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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.

Original poster

Right, let's say we are 'considering' camping....

30 replies

Whizzz · 18/09/2006 16:41

....short duration 1-3 nights but ideally want a tent for me, DH & DS who is almost 6. To save me trawling the net - who knows of a tent that :-
has separate bedrooms but near to each other in case DS is worried, has a decent sized middle bit and ideally an outside sheltered awning type thing (& doesn't cost hundreds of pounds!)

I assume that there are sales at this time of year, so thought it may be a good time to think about buying! TIA

OP posts:
mcmum · 18/09/2006 16:55

i got a good tent sleeps 12 but only 4 of us cos i wanted space cost £185. but know argos had some in their sale. We loved camping tried this year for first time and it was great

PeachyClairHasBadHair · 18/09/2006 17:16

Could you not borrow one? I mean, if you're planning on South Wales or the West OCuntry you're more than welcome to bowwow ours whizzz, get an idea of what you like.

Otherwise- Argos pro-actiona re not abd value for money (we had our first one from there- they usually do one at least in the new year sale quite cheap), Millets the same, or Ebay are good. Don't bid without posting ehre; for every super tent there's a rip off.

Try Gelert models; we have one of their premier range, but they also do some sensibly priced models for not much at all.

Oh and halfords of course.

For the two bedrooms close, look at tunnela nd dome configurations. Something like here would be both a decent name for an entry loevel tent, and a good shape.

dodothatvoodoo · 18/09/2006 17:24

One of the best bits about getting a new tent is choosing! We live in gloucestershire, where there's a huge camping warehouse place called Atwoolls (www.attwoolls.co.uk) they have all the tents up so you and the offspring can run in and out, see how you feel about the layout, head height etc. Plus they have a bunch of camping nerds on hand to demonstrate how easy/quick they are to put up and down. There are similar places all over the country. Why not try a quick google and see if there's something near you? We have a coleman bispace 500 , which is great. supposedly a 5 man job, but the 'bedroom' divides to make two. they also do a version with bedrooms on either end.

Good luck! the autumn is set to be so mild we're looking forward to loads more weekends away this year.

dodothatvoodoo · 18/09/2006 17:26

Here's a pile of pictures from the first online store that came up on google

here

Original poster
Whizzz · 18/09/2006 17:55

Thanks all - we will probably have to go and have a look at a few once I have persuaded DH thats its a good idea !!
I like the look of the one you posted PeachyC as it looks fairly easy to put up too !!

OP posts:
PeachyClairHasBadHair · 18/09/2006 18:02

It's a common design Whizzz, available from that cheapish one right through to expensive Sunncamp variants, worth having a look at a few and seeing what you like- we changed our minds several times before getting the Tahoma. We haven't regretted our research rthough.

the other advice is to go on to Uk campsite here and get reviews from their message bopard search (I ahve linked to the tent Dh and I fancy for weekend, purely gratuitous LOL)

Blu · 18/09/2006 18:26

Ours is like this although the sleeping compartment is divided into two. It suits our 3-person family very well for a few days. You do need something that says it is for 5 or 6 people for the 3 of you unless you want to crawl around in a cramped space with no room for your clothes! This one is a v cheap price!

Surfermum · 18/09/2006 18:34

We've got a tunnel tent and it's fab. Loads of room inside to sit if it's raining and at night. We've got a Vario 9 but you can get a Vario 5 which is the same, but with 2 bedrooms instead of 4. The front of it can be a porch or you can move the door so it's completely enclosed.

PeachyClairHasBadHair · 18/09/2006 18:39

Somerset camping- used to work next door! Met Dh there in fact, few memorioes!

All those are good tents, the trick is to find what suits you, which is the challenge LOL!

Blandmum · 18/09/2006 18:42

agree with blu that you have to double the number, so slleps 6 for three of you, slleps 8 for 4 people etc

Get things from home, plates, pans etc.

