Tent recommendation

[Embarrassedmum]

Dear All, Can anyone recommend a camping tent I can put up easily by myself? It's for me and my son (4 years old) however ideally I'd like to buy a 4 person one so it's not too cramped inside and he has a bit of space to play inside if needs be. Thought now would be a good time to buy one as there are lots of sales on. Think I'd like one with a built in groundsheet and also one that can withstand a bit of rain. Any suggestions gratefully received. Have also posted on single parents section. many thanks x

[mel2005]

bell tents are fab, i have a 5m one and there are 6 of us, i can put it up in around 10-15min on my own, they are really strong and would be a forever tent as long as it is put away dry. they also look really great and have a great feel inside. you can get 3m and 4m ones as well, i think the 3m ones are £200, i paid £340 for my 5m one from soulpad with free delivery.

[clangermum]

We've just tried a Quechua base seconds 4.2 for the first time. There are threads on it further down (bought it on mumsnet recommendation). If you do a search on YouTube you'll see someone putting it up - definitely OK for one person to do. The middle bit just sort of flicks out, then you fold down the two sleeping areas and peg it out. Very reasonably priced too.

[dancingintherain]

Ooh yes, quechua base seconds 4.2 family xl ( i think that's right) - easy peasy to put up and plenty of space inside. Ours survived torrential rain and flooding in Sussex last weekend - I love it!

[troutpout]

I'd def go the pop up route if I was doing it myself.

[needanewname]

Another vote for bell tent here.

We have a 5m ZIG, I'm a short arse and can easily put it up and down by myself in no time at all.

The pos ups do look good, but how do you put them away again?!

[clangermum]

Definitely a technique to putting away the pop-ups, but once you've got it they're fine.

[mogs0]

I've just camped for the third time in my 3m bell tent and am still amazed at the speed and ease of putting it up and taking it down.

Lots of people suggested I get a bigger size but I couldn't afford it and don't have the space to store or transport anything bigger.

I camped last night with 9yr old ds and his friend and we fitted in it perfectly.

I also have an outwell Carolina m which I can put up myself but is much harder work than the bell tent. This one has a huge living area though so if the weather isn't great then you'd have lots of space for you both to hang out during the day.

[SherlockHolmes]

I have the Quechua Base Seconds 4.2, which is very, very easy to put up on your own. Putting it back requires a bit of practice, but is still simple compared to taking down a tent with poles. If you don't fancy that, then a tunnel tent (with 2 bedrooms at the back) with metal poles is probably the second easiest. I used to have one of these coleman weathermaster when DD was 5, and easily managed it by myself, as the design is straightforward. I think the more domed and the more poles, the more tricky it becomes! Good luck and hope you find something you like.