Easy to pitch tent that you can stand up in

[JustBeingJobless]

Never done the camping thing before (well, not since girl guides!) but have become disabled and have very limited muted earning capacity, so looking for cheaper ways to holiday.

Will be for me and 11yo ds (will be 12 soon), who is a pretty experienced camper with Scouts, and fairly adept at putting up/taking down the tents they use there.

I’m not so great on my feet, back problems and can’t bend for any length of time, or lift more than about 20kg out of the car. I need to be able to stand up inside the tent as stopping will kill me off!

Would ideally like to spend no more than £200. Quite fancy an inflatable, but are they as easy to take down as they are to put up? Would like something that I can lift out and ds can do most of the work ideally!

Also would like a porch type thing for cooking under when it rains (or is it better to get a separate shelter for this??) and preferably an all in one ground sheet to minimise wildlife invasions!

Any recommendations?

Other questions I have:

When inputting the size of pitch required whilst booking, is this the footprint of the tent alone, or do you have to take into consideration having a windbreaker/table outside in that as well?

One of the things that have always worried me about camping is how easy it would be for someone to just walk in the tent during the night. Is this me bring paranoid, or does it actually happen? And what can I do to minimise it? Think I’ve watched too many dodgy horror films

What would I need to connect up to electricity? I’ve noticed a few camps have this option and it would be nice for charging phone and ecig etc. Do I need special voltage things to plug into that?

Also, airbeds/camping beds - any recommendations? As I said, I have a back condition so cannot do sleeping on the floor, but figure an air bed would be comfier than some of the beds I’ve slept in on holidays in the past.

Is a portaloo a necessity? Just thinking about in the middle of the night etc.

If you’ve read this far, thank you Any advice for this novice would be welcomed!

[JustBeingJobless]

Sorry for all the typos - must proof read!

[ShowMeTheElf]

1)You won't get an inflatable for £200.
2) An adept 12YO can put up a lightweight tent, so look for something with flexible poles.
3) Portaloo not necessary if you can walk in the dark/with a torch and don't need to go to the loo lots.
4) It is better to have a separate shelter for cooking; also keeps weight down of main tent if you need to lift it.
5) electric hook up needs a special cable with a round end to plug in and a gang socket on the end you put in the tent.
6) Beds: Depending on what is more comfortable for you: airbeds can be cold so you'll need to have matting under it to stop the air inside betting too cold: camp beds are off the ground so not as low for you. SIMs are warmest but you do get what you pay for. Our SIM was as much as our tent and more than our mattress at home. If comfort is your priority (and lets face it camping with a bad back is pretty grim) I highly recommend the Outwell Dreamboat12cm.
7)

[JustBeingJobless]

Thanks for the response :)

I was looking at one at decathlon under £200 the other day but I don’t know if they’re any good. I don’t mind going 2nd hand if it’s decent quality.

Good point about a separate cooking shelter reducing the weight of the tent, I hadn’t thought of that.

So if I go for an air bed, I’d need say a camping mat underneath for insulation? I’ll have a look at the SIMS as well.

Is there any particular make/model of tent you’d recommend as an easy one for ds to put up?

[ShowMeTheElf]

I've just googled the decathlon. Presuming that you will be fair weather weekenders to start off with and there are just the two of you sharing a bedroom then it is excellent value!
It has a 2000mm hydrostatic head so wouldn't be great for a wet week in the wind, but for short breaks it will (on paper at least) be perfect for your needs: 1 bigger bedroom for the two of you means you have a bit more space for dressing and getting in and out of bed.
We have used decathlon pop-ups for years and although I have no experience of the inflatable tents I can recommend the decathlon build quality for the tents we have had.

[yasmin05]

Look for coleman tents. I think they have those that you are exactly searching for.

[Zampa]

You may get an inflatable tent for your budget via eBay. Look off season as things do get more expensive in the run up to summer.

Our inflatable tent is incredibly heavy though so think you would be better off with a lightweight pole tent.

[Changebagsandgladrags]

How much space do you have in your car for stuff? You might be better off getting a folding bed with a mattress if you cannot sleep on the floor.

On electric. If you're just going for the weekend and you only need it for charging then a powerpack might be a better idea. You charge it at home and charge your phone etc from that. You get a cheaper pitch without electricity.

For someone to walk into your tent they'd need to fumble about with the zips to get in. They could if they wanted, but it's unlikely.

Cooking. We just have one of those one-ring gas things with a canister inside. For a weekend we only really want tea and a fry up.

Tent. If you go to Decathlon/Go Outdoors type places you can normally go inside them.

[JustBeingJobless]

Thanks for all the responses. We would, initially, just use it for odd weekends away, plus a week in The Netherlands in the summer, as we usually go there and stop in a static caravan, but it’s less than half the price of we camp. We’d be quite happy sharing a bedroom, so no need for huge amounts of space.

The car isn’t massive, but as there’s only two of us, the back seats can go flat and there’s quite a bit of room so I reckon we’d fit a fold up bed in. I managed to fit two full size mountain bikes inside the car, plus luggage for a weeks holiday. I can also borrow a roof box if need be.

Cooking wise I guess it would be more just a cooked breakfast, and I’ve got one of those pans with different compartments, so only need one or two burners max (prefer two so I could boil the kettle as well!).

I might take a trip to decathlon and have a poke round those inflatable tents. I know they’re heavier but I think the one I was looking at was under 20kg if I remember rightly.

Just thinking re electric and I can charge stuff in the car. Hadn’t thought about that, plus I have a power bank that I could take, so would just need battery lanterns for inside.

[hillbilly]

I have an outwell bird land 3 with front extension. Sleeps 2 comfortably, can stand up in it and I use the extension for cooking. Great tent and easy to put up. Might be a bit more than £200 though. I bought mine last year incl extension, footprint and carpet for just over £200 second hand but it was in perfect condition. Good luck!

[JustBeingJobless]

Just found this on Go Outdoors website. Never heard of the make but it looks pretty good:

m.gooutdoors.co.uk/discovery-adventures-airpro-deluxe-4-man-inflatable-tent-p432774

Any opinions?

[hettie]

I get the inflatable tent option.... Don't know the brand you linked to. If it was me I might be inclined to go for a second hand/ebay option and buy an outwell inflatable (or another brand that have barn doing it for longer)...

[ILookedintheWater]

Comparing the discovery and the decathlon I'd get the decathlon. It's much lighter than 20kg and decathlon are generally are good tents for the money. Spend as much as you can on the beds: try them in the shop. I too suffer a bad back and getting the sleeping right has improved the camping experience immeasurably for me.

[NannyR]

I quite like the look of the Khyam Freelander tent - 3/4 man tent with a living area that you can stand up in and it's supposed to be super quick and easy to pitch. It's £350. I've not seen one in real life though.