Going to carfest- help me decide whether I buy a tent or pay for pre-pitch...

[shopalot]

Never been camping before and never thought i would be going!! But with 3 children and dh holidays are so expensive so think it may be something we try for weekends away in the future.

So do we pay for a tent to be pre-pitched by Greenfields-the advantages there are the ease of it and I am being swayed by the more exclusive toilets and shower blocks. Or do we buy a tent?

The pre-pitch is £119 for the four birth (we are five) so a bit of a squeeze. The eight is £229 so could buy a tent for that.

If we buy a tent I love the bell tents and am justifying it by the fact I could pitch it in the garden for the kids to play in.....or parties etc!!!!! Not sure what size we need.

If I buy a "normal tent" which are cheaper but so much choice.

Please help....

Get a bell tent. They are fab and, as you say, you would be paying a substantial amount of the cost of buying one in hire if you go with Greenfields. If you do get a bell, for 5 of you, get a 5m - it is best to have the extra space.

They are big though - if you plan to pitch it in the garden, you will need a big garden. By the time the guys are out you are talking a 7m diameter circle.

Thank mummy. We do have a big enough garden-live n the country! I am being swayed but still worried as the 5 m is so much more money.

It is a lot of money I agree and you do need to be sure it is the type of tent which will suit you. If it is, then you will love it forever and will have it for all your camping weekends rather than spending a couple of hundred pounds just for a weekend. There are showrooms/showsites you can go to have a look at them if you are not sure, or go to a campsite which has them onsite and ask to look round. I am sure no one would refuse.

Cost is an issue definitely. We have stuck to the basic version with a separate groundsheet and, so far, have never regretted this even in some fairly inclement weather. You may get the odd bug, of course, but, to be honest, any tent, even with a sewn or zipped in groundsheet is likely to get the odd bug. And you do save a LOT of money that way.

If you can find any way of getting hold of an Obelink tent (taking a weekend away in the Netherlands perhaps and viiting their showroom or, if you are holidaying elsewhere in Europe some time getting them to deliver to where you are staying), they are by far the cheapest at the level of the basic tent (325 euro for a 5m). Soulpad seems to be next at £370. Belltent.co.uk comes in at £399 plus £10 delivery (they sell Obelink tents but have a restrictive agreement with Obelink preventing Obelink from sending bell tents to the UK and Ireland - you can find comment on this on here).

Then there are other sellers you can find online at higher prices but they may use heavier cotton or have mesh screens over the doors etc. so they are worth looking at too.

If you go for a zipped or sewn in groundsheet, the savings you can make with Obelink tend to reduce and, again, I think Soulpad are probably a good choice cost-wise (though I admit I haven't compared recently).

Otherwise, you could splash out for luxury at Carfest and see whether a bell tent is for you and make a decision for next season....

Oh, there would be extra shipping costs for Obelink's tents too - I think it works out around £15/20 roughly but it depends where they are going to.

Thank you so much. I am off to google the tents etc. I have also been keeping an eye on eBay. soulpad does seem good..........

AT only 119 quid for the pre pitch PLUS nicer loos and showers... I'd be VERY tempted to go for the pre pitch. Pre pitch tents tend to be reasonably generous on space, so 2 + small kids should fit OK. You won't have to carry a tent in from/ out to the car park or amuse 3 smalls while trying to put up/ pack down your tent before it rains.

Is this car fest south? I'll be working on that site this weekend - Field to fork festival at Laverstock Park- I'll take a look at how muddy it gets for you...

I know what you mean Unis. Yes it is carfest south. The tents are run by greenfields camping but I can't find any reviews on them so I guess they must be a new company. The four man tent they supply is a Coleman Coastline so not sure if there is enough room for five of us. Ds is 10 ds2 is 8 and dd is 5. Dh and I were thinking that we could sleep in the living bit but wondered if it may be a bit "light". The next size up that they do is for 8 so much bigger and twice as expensive. The nicer loos is persuading me though as I do have issues with public toilets lol

www.outdoorworld.co.uk/coleman-coastline-4-deluxe-tent click the "more views" plan to get details.

2 inner tents, each at 210 x 140cm wide on floor. will all 3 kids fit in that space. or one adult in each with 2 smallest kids in one and largest in the other.

I have slept in the "living bit" of a similar tent. It was quite light, but steamed up over night to provide frosted glass effect by morning. That was 6 teens in a 3/4 man tent.

Thank you Unis. I think we could squeeze in for two nights. There won't be much sleeping anyway. However now am thinking could we fit not a 3 m bell. I can afford one of those!!!

Back from the farm, after a VERY wet weekend.

I have to say that that site is not a very well draining site, expect puddles if the weather is wet. Its pretty exposed to wind as well.
My money would still be on squish into pre pitch if you can. It could be a very long walk from the car park, the farm is MASSIVE.

Overton village is in walking distance with a range of smallish shops.