We are in need of a new tent - am thinking frame tent - please come and advise.

[MegaLegs]

After a cold wet week in Cornwall in a tent with no living space we need to upgrade. ( Also hopefully next year DS4 will be out of his travel cot and in with the other three so need bigger sleeping space.)

Ideally I would love one of these but they are mega bucks (also realise it is a tunnel tent).

Have been looking at this sort of thing

Frame tent campers tell me all.

[NotAlert]

Well, we don't have a frame tent, but DH would love one! (Sorry, that's not very helpful, is it????) He spend his childhood holidays camping in a huge canvas frame tent, and only the weight and space they take up put him/us off getting one - we don't travel light at the best of times, and we didn't want to have a trailer. On holiday this summer if we saw a frame tent (especially a Cabanon, v. good make) he would sort of drool - all very alarming!
Anyway, still not helpful.
So, consider the weight/bulk/space. I'm not an expert, but do know that lots of people are fiercely loyal to their canvas wonders! There are usually lots on Ebay, btw.

[crunchie]

We bught falcon tent this year and IMHO it is as good as a frame tent size wise, but lighter, easier to pack and more flexible. There are 4 of us and dh and I have one main bedroom (we unzip the divider. It is big enough to stand up in, walk around, have a double bed and still about 6' spare room. My 2 dd's have a bedroom each which means a single bed and about 3' of space for thei bags, toys etc. It themn has an indoor main living space with SOG and a secondary living space with a loose groundhseet, we also got the canopy which added another 10' at the front. It is seriously a big tent and great value. We don't feel the need to upgrade again ever

[billysitch]

Funny, this thread.

Planning on camping next Saturday (I know, I know dont say it) and we are borrowing a tent. I have a similar question but to do with security.

I have seen all the very smart looking tunnel tents and wonder how secure they are with 2 or more openings/doors etc.

Like the look of the cabanna, but also seen the price and have been surfin ebay also.

Again wondering about space with a tunnel vs frame tent.

Think I would like some living space too which seems to be lacking in the tunnels, non?

[billysitch]

btw Crunchie, the falcon looks fantastic!

[billysitch]

megalegs, like the look of the cotton one too, oooohhh dilema.

[crunchie]

seriously bs the Falcon was the absolute bomb. HONESTLY I LOVED IT!

Now our family love camping and we had a great big tent before BUT it had no porch area, so we trotted off to buy a gazebo and ended up with the tent. It is seriously huge, BUT easy to erect - about 30mins with 2 people. It is better than a tunnel tent in that teh bedrooms are separate (I want to be away from my kids, some like to be next to) It has a main living space with a SIG which keeps the bugs away, BUT The front porch area has a loose groundsheet which is perfect as that was our 'dirty' area. We were in the pouring rain for 5 days and this bit was for wet stuff. It also has loads of storage pockets, proper windows and curtains like a frame tent and you can stand up throughout.

BUT it goes up like a dome tent with an X of poles in the middle and a couple of simple poles each side. Only issue is that the inner goes up first. I suppose Dome tents are better in seriously bad weatther but I would go home!!

[justadad]

Aha, so this is where DW lurks when I'm away! (Am NotALert's DH).

Cotton tents are fantastic, cooler in hot weather, warmer in cold and don't get the build-up of condensation (although the PVC roof of the Cabanon Aruba will gather some condensation). Canvas should last a lifetime (20+ years). But they are pretty heavy, rather bulky and need to be dried whilst pitched to help them retain shape so you need a garden big enough to have it in whilst it dries.

A frame tent can (just) be pitched single handed but 2 is much better. Large tunnel must have 2 people to walk them forwards whilst pitching.

Just looking at the Falcon mentioned below and that weighs in at 50kg to the Cabanon's 56kg so not a huge amount in it weight wise!

Have seen frame tents used as base-camp tents for mountaineering, so they are able to withstand pretty bad weather. If you're expecting a hurricane then there are ways of adding further internal bracing and straps but to be honest I'd rather be in a frame tent in a howler than a family sized tunnel or dome.

[crunchie]

The falcon comes in 2 bags, so it doesn't seem so bad, but I know what you mean it is a heavy tent