Please please help me find a tent

[PartyFops]

We are going camping for the first time in the summer, we are going with some friends and it is also their first time.

We will be camping only an hour or so away from home.

I had my heart set on a bell tent, and I know that alot of mumsnetters rate them. But what are the negatives?, DH met some people the other day who were seasoned campers, they apparently laughed when he told me that we were planning on bell tent.

So, what are the alternatives?

There are only 3 of us, me DH and our 4 year old DD. But, I like lots of space, dd needs to have her own bedroom bit, (i was going to put a black out tent in the bell just for her) and I want a roomy double compartment for me and DH.

We were looking at the Vango tents which have the lights out bedrooms, I need dd to sleep longer than 5am.

I need something that is easy to pitch.

Budget wise £600 max.

Can't afford a nice Vango air tent which would be perfect.

Thanks

The negatives of bell tents are the lack of separate rooms which it seems might be an issue for you, and which can create a bit of a messy tent, the lack of windows which can make you feel a bit isolated if you are stuck in the tent in the rain, say, and the sloping sides which cut down the usable space. That said, I love mine, though we have been using other tents, a Vango Palena and various pop ups more recently.

The positives are the loveliness, the coolness of the cotton in hot weather - you aren't burnt out of your tent at 6am - and the opportunities for glamping them up. You can do that with standard tents but it's not quite the same.

Vango are a good make though and you can often get good bargains on ebay. Outwell are probably a bit better even, but I don't know if your budget will allow. If you do get a Vango, try to get the awning and footprint and anything else you think you might want too, as they change styles fairly regularly and old awnings etc can get very hard to source after a while.

We've just bought an Outwell Oakland XL. Its supposed to sleep 5, with a 3 man compartment (which would be a roomy adult compartment) and a 2 man compartment which your DD could use. Not sure about the blackout option though? Obviously a different style than a bell tent, but we've had a Vango previously (a Diablo 600) and the Outwell is much better quality (seemingly - only done a dummy pitch so far, not actually camped in it). We bought it from an elderly couple on Preloved, got the front awning and footprint too.

Up until getting our bell tent we had a suncamp 800 it has 3 blackout bedrooms at the back with an optional extra bedroom on the side and comfortably held all 8 of us bit worked equally well with less and the spare room then used as a toilet room, probably a bit big for you but as a brand they do blackout bedrooms rather well.

You can get inners for a bell tent to make bedrooms.

Also I think how you sleep makes how you enjoy camping, so get the absolute best sleeping bags you can, then make sure you have something underneath your airbed ( of you're using them) we used foil insulation mats.

For your first time I'd try and borrow or buy second hand. Loads of people try camping with all the kit but then decide against it.

If you enjoy it, take a look around the campsite and see what other people have as their set up. People are usually more than happy to show you their tent and say what they like / don't like.

Bells are supposed to be easy to put up BUT they take a lot of drying when wet and are usually heavy and bulky anyway so may take up more space in your car than you thought.

Pop up tents are supposed to be straightforward to put up and tunnel tents are the easiest shape to put up if you don't want a Bell. I'd avoid anything with pods or unusual shaped bits.

The people probably laughed at the Bell tent idea because they are seen as a bit clichéd but ignore them.

Also remember that whatever you buy is an asset and could be sold on quite easily if you don't like it. There's so much to think about when buying you won't know what suits until you are doing it.

Try UK campsites for other advice.

I'd second the second-hand tent suggestion. Also, if you find that you like camping, it is likely that you will want to change tents (grass is always greener).

I would suggest starting with a unsexy looking second-hand Cabanon. Canvas, well proven, strong, spares available etc. The only downside is if it rains on the day you are packing up, you will need to dry it in the garage before packing it away.

BTW I have had all sorts of tents - 2-man Vango to 18' Yurt. The problem with bell-type tents is (1) expensive / nickable (2) poor standing headroom (3) poor privacy (4) often low entrance, (5) despite looking nice, the round shape is inconvenient.

Beyond age 25, serial bending down and/or scratching around on hands and knees is to be avoided IMHO.

Something like this would 'see-you-right', be inexpensive and let you decide if you actually like camping. A dark coloured pop-up-tent in a bedroom would let child(ren) sleep later and contain mess.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cabanon-aruba-/151641948759?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234e908257

Cabanon 'are' lovely but the canvas makes them a little heavy and might be tricky for a first timer to put up ..

I want one of these www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/robens-midnight-dreamer-tent-74110191

has an inner blackout sleeping bit .

Vango Isis? or this Vango?

These would be easy to pitch - and the Isis 600 really is roomy.

We also have an outwell oakland xl and love it. The living area is big, the bedrooms ok, our 2 dcs have the big bedroom and we have the small one. It's a great family tent IMO.

Wow! Thank You for all the advice, I'm off to look at the links now.

We have some very good friends who live 400 miles away and we are hoping that camping will take on do that we can see each other more often with the kids. Also, when dd starts school we will only be able to holiday during school holidays.

I would second the advice to get a tent with an awning and footprint: it gives you somewhere to leave muddy shoes where they won't get rained on, so the inside of the tent stays nice and clean (though take a brush and dustpan to sweep out before you pack up and go home).

We've had the same Outwell tent for more than ten years and it has been used for four two-week holidays and various long weekends. It's still going strong.

