Another tent virgin question (apologies). Advice please re:Outwell Tents.

[Slubberdegullion]

Yes, I'm still researching. The piss awful weather is perhaps staying my hand at spending a fortune on tent and new camping equipment.

Anyway, was at our local camping shop with a friend yesterday (she is camping hard core). And she felt that this Outwell Minnesota 4 would be perfect for or needs. we are 4 (DC are 2&3) and are planning on doing only weekend or possibly up to a week long camps here in the UK. It is for sale at the shop for £225 which isn't bad. She advised I buy the canopy and wind break as well.

So then I went on some camping chat room last night and there was about 50% praise for outwell, and 50% who said they leaked ++++.

Oh I'm all in a dither. Any Mners with experience?

TIA

[hennipenni]

That will be my next tent

[Slubberdegullion]

Oh that last post makes me look weird like I married my brother. We camped as children, but not together

[Blandmum]

sleeps 4 only means sleeps 4 if you are prepared to sleep on mats. Even air beds will probabably be too big if there are two per 'bedroom'

[Blandmum]

My outwell is 7M by 3 m. This means that each of the small bedrooms is around 4.5 foot in diameter (inners being somewhat smaller than the outer). That will mean each person has a little over 2 foot of sleeping space!

Not enough for me

[Slubberdegullion]

OK, so if DH and I sleep on our double airbed, then there will be no room for the DC on camp/or airbeds?

(We did mats when we travelled round Oz...not the comfiest sleep ever, not especially excted about repeating that).

Have to go down to dinner now...will chat to DH about getting a 6 birth...will need to butter him up a bit with some nice wine...and stress the love factor.

[Blandmum]

have a look at the dimentions, and lay it out in the living room. Then see if your camp bed etc would fit.

I can understand that you are reticent to buy a tent that is too big. But too small is even more of a waste of time

[Blandmum]

having looked at it, the inner is 280 cm which isn't that much for 4 people to sleep in

[MadEyemarthamooDy]

Nah, you don't need one that big. You want an Outwell Montana Six Like this. Go to tents, montana 6, view the tent porn and pitching films, 3D images and drool...

Plenty big enough for 4.

[quint]

Knew I shouldn't have looked on that last link - I now want the Hartford XXL and dh want the nebraska XXL!

[toomanyballs]

Hi just thought you could do with more points of view. We are 5 and have a Coleman quadspace ( old tent now) which has 3 bedrooms, its ment to sleep nine! but I believe tent manufacturers use very friendly hobbits to test them. Dh and I fit on air bed in one room and 3 kids ( rather cosily ) sleep in another and the 3rd is for all the stuff, clothes, food, toys etc. There is a central section which is big enough for a table and us all to sit round so we don't have to sit on our beds and eat when it rains, this ( I feel ) was quite important. It is a very good tent with great ventilation/ tying down the hatches in bad weather options. Hope that helps. Just to add we do have an Audi A6 estate, roof box and are now considering a trailer!! so much for travelling light.

[Peachy]

From waht I can see 2 brands have had a dew leaks this year, Outwella nd Vango, and both have addressed the issues. Its also common for a minor leak once- then it 'seals' somehow.

Coleman currenlty make some amazng tents, The galileo is a huge favourite with me (and tent prize people aparently)

Big sdoesnt eman ahrd to pitch- our mahoosive Khyam Ontario 8 (4 rooms plus living space and we have a porch LOL) takes DH on his own 20 minutes now after a bit of practive. Tunnel tents tend to be fastest ime.

[Peachy]

Oh and a porch is important imo- Outwella nd Khyam both ahve additional ones- as it means you can be outside even when weather is grotty, iyswim.

If pitching is an issue ahve you been on the Khyam site and watched the QE pitching video? DH wants one for weekends.

And do keep an eye on ebay- wet summer = lots of never-again campers selling decent ahrdly used tents LOL

[Slubberdegullion]

Thank you all again. Coming on MN and asking for opinions is always a mixed blessing, but as DH and I have some time to make this decision (ie no weekends away booked yet, we are waiting for summer to arrive...ha bloody ha) then I think another trip back to Caseys is essential.

I take your point re bedroom size, will have to go and lie down in some of the 4 & 6 man-ers and imagine beds and sleeping bags and people in the rooms.

I've thought about doing e-bay for a tent but I think would rather go with our local (and very reputable) camping shop. Then if there is a problem with the tent we can take it back. Will probably do e-bay for some of the camping equipment though (have remembered the tip for getting 'rusty' gas bottles on ebay...to make me look like a seasoned camper)

DH was more ammenable to getting a bigger tent after 2 beers and then watching Rome on BBC. He rather fancies himself as a Roman Centurian in a former life so I made the comment that I bet the ancient Romans were proper campers...with big impressive tents.

