Base Seconds owners - please come and tell me what I need <offers cake>

[ChippyMinton]

Thank you

Have got several different trips planned this summer, which, to be honest, I could happily have a different tent for each outing.

But putting my sensible hat on, I reckon a combination of Quechua pop-ups would probably give us the most flexibility. I could use the 2 Seconds on their own, and add a Base when necessary.

What do you have, and would you recommend it?

Oh, help yourself to cake - coffee & walnut traybake, Victoria sponge with lemon curd & cream filling or cherry & choc-chip muffins, and

Wow, that's an awesome set-up. It's got a passing resemblance to the domes of the Eden Project .

I'm waiting probably in vain for a special offer on the Base Second Full. Even used ones on ebay they are going for practically full retail price

Base 4.2 is amazing in how fast it makes and collapses at home time. Ours wasn't fully waterproof in torrential rain storm though

So [dim] will my 2 Seconds XXL IIII connect to another Decathlon tent?

That's what I'm banking on Quenelle. Mine should be here in a couple of days. How do you find it?

We've only used it once for one night so far but it was so quick to put up - 8 minutes including pegging out. And easy to put away as well (we did practise in our garden first though).

The bedroom's a good size and there's plenty of room for me, DH and DS 2.9 to sit on our big, comfy chairs in the living area with a little table and DS's box of toys/books.

It will be perfect for overnight stops between Calais and our main site in the Dordogne in June. And it packs nice and small so won't take up much room in the car alongside our mammoth 6-man tunnel tent.

I almost wish I didn't know about the connecting to other tents thing. It opens up a whole new world of shopping. It's a jolly good job I don't live within driving distance of a Decathlon!

Do you think you could put a Base Seconds together with a Vango Icarus. We've got an Icarus and are hoping to go to Latitude but with 3 or 4 adults and 2 children it won't be big enough. I thought maybe the Base Seconds could be slotted on the side for additional sleeping. What do you think? Maybe we just need a separate tent.

Latitude, can't wait!
Base seconds seems more a social space than a sleeping area, but I may well be wrong
Base 4.2 is great for bed area, we have ours next to small camper van

It's here!!!
I'm going to put up in the garden right now

How did it go Chippy.

I am IN it now, with my laptop and a chocolate milkshake, enjoying the calm before the storm of after-school excitement.

Very quick indeed. It took 10 minutes to put up, including rummaging in the shed for a tarp to go underneath to keep it clean .

It's plenty big enough to sleep me and three skinny DC, with a spacious porch bit I can just about stand up in.

Bet the boys ask to sleep in it tonight

Where is the 'Like' button?

Congratulations! Hope you're all tucked up in it now. Mmmm, new tent smell.

PeskyPiskie, you can get a bedroom inner for the Base Seconds if you want a more cosy night's sleep. We fit a double and a single airbed in ours with a bit of room to spare.

Now cursing DD who has something on at school this weekend so we can't go away. I want to be camping!!

Brr, too chilly for me, so we might do it tomorrow. DH supplied some foil blankets to go under the SIMS, so we should be ok.

Just popped back to say that I managed to fold it up and pack it away, with just DD holding the instructions up for me, nodding in a wise fashion and making encouraging remarks.

I'm flogging all my crap treasures on ebay to pay for a Base Seconds Full, and then it shall be a home from home.

I had my 2 Seconds Air III up in the garden today and DS2's Ben 10 tent. And we had a barbecue - al fresco living starts here!

It is a really lovely tent = love the side vents.

DH had to help me fold it up.

If we're ever all on a campsite together we'll be able to build something that looks like those Habitrail set-ups!

That's brilliant, Frantic.

I am in love with the Base Seconds Full. And I want an X Living Area to party in. Presumably each of those five points could have a tent attached?

Think the XL only has 4 doors (and 2 walls) but it looks like they would twin with the Base Seconds OK. So you could have an XL in the middle, two Base Seconds Full either side and a couple of 2 Seconds coming off each of them.

Ok, you'd need to book a whole campsite rather than just a pitch, but it would look pretty awesome!

at Frantic's hamster mansion!

I had the XL and tried to twin with the Base Seconds on three points - it does not work well as there were large gaps - chickens kept coming in to peck my 7 week old baby. It was awful in the wind and rain too, and so cold. And thousands of zips! The XL only really twins with another XL. We were given a full refund for the tents, but kept a Base as it is fab on its own.

I do not think a base would work with an Icarus, but is a lovely big pup tent or utility.

The XL is not good for parties either, unless you are 4ft tall as the sides really come in sharply. It would be good as a shelter if all the doors were unzipped possibly, but would be poor at keeping the rain off - an expensive inferior gazebo really.

I love my Base seconds though!