To think fuck it and buy a new tent!

[CoffeeAndShortbread]

Posted here for traffic....I'm raging as NOT so 'D'H has had a complete meltdown and screamed at the kids that the camping trip we had planned for tomorrow is cancelled. (His fuckwittery is a subject for another day - so not looking for LTB etc that is being dealt with separately)

I'm still going and will do it on my own as I'm not being yelled at by a control freak and being scolded like a child.

The question is do I take the Montana 6p (Huge steel poles)the kids are 10, 8, 8 but are like chocolate teapots (Adhd/Asd, yes all 3) and ask for some help at the crucial stage from a neighbour/ warden OR do I say fuck it and buy an inflatable tent from decathlon?

I'm an experienced camper but the tent is a bit big, with heavy steel poles.

I'm torn as a new tent even if expensive will be smaller and we are away for 7 days, with some rain strongly possible, but on the other hand it would be so much easier with an inflatable.....

So wise people in my phone what's a girl to do?

YABU - Take the old tent and save money

YANBU- Just buy the inflatable one and make life easier, plus no begging for help from randoms

1 + 3 smaller ones I'd buy a traditional 4 person Eurocamper or Vango with a decent porch

Stick with the tent you know. They're not too bad to put up on your own - I've managed our 12 person one although it's easier with help.

Other campers will help - our first camping holiday, DH helped our neighbours put up their tent as I was sick and sleeping it off.

We also have Adhd/asd kids so I know how stressful it can be. But at their age, dependent on how their asd/Adhd affects them, I'd give them the site map and get them to work out things like where the nearest water tap/toilet/shower block/play park is. The older one can be on hand to pass tent pegs or mallet it.

Have a fabulous week!!

@minisoksmakehardwork

Stick with the tent you know. They're not too bad to put up on your own - I've managed our 12 person one although it's easier with help.

Other campers will help - our first camping holiday, DH helped our neighbours put up their tent as I was sick and sleeping it off.

We also have Adhd/asd kids so I know how stressful it can be. But at their age, dependent on how their asd/Adhd affects them, I'd give them the site map and get them to work out things like where the nearest water tap/toilet/shower block/play park is. The older one can be on hand to pass tent pegs or mallet it.

Oooh....Great idea! It will be about a 3 hour journey so they'll want to stretch their legs. A Map with "Important places to find" will be perfect, and stop them roaming willy nilly about the camp site.

I've got festival style bracelets with my mobile number on it in case they get lost.

I'd take your own tent, there is always someone to help on a campsite.

depend on the size you need and the kind of trip.
smaller tent, 2 berth possible in pop up or go for 3 2 person pop up tents.
air beams are great as well but huge and heavy.

Take the old tent. Have a look at hey cross camping method (I think that's what it's called) on YouTube. I used it when I took three kids under 5 camping with a tent far too big to put up on my own! Life saver!

Sounds like you have a good plan. Main reason for me not to quickly buy an air tent tomorrow morning is surely you’d want to research and choose carefully- they’re not cheap! (And if they are I might not trust them as much as a trusty montana…)

We just replaced an Indiana 6 (I think an older version of the Montana 6) with a lovely big air beam and I would def recommend in theory. Much easier to put up - though I might have found it hard getting it into the car by myself, great big 45kg bag.
Hope you have a great week!

I've just bought a 6 person air tent. It's polycotton too. It weighs a tonne. I'm not convinced that it's any easier to put up. I'm saving it for family holidays and am still using a much smaller 3/4 man poles tent for going away with the kids on my own. I wouldn't bother buying an air tent just for this. They are expensive. Instead borrow a smaller tent from a friend.

Have a great break. If you were camping next to us we’d help you!

Surely he'll come? It's a family holiday.

Very soon your kids will he able to go in pup tents and you can have a more manageable one. We had some great holidays in our big Outwell but I was glad to see the beast go.

Put our air tent up this week with two kids under 11 (also choc teapots) when DH got called by work, and it was very easy. Can I move the tent bag though? Can I fuck! It must be 60kg.

I can drag it across grass, out of a boot but not a hope of getting it into a car boot or up any sort of incline.

Good luck OP! It only has to be put up once and taken down once. Bring chocolate for all once it's up. Have a lovely time. Go sister!!! 💪💪💪

We have a large 6 person pole tent just like the Montana, and a similar sized Berghaus air tent. The air tent is a million times easier to put up than the pole tent, and is rock solid in high winds. It is also massive when packed and extremely heavy (takes up most of the boot of our medium sized estate car) so limits how much other stuff we can pack. The pole tent is such a faff to put up that my preference would def be to take the air tent if you can. We got ours after seeing other people put theirs up so easily whilst we battled with our poles. Now we get lots of people asking about ours as its so quick to put up and so strong in bad weather, they often say they've got tent envy!

You are me.
Couldn't bare taking him camping in the end the amount of poles that broke.
Now upgraded to a huge blow up one. No going back. Its wonderful

BTW loads on market place for those that only did stay cations once.

Good luck OP! Take at least 2 mallets so you can get some help with the pegs. You might find DC are super-helpful when it's just you and them. I find it easier to get them to help than to entertain themselves while I do it - including autistic DC. It's a different dynamic when it's just you and them.

We have a huge inflatable awning, which is a doddle to put up, but is incredibly heavy, saying that if I were to camp, it would be inflatable all the was for me.
Enjoy your holiday.

If you can afford it, I'd buy a new one.

We bought a Coleman's Weathermaster air tent - blackout bedrooms are a game changer.

I'm sat alone with my autistic son in our tent as DH went home (3 hour drive away)
But you find most people are very friendly on camp sites and love to help out.
Op have a lovely holiday and enjoy your time with the kids as they grow up so fast

How's it going?

I know it's too late for this trip but it might be useful info for someone:

I'm 5"1'. I've got this 8 man pole tent and it's really easy to put up by myself : www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/coleman-cortes-octagon-8-tent.html The only trick is to get the flysheet over the top before adding the bottom part of the upright poles, so you don't have to get it over when it's up at full height.

It is heavy but comes in a wheeled bag so actually easy manageable by one person. I don't know how it compares to an air tent but seems from what others are saying it might be lighter.

OP - hope the holiday is going well!

If I saw you I’d help you. So would all my friends. Someone will lend a hand. Enjoy your trip and save the £1k air tent budget for your future