Can you borrow a righ to see if camping is your 'thing'?

Original poster
Whizzz · 18/09/2006 18:47

Yes, my brother has a tent we could borrow but its only a small berth dome one. We have things like blow up matresses & sleeping bags. Good tips all - thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
Whizzz · 24/09/2006 17:25

Been to look at some tents today & I fell for this one - anyone got one ?? Just wondered how tricky it would be for novices to put up! One we'd seen this one, all the others looked tiny Not bought anything yet though

OP posts:
Blandmum · 24/09/2006 17:30

Looks nice.

For a dead easy tent to put up have a shufti at one of these

this one sleeps 4 but they also do an 8 berth, can get it for a lower price if you shop around

dreamcatcher · 24/09/2006 17:58

Whizz- I'd avoid inner-up-first type tents cos if it's raining when thy go up everything gets damp before you've started, and if it'sraining when you take them down it takes forever to dry them at home. Also think about where you're going to put a camp stove if it's wet....the entrance of alot of them have very sloping sides and that means having it in the main tent or in the rain.
We bought an outwell nabraska this year and although it's bigger than we really need, it was easy to put up, very roomy and we won't out grow it!!

Original poster
Whizzz · 24/09/2006 18:14

this was another we like although not seen it 'in the flesh' !
Good tip about wet weather erection (oo -er)

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LunarSea · 24/09/2006 19:03

If you've one near, go and look at the tents in Decathlon: they don't seem to be shown online, but the value for money is brilliant. We bought a T4.2XL this summer for less than it would have cost to replace the pole we broke last time we were camping.

Original poster
Whizzz · 25/09/2006 18:59

OO - Haven't got one of those shops near us. Still can't decide...

OP posts:
Original poster
Whizzz · 30/09/2006 14:50

Right - this one has grabbed us here
Question - is it too big for novice campers to handle ?? I really like the headroom in the bedrooms & the fact that the ground sheet is all sewn in & the porch bit with the wind breaks.

Your views please, oh camping gurus !

OP posts:
Pixel · 30/09/2006 21:10

Looks like the same layout as the one we've just bought . We were attracted by the headroom and sewn-in groundsheet as well but we haven't actually tried putting it up yet!

Original poster
Whizzz · 01/10/2006 17:30

Yes we saw that one - but liked the fact that the one we were taken with didn't slope down too much in the bedrooms which made it feel very airy. We are still dithering !

OP posts:
minx69 · 09/10/2006 11:21

We have a huge behemoth tent but my mate has the coleman bi-space and its a great weekender tent.
Get the 500 tho, not the 300 as the headroom is lower in the 300.

We got our tent from Somerset camping btw!!!

minx69 · 09/10/2006 11:23

Whizzzzz

OMG!!! We have the big brother of that one!!

The Campus Brekenridge delux (has an extra bedroom)

For a novice they arent tooo bad to put up but if the ground is uneven you do get some touching of the outer and inner (altho even in really heavy rain it didnt leak).

It is a large tent tho with 8m x 8m footprint so some sites wont accept it (pitch too small).

Its really a week tent not just a weekender tbh.

Original poster
Whizzz · 12/10/2006 18:56

Thanks Minx69, we got a bit scared of the large green marquee & are now seriously considering this one Much smaller footprint & we can take a bedroom out to give more space

Anyone got one ??

OP posts:
Pixel · 16/10/2006 01:48

That one doesn't look like it has a built-in groundsheet though. Our old tent is like that and although taking out a bedroom to give more room can be very useful, it also makes it quite draughty we found. I just wondered if you'd noticed as you mentioned before that you liked the built-in one.

If it has got a built-in one just ignore me, it's late and I should have gone to bed ages ago!

earlysbird · 16/10/2006 10:37

We have an Aztec Asilo, used 3 or 4 times, that we are selling, as have got a new Wynnster. It looks like this 2 bedrooms sleep 3 adults easily, big central space, let me know if you're interested?

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