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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

Tent recommendations (family)

28 replies

JustAMum35 · 02/07/2025 19:46

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 😀

OP posts:
Original poster
JustAMum35 · 08/07/2025 07:55

Talipesmum · 07/07/2025 14:49

@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.

@Talipesmum 1 pre-school aged child and unable to have any more so will likely just be the 3 of us.
Realistically we’re looking at mainly 3/4 day trips with the occasional week when we can manage around work/holidays etc 😊
Tent we borrowed was a 5 person so a 3+2 room configuration, although we just had it open as one big space and that was comfortable. But as you say, bigger kids take up more space so I’m trying to make sure we buy something that will last us a while 😊

I think we like the Berghaus Telstar range - just trying to decide whether to go with the 5 or the 8. 5 is really the smallest we’d like to go and would be fine for us just now. The 8 is massive would allow us a luxurious amount of space but I’m concerned it takes too much car space etc.

OP posts:
Talipesmum · 08/07/2025 09:48

JustAMum35 · 08/07/2025 07:55

@Talipesmum 1 pre-school aged child and unable to have any more so will likely just be the 3 of us.
Realistically we’re looking at mainly 3/4 day trips with the occasional week when we can manage around work/holidays etc 😊
Tent we borrowed was a 5 person so a 3+2 room configuration, although we just had it open as one big space and that was comfortable. But as you say, bigger kids take up more space so I’m trying to make sure we buy something that will last us a while 😊

I think we like the Berghaus Telstar range - just trying to decide whether to go with the 5 or the 8. 5 is really the smallest we’d like to go and would be fine for us just now. The 8 is massive would allow us a luxurious amount of space but I’m concerned it takes too much car space etc.

Show quote history

Aah - for 3 of you I think it would be great! Each room has one extra space, as it were. And it’s a generous living space too for a 5 man. Porch area looks v useful. And for mostly 3-4 day trips, occasional weeks, I reckon it’s a good size. It looks great inside too, and you really like it having seen it - I’d say go for it. Enjoy camping!

Edited to add as well - we have a massive outwell airville 6, it’s huge, and the “space per person” for 4 of us (two huge teen boys) in the living area bits is just over 5m2, and the one you’re looking at is only just under 5m2 in the living space for each of the 3 of you - so I think it’s fine, and would probably be great for 4 for the short trips too.

Original poster
JustAMum35 · 08/07/2025 18:22

Talipesmum · 08/07/2025 09:48

Aah - for 3 of you I think it would be great! Each room has one extra space, as it were. And it’s a generous living space too for a 5 man. Porch area looks v useful. And for mostly 3-4 day trips, occasional weeks, I reckon it’s a good size. It looks great inside too, and you really like it having seen it - I’d say go for it. Enjoy camping!

Edited to add as well - we have a massive outwell airville 6, it’s huge, and the “space per person” for 4 of us (two huge teen boys) in the living area bits is just over 5m2, and the one you’re looking at is only just under 5m2 in the living space for each of the 3 of you - so I think it’s fine, and would probably be great for 4 for the short trips too.

Edited
Show quote history

@Talipesmum Thanks so much for all your help 😊
Off to plan our next trip 😊

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