Someone tell me which tent to buy from these 3, before I completely lose my mind

[SalveGrumio]

I sold our airbeam because dh hates camping and it was too big and heavy. So I have £400 cash to spend, but I'd quite like some left over to buy extra bits.

I have narrowed my search on local selling sites to:

1. Vango Icarus 500- comes with carpet and extension (but ext has missing pole and small tear)packs to 70 x 25 £120

1. Outwell nevada m - comes with footprint and carpet, sewn groundsheet had small hole which has been repaired with tape. £150

1. Outwell Minnesota- comes with extension canopy. Has steel poles, so much stronger, but pack size bigger than other two slightly 80cm x 49cm, but still half the size of old tent.

I have researched, I have read reviews, I am sending myself a little bit mad. Tell me what to do.

How many people? I paid £250 for vango avington 6 man tent with footprint. Huge tent that can be put up alone. We looked at the icarus. Do you need the extension? How much for spare pole? I csnt be doing with carpets get too dirty

Steel poles would be great but is it going to be much lighter than airbeam.?

The steel poled minnesota is not really what I was looking for, but I sort of fell in love. You are completely right about weight and size, both of which were central factors.

Me and 2 dc, one 9 and one 6. Possibly, occasionally dh for a weekend. Maybe.

I don't like the bloody carpets either, but everyone goes mad for them.

The extension isn't essential, but would be good as a canopy/extra space if/when it rains. Less than a tenner for the pole I think.

How much have they been used?
If a few summers in Southern Europe, walk away. UV shortens the life of tents.

For that money I’d get this one, we have an Outwell Nevada M but never use it now as this one is just the right size for three. www.decathlon.co.uk/air-seconds-family-4-xl-fb-id_8384154.html

Chats does it come with the beds? I was camping next to a family with one of these last week and had serious tent envy

I wouldn't get the Icarus. We had one and there was an air vent hidden somewhere that ants poured into when we were camping in France. Took us ages to find it and tape it up.

Oh God, I asked a friend for help deciding and she keeps sending me links to bell tents!

Nah i dont get bell tents. All too hipster for me.

I have a bell tent, I love it and it's easy to pitch single handed, but I would only get it if you have space to dry it when it gets packed away wet. Major pita otherwise and if the airbeam was too heavy, it probably would be too unless you get a polycotton one. Plus they're definitely colder in the UK unless you get an inner or a stove due to all the extra height.

LEM
Didn’t come with beds! Do you mean the inflatable ones that go under your mattress/sim? www.decathlon.co.uk/air-inflatable-camp-bed-70-cm-id_8352099.html?_cclid=v3_c2d1c8ef-8316-5857-b05a-3acc85890f38&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItpKijdb53AIVYbXtCh0BdA5AEAQYASABEgL2vfD_BwE

We don't really have the space to dry it, no. And I definitely can't stretch to a stove. Although I'm always hot in a tent. We camped last week in the Peak District and last year in Northumberland. All our friends were wearing hats, jumpers etc. I just wear normal pjs and in zip my sleeping bag.

But if I'm being sensible I cannot buy a bell tent.

Woburn 500 v similar to icarus, is 280 new including footprint and carpet at cotsworld at the moment.... we got it and like it!

We needed smaller and lighter for our car!

We have an Outwell Nevada M and love it, but that doesn't help massively in terms of comparison! We don't have footprint or carpet and I don't think we particularly miss them, but I do sometimes wish we'd got the extension bit.

Sleeps me, DH and two DC (10 and 13) happily. I find it easy to pitch and strike. Can fold and pack on my own no worries, and pitch with an extra pair of hands just at one critical point!

I was definitely going to go for steel poled minnesota, then looked at pack size and weight. The size is nearly the same as airbeam.

So I'm thinking Nevada M. Do I buy one with repaired hole in groundsheet for £150 or with extension and porch for £250?

Get extension. Of course it will rain!

Nevada m living space is big enough to do without extension and £250 seems steep for both, we looked at selling ours and it looked like we couldn’t expect to get anywhere near that! Depends if in the rain you’d still like to be outside as the inside is definitely big enough for a three of you with table and chairs.

I’d message the people selling the full kit and offer £150 being prepared to go up to £200.

We’ve got the vango Icarus 500. Realistically now with 3 kids we’ve grown out of it but it’s done us many years camping and I’ll miss it —but really looking forward to choosing another bigger one in the end of summer sales—

Pottering weve downsized to icarus 500 sized tent (woburn is almost identical!). We have 2 kids though (9 and 6) and have come out the other side of neeeding tons of space. We should have swapped tents!!!!

We want a canopy (not an extension tent!) Though. We thought the vango family shelter looked good but they dont seem to sell that or the canopy shaped one any more!!

We've got the Icarus 500 with extension. It has been great for 4 of us.

I've got a Nevada M, and a Nevada L, but much much prefer the M as it feels more spacious wierdly. I'd pay £250 for the one with the extension. I've just spent £150 on the extension alone, they're like hens teeth. Tried the extension for the first time and it's made me love the tent more. The sloping front meant we would get a wet floor when it rained previously which was really annoying. It also means I can cook under it and not have to faff around putting up the windbreak.

I really like my carpet personally, it makes it so much warmer and more comfortable inside (I do sit on the floor a lot.) Plus it keeps all the muck on the carpet so I can just take that outside and give it a shake to clean up.

Went with the extension one. Picked it up tonight. It was advertised as good condition, used twice, always dry etc. Lots of photos.

It's mouldy. I could cry. Actually I have cried. I go away on Friday with the kids and have a mouldy tent. I've messaged the seller (I paid PayPal so could raise a claim)

Dunno what to do now. I'm so fed up of trawling local selling pages.

Oh no can you raise a claim straight away? It's clearly not as described and you'd get your money back sooner. Thank goodness you paid via PayPal.

If it was the Vango, Go Outdoors has it in the sale for £199 if that's any use to you
m.gooutdoors.co.uk/vango-icarus-500-deluxe-tent-2012-p201938