Which tent to go for?

[Mckayz]

We are new to camping and are looking at tents. There are 5 of us and the DC are 6, 5 and 2.

We aren't sure which is the better style of tent. This one with a bedroom at each end or this one where you have 2 bedrooms but they are together.

DH is worried that the DC will disappear into the night if we have the one with the bedrooms at each end.

Is one better than the other or is it personal opinion?

Thanks

I think it is definitely personal opinion but I am with your DH and while she is young would prefer to have DD at the same end of the tent as us. We have had a bell tent up to now, so all in together, but we have just bought a Vango Palena where the bedrooms are at one end and having the three of us together is mainly why.

Also I think tunnel tents (like the Palena) are supposed to be easier to put up but am happy to be contrdicted on that as I have never tried either type.

We have the two bedrooms together exactly because our youngest (4) can be really restless. At the moment we keep the zip between the sleeping pods open so that she sleeps right beside me and I can settle her quickly. I like having them close for now and it's easier to keep them quiet until a decent hour when they wake at dawn o'clock if we're all together. I'm sure in years to come that will change! Happy shopping!!

What about this?

I think it will be easier to put up, you have the option of having the bedroom screen up or down, 1.e one big space or 2 bedrooms, there will be more headroom throughout the sleeping areas, Vango is a great brand - and it is not bright blue!

(Personally I do not like bright blue tents, I like more natural colours against the trees etc. But none of them do any favours to your complexion )

Oooh that is a nice one Blu. I will send the link to DH to have a look at. Thanks.

Blu I second the Vango Icarus. We have it and it's brilliant and really spacious. We bought the porch attachment for it and it's now even bigger it's very good for the price!

I haven't got an Icarus but if I was about to buy a replacement for our 'big tent' (a 10 year old precursor to the Icarus) I would get one. And as I don't use the old tent because it is a pain to put up compared to my 2SecondsXXLllll pop up I am quite tempted to get one anyway....but then the pop-up is pretty much OK for our needs. Except for the lack of a SIG in the porch area....

The old one, by the way, is a pain to put up because unlike the Icarus the tubes for the poles are full length, rather then the poles just going through loops in the lower section, because it has a dome bit - like the blue one you linked, and it is a pain threading the poles across each other, and because unlike the modern Icarus it can not be folded and pitched 'as one'. Simple tunnel tents are v easy to put up, and the Icarus has the good tension band system for stability and strength.

Can't go wrong!