Tents-advice

[knittedbreast]

Hello,

I want to buy a tent. I know nothing about tents. It must have a minimum of 2 double beds. it must be water proof and have a small bit of room at the front for shoes and things.

I dont want to spend much, can anyone advise of a good tent or tent designer? where do you get them? do you camp/use tents?

Thank you :)

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Hello, this thread is a little old and some of the recommendations might be out of date. For more up-to-date suggestions, take a look at our round-up of Mumsnetters favourite family tents. MNHQ.

Visit a big camping shop where you can see the tents set up and also get some personal advice. Our scout group favours the 'pop-up' style tents with integrated ground sheet and separate fly sheet. You can get ones that have separate pods off a main living space and they come in all sizes. They're very easy to assemble... bendy poles thread through the main parts... they're fully waterproof, relatively cheap and they dry quickly which is good when you need to pack them away.

BTW... the brand we use most is 'Vango'.

Get one that you can all stand up in, and with enough space to bring table and chairs inside so you can play cards etc while waiting out rain. Go Outdoors are cheap, and can be a good starting place, but we've had some crap quality own brand stuff from them. Kids tents came from there though, and no problems at all.

Look at the Hydrostatic Head rating, 2000 is a cheap slightly showerproof level.

I refuse to chance getting wet so we have a Vango with storm proof 5000 HH & it works!!

Why is this in AIBU?

You need something with a hydrostatic head of at least 2000m, and 3000m is better.
Look at Decathalon for pop up family tents, or Halfords packages for good vaues, such as this: here

People rate the Vango Icarus.

funny you should say that....they do actually sell tents where i work (well sort of, anyway) but they only seem to do massive absolutly huge vvv expensive ones.

vango, il look that up. any other good names?

quite like that blu actually:)

I've always used Eurohike ones from Millets. I also get one much bigger than they say ie 6 man tent for 3 of us. Can't be doing with a 3 man one if it's tipping down, way to close and personal.

I just bought the urban escape tent pack from halfords £160 for a huge tent with living area, 2 separate bedrooms, 4 mummy sleeping bags, 2 double air beds plus electric pump and 2 lamps. I am also a total tent novice but this seems to have everything for not too much money. They also do a £99 tent pack but looked quite flimsy. Good luck

Depending on where you live, PJ Camping is a fab place to buy a tent. They've got loads set up and lots of gear too. Don't be tempted to buy too big a tent, though. It's easy to get carried away!

Outwell is a very good brand but expensive.

Im currently looking at outwell nevada L. Its expensive, but it seems to tick lots of boxes.

You should ask for this thread to be moved to the camping topic

whats a mummy sleeping bag?

Outwell. I recently got an Outwell Montana 4 its fab. I flatly refuse to camp in a tent that doesnt have space to stand up in, and room for camp beds. It has a hydrostatic head of 5000, sturdy metal poles a sewn in groundsheet and great head clearance.

We've got an Outwell Montana 6. There are only 4 of us but I wanted the extra room.

As Kladdkaka says, when it's raining, you need some space!

It's brilliant. In fact, I could live in it!

Mummy sleeping bags come right up at the back so you can lie your head in the top and also pull it in tight round your head if it's cold. Like ancient Egyptian mummy tombs (I think that's where the name comes from)

I have a khyam Ontario 8 birth for the 5 of us.

It's huge but easy to put up.

I think I may like a bell tent next.

Ps there is a camping topic with lovely, friendly posters.

Vango Icarus

We've got a Gelert 5 man one which we're about to use for the first time in 7 years - first time with children! It's got a sleeping compartment bit and big living-room bit which you could fit a table in. It's plenty tall enough to be able to stand up in. I think it cost about £200 and has stood up to wild welsh weather very well.

Weve got a eurohike Sandringham , bought it in the sale for £160. Sleeps six, definitely two double beds. Loads of space and dp who is 6ft 6 can stand up in it. And its been absolutely soaked loads of times and never leaked !

can't remember the make, but there is a 4 man, 2 bedroom tent in homebase sale for £30 at the moment!

Quechua tents are AMAZING! We have a four man and a friend of ours has a huge four man one with living space. Ours literally takes two seconds to put up and about one minute to put down, theirs takes a little longer, but much better than one with poles. They're very waterproof and very reasonably priced. The only down side is that you can only get them at Decathlon stores or on the net, but i'd say it's well worth the trek.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUECHUA-2-SECONDS-BASE-4-2-FOUR-BERTH-4-MAN-TENT-POP-UP-/220817104396?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_HikingCamping_Tents_JN&hash=item3369b99e0c#ht_751wt_1141