Help me buy a tent please!

[Lou573]

Hi, can anyone knowledgable recommend a 4 person tent please? My husband has requested a new one for his birthday and I have no idea where to start - all he’s mentioned is a separate fly sheet? If you were going to buy a 4 person tent right now which would you go for? No particular budget but would just like good value. He currently takes one daughter in a 2 man but myself and the other daughter may join them in future. Thank you!

I bought one earlier this year and went for a Coleman. V well made but the biggest selling factor for me was the black out sleeping quarters

I second a Coleman. However, I would have one 3-4 man tent for you and him and another for the DDs.
Please note a 4 man tent is the size of 4 sleeping bags laid directly next to each other. It’s not room for even a paid of glasses by your head.
To be comfortable 2 adults/teens need a 4 man tent, 2 small children need a 3 man tent.
We have a Coleman Darwin 4 and a Coleman Hooligan 4 for our DCs.

www.coleman.eu/uk/p-26696-rocky-mountain-5-plus.aspx

Bell tent all day long

Definitely get blackout sleeping pods. We have an Outwell Rockwell 5 man for 3 of us (two adults and one toddler) and there is only just enough space. Definitely get bigger than you think you need!! A covered porch area for shoes is also really useful

I would buy one with 2 separate bedrooms and a centre bit. Something like this:
www.charlies.co.uk/coleman-spruce-falls-4-tent.html?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3a_vm7-M6wIVDbTtCh2kRA46EAQYBCABEgLhefD_BwE

Is it more important to have a lighweight easy to pack tent for short trips or a big family tent with loads of features?

If its more of an adventure tent, look at Vango, Decathlon, Coleman. Make sure the bedrooms are big enough, often they aren't really square so they wont fit sleeping mats in.

One of the Decathlon Arpenaz 4.2 tents for example.

We love our trailer tent. It's so roomy and comfy for us and 3 kids. Best thing is not sleeping on the floor and being able to cook safely inside. We bought it from ebay last year for just over £300. It's great!

Do u want to be able to stand up in the bedrooms? That's a really important fact as some styles (like the ones with the living in centre and the bedrooms either side) that's not possible.... and also what u plan to sleep on. Again with the sloping bedroom styles you would only get 2 mats/air beds in them rather than a folding camping bed.

Go outdoors are doing inflatable 4 man tents for £149 and 8 man for £199. Piece of piss to put them up. I put up my 4 man one up in 15 mins with no swearing!!!

Buy one which says sleeps 6 (usually in 2 sleeping compartments) if you want 4 people in it. Blacks are a good starting point, my 6man is Coleman but have had other brands - make sure it is ok in wind

You can't go wrong with Coleman or Vango. We have a few Vango tents and they've all been brilliant. I'd read lots of reviews, camping forums are full of them.
If you have a camping shop with decent displays near you, go and have a look and get a good idea of the space.

I would always get a tent you can stand up in after years of bouncing around on an air mattress trying to get my jeans on.

You need a decent porch for muddy boots and storage and somewhere to sit when it inevitably pisses down.

Get the highest HH you can, 3000 is good.

Halfords tents are usually shite but they did a lovely Orla Kiely range a while back.

Narrow down a few you like and then find a good price online. Hard to do at the moment because every fucker has decided to get into camping this year.
If you have a healthy budget, inflatable tents are apparently brilliant. I really fancy one.

Air tent. If you are willing to splash out a bit. Easy to put up and they are robust in high winds and rain.

This would be a good buy for all of you; www.obelink.co.uk/obelink-lugano-6-plus.html

If for just him and your other Dd then look at the 4 person tents in that site. Dutch co with a brilliant reputation .

Would he want a canvas tent? Cotton or poly cotton? A bell tent? What is your budget?

Quechua from decathlon. We've gone for the 5.2. We're full on campers, but I've had enough of early bright mornings with the child and dog. The blackout keeps the whole tent cool, you can sleep in, have pets in to keep cool and have naps. No other tent company has completely blackout and heat reflective. For reference we have 2x vanguard tents (1x6 bed and 1x 8 bed) and the new one is absolutely the holy grail of tents

Ps. For a 4 bed, 4.2 Quechua £199

DH (tent nerd) says look at Robens and Wild Country if you want to spend about £500 or more. Vango if you want to spend less.
We have a Kyham family tent and a Vango for weekends. DH has had to replace his weeny Wild Country this year and is still sad about it.
I like to be able to stand up in a tent I'm spending a few days in.
Look at the footprint for how much space it really has.
Our big tent has room inside for a table and chairs which is useful for camping in the UK when the weather is not predicable.

Honestly it's like asking for a 4 seater car. You need more to go on. He should give you a few examples of what he has in mind. All tents have separate flysheets these days.

Decathlon is a fab shop.

I was going to say if you really love him get a Wild Country tent. There's not much point as its discontinued but our 4 berth tent is a Wild Country Aspect 4, it's fantastic.

I echo PP.

Stuff all that nonsense and get yourself a 5m canvas bell tent.

Head height, coolness, warmness, the addition of a real wood stove if you want, space, none of that rustly nylon nonsense.... it’s a tent to fall in love with.... best purchase we ever made.

Bell tents/teepees are lovely but canvas tents weigh an absolute tonne. You need a fairly big car/trailer.

Bell tents are amazing but I wouldn't buy one if he hasn't expressed an interest in them.

Another vote for Decathlon. We go away every August with several families, and many have now switched from gigantic mansion-sized tents that take hours to put up, and now have Decathlon pop-ups of various sizes. 2 bedrooms and some decent living space in the middle. (On a side note, Decathlon's super lightweight 2-man for wild camping etc is fab too.)
IMHO, If you're likely to camp for a week or more, and possibly if kids are still little, it's worth having something big, for living space in rain etc (and trailer tents are fab in those circs if you have the budget and storage space). Once kids are 6/8+, and if you're doing only 2 or 3 nights at a time, then pop ups or inflatables are better, because you just want to put it up and take it down as quickly as possible. You'll use it more if it's not too much faff.