New Festival / Camping Tent
Discussion
I was one of the lucky ones to get a ticket to Glastonbury this year in the Sunday resale, not been before so looking forward to it. Think is I now need to buy a new tent.
I currently have a large 8 man tent that is basically one room, perfect for sharing with mates as there is loads of room to move around in but after the Isle of Wight 2012 when the rain came in sideways and it leaked I think it’s time for a new one.
This time I’m going with the GF so a more “cosy” tent is in order, looking to spend around £100 - £150 as we’ve got a few other camping trips planned (and not just the festival) so started looking on the Go Outdoors website as we have a new store opening down the road.
Can anyone recommend a particular brand / style / model I could look at? I’ve no clue at the moment; there is a lot of choice out there.
I currently have a large 8 man tent that is basically one room, perfect for sharing with mates as there is loads of room to move around in but after the Isle of Wight 2012 when the rain came in sideways and it leaked I think it’s time for a new one.
This time I’m going with the GF so a more “cosy” tent is in order, looking to spend around £100 - £150 as we’ve got a few other camping trips planned (and not just the festival) so started looking on the Go Outdoors website as we have a new store opening down the road.
Can anyone recommend a particular brand / style / model I could look at? I’ve no clue at the moment; there is a lot of choice out there.
Well, based on past experience, and although it sounds incredibly wasteful, buy a cheaper tent and just leave it there. 3 reasons: it could get completely trashed by someone falling into it (although this is unlikely) - the other being that all the left tents will be scooped up after the event and sent to earthquake zones (or other natural disasters etc.) for use for folk who no longer have a home. 3rd reason is tha tif it s
ts it down all weekend (and I hope it doesn't!) you won't have to bundle it up and carry a filthy, wet & muddy tent home.
ts it down all weekend (and I hope it doesn't!) you won't have to bundle it up and carry a filthy, wet & muddy tent home.Tonsko said:
Well, based on past experience, and although it sounds incredibly wasteful, buy a cheaper tent and just leave it there. 3 reasons: it could get completely trashed by someone falling into it (although this is unlikely) - the other being that all the left tents will be scooped up after the event and sent to earthquake zones (or other natural disasters etc.) for use for folk who no longer have a home. 3rd reason is tha tif it sts it down all weekend (and I hope it doesn't!) you won't have to bundle it up and carry a filthy, wet & muddy tent home.
That thought had crossed my mind but after IoW and having to sleep in a puddle I want something a bit sturdier in case the weather turns. ts it down all weekend (and I hope it doesn't!) you won't have to bundle it up and carry a filthy, wet & muddy tent home.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2163073/Is...
Well done on the re-sale, I always love it when I hear of a first-timer getting to go, you'll have a great time.
The biggest issue with Glastonbury is space; all of the popular campgrounds get very packed, there is literally space to pitch your tent but not much more. Therefore if you get there any time after the Wednesday with a big tent you might find it a struggle to locate a suitable pitch. Last thing you want is finding that your great new tent won't fit anywhere! I'm sure you'll know the deal with IoW being fairly compact!
Just to give you an idea, we camp near the John Peel tent, it is popular as it is pretty central to all stages and is on a slight hill, I was in the (enormous) queue from 7am on the Wednesday last year, got in by 9:30am, our chosen area was rammed with tents by midday. This years we've got a friend coming on the Friday who is under the misapprehension that she'll just be able to rock up and camp anywhere she likes - not so!
I've got a Beyond Nebula 4 which is a cracking tent. I spent hours on this site before buying, it's the PH for those who love life under canvass!
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Gelert-Beyond-...
It says RRP of £429.00 there but I picked a new one up on eBay for £150 last summer, discontinued and being flogged off cheap by a Garden Centre that had over-invested in too much stock.
That website has a good search-by-spec facility and some good photos/user reviews/ratings to get some proper owner feedback on models you might like. I personally love it because of the sewn-in grounsheet and the full head height standing room - gone are my days of trying to get changed in a two-man dome full of kit!