[FeelingOld]

we have this one and we love it. There are 5 of us and the space is terrific (takes us 30 minutes to erect and is really easy), they also do a 6 man version which would be fantastic for 4 people. As regards to leaking, we have been on 3 weekends in it already this year and it has rained each time but no leaks at all .
I am with the others, rather get a tent that is too big than too small.

[justadad]

We've just bought a Vango Breckenridge 400(but haven't had a chance to test it yet - first outing next week).
What put us off Outwells were
a) never having heard of them before (difficult to believe I know but previously I'd only been in mountain tents!)

b) the number of guy-lines that seem to cover the doorways. The probability of DW or the DC garrotting themselves every time they walked out of the tent looked too high!
and
c)pitch size. The breckenridge 400 is 4m4.8m which is pretty large and there is a fair bit of internal space for wet-weather (2m2.2m). There are increasing numbers of reports of people having problems getting pitches for the uber-large (that's the polite way of saying MoFo) tents.

[Peachy]

justadad we've a Khyam Ontario 8 (do like the Breckenridge, good tent) and camp A LOT (8 times this year), we have never yet had a problem with pitch size, however we're in the C&CC club andmade sure our tent jsut fit their spec. We also use Forest holidays a lot which helpsa s they don't have pitch sizes.

[belindajos]

So happy to read your dilemas...we are having exactly the same conversations. Have a nearly 2 yr old who sleeps very lightly, v large husband and baby on the way, so want tent for 4 with space. I liked the Montana 6, which i tried out this am, and is great family size...but hb pointed out that we would be sleeping ontop of each other....so now thinking about the outwell georgia L - also sleeps 6 but in 2 separate pods off main living space so a bit of privacy?! BUT it doesn't have a canopy....is a canopy really important?? Also quite liked the Aztec Falcon 8 - has anyone any experience of this make? Its all such a minefield....

[FeelingOld]

We use our canopy loads. We do the cooking under it and its fab if it's raining as it is somewhere to stand to take off shoes, waterproofs etc.

[LadyTophamSortingHatt]

We've got a nebraska xxl...it's getting its first run next week for 2 week in devon and if it leaks I will go mad!


1st time camping with 4Ds's is going to be tricky enough without the friggin tent leaking.

[belindajos]

how about this one...
www.summits.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_copy_of_Vango_Diablo_600.html

[toomanyballs]

Wow, Ladytophamsortinghatt you are brave. First time camping for two weeks!! I'm sure you'll love it.
I got a good tip from mumsnet last year. Get lots of carrier bags/large freezer bags and put a days worth of clothes for one person in each (write the mame on) This way in the morning DSs just have to find a bag with their name on rather than digging through all the clothes to find pants etc. In the cramped confines of a tent I found it really helped, also made sure clothes stay dry in event of leaks and gives you loads of bags for rubbish or dirty stuff. It is a faf to do though.

Good luck. May the camping force be with you.

[LadyTophamSortingHatt]

Toomanyballs, we have camped before but pre-children.
I know I'll love it, Dh knows he will.....just not sure if we will with the noisiest children on earth with us!

[toomanyballs]

I would like to say that I also have the noisiest children on earth (3 x ds) but at least you know where they are when you can't see them. I only worry when its all quiet!
I am trying to get at least a few days camping in over the holidays. Watching metcheck like a hawk for a few dry days.

[Blandmum]

If you are worried about pitch size it can help if you think of the shape of the tent and well as its dimentions.

Ours is 7 x 3M and we have never had problems, but that is, in part because it is a 7 x 3 oblong. Some of the 'satelite' style tents with lots of bedroom pods seem to take up more room. I've seen some that will sleep 15!

Outwell started in mountaineering tents and are a scandinavian company

[Slubberdegullion]

Well I'm dragging DH and the dd's back to the camping shop on sunday to review all their (6 man) tunnel tents again.

I imagine in the future when the DD's are bigger they will want their own privacy so we'll probably go for a dome with pods then. For now I need something where I can just lean over whilst remaining in my sleeping bag and 'Will you lie down and go to sleep' at them.

I really want a canopy. I have no idea if it essential or not but I love the look of a covered and yet open porch and somewhere to cook/eat under so long as it's not lashing it down.

Oh yes do I absolutely have to must get a wind break? My friend says it is essential. Is this true?