how can you call be bothered with your fecking enormous tents?

[DuplicitousBitch]

yes its that time of year again. just been camping and i really don't get the gigantic tents. must be a nightmare to put up, take down, dry etc.

Mine is pretty quick to put up. Takes us about ten minutes. Less swearing than with our old smaller tent in fact. But it is basically a tunnel tent, not one of those massive clusters of domes stuck together. I have smugly watched people take HOURS getting those up, especially in a high wind.

My DH and I are both very tall and having a bigger tent (with room to stash pram / bikes in the dry has been awesome.

i agree, some look huge and then there are the 900 quid massive jobbies ive seen in go outdoors - if it got knicked or blew away id be devastated where my cheaper smaller one id probably cry a bit but take it on the chin. Boot open, tent up can of lager popped 0-30 minutes max.

So what have you got?

We are looking at the Decathlon pop-ups and I am tempted to get the new XL, because the general consensus on camping threads appears to be that bigger is better.

However last summer we (all 4 of us) slept in the garden in DH's old 3-man.

I think it depends on the sort of camping you do. If it's short overnighters or weekends then I don't think there's much point in putting up a huge one, but for a week or more then they're much more comfortable, and better in wet or cold weather.

We have managed 5 days away in our vango icarus 500 , we have the porch extension thingy to lash on the front but i wouldnt bother with that just for a weekend though it only takes 5 mins to add on.

Ours takes an hour to put up! However it was one of only two left standing after gales in Wales!
We have a caravan now because of that though, it was very scary.

If you are looking at the pop up XL 'living space' hexagonal tent LOOK AWAY - It is shite - had one last year - you cannot attach pods properly - gaps big enough for chickens to get in and terrorize the baby, and the space is pretty poor due to slopey sides, and no SIG so drafty beyond belief. Took it back for a refund. Got a Kalahari 10 monster for the same price

I think dh likes the challenge of seeing how quickly he can do ours, tbh.

I love our huge tent but, for a long time after we bought it, did describe it as a 2 argument tent as we never managed to put it up without a couple of heated debates. We did get it down to a fine art eventually, it's worth it when it rains for an entire bloody week and you need wet/dry areas which are large and separate enough to keep everything in the dry area dry!

I like having a separate toilet cubicle and wardrobe / store. We have a porch too.

I love our huge tent (Outwell Hartford XXL), we do most of our camping in Wales though so the good middle space is invaluable in the rain, especially with 3 DS's, their mates and various surfboards. It is very well designed as well and two of us can put it up in around the same time it took us to get our old crappy four man. That said we are driving through France to Italy in the summer and will be taking two smaller pop ups as we will only be on each campsite for one night and I can't face putting the big un up and down that often.

Interesting Pinky. I wasn't impressed by how the pop-ups join on to the living space, too many zips imo - and the gaps sound really huge from what you say.

I was looking at the family 4.2 xl or the family 4.2

Ooh! I think the 4.2 xl is new - feel a trip to Decathlon coming on We still have a base seconds and find the circle pack is hard to accommodate, both in the car and at home - might be a consideration.

Yes it's new this year.

We are too scared to put ours up. We tried in the front room and it was too big. It just sits there menacingly in a cupboard.

We are having a dry run in MIl's back garden soon. We are camping fuckwits.

We had a Vango 9 berther- the biggest of all tents I had seen. It Was a PITA but forced upon us by circumstance.

It was also not made of fabric strong enough for it's own weight so we returned it. The only option we have apart from 4 rooms is one huge space so gave up and bought a bell tent (several SN kids you see, mightily complex!)

We only use middle space for storing stuff; rain etc just means go somewhere or sit under porch. TBH a large porch leading to 4 bed pods and a bag storage cubby hole would be ideal!

We had a big tent, now have a different big tent to try with added annex on the side for the loo

I think it will take us about ten hours 45 mins to put up so we are looking at getting a smaller weekend tent aswell. I like the space though, enough room to sling all the stuff and sit inside when it's raining is lovely.

Might get a Kampa Frinton for the weekends, looks nice, not too small but not too big...

We have a huge outwell florida 6 only here that we use for for long camps ie one 8 night trip nr Weymouth in august and a 12 night trip to the Vendee. It's well worth the hour to put it up if your are staying a long time. Plus the steel poles mean that it deals with bad weather much better. Last year we had 48hrs non stop rain & gales in devon but it wasn't a problem with so much space inside plus we can cook under the porch.

Getting is dry is a problem but we just hang it over the rotary washing line and kids climbing frame. I wouldn't have a large polycotton or canvas tent as you have to dry them on their own frame to stop shrinkage and we don't have room in the garden.

Also have a Frinton 4 here which can be set up, pegged and filled with bedding in 45 mins. Use this for weekends away for the 4 of us.

Have just bought a quechua 2 seconds xxl here for weekend 2 night trips away on my own with dc when dh is working. Will use it next week when dh & I camp while dcs go to grandparents for a holiday.

Outwell florida 6 link as it didn't work for anyone who wants a nosey

www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/p/Outwell-Florida-6/832

We have a massive tent with 4 bedrooms plus central living space this is great for us as we go camping for 2 weeks at a time with 3 DC's under 6.
You can imagine all the assorted crap we have to take with us. It's also nice for them to each have their own rooms and they settle to sleep easier that way too as less distractions.
It takes DP about an hour to put up on his own - which is nothing if you're camping for a couple of weeks in the same place.

Oooh Nikkid21 that is the tent we are thinking of getting for weekends.

Would you recommend it?

There is a Frinton 5 this year as well which I'm tempted by, do you find the bedroom space big enough for 4 with the 4 berth?

big polycotton tent = hot sunny holidays in France.(although it's not that big)
overnighters on the way there and back = little popup nylon jobbies.

I am now coveting a Dutch Dewaard but need to sell a kidney first

yes i would love a dewaard.

What would you recommend for (in the end) 2 adults and 5 DCs? It would be for longer holidays, but looking at the florida outwell jobby, it seems a bit big and complicated. I like the design of the pop up 4. something xl, which looks easier more practical for camping virgins but not big enough.
We've been looking at trailer tents and caravans as well, but would need to pay to store them somewhere so not sure.