help a camping newbie pls - are huge tents a problem?

[gigglinggoblin]

i have 4 kids, was thinking about getting a 9 man tent. friend said today it will be huge, would there be a problem with camp sites allowing it on? feel a bit daft asking cos surely they wouldnt sell them if camp sites didnt like them but if anyone could make me feel better i would appreciate it

[Lucycat]

Which tent is it? if it is a dome sort then they take up loads of space on your pitch, leaving you not much room to put anything else!
Some sites will may you pay more or will limit the size of the tent.

It is worth thinking about.

the again if you are the sort who prefers a farmer's field to camp in then you will probably be ok!

[slayerette]

The site I've just booked with in the New Forest has a rule about nothing bigger than a six-man, and they don't really like those tents with lots of 'arms' (what are they called????) but don't turn campers away if they turn up with one! TBH, with 4 kids, you need a fairly decent size - ours is a six man and just comfy for 3!

[Debbiethemum]

Some campsites also have larger pitches (cost slightly more) for the huge tents - mine is a 12 berth tent.
I definately prefer a larger tent as if the weather is poor there is more space to amuse the children in.
I think it also depends on how long your camping trips are for, as we go away for a least 1 week a a time i is just nice to have the extra room

[Lucycat]

Something like Royal Nevada 10 tunnel tent would take up much less space than say a Vango Diablo 900.

[Lucycat]

as Debbie says it really depends on how much time you intend you stay in your tent if the weather is poor.
My two get chucked out of the tent in most weathers or will go into their bedroom and play or even > watch a DVD.

[hughsy]

Hi - lots of sites will take big tents - but remember the bigger they are the harder to put up. We had to help (along with several other families) take down someones Vango Daiblo 900 in very windy weather - not fun at all!

We don't spend any time in our tent other than sleeping and eating if it is really horrible - my 2 dds turn into wild urchin children for the holiday - allowing me a dh to drink copious quantites of red wine!

We've got a Khyam XXL - which sleeps 6 but they do bigger versions - they've got a fantastic system of putting up the tent which means most of it is up in 15 minutes - the poles are fixed in the tent and just clip together(and then of course the obligatory 1 hour to peg it out!!) - they are more expensive but worth every penny!

[PrettyCandles]

You have to make sure when you book your site that you specify the square metreage you need for your tent, remember to include the guylines. We've never had a problem with this, and we have a rather huge tent.

Go to a tent show if you can, rather than buying sight unseen, because different styles take up different size pitches for pretty much the same amoutn of sleeping and living space. IIRC Field & Trek do tent shows around th country.

BTW, with 4 LOs, you definitely do not want to skimp on living space, even if it's at the cost of sleeping space.

[Lucycat]

Yeomans Outdoors do really good shows too, if you are near any!

[gigglinggoblin]

thanks for replies. dh was also worried about how easy it would be to put up, especially as i want something we can use just for the weekend. there was a recent thread recommending this but am now wondering if its a good idea. any opinions? will have a look at some of the others mentioned here

[gigglinggoblin]

are tent shows cheaper than shops? am not near any of those yeomans but there is a show near here quite often

[LadyOfTheFlowers]

i believe at shows they can be cheaper as they have offers on and 'show prices'.

[dustystar]

Another vote for a big tent here. We don't spend a great deal of time in ours unless the weathers crap but its nice to have the space when you need it.

[crunchie]

We have a 12 man yent and have never had a probblem with it's size (and it is huge) we like a big tent (there are only 4 of us!) as we can live in it if the weather is rubbish. However we have one small tent (that will only sleep 2 or 3) and I want another one so we can go for weekends and erect it quick.

BTW from arrival to fully sorted (inc airbeds done, kitchen set up etc takes about an hour. Our tent is done in just over 30 mins, by dh with a small amount of help from me and kids. Not bad really

[gigglinggoblin]

thanks!