1st 'What tent' question of the day
Discussion
For me and two small kids, but a fair bit of gear. I'd really like once double bedroom and two proper single rooms, i.e. not those silly 1/2 attached divider curtains.
Would prefer to spend a bit more and buy once wisely, liked the look of Vango gear but any 1st hand experience appreciated....
Would prefer to spend a bit more and buy once wisely, liked the look of Vango gear but any 1st hand experience appreciated....
We started off with a five man Vango Orchy 500. Found it too small so flogged it on e-bay and got one of these http://www.piplers.co.uk/royal-cuban-6zg-6-berth-t... (price has gone up quite a bit in 2 years). It is much better than the vango quality wise.
Edited by SwanJack on Tuesday 14th May 15:51
SwanJack said:
We started off with a five man Vango Orchy 500. Found it too small so flogged it on e-bay and got one of these http://www.piplers.co.uk/royal-cuban-6zg-6-berth-t... (price has gone up quite a bit in 2 years). It is much better than the vango quality wise.
Looks nice, looks huge!Edited by SwanJack on Tuesday 14th May 15:51
Bit of googling tonight, seen Outwell Trout Lake fits the layout I need. Not cheap at all, but does that mean quality?
Vango are a good brand, have plenty of friends who use them with large families, but the big tents do come in two large bags. I have a 2nd hand Coleman at the moment, (brother in law upgraded to caravan) and that does the job.
I have done large tents with glass fibre poles and suffered split poles, so if you are likely to use the tent more than once a year I would recommend going for solid poles after having used them on the current tent.
I have done large tents with glass fibre poles and suffered split poles, so if you are likely to use the tent more than once a year I would recommend going for solid poles after having used them on the current tent.
TedMaul said:
Looks nice, looks huge!
Bit of googling tonight, seen Outwell Trout Lake fits the layout I need. Not cheap at all, but does that mean quality?
Outwell does mean quality, although reading the reviews on http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Outwell-Trout-... there may be some quality control issues.Bit of googling tonight, seen Outwell Trout Lake fits the layout I need. Not cheap at all, but does that mean quality?
Certainly I have been out several times in storms when in the morning it has only been the Outwells and other quality tents that are left standing.
If I were you I would try to get to a vendor that displays tents so you can look around and see them up, partly as it helps erecting them and partly helps you decide what you are looking for!
Outwell have had their quality problems in previous years, pricey doesn't always mean good quality. Having said that, other manufacturers, including Vango have had similar problems. You need to be prepared to get your tent home, pitch it and hosepipe test it to check that it's OK and lob it back if it's a problem.
With small children, think about how far away from you they are, the idea of kids being separate is a great idea until they wake up scared at 2am and you are two sets of doors and a living area away from them.
Try to see the tents you are thinking of buying in the flesh and think about the length of your camping trip, are you really going to want to put up a huge tent for two nights?
With small children, think about how far away from you they are, the idea of kids being separate is a great idea until they wake up scared at 2am and you are two sets of doors and a living area away from them.
Try to see the tents you are thinking of buying in the flesh and think about the length of your camping trip, are you really going to want to put up a huge tent for two nights?
Yeomans have a tent show not far from here
http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/CampshowDetails.a...
Not sure what they have on show, but they seem to stock most of the big names. Anyone been t this show, 8am to 8pm????
http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/CampshowDetails.a...
Not sure what they have on show, but they seem to stock most of the big names. Anyone been t this show, 8am to 8pm????
We've got a Vango Amazon 600 for longer family trips (3 kids).
On the plus side, it has tons of space, headroom, separate bedrooms, light and bright where you want it, and good light blocking where you don't. It is fairly easy to put up and take down and has taken gales and storms in its stride. For this sort of tent, it has been brilliant and does the job very well.
However, it weighs a ton (well 50kg) and although the "carry" bag has wheels, it is a monster to lift if you keep the steel poles with it. It is also a big thing to transport so we end up needing a roof box as well, as it takes up a fair amount of the boot space (in an XC90). You also need a fairly large space to put the thing on, which is not always an option.
For one or two night's camping we tend now not to bother with the "Taj Mahal" (as it was nick named) and use a couple of 3 man pop ups with a Coleman event shelter instead.
On the plus side, it has tons of space, headroom, separate bedrooms, light and bright where you want it, and good light blocking where you don't. It is fairly easy to put up and take down and has taken gales and storms in its stride. For this sort of tent, it has been brilliant and does the job very well.
However, it weighs a ton (well 50kg) and although the "carry" bag has wheels, it is a monster to lift if you keep the steel poles with it. It is also a big thing to transport so we end up needing a roof box as well, as it takes up a fair amount of the boot space (in an XC90). You also need a fairly large space to put the thing on, which is not always an option.
For one or two night's camping we tend now not to bother with the "Taj Mahal" (as it was nick named) and use a couple of 3 man pop ups with a Coleman event shelter instead.
Chris_ said:
We've got a Vango Amazon 600 for longer family trips (3 kids).
On the plus side, it has tons of space, headroom, separate bedrooms, light and bright where you want it, and good light blocking where you don't. It is fairly easy to put up and take down and has taken gales and storms in its stride. For this sort of tent, it has been brilliant and does the job very well.
However, it weighs a ton (well 50kg) and although the "carry" bag has wheels, it is a monster to lift if you keep the steel poles with it. It is also a big thing to transport so we end up needing a roof box as well, as it takes up a fair amount of the boot space (in an XC90). You also need a fairly large space to put the thing on, which is not always an option.
For one or two night's camping we tend now not to bother with the "Taj Mahal" (as it was nick named) and use a couple of 3 man pop ups with a Coleman event shelter instead.
I saw this and liked it a lot last year and finding a pitch big enough did worry me! Great tent though and I think the idea of something smaller for weekends (which is what we'd start doing anyway) is sound. I think the Trout Lake fits that bill well and then maybe my own Theatre of Dreams later!On the plus side, it has tons of space, headroom, separate bedrooms, light and bright where you want it, and good light blocking where you don't. It is fairly easy to put up and take down and has taken gales and storms in its stride. For this sort of tent, it has been brilliant and does the job very well.
However, it weighs a ton (well 50kg) and although the "carry" bag has wheels, it is a monster to lift if you keep the steel poles with it. It is also a big thing to transport so we end up needing a roof box as well, as it takes up a fair amount of the boot space (in an XC90). You also need a fairly large space to put the thing on, which is not always an option.
For one or two night's camping we tend now not to bother with the "Taj Mahal" (as it was nick named) and use a couple of 3 man pop ups with a Coleman event shelter instead.
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