Tent to fit two travel cots (for time being!)

[ouchthishurts]

I was a big camper in the past, but not been since having kids. We are planning on a weekend camping in May when DD will be 22 months and DS will be 6 months (or is that too crazy!?). Am looking for a tent that would accomodate DH, me, and the two of them in travel cots. I am hoping to get back into camping as a family, but no guarantees how it would work out. Plus, our requirements on space, rooms etc are likely to change (I think?) as the babies move out of cots. Therefore I think I am looking for something relatively cheap and temporary for now, for use for no more than a night or two at a time, with a view to buying a better investment tent when I know it will suit us all (DH less of a camper than me - up for it, but I dont know for sure whether he will get into it and it is something we will do a lot of as a fmaily - though I obviously hope so). has anyone got any recommendations please?

[Washersaurus]

Well if you buy a cheap tent your DH will proabably never like camping

My DH wasn't sure it was for him until we got the Outwell Montana with front porch, sealed groundsheet and carpet etc.

It is so comfy and cosy, he is now an avid camper (and plenty of room for 2 travel cots)..also the bedrooms are zipped in the middle so brill for retrieving crying children in the middle of the night

[ouchthishurts]

Totally take your point washersaurus, and love the look of the montana (after a quick google) but such a big outlay for something we arent sure about yet you know? But do take your point that that is very different experience for DH than everyone squished in little tent with one area - especially with DS waking through the night.

Thinking about it, would be quite happy to have 6 month old DS co-sleep with us while there so perhaps only need enough room for me and DH (with little DS sleeping with us) and DD in a travel cot.

[Washersaurus]

How about this one?

[Washersaurus]

Would highly recommend getting a tent carpet if you have crawling DC's, it is a totally different camping experience as they can go on the floor and romp about a bit, especially good if it rains....as it tends to do....

[Washersaurus]

This one has everything you need for £350

[Washersaurus]

We were originally going to get one of these but it didn't have sealed groundsheet so DH opted for the Montana instead.

[ouchthishurts]

Oooh what a lovely bargain. But I am in London so too far to collect in person.

PS Its huge isnt it?? I naively didnt realise that family tents were that big!! As i said used to camp several times a year every year (with an organisation) throughout my teens and early twenties when new dome tents were all the rage - and i thought they were big!!

[seeker]

WHy use travel cots? Mine slept on readybeds when camping from very early - or on our double blow up with us. I think travel cots in a tent would be a pain - try and find another solution!

[ouchthishurts]

Sorry to be idiotic - but what do they have if not a sealed groundsheet? (Memories of sleeping under flysheets to maxismise space and minimise weight while hiking with lots of others and waking up to find half of sleeping bag sticking out from under fly into rain comes flooding back!)

[ouchthishurts]

Yes good point seeker - realised (above) that DS doesnt need to be in cot. DD flips and flops around in her sleep, which would be reason to keep her in a cot (so she didnt flip flip onto the baby in the middle of the ight for starters) so cant think of not having her in travel cot...but maybe I am being over cautious...

[Washersaurus]

That one last one I linked to has a bathtub type groundsheet that comes up a few inches around the sides.

Sorry, I was linking to the bigger ones as they have room for travel cots.

I did use a travel cot for DS2 last year as he was/is a bit wild and useful to contain him. This year he will be 2 in the summer and so will be putting him on a kampa bed like his 3yo brother has.

[littlebellsmum]

Thanks for the bed tip - I've never come accross the kampa bed before - what sort of age do you think they would fit a dc untill? ( mine are 4 and 5)

[ouchthishurts]

hence the term bathtub - thanks!

Agree, that is the same as DD (though she will be 2 in July so similar to your DS2) but it feels she is very far off being able to be in a bed. And anticipate that DS will be the same for a while, once he starts moving around in his cot at home, before he is big enough for a bed.

No, it is really excellent to see these bigger ones - just didnt know that was how roomy and comfortable it could be!

Do campsites have regulations on sizes of tent at all?

[littlebellsmum]

Re regulations, some campsites do and some don't. I think you would be fine with the Outwell one seen - believe it or not some are even bigger than this!

[Washersaurus]

I think the Kampa bed would be fine for a 4 & 5 year old, not sure how much more use you'd get out of it after that though. DS1 is 4 this summer and he will have plenty of room in his.

DS2 has been in a bed since 12 months as he considered the cotbed to be too prison-like , so we are going to be brave and try him out on the airbed this year.

The travel cots take up too much room in the boot anyway...and we need the space in the car for the camping toilet this year, as DS1 too big to take a potty and too small to hold it in for long periods IFKWIM - we are going to pop it in the side porch of the Montana as others recommended (as we don't use it for anything else)

[Washersaurus]

The other thing to consider that although some tunnel tents are much cheaper, the bedrooms are at either end of the tent; we borrowed a friends tent to try out before we bought ours and didn't really like having our 2 DC's across the tent in the night (especially in the storm we camped in)