We're not doing a proper camping holiday this year and I'm actually a bit

gingeroots
I agree that Cabanons are heavy / bulky. However, so are all canvas tents. I don't know how they compare to a Bell tent.
I put my Cabanon in a roofbox, leaving the back of the car empty. A small trailer would be ideal.

The problem with the tent linked to is that:
(1) no vertical side wall therefore tricky to cook up against (cab has a great cooking alcove), (2) non-cotton - IMHO cotton is superior (despite being heavier and slower to dry) - warm/cool, (3) not cotton + steel frame => flappy, (4) cab has an impervious roof, therefore no leaks

If you buy a new tent, it is likely to drop in value by 50% after the first weekend camp, more v soon.

Also, cabs are well tried and tested - very few complaints other than unsexy

I used to camp with groundsheet, but one year forgot to pack it and went without (did put tarp under bedroom compartments though). Loved it. Grass feels nice in bare feet, kids dropped mess & liquids disappear, no sweeping. Amazingly, if your pitch isn't in a dip, it remains reasonably dry even in heavy rain.

The ideal would be to by a little trailer with cab and all equipment from someone with mild OCD :) - £600 would probably cover it. I am surprised at how often these come up OCD is common too
Second - www.ukcampsite.co.uk

I do agree that canvas is much more comfortable than whatever the other tent material is ! But I couldn't have coped with it as a camper starting out .

I do like the look of those Vangos Blu ...

Try and get to a camping or tent show..you can see selection already pitched..and if you see one you like they discount the models at the end of show.
My advice when buying a tent is always buy the biggestvyou can afford, plenty living space with good headroom if camping in uk as misery is a cramped tentt in the rain. Ask friends if they have one you can borrow and practise pitching it with them b4 you go.

We got an Outwell Montana 6 with extension, thinking the outlay would be worth it for the holidays we'd have. It's fantastic....loads of space, big airy feel, huge windows and most importantly a sewn in groundsheet. Shame DH was diagnosed with RA so we can't camp anymore. ??

We bought a Hi-Gear Corado. They are go outdoors' own brand, allegedly not so good/cheaper than Vango, but it's been great. The tunnel shape tents give the most headroom and ease to put up and the corado has oceans of space. It has steel poles that are very very heavy, I struggle to move the pole bag, but it stands up to a cornish cliff top in a high wind just fine when all around are in a right state. Its a bit much to pitch/take down in a weekend and we might get a cheapo fling up for quick weekends away. I second that an awning is a must for family camping, somewhere safe to cook in the rain and strip off muddy gear without it all coming in. A tent carpet is also an essential for me if camping in the UK, and we take a couple of ikea rugs for the bedroom floors, definitely helps cosy it up. If you won't be having an electric hook up decent, rechargeable lighting also worth investment and you can charge up using the fag lighter in the car during the day. If you can afford extra awning and it comes as an optional extra buy it. pitch with all the zips done up. There are helpful reviews on ukcampsite.co.uk (can't seem to post link). Always go 2 people up from what size it says or it will be 'cosy'. Personally with an 8 and 6 year old (and limited cash) if the weather is looking shit we postpone our trip. There are some second hand bargains to be had. Have a lovely time and the MN what to pack the ads are great for getting started!

I've just bought a Vango Lumen V 500, which looks like the Meadow linked above but with Airbeams. I got a package deal with the carpet and bought the footprint elsewhere, and it came in at just under £600 for last year's model.

So, I've paid a fortune for airbeams, which I knew I would - but I also knew that we'd never go camping, just DD and I while DH is working, if I was at all worried about putting up the tent on my own. We've tried camping in a bell, and it wasn't for us - too much stooping for me and DH even in the largest one, and we wanted more space. I was desperate for a large porch, and rejected the Capri because the porch isn't very deep - my thinking is with this model, I'll be able to stick a windbreak up, and cook under that, or go out and get fish and chips to eat which is probably more likely.

My main issue is - can I glamp a Vango? I'm going to damn well try.... I can't wait for it to arrive, particularly when we've had such nice weather today.

Forgot the link. It's been a long day sorting out the garage, so I have room for all the new camping gear . Vango Lumen Tent.

My advice is always go a bit bigger than you think you need with a tent. We have an Outwell Glendale 5 for the 4 of us and it's brilliant. Lovely big middle section with carpet 2 bedroom pods that can be one big one and a porch bit for shoes/cooking. Good luck with your chosen tent - have a great holiday :)

Costco have the Coleman brand. They look roomy and well made. Weatherproof rating 2000 - any thoughts on these? they are really good price to other tents I've seen - seem too good to be true

We have a Hi Gear Sahara 6 and we absolutely love it! Three double pods off a big circular living area with plenty of space for a table inside, and room to stand up and walk around. I don't know if Go Outdoors still make them but I've seen them on ebay etc.

Just out of interest, are there any other advantages to canvas other than coolness (I have never ever been too hot in a tent!).

Condensation can be a bit of a bugger when you are in a nylon tent - hot bodies inside, cold outside.

They don't flap /aren't noisy in the wind . Sounds trivial but in high winds is a huge relief .

Think block sun more and I think are warmer as well as cooler . Feel more substanial when inside .

Wish I had one ...

maamanic - I think tents have come on hugely interms of quality in last few years .Even cheaper ones are great .I don't have personal experience of brand you mention but our cheap Decathalon ones have been fantastic .