Tent recommendations (family)

[JustAMum35]

After a very successful first camping trip with borrowed equipment we’re planning on investing in our own set up 😃

We borrowed a 5 berth air tent which was great (outdoor revolution Airedale 5 I believe). Wouldn’t really want smaller.

Complete beginner at this obviously so any recommendations for equipment would be appreciated- brands to go for/avoid? Specific features to look for?

We’ve seen a few tents by Berghaus & Vango…are these likely to be decent?

Any help would be amazing 😀

We had an Outwell which was fabulous. It was a Montana but they don’t make it anymore.

Friends have also had long-lasting Outwells so I would definitely recommend the brand.

I have a Vango Lismore 600XL and very happy with it. I’ve the air version so I can pitch it myself - some models have a single inflation point which would be brilliant. Bear in mind though that air tent packs are heavier and bigger. Newer Vangos also have sky hooks (I think that’s what they’re called) which allow you to use the roof for hooks and extra storage.

My non-negotiables when shopping were blackout bedrooms, insect nets on all doors, a decent sized porch area, and full head height living space.

I also like that I can get the side extension when our budget allows (I will never stop wanting more gear!)

My one annoyance with the Lismore is the door, it comes out further at the bottom than the top so when you open the zip the rain drips onto the group sheet inside. It’s a very minor gripe that I work around but may be worth considering for yourself.

I find ChatGPT brilliant for helping me to figure out gear as it helps me figure out what’s important to me.

We had a Bertha’s Air4 for years, which was a great tent - easy to put up and withstood a fair few gales.
Appreciate that would be too small for you but they do 6 and 8 berth versions

Vango are always a good bet. We have had several over the years. We had an Amazon 8 which was massive and awesome (no longer made)
Always get bigger than you think you need... makes life much easier.
Get an awning if the tent has a sloping front as it stops rain getting in when you unzip!
Airbeam tents are fab... BUT they are very heavy to transport. Also... a couple of years ago we were camping in a heatwave and 5 airbeam tents went bang.. explanded in the heat and blew tubes. We have a Decathlon airtent for quick trips and it's pretty decent but the ground sheet isnt' fully sewn in which annoys me, Vangos are all sewn in .
Outwell are also very good.

We also had an outwell montana for years till we went airbeam, and it was great.
Outwell, vango, outdoor revolution are all great brands. Kampa is also great and a little cheaper - we’ve got a smaller airbeam kampa and it’s great. Current one is an outwell airville 6sa. Same list as someone above - blackout bedrooms, over head height across most of it, large living space and also an enclosed large porch space where we do cooking in the rain with a bit open at the front.

Key thing that helps limit it is the bedroom configuration you want - we wanted two 3-man rooms, so us and two kids could each have a reasonably spacious room. Others want more but smaller rooms.

I also like that it’s got a big enough lounge area to stash luggage in one corner without it being in the way all the time. We aren’t light campers!
I appreciate those hanging pocket things when tents have them cos it’s always a pain finding places to put things down.

Have fun!

We have the Hi Gear horizon nightfall 700, owned for 3 years and no problems at all. Easy to put up and down. I would definitely recommend Hi Gear, we bought a lot of their accessories for the tent (chairs/table etc). We got our tent from Go Outdoors, make sure you buy the £5 membership and you get the member prices (you’ll get your money back within the first item purchase!)

Blackout bedroom is a must. Make sure you have a groundsheet. Make sure the carpet is included. For a family you need a porch area at the front or space will be limited.

Blackout

Outwell, Vango, Berghaus: all good.

Also Coleman. I like this one, the Coleman tents have that canopy over the front door which is better in rain than the (excellent) Vango tents https://www.outdoorworlddirect.co.uk/coleman-rocky-mountain-5-blackout-tent.html?gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=19317444659&gbraid=0AAAAADMWsSEw2UiC-gpNp3Q3EIDHkdkc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4I-apsihjgMVSJRQBh2wyQ-xEAQYASABEgKbPvDBwE

Cheaper here https://www.campingandcaravandirect.co.uk/leisure-outdoors-c8/tents-c171/5-6-person-tents-c122/rocky-mountain-5-person-blackout-tent-p3097/s7245?cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22352970137&gbraid=0AAAAAD07HBYOYngCgDABbiihke9jtu1os&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2pTG7cmhjgMVwZ1QBh1oCBqUEAQYASABEgK49_D_BwE

This has 4500 HH. The HH rating is hydrostatic head, the pressure under which water will come in. Do not buy anything tent with less than 3000 HH.

Also look for taped seams.

These Vango tents are a tried and tested favourite, and Millets has the air version for much the same price
https://www.blacks.co.uk/15980551/vango-icarus-500-deluxe-family-tent-15980551/1969561/?istCompanyId=d92b362f-ac8a-4a8a-87ca-c56eafad7955&istFeedId=2f99410f-1124-43d5-8232-86c184f09479&istItemId=mwlptxmlx&istBid=t&gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=20410352073&gbraid=0AAAAADpakd9LtmtpR7mxu0zo14rhAR-0A&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI97XzlcqhjgMVe4RQBh2IoAYjEAQYAiABEgKNaDBwE

Is there somewhere nearby that has tents set up? Even if you don’t buy one of them it is useful to look at different features and layouts and see what you like.

