Help me choose a tent!

[jollyjester]

Starting camping as a family last summer, did a few 1 / 2 might trips with a vango Beta 350 for me, DH & DD (aged 2)

This year we are planing a couple of longer trips so I want to get something bigger that we could stand inside and have more porch space. I don't want it to be too heavy and would like one that we will get a few years out of.

I think I've narrowed it down to the Vango Icarus either 500 or 600 or the Outwell Nevada.

Has anyone any experience of either or can make any suggestions?

We have a Vango Icarus 600 I think and it's brilliant. lots of space in the porch to sit and play games if it's wet (or for the baby to roam around). We can get 4 chairs in the porch plus blanket for people to sit on. Easy for us to stand up in but then we're shortarses.

DH tells me it's the Icarus 500. Anyway, it's great.

We had one last year. DH is 6ft and had loads of headroom. Would recommend it.

Thank you, I'm going to get in touch with a few local stores to see if I can see them up.

Bit hard cause I'm in Northern Ireland and camping stores are somewhat thin on the ground!

Another Icarus 600 here and I love it. Plenty of room, really easy to put up. I can do it by myself if I need to. I've got the open canopy but I think I might get a closed one too for extras flexibility.

Whatever you do, don't forget to get a carpet as well - such luxury!!

We have the Outwell Montana 6. Tis big and quite heavy, but has loads of room. From what I recall, Outwell are more expensive than Vango. If I was to buy again, and couldn't afford Outwell, i would seriously consider Hi Gear (?)... Go Outdoors range of tents...their Corado range is modelled on the Outwell but much cheaper. Obviously doesn't have the Outwell quality, but looked great nonetheless.

I researched loads online at ukcampsite.co.uk. Theres loads of help forums and tent reviews, including photos of actual tents and set-ups.

Cant wait to start camping with our 15 month old dd and two dogs this year!

And yes.........get a carpet.

I wish we had a Go Outdoors over here! I had seen the Hi Gear ones and they did look good, but I would be reluctant to buy something I haven't seen up.

Can't wait to get DH on board, he's still in winter mode!

jollyjester, Decathlon in Belfast will have their tents up at some stage but a bit early for them yet - they do a display in the car park as well as have some inside. If you are anywhere near Ballymena there is a place called Killagan Outdoors - it is just of the main Ballymena to Coleraine road at the turn off for Ballycastle, he gets Vango seconds in and makes good whatever is wrong (our last Icarus 600 had a rip in the bag and one of the pins that goes into the ends of the poles missing - both fixed before we bought it) if you phone him and tell him what you are looking for he will arrange to have it pitched for you to look at. We have had 3 Vango tents from there. Cotswold Outdoors also usually do a tent show in May time at the Scout Centre at Ardnavalley in Belfast - from what I remember from the last time we went they had a good mix of both Vango and Outwell tents.

Thanks Ademanlu!

That's great to know, my 2 year old is asking every day when are we going camping? Hopefully we getting a dry spring and summer!

We have an outwell Georgia xl. Tis awesome.