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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

Would I be mad getting an 8 person tent...

23 replies

belly36 · 21/07/2010 18:43

...for a family of four? It has 4 'bedrooms' I assume me and DH would sleep in the same room.

But I think some of the room dividers can come down to make more of a living space.

It's a Eurohike buckingham or something.

OP posts:

PandaG · 21/07/2010 18:58

I don't think you are mad getting a big tent - our long holiday tent is nominally a 12 person, for 4 of us! (4 pods, but you'd be pushed to get 3 adults in a pod)

I would check what the HH (hydrostatic head) is on the tent, 2000 minimum, 3000 better, and I would recommend pitch all in one, or outer first - much better for pitching in the rain

hth

choufleur · 21/07/2010 19:00

We've got a 6 man for 3 of us. We got it cos it's got a large 'living' area and a porch, which is handy to put wet stuff in before going into the actual tent.

going · 21/07/2010 19:02

We are a family of five and have an eight man tent - it's fab! Our is about 4 x 7 which means it's fits on one pitch, with some really big ones you have to pay for two pitches so double check you won't have to.

Fennel · 21/07/2010 19:51

Well I think so, but we camp a lot and we value the short time needed to pitch and strike a tent. We have a 4 person for 5 of us and we consider it plenty big enough. It's so easy.

I know the rest of the world disagrees with me on this, but in the end you don't want a tent so difficult and huge to manouver that you don't bother going camping.

BettyisNOTBlu · 21/07/2010 19:53

I like having a small easy to put up tent, with no rooms. We tend to go for long weekends and I wouldn't want to spend all that time putting it up. Also am a tight wad and wouldn't want to spend extra for huge pitch.

But I can see that when our eldest hits adolescence we'll probably have to cave and get one with rooms. Will keep the bell tent for weekends away, with just the two of us

Fennel · 21/07/2010 19:56

oh, betty, you are the first person ever on mumsnet to agree with me on that.

I think when our dc get older and want privacy they can have their own tent anyway.

AnnoyingOrange · 21/07/2010 19:58

we have a so called 8 person tunnel tent - 2 sleeping areas - one each end and a living space in the middle. It is great for a family of 4

and very quick to erect

SanctiMoanyArse · 21/07/2010 20:00

Yay and nay

We camp a lot and we are hoping to get a smaller tent fort weekends (within reason- there are 6 of us!) as lilke fennel says why waste time putting up?

But for week long and more trips we really value our space and have a 9 berth tent. Two of our boys have SN so we need the rooms really.

So the answer is: depends what you want it for, really. And whetehr you have a car. That matters with big tents.

BettyisNOTBlu · 21/07/2010 20:11

Fennel, we can unite in our small tent club! (although I feel a bit fraudulent - have friends who camp in tiny pup tents and think our 4m bell tent is a palace - which of course it is!)

nappyzoneloveschinesefood · 21/07/2010 20:32

Small is beautiful (im also tight) , dh also would never go if it was a complicated affair so we have a 5 man for 4 but this yr have just got a canopy to extend it if we feel the need. Our tent has to enable me to do it alone so i can but pretend dh is being helpful and needed at the same time.

moogalicious · 21/07/2010 20:45

we have a roomy 6 berth which is about 4x7 and it's dead easy and quick to put up, easier than our 4 berth. In fact, I can manage it on my own (with no arguments or sulking ). There are 5 of us.

domesticsluttery · 21/07/2010 20:53

Can I join the small tent club?

We have a 4 man tent for a family of 5 (DC are 4, 6 and nearly 8). I appreciate that as the DC get older we may need more room, but I'm thinking more along the lines of a pup tent for the boys rather than a bigger tent.

A friend has just bought an 8 man tent and it is HUGE. She can't pitch it without help and it takes them an age. It is also bigger than the single pitches on some sites, so costs more.

However, we only tend to camp for 3 nights max. I could see the need for something bigger if we were doing a fortnight!

deepdarkwood · 21/07/2010 20:59

We have a 8 man tent for a family of four. It's great for weeks away, and when the weather is crap - I wouldn't go smaller for 'proper' camping holidays.
But dh & I have been discussing getting a smaller tent for quick weekends away. It does take a while to get it up and sorted - and I do envy people who can chuck their tents up and be drinking exploring 15 minutes after getting into the site.

SO the ideal is both

nearlytoolate · 21/07/2010 21:06

fennel, domesticsluttery, what are your tents?
We have managed to procrastinate for so long about buying a tent but have promised ourselves we will get one in September. I am leaning towards the small and quick variety but it still needs to be big enough to have some living space inside, and space between the sleeping compartments. any thoughts?

lunavix · 21/07/2010 21:16

We have the hi gear kalahari 8 for family of 4. love it.

domesticsluttery · 21/07/2010 21:18

We have got this one

It is cheap and cheerful, but it sleeps 2 adults in one bedroom and 3 kids in the other, with plenty room in the middle for our stuff. Although the HH is only 1500 it kept us dry in Snowdonia monsoons over the weekend

upahill · 21/07/2010 21:25

We have a very large one for when we are camping in the same place for a while and a smaller one for weekend camps.

The answer you need to ask yourself is just because you have more room would you take more stuff .....just because.

Smaller makes you think more about your packing.

Larger gives you more room for luxury (glamping I believe it is callled)

Fennel · 21/07/2010 22:22

Ours is a Vango Diablo 400. You see them all over the place, along with their bigger relatives. 2 sleeping compartments, SIG in the living area (we sleep in there too), and non-SIGged porch for cooking in wet weather.

We find it spacious, I wouldn't call it small at all.

We have 2 small backpacking tents too, they are properly small and light, we use those for backpacking or one night trips sometimes.

We go camping up to 8 times a year so we do a lot of putting up and down.

nearlytoolate · 21/07/2010 22:30

fennel, domesticsluttery - thanks. fennel i think that's one of the ones I was looking at. DH is a bit keener on an expensive big one but I'm not so sure...

Original poster

belly36 · 22/07/2010 22:30

Hmmm is only HH 1500, will look again...

OP posts:

JeezyPeeps · 22/07/2010 22:58

I have this: www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/acatalog/clearancetents_horizon_8.html

It is FAB! We go away (3 of us) on a weeks camping holiday in Scotland every year. The first year we had a poky 3 person tent. It was cramped and uncomfortable.

This is heavy, admittedly, but has so much room and I LVOE it. I wouldn't bother with it for a weekend, but for a longer trip it's great. It doesn't take long to put up, has 3000HH and is also available in a 6 person version.

Lovesdogsandcats · 23/07/2010 14:11

domesticsluttery I have the tent starter pack, like you, but mine is the Halfords one.
Ours has not rained in either!

I agree with who said the bigger you go, the more crap you take. We have the minimum needed and no more. Does not stop me looking at new stuff, but why buy if you don't need it?

castleonthehill · 23/07/2010 19:02

We have a colman darwin 7 for four of us but you can't get it any more. WE need to replace it so are looking at a maritsa 700 we like to have a big living room and I need to have a bed (mobility problem) will proberly buy when I see a good dea

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