Best easy family tent recommendations

[Bridgeofpies]

Hello!
We are a family of 5 with kids aged 7, 4 & nearly 2. We have never been camping as a family (DH and I have years ago before kids) but it’s something I am keen to try - probably just for a couple of nights!

During lockdown I thought we might even camp in our (admittedly rather small) garden and, if we are allowed later in the summer, we will go and camp in my parents’ garden.

But we have no tent.

So does anyone have a recommendation for a tent that will do they job, isn’t too complicated to put up and down, and will fit all of us in to sleep. We won’t need it for long holidays, just a couple of nights here or there. So also don’t want to invest loads of money in it. Happy to spend a bit though.

Also any other tips from veteran campers would be welcomed. Equipment, where to buy and any nice easy family campsite recommendations for when we are allowed to camp again (we live in the South East).

Thank you!

[Bridgeofpies]

Bump! Anyone?

[JustMarriedBecca]

Try Go Outdoors for everything. Depends what you mean by 'a bit'. Air tents are easy to put up and down quickly. We are a bit like you, just kind of been trying it for the last few years so we haven't invested yet - using a pole tent for now. We've got airbeds, sleeping bags, camping table and chairs and a firepit plus a little stove. I take pre cooked meals for weekends so it's just reheating spag book etc or we have a BBQ. We were supposed to be having a few longer trips away this summer 😭

Camping in the garden at at nice campsites (or glamping in yurts if they reopen) is a good intro. We did a few glamping trips - beds, provided bedding, own bathroom - as an intro.

[Bridgeofpies]

Thank you! Will have a look at Go Outdoors. I don’t really know what budget. I guess there isn’t any point getting one that’s really cheap and crap because it is a bit of a false economy and we probably won’t use it. But obviously I don’t want to spend thousands on camping stuff and find we don’t use it!

I guess I would be willing to spend a few hundred pounds if it was decent!

[mogtheexcellent]

It depends if you want just sleeping areas or sleeping and living. We bought the vango avington600xl last year on ebay for 230 as I wanted a large living area and porch for wet days we also have two double blow up beds.

It is too big for our back garden though.

[Anotherchangeanothername]

Air tents are amazing (love love love vango) but they are big and heavy.
Hers what you need to determine:
How many bedrooms
How big of an inside area do you want
Where are you going to cook (especially it is rains)
What are you going to cook (once again, I would recommend a cadac safari 2- super light and you can do almost anything on it- but we also have a fire pit for heat and cooking)
Would you want to get electrical hook up?
If you spend money on anything it’s a good tent and good sleeping bags and sims. If you family gets cold and wet you won’t go camping again.

[Anotherchangeanothername]

Sorry- one last thing. When you think equipment you need to think how it all works in your car. Too often you see people have bought stuff that they can’t fit in one car- then bring two camping. Those people don’t camp often due to the logistical nightmare.

[midnightstar66]

We got ours from decathlon,fab tent, very easy to put up and best prices too

[theowlwhowasafraidofthedark]

This was our ‘starter’ tent. Easy to put up and loads of space. Probably not the most weather proof but we’re fair-weather campers!

[BinkySodPlop]

It depends on the type of experience you want. I have a tent which technically sleeps 5 (it really doesn't!), which I use at festivals. 1 sleeping area and a smaller living area. Weighs 7kg, easy to put up, less than £150. But... It's only 165cms at its highest point, and most is less than 150cms and ventilation isn't great. I also have my "big" tent, which is airbeam, sleeps 4 in 2 pods (I have it as 1 large bedroom), large living area, 2m high and all round great tent. Weighs 20kg and is 6m long, plus room for guy ropes. Cost about £500. Both are brilliant, but for very different purposes.

If you want to start in the garden, measure how much room you have first - don't forget that most will need more space for guying. Then look at bedroom / living space if you want them separate, and head height. Don't worry too much about space for a camp kitchen - you can always get a porch / awning later if you want to do anything more than a BBQ.

I'd also look at Decathlon - they do their own brand (Quechua) and some others. I've had some from there, and one is still going 11 years on! Good prices, surprisingly feature-rich and good customer service if you need to ask questions.

[BikeRunSki]

We are veteran campers, moving into family camping from mountaineering in the last 10 years or so! We bought a 3 bedroom:5 person Outwell inflatable tent from Go Outdoors last summer. It’s really big!!! Too big to put up in our not-tiny garden,. If check all dimensions and the footprint size very carefully if you want to use it in a small garden. Also, ask to see it packed. The pack size is massive!! It takes up the bulk of my boot (VW Golf Estate), and is too big to get through our loft hatch. Having said that, it’s very quick and easy to put up !

[Exploring]

We've got a Quechua 3 man pop up blackout for the garden for £80ish it's really cool and dark inside even in direct sun, we put it up for Easter and it's still up, only one adult sleeps in it the other gets the house to themselves and delivers breakfast 😂

[NotMeNoNo]

There are two sort of approaches.
'Tent as shelter' i.e. climbers, festivals. Just need to stay dry, stay up and if it rains on your one ring stove you go to the pub. 3/4 man tents great for this. OK for a weekend in good weather.

