Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

Original poster

Tell me about air tents

11 replies

MaggieFS · 12/08/2022 13:24

We need a new tent, two adults, two young DC. We don't tend to camp for more than a week at a time, mostly weekends. Happy to invest for a purchase which will last a long time. Want to be able to stand up inside and have living space inside in case of bad weather.

I know nothing or air tents. Are they worth it? Any features to look for? Anything to avoid?

Also keen on any specific tent recos people have as the existing threads on here are seem a few years old.

OP posts:

StillMedusa · 12/08/2022 13:42

I've just come home from camping. In this weather.
We have had many tents including currently an airbeam tent (a Decathlon one)
They are quicker to put up to be fair but they do come with their own problems... they sometimes need pumping up a bit more in the morning (temperature changes)..and if it's really hot..they can go bang!

I was camping with a group of about 20 families (special needs charity) and three airbeam tents went bang (sounded like gunfire) as the heat expanded the chambers and they split. Mine was ok as I deliberately under inflated it, but then had to top up in the mornings.

So the upside... quicker to erect , somewhat quicker to disassemble (but you do have to squash the air out after most of it has come out)
Downside.. rips, and unexpected explosions

I like my little 6 berth one for trips but I still think a decent steel poled one is more reliable and will always keep one on standby!

DappledThings · 12/08/2022 13:48

We camp twice a year, once at a festival and once at a campsite.

About 5 years ago the air ones started appearing everywhere and seemed massively popular. This year I was looking for them and couldn't see more than about 1 in 30 being an air tent.

This is entirely unscientific observation and I am totally biased because u always thought they looked prone to failure, but on my observation I'd say they fell out of popularity quickly which would suggest they aren't too reliable.

DappledThings · 12/08/2022 13:50

I am totally biased because u always thought they looked prone to failure
I mean I always thought they looked prone to failure, not u! I have no idea about your preconceptions! Bloody autocorrect.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Camping

magicstar1 · 12/08/2022 13:51

We got one after being caught out in a bad storm last year. Our old tent collapsed but the neighbour's air tent was still perfect.
We've used it once and it was brilliant...very quick to put up, felt very sturdy, and easy to take down.
I'll take note of the heat problems posted above if we go away in the hot weather!

User4670 · 12/08/2022 13:53

I have a vango capri 500 air tent. It’s 5 years old now and never had any problems with it. I have never had to top up the air in the beams after the initial pump up. It’s easy to put up and take down but pack size is big and heavy and takes up a lot of room in my boot. It has a nice porch area on the front which you can sit under if it’s raining (which it usually is when we go camping). If you are going to get an airbeam then don’t get a cheap one as the ventilation and air beams might not be great so I would try to spend as much as you can afford in it to get a good one. I really rate vango, I think they are affordable and well made.

2tired2bewitty · 12/08/2022 13:56

We have one and love it, we have an 8 man berghaus one which dh can put up on his own in 15 minutes which is a massive improvement on its predecessor which once required almost the whole campsite to stop it taking off mid construction!

we camped at the end of July just after the super hot weather and didn’t have any problems with exploding tubes, though dh did mention that he was aware of the issue.

boingy · 12/08/2022 13:56

We've had an air tent for a few years now and never had and problems with it.

PuttingDownRoots · 12/08/2022 13:58

Currently camping in our berghaus Air6XL

Pros...
Its solid.
Blackout bedrooms (3)
Massive living area and covered porch.
Easy to put up (one adult could do it, easier with two)

Cons
Massive pack size
Heavy

This is our 3rd summer, many trips.

Oddly, I've noticed the people most critical about them don't have one.

blackheartsgirl · 12/08/2022 14:15

I’ve got a berghause 4 man air tent. It’s brilliant, even I can put up on my own in less than half an hour.

I think both pole and air come with thier own problems. I’ve had both types and would never go back to a pole tent for anything 4 man or above. It’s very stable in the wind.

personal preference though.

GreenManalishi · 12/08/2022 14:16

Air tent excellent here, great in a storm, has weathered a couple very well and with fairly low noise, so easy to chuck up that the kids can do it, not tested at high temps so can't comment on the explosion factor! (ooh and black out bedrooms an absolute must from now on, total game changer!)

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 12/08/2022 14:26

We have one, it's a 4 person (1+1+2) Outwell. We've used it about 4 times - we bought it just before the pandemic.

We are currently on our way back from a trip to Orkney with it, where we had to take it down as the wind was gusting 36-40+ mph. It was struggling to stay up, but so were the other large tents on the site. I don't think the tent stability issues we had were to do with the air beams, it was to do with camping on a very exposed headland in a storm!

Fortunately DH had thrown in one of our old 4 season mountaineering tents,which was cosy, but stood up to the storm.

Flip