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

Original poster

Decent all-weather family tent that will go the distance?

27 replies

MrsMuddles · 19/02/2009 23:01

I know it's been done before, sorry.

When it was just DH and me, we did a lot of camping with a 2-person mountain type tent. We also used the IL's old canvas frame tent, that was rock solid but is now dying of old age.

Our first effort camping with the children last year (3&4) was a disaster - a borrowed 5-man bendy pole dome tent (a Coleman bi-space), blew over nearly horizontally in a storm, knocked over the kitchen stand, ripped, too small and no headroom. DH would have binned it if it had been our own.

So what's a good tent to get that's weatherproof and solid, big enough without being stupidly so, and of a quality that will do us for the next 15 years? It needs to be able to cope with 3 seasons of Scotland. A modern version of the old frame tent, sensible oblong footprint with solid poles and maybe polycotton flysheet would be great. (but not an actual blue-and-orange canvas one please). To be honest we don't mind investing a bit of money to get something decent.

I don't quite understand the Outwell range - they're always recommended but our local camping place only has cheap bendy-pole multi-pod ones.

OP posts:
troutpout · 20/02/2009 08:50

We have an outwell montana 6
We are a family of 4
It's brilliant. Had it 4 years or so. