Family tent that can cope with windy weather

[gairdeachas]

I wonder if anyone can help with their experience of camping in wind / wet weather. I have 3 children (6,5 and 3) and my husband and I are both experienced campers, although we are used to 2-man mountain tents!

With great excitement a couple of weeks ago we bought our first family tent and went on our first family camp. We went for a Vango Orchy 600, went camping on the kintyre peninsula. the weather was dry but quite windy - I wouldn't say excessive, though.

Well the front pole split within an hour of pitching tent. Luckily we were able to fix it (my husband had scoffed at me for packing duck tape initially!). During the night the other poles were bending alarmingly down into sleeping area, actually hitting us. Luckily they didn't break.

Fortunately I was able to return the tent for a full refund, but now I don't know what to get.

We could go for a slightly smaller tent - the Orchy 600 was more than adequate. Most of our camping will be in Scotland, so tent needs to stand a reasonable amount of bad weather. An insect net on at least one entrance is essential. Don't mind whether sleeping compartments are all-in-one or separate.

Budget is issue - don't really want to spend >£300, unless will withstand a hurricane! Orchy was cheaper, but am resigned to going up a level of pricing.

Any recommendations (or even what definitely NOT to go for!) would be much appreciated, my kids are desperate to go camping again!

Thanks

[nikkid21]

We used to have a wynnsyer satelite 12 here that coped with some very windy conditions. It was the only tent standing in our group of 4 famillies 2 years ago after gales in the Isle of Wight. However is a geo dome type that doesn't fit on standard pitches and didn't have standing room really.

We now have a Florida 6 here but it hasn't been tested in proper weather yet. I'm a little concerned about the wind scooping into the awning to be honest.

[wufti]

We have a Wild Country Homestead tent, which is a tunnel design. Their range of tents are very well made and well priced if you do a search on the internet. Downside is that they are heavy as they have steel poles and quite bulky to pack but if I remember rightly, they are guaranteed not to leak and they are pretty good in windy condition conditions - we have never had bent or broken poles.

[duckyfuzz]

we camped on the souhern tip of Arran in our old aztec asilo (dome with 2 bedrooms off it) and the wind howled but we survived - I think domes are generally better, if scary

[morleylass]

We have a Kyham Rigidome tent, they are designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and have been used as expedition tents. Ours is several years old so not the new models so I don't know the price now. They are costly though but can often be found secondhand on ebay, they are also quick to erect compared to lots of other tents
hth
x

[smugmumofboys]

Is there any camping weather other tha wet and windy?

We have a Vango Diablo 600 and it has withstood some serious wind and rain.

[choufleur]

have you looked on ebay. we got a vango diablo 600 for £100. it's second hand but in perfect condition - only used previously a few time.

[gairdeachas]

thanks for all these suggestions, certainly got a few pointers now! I think I am going to go for something with steel / alloy poles rather than fibreglass - weight not an issue and have had problems with fibreglass poles in a smaller tent too!

[troutpout]

I would recommend the wild country halo 43 as a economical sturdy tent

[sundew]

Hi - I would also highly recommend the Kyham Rigidome tents - ours has withstood some extremely wet and windy weather and would second what morleylass said - they are very quick to errect.

We have a XXL Classic which is a generous 6 man tent. It will probably be at the top end of your budget but worth every penny!

[bunnyrabbit]

Vango has a Tension Band System (TBS) on some of their tents which make them very stable in extreme weather. I've had an Equinox 350 for well over 10 years now and an Oregon (discontinued unfortunately but like the Tigris) both of which have stood up to gale force (literally) winds.

BR

[ramblingmum]

We have a Outwell Minasota and I have been very impressed with it in wet and windy conditions, Most resently on the Cornish coast. It is quite heavy due to steal poles but these make it ridged. It has a sewn in ground sheet and mesh in both doors, But we have yet to test it against the Scotish midge.

[nannyL]

My sister borrowed my vango orchy 2 weekends ago

it was extreamly windy and many other tents on their site caved in / collapes / broke.

along with delta and rock pegs my tent was fine and fully waterprrof even tboigh the rain didnt stop for the entire weekend

[nannyL]

Just realised you had an Orchy

[EachPeachPearMum]

We have the equinox 350 too- bomb proof reallly... only problem is we are now a family of 4! DH slept in the porch this weekend
There is a 450... but I think its the same size as 350 with a bedroom in the porch- but probably fine as you could open it for use in day, and just seal up for sleep.

[serinBrightside]

We love our little Gelert Cadiz that we use for weekends. It recently survived when all around us the tunnel tents we falling apart.

[PinkyMinxy]

We've got a Vango Aspen and it's a rock solid 3 season tent. Not sure they make them anymore, though.

[GromitFan]

Hi there.

I'm probably going to cause you to say avoid Vango as we've just had to cut a holiday short due to wind breaking 2 sections of our poles and bending quite a few other sections.

The tent we have/had (depending on whether we get new poles) is a Vango TBS Equinox 450.

Sure it was windy where we were, but not so windy that our 4 year old daughter couldn't stand unaided outside the tent.
Really would have expected more from a tent that Vango class as for Mountain Use.

Athough we paid about £180 for the tent, pretty sure the RRP of the Vango TBS Equinox was about £330 at the time, so not cheap.

We also are experienced campers, having come from a backpacking background before having dd.

Hopefully someone has a good recommendation.

Only thing I'd add to your essential list is that you can pitch either outer first or all together. I know we certainly had to pitch the tent last year when it was pouring with rain and was very glad it went up all together. The idea of getting an inner soaking does nothing for me.

[hettie]

I would go for something with alu or steel poles- also have you thought about polycotton or cotton? The weight of the material really helps with stability. Thye tend to be expensive in UK (although should be a bit cheaper at end of season). But you can order them online fomr a dutch site here

[mum2s]

We have an Wild Country Homestead 52 which we bought and used this summer. The week we went camping it rained and was blowin up a storm but it withstood everything. It has steel poles which are heavy but it's not a tent that you're going to be backpacking with so that doesn't matter. It's very easy to pitch, has SIG and comes in a rather fetching pale blue colour. We were also camping in Scotland

[Washersaurus]

Outwell tents with steel poles are very sturdy and waterproof - our Montana has withstood some horrible weather, when other tunnel type tents (and a Khyam Ridgidome) collapsed.

There will soon be some good offers about as almost the end of the season.

[Insanity]

I also have a Wild Country Homestead 52 which we camped in for the first time last week and would highly recommend it!

Very sturdy and good quality tent,
apparantly wild country is a part of Terra Nova who make mountain type tents and know there stuff!

[Ripeberry]

Something totally different, but it has withstood very windy weather when all tents around us were being blown down or away.
We use a Soulpad bell tent and it has a metal pole in the center and the main thing is to have really good pegs!

[saintlydamemrsturnip]

Was going to say the soulpad as well. One person can put it up really easily as well. (I did).

We had wet and windy weather and it didn't leak and didn't budge.

We have the bedroom bit as well to separate us from the kids.