I also found that eBay is good for new "last model year" stuff, the camping industry seems keen on model years, so plenty discounts to be had if you don't mind one that is last summer's spec i.e. a different colour!
The biggest issue with Glastonbury is space; all of the popular campgrounds get very packed, there is literally space to pitch your tent but not much more. Therefore if you get there any time after the Wednesday with a big tent you might find it a struggle to locate a suitable pitch. Last thing you want is finding that your great new tent won't fit anywhere! I'm sure you'll know the deal with IoW being fairly compact!
Just to give you an idea, we camp near the John Peel tent, it is popular as it is pretty central to all stages and is on a slight hill, I was in the (enormous) queue from 7am on the Wednesday last year, got in by 9:30am, our chosen area was rammed with tents by midday. This years we've got a friend coming on the Friday who is under the misapprehension that she'll just be able to rock up and camp anywhere she likes - not so!
I've got a Beyond Nebula 4 which is a cracking tent. I spent hours on this site before buying, it's the PH for those who love life under canvass!
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Gelert-Beyond-...
It says RRP of £429.00 there but I picked a new one up on eBay for £150 last summer, discontinued and being flogged off cheap by a Garden Centre that had over-invested in too much stock.
That website has a good search-by-spec facility and some good photos/user reviews/ratings to get some proper owner feedback on models you might like. I personally love it because of the sewn-in grounsheet and the full head height standing room - gone are my days of trying to get changed in a two-man dome full of kit!
I also found that eBay is good for new "last model year" stuff, the camping industry seems keen on model years, so plenty discounts to be had if you don't mind one that is last summer's spec i.e. a different colour!
Edited by PurpleTurtle on Monday 28th April 13:38
My last 2 tents have been from Go Outdoors, and I have nothing but praise for their own Hi-Gear range.
My first was their Windermere 5, a 5-man tent. It was cheap as chips, something like £79 with one of their offers, and bloody brilliant for what I paid for it. I would say it's not really a 5-man tent (unless you have any desire to top and tail each other!), but it fitted a double air-bed in nicely, was easy to put up by myself, and was absolutely fine both at festivals and a mile up a mountain in the Alps in the wind and rain. I found a very small tear along the seam in the inner, which I took back to the shop a couple of weeks before the warranty ran out and they sent it back without quibble. I've since sold it to a mate for £30.
I've now got a Gobi 4, which is a bit taller than the Windermere. Same specs, but there's more space in the living area. It's also got a fully built in groundsheet whereas the other was only in the bedroom bit. I've only used this once, and putting it up on my own was a bit of a faff, but I'm sure I'll easily pick up its quirks after a few more tries. A quick look on their website and it looks like it's been superseded by the Gobi Elite, (appears that has a better hydrostatic head) but is now in their clearance range at <£150.
Put a rug down, hang up a couple of tent lights and it's quite a nice place to spend a night, especially with a fire and Mr Whiskey-Bottle
My first was their Windermere 5, a 5-man tent. It was cheap as chips, something like £79 with one of their offers, and bloody brilliant for what I paid for it. I would say it's not really a 5-man tent (unless you have any desire to top and tail each other!), but it fitted a double air-bed in nicely, was easy to put up by myself, and was absolutely fine both at festivals and a mile up a mountain in the Alps in the wind and rain. I found a very small tear along the seam in the inner, which I took back to the shop a couple of weeks before the warranty ran out and they sent it back without quibble. I've since sold it to a mate for £30.
I've now got a Gobi 4, which is a bit taller than the Windermere. Same specs, but there's more space in the living area. It's also got a fully built in groundsheet whereas the other was only in the bedroom bit. I've only used this once, and putting it up on my own was a bit of a faff, but I'm sure I'll easily pick up its quirks after a few more tries. A quick look on their website and it looks like it's been superseded by the Gobi Elite, (appears that has a better hydrostatic head) but is now in their clearance range at <£150.
Put a rug down, hang up a couple of tent lights and it's quite a nice place to spend a night, especially with a fire and Mr Whiskey-Bottle
Built
in
Ground
sheet.
Best camping innovation for a long time.
