Please help me find the 'perfect' tent

[missismac]

We are 6, including 2 adults (me & DH), 2 teens (DD15 & DS13) & 2 boys (DS's 11 & 7). We are camping in Italy this summer & have set ourselves to buy a decent tent to replace our cheap sainsbury's ([embarrassed]) one. It's possible one or other of the teens will sleep in their own separate tent.

I would like to have enough space to stand up inside easily - I'm 5'6", cook & eat if we have to and have some hanging storage. Our Dutch neighbours in the dordogne last year had a lovely one (we were soooo the poor english campers on that trip!), but I didn't get the name of it.

Is there anywhere in the south east where we can go 7 look at tents?

Also any top tips for camping in Italy in July?

'at' tents - I meant 'at' not 7.

Sorry.

Did your Dutch neighbours have a tent like this?

Lovely tents, a bit on the pricey side though [understatement] and you'll have to drive to Holland to see and buy them.

Best bet is to see if someone here can advise where you can go and look at some tents and have a shufty round. Nothing beats standing inside a tent to decide if it is right for you or not.

Can't help with camping in Italy sorry but as it probably will be hot, like proper hot not pissy British hot, I would recommend you look at canvas or poly cotton tents.

De Waard porn. I want not only the tent, but also the locations. Drool.

Oh my.

Those photos are beautiful Sal.

One day maybe...

Yes Slubber, was hoping someone could reccomend me to a 'look at tents' place somewhere in the southeast (we're in SE London).

The dutch really seem to have camping down to a fine art. last year our neighbours table each night was laid finer than ours at home ever is. We looked like right cave people by comparison!

Have a look at Yeoman's website. They tend to do big outdoor tent shows all over the country usually in the spring.

I've only come across a few Dutch campers and I totally agree with you, they do it so well and not a SNIFF of bunting or solar-bleeding-fairy lights about their set up. I would walk the long way round the field to the loos last year just so I could marvel at the unfeasibly tall and attractive Dutch family in their de Waard last year.

missimac, I found it really hard to see canvas tents in person (we're SE London too) - campsites are your best bet. We viewed various and bought a bell tent in Holland though as I'm slightly unstable , but that won't work for your family imo. If you do want to see or try a canvas tent before buying your next one, I can highly recommend this site in Kent, so easy to get to. It's small, basic, and allows campfires. I love it.

Why I recommend experiencing a canvas tent to a "modern" one is that it really does make the world of difference. We have a perfectly nice, relatively new Vango tent, but after having camped in the bell I just can't switch back. We even tried one weekend recently and I just hated the sound, the smell, everything really. Others prefer that, and I think you're probably in a good place now to decide before you buy.

Go and have a look at Camping International in Gillingham in Kent. They do have quite a few tents up in a fairly small space, and they definitely know their stuff.

also, some friends of mine bought a secondhand canvas tent for about £60 two years ago that definitely would have been big enough for your family. When I was a child, we went camping in a canvas tent abroad, 4 children, six years between oldest and youngest so it can be done.

It might only be February, but its lovely looking at camping threads again.

Am only just getting to grips with "British" camping - is "Dutch" camping like earning a PHD in it?

I have little experience of Dutch campers, despite camping in Holland but that was with eurocamp so doesn't count.

The family in Bala just did it so well.

Not a croc to be seen, or pyjamas at 11am. They were very well turned out and their whole set up was so beautifully organised and just so it brought tears to my eyes.

I will be be continental camper spotting this summer. 6 weeks of observations of the Germans and Austrians.

I know, I saw your thread earlier in the month about going away for the summer holidays - what a fantastic experience for the whole family!

Do you envisage taking six times as much stuff, or will your legendary packing system be ramped up another notch or two? What changes do you think you will realistically have to make to your "normal" setup?

Yes, sorry for hijack missismac.

notwaving, nooooo I am going to have to cut back on stuff, seriously cut back . The bloody car is packed to the gunnels for a week or two in the UK. I just love DB's Five Bird Roast analogy. Just like that, with repeated rearrangings of the roof box in order to lock it.

I just can't face unpacking and then repacking the car over and over again while we move about for six weeks.

Utility tent is out.
Camp kitchen is out
1 small bag of clothes only
1 pair of shoes
1small bag of toys

Am going to have to somehow down-size the four plastic boxes of essential stuff into two.

Gah

Am in denial hence new purchase of table and stools today.

OP depending on how far you're willing to travel, we're off to the boating and caravan show this weekend at the NEC which is boasting a tent pavillion! here

Foe the same reasons as you, we're looking for a tent, 99% sold on a bell, but just want to check out a few other options beore we order. (Not sure any belltents will be exhibiting though - but we've seen those before)