'Tent as home' you need to be able to manage the whole family inside, space for proper chair and table, stand up height and ideally windows. This is better for kids (especially in rain) but you can easily end up with a trailer load of gear. Easiest to manage is a tunnel tent like a very popular Vango Icarus. The poles are not that hard to manage.

Decathlon and Go Outdoors have display tents and all the gear. Most campers who have a giant tent keep a weekend one too to be honest.

[NotMeNoNo]

Did you look at the Help me choose a tent thread?

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

We have 6 tents. They are all different.
The 'Mansion'... This is a 4 bedroom surrounding a hexagonal living area. The living area you can fit a table and chairs in, scooters, pretty much everything really (we don't store has in there though)
The 6man for family weekends away.. we haven't had a chance to use this yet, we got it from a closing Scout group last year
The 3 man dome. I think we could get the four of us in it overnight, but no room for bags etc. Generally for 2 people.
The 2 person hiking... Just big enough for one person really... Used by an individual adult on Scout camps. Currently being used by children in garden. Nearly ready for retirement.
The 1 man hiking... Replacement for the 3man hiking.
The Pop up... Childrens garden tent- fair weather only as it's single skin.

For garden camping the only thing you have to get is the tent. Decathlon tents are good. Look at the space you have available. A combination of Smaller tents is the most versatile, but you children are still quite young.

[IdrisElbow]

We have this tent.

www.gooutdoors.co.uk/15903813/coleman-mosedale-5-family-5-person-tent-15903813

Have tried it out in the garden, really pleased with it, it was surprisingly big! The bedrooms are blackout and can be made into one big room or two smaller. Very easy to put up and take down. Interestingly it has gone up in price, I had it for £250 in their sale and with an extra 15% off.

[TheWayOfTheWorld]

Bell tent? They are very easy to put up (I can put up a 5m by myself) and have lots of space for "living" (I've just bought a wood burner for mine!) but the downside is it is one big space (although some people use dividers/pods).

[Bridgeofpies]

Ooh loads of replies!! Thank you all so much!
@NotMeNoNo no, I didn’t see that thread! Will go and have a look!

From what you have all said I think I just need something very basic and small for a few overnights in the garden. If that goes well then I think I will invest in something larger with living area and separate bedroom. So perhaps for now something from Decathlon would be good. Cheap and cheerful! Our garden is really pretty compact (and full of things like a climbing frame and trampoline).

It would be good to get one we could all squeeze into but if not I will think about the 3/4 man for just the older children and 1 adult!

[SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing]

You'll need at least a 6 man. I'd go for any of the mid range vango tunnel tents. They're easy to put up and are reasonably priced too.

An 8 man high-gear from Go Outdoors might suit you as well.

Vango Odyssey Deluxe Tent, Sky Blue, Size 800 <a class="break-all" href="https://smile.[[//amazon.co.uk/dp/B0765FM48S/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_eYUTEb67YNCYZ?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B0765FM48S/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_eYUTEb67YNCYZ?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21]]

Vango Farnham Family Tunnel Tent, River Blue, 500 <a class="break-all" href="https://smile.[[//amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R4X43A4/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_zZUTEb9H46GRS?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">https://amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R4X43A4/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_zZUTEb9H46GRS?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21]]

[SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing]

Damn it, sorry. Don't know why those links don't work.

[Bridgeofpies]

Thank you @SomeHalfHumanCreatureThing!

The links do work!

[Bridgeofpies]

Oh no they don’t! Sorry they looked like they do!

Thank you anyway!!

[lancashirelady]

If you can get hold of an outwell Nevada m they are a smashing tent. 2 bedrooms plus a living space which is brilliant for when the weather is not so good. If you are near Norfolk, Deers Glade campsite is brilliant .

[Allatsea34]

I recommend an air tent like the Vango Airbeam super easy!

[YinMnBlue]

Personally I would not go straight for an air beam / inflatable tent until you know camping is your ‘thing’.

They are easy to put up (with an electric pump) but are more expensive, bulkier to store and pack in the car and heavier. The average life of a polyester tent in string sunlight is 6 weeks before the fabric starts to degrade and go brittle. A tunnel tent like an Icarus is simple to put up, google ‘the Cross Camping method for putting g up a tunnel tent”. I can do it in 10 minutes by myself.

Look at the tents, measure the area for sleeping and then see if the 5 of you can fit into that space. A 5 berth tent means literally space to fit 5 60Cm mats next to each other with no gaps.

Warmth: at this time of year don’t sleep on blow up beds with no insulation. If you have a foam interlocking playmat, that is brilliant or roll out foam mats like yoga mats.

[Rayn]

Decathlon ones don't have sewn in ground sheets though do they? So I would prefer one with a sewn in groundsheet x