As others have said Go outdoors stuff is pretty good, our local one has a tent compound with them all up so you can see what you are getting.
Avoid Tescos blow up mattresses we had 2 and they both leaked. Cheap but never again.
in
Ground
sheet.
Best camping innovation for a long time.
As others have said Go outdoors stuff is pretty good, our local one has a tent compound with them all up so you can see what you are getting.
Avoid Tescos blow up mattresses we had 2 and they both leaked. Cheap but never again.
We bought a Vango Omega 350 for Glasto last year (was £130 ish). Perfectly good tent for myself and the girlfriend. Seems slightly better made than the Go Outdoors own brand (Hi-gear) stuff, but obviously a bit more expensive. Good size for 2 people (and has a "porch" which is useful when it rains).
As for camping spots, we arrived at 10am ish on the Weds and easily found a spot in a fairly empty field at the back of The Dairy (in the separate field behind the hedge, going up the hill). Initially had plenty of space for our 3 tents, but by the end of Thursday every tiny gap had been filled.
Also, someone fell on our tent and bent a pole. Was very easy to buy a new one when we got back.
As for camping spots, we arrived at 10am ish on the Weds and easily found a spot in a fairly empty field at the back of The Dairy (in the separate field behind the hedge, going up the hill). Initially had plenty of space for our 3 tents, but by the end of Thursday every tiny gap had been filled.
Also, someone fell on our tent and bent a pole. Was very easy to buy a new one when we got back.
Have been to many many Glasto's enjoy we are taking a break from it this year and doing some other festivals instead
My Tips
For 2 people you want a 4 man Tent
Height - you want to be able to stand up if possible if you get there on the Wednesday as most do now 5 days of half crouching gets tiresome
Leaving the tent - don't do this, its an absolute myth that they get packed up and sent to earthquake zones etc, some poor sod will just have to clear up for you
Space - certain areas are more popular than others, it depends how close you wish to be, we normally go in a group of 8-16 people with 5-7 tents and have never really had an issue on the Weds
Brands - Gelert or Vango would be my shout, reasonably priced and well known
Bed - I would go for a self inflating mat rather than an airbed, but everyone has their own preference here
have a great time
My Tips
For 2 people you want a 4 man Tent
Height - you want to be able to stand up if possible if you get there on the Wednesday as most do now 5 days of half crouching gets tiresome
Leaving the tent - don't do this, its an absolute myth that they get packed up and sent to earthquake zones etc, some poor sod will just have to clear up for you
Space - certain areas are more popular than others, it depends how close you wish to be, we normally go in a group of 8-16 people with 5-7 tents and have never really had an issue on the Weds
Brands - Gelert or Vango would be my shout, reasonably priced and well known
Bed - I would go for a self inflating mat rather than an airbed, but everyone has their own preference here
have a great time
Glastonbury used to do the charity thing but as I understand it they don't any more due to the sheer volume -5,500 tents abandoned in according to this video, it's depressing to see the mess some people leave behind.
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/...
It does frustrate me, I very much subscribe to the 'love the farm, leave no trace' philosophy. It seems that as camping kit has got cheaper then people have begun to treat it as a disposable commodity rather than carry it home. One of the gang I go with is proud of his perfectly servicable 20yo dome tent, that's how it should be.
http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/information/...
It does frustrate me, I very much subscribe to the 'love the farm, leave no trace' philosophy. It seems that as camping kit has got cheaper then people have begun to treat it as a disposable commodity rather than carry it home. One of the gang I go with is proud of his perfectly servicable 20yo dome tent, that's how it should be.
Whether they tried it once or not I am unsure and can only speak for Glasto but they 100% do not and have not since 2009 for definite, you should watch the video linked above, its truly depressing
This article also makes it clear they don't and explains that in the future we may all have to use pre erected tents due to the size of the issue
http://www.agreenerfestival.com/2013/02/glastonbur...
This article also makes it clear they don't and explains that in the future we may all have to use pre erected tents due to the size of the issue
http://www.agreenerfestival.com/2013/02/glastonbur...
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