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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.

Talk to me about pop up tents

16 replies

changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 11:46

Please!!

I used to love camping, and am thinking of taking the DD's away this summer.

But given that I'm a single parent, I've been looking online at one of the Quecha (sp?) pop up tents.

tente.quechua.com/en/tent/r-10,a-77,seconds-family-4-2-xl.html

Could I actually put one up by myself? Eldest DD is 12 and youngest 9 so they could help a bit.

OP posts:
changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 11:47

sorry link fail!

like this

tente.quechua.com/en/tent/r-10,a-77,seconds-family-4-2-xl.html

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AitchTwoOh · 25/04/2011 13:02

yes you can. no probs. i have a couple of the base seconds and can do them both, with perhaps some tiny assistance from the five year old...

supersalstrawberry · 25/04/2011 13:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

maxybrown · 25/04/2011 14:38

changing I am soon to be single parent too and want one of these. I also don't drive though Confused so hoping would be able to carry light - only one DS! Be interesting to see how you get on Smile

IloveJudgeJudy · 25/04/2011 15:15

Friends of ours had that tent. a whole load of us went camping together (about 8 familes). We all looked open-mouthed when we saw them putting it up. It literally went up in under a minute. they then had to peg it out. I was quite jealous, actually. I'd like one, but can't justify it.

I would definitely get the people in the store to show you how to put it away. There's a definite knack to it. It went down in about two minutes. Fantastic.

Plenty big enough for three of you. At the moment they're doing a grey pop-up for £39.99 that I personally would get if you're doing more than about a weekend, just in case of bad weather.

I think pop-ups are fantastic.

A couple of years ago we were in France and about three families arrived, put up one/two of the £39.99 pop-ups in the middle, ate etc in those and added the very small pop-ups all around to sleep in. they were set up in a very short space of time. They stayed for about 5 days.

DollyTwat · 25/04/2011 15:19

I have one as I'm a single parent and they're fab. Go up in seconds, just peg out. I would say ok for a weekend camping, but I am a fair weather camper!
Practice putting it away before you go. You fold it twice like a pop up tent. I knew my friends would laugh at me so I practiced lots in the garden.

changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 15:48

Ohhhh glad to hear it's all positive so far.

I will go with DD's to Decathalon and investigate further.

While I'm there, what else do I need?

Camping cooker
Water carrier
Sleeping Bags

And ?

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IloveJudgeJudy · 25/04/2011 16:09

Go outdoors are doing a camping stove for £20.00 atm so my DBs tell me. You might also want to invest in a camp kitchen to put the stove on and store your food. Also, wouldn't buy a water carrier, just use big mineral water holders for the holiday and throw away at the end. all collapsible water carriers are rubbish ime.

Also, use plastic-backed picnic rugs for everything. Between the airbeds and the sleeping bags, on the floor of the tent, down to the beach/for a picnic. I would make sure you take loads of blankets. You don't want to be cold at night. You dont have to buy sleeping bags straightaway. You can use duvets from home if you have the room in the car, just to see if you like camping. You also need pillows. You can also take them from home. I have now bought cheap tesco ones as they're cheaper and smaller.

You might or might not want to buy one of those collapsible, usually blue, picnic tables and chairs (£29.99 in Tesco or argos). We find them invaluable to eat from, do colouring at, play games at, but you might survive without them. We have found the tables at Decathlon quite expensive, but worth looking at.

On another thread another poster and I extolled the virtues of collapsible crates to store stuff in, like wellies, clothes, food. I also use the blue Tesco bags for stuff.

what about lights? They sell some quite good ones in Wilkinson. the ones in the pound shops are OK, but not as good quality. You might want a coupl eof wind-up torches for last thing at night toilet trips.

Crockery/cutlery. I would just take a picnic set. That's what we did at first. that meant we could use it for day trips as well as in the tent.

Can't think of anything else atm.

PonceyMcPonce · 25/04/2011 16:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

5GoMadOnAZ650 · 25/04/2011 16:19

We have that tent and I can set it up alone and only need assistance just to hold the back when I start the fold but a child could do that easily. I would definitely recommend the 4.2 seconds base, we are a family of 6 and spent a lovely 3 weeks in France touring with it. I'd also recommend a Quechua tarp, we use ours as a cooking shelter mostly but it's so versatile.

PrettyCandles · 25/04/2011 16:21

Quechua pop-up tents = excellent

Don't by any means be seduced by a cheaper, single-skin tent (eg Gelert). They are a disaster and do not cope at all with condensation.

If you can, get a tent with a porch - very useful for leaving boots/wellies etc, and for keeping the tent dry inside when entering or leaving in or after rainy weather.

I can put uP and take down our 3-man tent by myself. It is easily big enough for an adult and two dc, though perhaps not for a long trip.

When I first went camping with our 2-man tent a couple of other campers had been eyeing it all weekend, and making jokey comments just within my hearing about how they would have the last laugh when I tried to take it down. Yes, they had a good laugh, but at themselves, because first they scraped their jaws up off the grass, then called their families to watch, and begged me to do it again!

changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 16:26

See that tent is only £219 which I think is a good price - I'd have plenty left for kitting it out - and I have an old Renault Scenic, so I've loads of boot space for sleeping bags and stuff.

I just think it looks fab and the kids would love it.

IloveJudgeJudy thanks for all that info - was thinking of one of the folding tables, and a couple of camping chairs.

Bikes can come too - I have a bike rack that goes on the towbar of the car.

Ohhhh getting excited Grin

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Ineedalife · 25/04/2011 16:38

I have a quechua 4.1 seconds base which is similar but only one bedroom.

It is fab and I can put it up and down on my own. Get them to show you how to do it in the shop.

The kids will love having there bikes on the campsite, my Dd3 cycles everywhere even to the loo and to brush her teeth etc.

Go for it it sounds like you can't waitGrin.

changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 17:09

I am sooo excited.

I am looking at holiday parks and where to go and and and

Thinking about it, I have them this weekend so if I get my posterior in gear we could do a wee couple of nights to make sure it works ok.

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Ineedalife · 25/04/2011 18:38

two nights is perfect for a first attempt, you will get the idea of what is essential and what you can leave out.

It is going to be chillier this weekend so Take some warm layers and maybe a hot water bottle each for a cosy bedGrin.

When it is cold, I put my jarmas on when I put Dd3 to bed and put some joggers and a jumper over the top.

For me there's nothing worse than putting on cold jarmasHmm.Grin

EnjoyGrin.

changingmynameagain · 25/04/2011 19:06

Good advice on the jammies Grin

One of my best ever memories was a weekend camping with our girls who were tiny at the time and 12 big teenage boys and trying to get kit dried for them

And me and exH were "in charge" of them and were all worried they'd sneak off to the pub.

He went out at 11 to go to the loo and they were all in bed fast asleep Grin

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