Then, take care of your tent. Don’t use aerosols inside (the solvent can damage the waterproof lining, and the residue affects the flammability), don’t wash off dirt with anything but water, and especially not detergent, don’t let your child blow bubbles on / near the tent (detergent), and if you have to pack it up wet , get it out of the bag when you get home and let it dry properly to prevent mould.

Thank you all 😊 nearest shop with tents set up is about 1.5hours away but we have been and had a look.

At the moment DH is liking the look of the “Berghaus Telstar 5 Nightfall Air Tent” - can anyone comment on that specific one?

Look up video reviews on YouTube and you’ll see the tents put up and working. It gives you a much better idea of the space

Telstar 5 is good, but a very tight squeeze for more than two people.

We have a berghaus freedom 7, we however add a porch to it for a bit more space. One you have your sims in, kitchen set up etc it can make them feel a bit cramped.

Another vote for Outwell. We've had ours 10 years and it's still going.

@Simonjt will definitely look into the space more, thanks.

DH is set on an air tent so the other one he was considering was the 600XL but with the enclosed porch added to the side as he wasn’t keep on the open porch it has. I feel like that is ridiculously big though!

We’ve used Vango Icarus XL for a few years and have just bought the new model from Go Outodoors £300.
its a 5 man and comfortable for me, DH and teen DD as we have the 3 person bedroom and she has the 2 person. The divider comes up so you could have it fully open. It would also be for a couple and 2 younger kids.

Thank you all for your suggestions 😊 trying to find more places round about us with some of the bigger tents up - we’ve travelled to 2 places so far and they’ve had a pile of small ones then maybe 3 family tents at most, and usually the same ones 🫠

OP, the Berghaus Telstar does look excellent. V good quality and they are a reputable brand.

The pack size will be massive, and it is b heavy but if you can cope with that, all good.

@BangersAndGnash thank you. I think that’s what we’re leaning towards. Pack size is roughly the same as the one we borrowed and we managed fine with that so should be all good. Although the car was rammed 🫠😂 will need to streamline the packing a little as we get more experienced 😂…or get a bigger car 😂

You can get a car luggage rack, like look like a bikerack, but you can put the tent on it. They’re not overly buckly so easy to store, or an actual trailer, you can then just detach it at home and leave your camping bits in it for next time if the tent is dry.

Like this

We’ve had lots of different tents over the years and the best one by far has been our bell tent. We have 3 dc and there’s masses of room inside for us all. It’s so easy to put up too- only 1 big pole and few smaller ones for the door opening. We bought it a few years ago from a festival glamping company who were selling old stock. A couple of years ago, it withstood Storm Babette on the north coast of Cornwall whilst most others tents were flattened. We’ve never found blackout blinds necessary, the kids are so worn out from all the fresh air and running around they sleep as normal. Our motto with camping is that simple works best!

@Simonjt We’ve seen a few things like this and will consider a trailer or something in future I think. Trying to avoid the expense of having a towbar put onto the car.

We do have a roof box. Think we just need to be smarter about packing 😂

@Tidypidy i love the look of these but I would never manage without blackout unfortunately 🙈 I’m a terrible sleeper as is lol.

I also like having separate areas if possible 😊

Depending on the age of your children I would consider bedroom options. We have a Hi-Gear Nightfall I think its the 600 which sleeps 6. there is 4 of us and we found the 2 bedrooms a bit cramped by the time clothes and beds were up. We unzip the partition so there is 1 large bedroom which worked well when we had a 6 and 3 year old. DD is 9 now and I think needs her own space so looking at one that has an additional pod bedroom.

@JustAMum35how old and how many are your kids?
Size of tent does depend rather on how long you will be going for, and what you do when camping. We tend to go for at least a week, and nearly always in the UK so we will probably have a couple of rainy days where we might be spending more time in the tent chilling out with books / card games. It helps to have enough space to sit around inside in comfort if you might get stuck in the rain. Also we usually cook at the campsite, so again if it’s raining, we need to cook in the semi open porch area so helps if it’s large enough, rather than having to cook outside whatever the weather.

And for me, a 3 person room is the minimum size to be comfortable for two people. Easy to squash two small little air mattresses together in a two man room if kids are small, but much easier to fit them in a 3 man room with a little space down the middle so they can get in and out more easily. Our 4 man tent, which we use if just going away for a couple of nights, can only fit 4 mattresses in if we really squash them, and they’re just normal sized.

And big kids take up more room than small kids. Easy to fit you all in when they’re small but when you’re all human sized, all on proper size chairs, you need more space. Or at least, it’s nice to have it.

You are truly on the Camper trajectory 😂