Outwell cottton or polycotton tent?

[KevinFoley]

Dear campers,
Would you buy the Outwell cotton or polycottton tents? Like them both but quite a few hundred pounds difference. Must last a long time. Any experience of either? Many thanks

[Kahlua4me]

We have a Bear Lake 6 and it's fantastic. Have had it for 3 years now and no signs of wear and tear.

It is poly cotton. I would certainly recommend it.

[ThresholdMum]

We had the Bear Lake 6 (polycotton) and it was fantastic, BUT very very heavy (35 kg I think). First tried to put it up for a kids sleepover when DH away for work, and no way I and two tweens could pull it up, had to invite in another neighbour to help pull & really would have been easier with three adults. In the end the weight limited how often we used it & how long for, and have downsized to smaller, less elegant, but more manageable tent which we could use too for weekends away, not just for a week at a time. On the other hand, got it v cheap from ebay (£400 three years ago), was very durable, and was the stuff of fantasy, I just hadn't done enough research for our needs first.

[professorpoopsnagle]

We now have a cotton tent (not Outwell though) and really like it. It's not a massive tent space wise which I think helps with the weight and putting it up.

[INeedALieIn]

We have a big Winster (something like that), very similar to outwell. Poly cotton with steel poles. When it is up I love it. Big, good headroom, carpet, feels like it would stay up in a gale. But...it is REALLY heavy, could do with 3 to put it up, and, it is huge to store and basically fills the car boot with little room for anything else.

For me, the negatives actually make it so I can't be bothered to go camping.

[KevinFoley]

Thanks all. Just read the 100% cotton tents are impossible to insert poles so we'll go for a Wolf lake. DH and I are pretty strong so should be ok and usually we go with friends. can't bear the smell of the plastic tents so cotton and a bad back it is!!

[travailtotravel]

We have a polycotton outwell. It weighs a ton! but we can manage it between us now we're used to it ... it is for a week a time only though so we also have a pop up tent for weekends away!

[travailtotravel]

We have a polycotton outwell. It weighs a ton! but we can manage it between us now we're used to it ... it is for a week a time only though so we also have a pop up tent for weekends away!

[fossil971]

We have a Wolf Lake 5 (family of 4). We do have a smaller/lighter tent for short trips but if you are making it your home for 2 weeks it's brilliant. I'm glad we didn't get anything bigger though, no pratting about with separate bedrooms for DC in our family!

DH grew up camping with a traditional canvas frame tent so he thinks a behemoth of a tent is normal.

[Annanon]

Both are great. Apparently not much performance difference between the two and both are so much more comfortable than nylon.

The Wolf lake is a beautiful tent and should last years. Just be prepared for the pack size and weight. I changed from an Outwell Bear Lake 6 to a bell tent. I loved the huge living area in the Bear Lake, though I seldom made use of it to be honest (the whole point is to be outside). After a couple of trips, I could no longer face the thought of 40-60 mins pitching time, with two adults, plus the shear weight of it (26kg + 27kg). Since switching to a 5m bell tent I can pitch by myself in 15mins (only one pole), have all the benefits of cotton, plus its half the weight and pack size of a polycotton (though its still big & heavy by most people's standards).