Need advice on what tent to buy please

[loveitwhenyouoooh]

We want to buy a tent for a few summer weekend camping trips. Our requirements are as follows:

At least 4 person/2 bedroom
Decent size living area (have toddler and baby so need somewhere for if it rains)
Preferrably standing room in living area
Built in groundsheet

We saw this one : www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_786705_langId_-1_categoryId_236906 and thought it was ideal until we realised it is a seperate groundsheet so basically this one but with built in groundsheet is such a thing exists.

We could consider a single bedroom area if it was a good bit cheaper as then could afford to upgrade to seperate rooms once the DSs are older.

Hope that link worked! Can anyone give any suggestions? Thanks

[shockers]

Outwell tents generally have built in groundsheets and are really well made and laid out. Having said that (and as someone who has an Outwell), I am investing in a Decathalon Quesha pop-up 4 man for weekend trips and festivals to save time and effort. I will still use the Outwell for longer trips though.
Happy camping!

[bunnybunyip]

We have just been through a similar decision. In the end I decided a cheap one from halfords was a false economy on the grounds if we got wet and cold we would never use it again. So bought an outwell montana 6 from ebay, has a built in groundsheet, kept us warmish and dry over a very cold and windy weekend, would recommend it if you can find one for a reasonable price. Very spacious.

[loveitwhenyouoooh]

Thanks for that. I have been looking at the Outwell Toronto from Argos and very keen but DP fancies a Hi-Gear so trying to talk him round! :)

[DontCallMeBaby]

That Halfords one looks way too small as well - we're only a family of three but are looking at at least a 5 man tent to get a reasonable amount of space. The Outwell website has a useful little detail when you look at tent specs - how many the tent will sleep comfortably rather than just the industry standard (60cm width per person). The bedrooms in that one would just fit two single airbeds, for example, and the person furthest from the door would have their face mushed into the sloping ceiling. We currently have an alleged 6 man tent (no living area) and it fits three single airbeds with about 10" gaps between them!

It's really worth having a look at tents pitched in a showroom, even if you can't find exactly the one you want it should give you and idea of what the sizes are like in reality. We're currently dithering between the cheaper option of a Hi Gear Mojave 5 and the more expensive Outwell Montana 6 (which MN reckons I really ought to have, by all accounts). The Hi Gear is £200 (was £130 a week ago, but DH wouldn't let me buy it until we'd taken the cheapo tent out once more) and the Outwell £500. Yesterday I decided on the Hi Gear, leaving £300 to spend on carpet, footprint, better camping furniture etc, and now DH isn't sure any more. I LOVED the Outwell in person, just not sure it's worth 1.5x as much ... but then I woke up at 4am today thinking 'what if DD wanted to take a friend with us one day, would the '2 man' bedroom in the Hi Gear be big enough?' :o

Toronto looks interesting - looks like a range Outwell only do for Argos, with lower specs (lower waterproofing rating, and if you compare the Youtube video of pitching a Montana with the one for the Toronto you can see how much thinner the poles are). You can see it still has nice Outwell touches though, and they have such a good reputation I'm sure they wouldn't risk it making a crap cheapo range.

If you like the style of the Halfords one (personally I don't, I think they feel claustrophobic) DB and SIL are getting a Hi Gear Zenobia 6 for themselves and three dogs when the price comes down shortly (Go Outdoors are dropping it from £230 to £150 in a couple of weeks apparently). Gets good reviews on UK Campsite.

Oh, the thing I liked best about the Montana was the light roof - the Mojave is blue and quite dark inside, while the Montana has a cream roof is all light and lovely. Definitely not something to pay another £300 for though!

[HerecometheBelgians]

Hi

We've just been through exactly the same process and believe me, I OBSESS about these things . We ended up buying a Vango Green Wing 500 which is a 5-berth, 2 bedroom (well one big one with a dividing screen in the middle) tent weighing 13.5kg or so and can be pitched by one person in 10 - 15 minutes. It's the eco-friendly version of the Vango Icarus and ours was £134.99.

I LOVE IT!

We have two DC, aged 5 and 2 and it's perfect for us as our weekend/short break tent. You can stand up in it as well. Ooh, and it has pockety things between the bedrooms and along the edge of both bedrooms so ideal for either keeping stuff out of DCs reach or to stow things.

HTH

Belgians

[HarrietJones]

lurking as dh wants a tent & I haven't a clue!
5 of us.kids are 11,9&baby.

[conculainey]

Look for the hydrostatic head fiqures (waterproofing)when buying a tent, most are 1500mm or 2000mm which is reasonably waterproof but a 3000mm hydrostatic head is much better though a bit more expensive and less common.

[3rdnparty]

would advise if you're mainly camping in the uk would want a hh of 3000 minimum and Sewn in groundsheet (SIG) due less draughts/damp - I would recommend Outwell and Khyam as brands that are family friendly Kampa also get good reviews- I found the Montana a bit big and v heavy to put up - although has a porch which is v useful although a lot of tents now have front extensions you can add later
//www.ukcampsite.co.uk
is good for reviews of tents as well as sites...

We are only 3 and have a
Outwell Virginia 5
www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/

which is plenty big enough for us easily for a long weekend- and dh can stand up in most of it as not too slopey at the front so more usuable space..

we also have a Bear Lake4 for longer trips but only bought that once we were really really sure we liked camping!

hth- looking at tents gets addictive and we went through 3/4 different ones (couple of Vangos /Outwell Montana/Nevada before ending up where we are!)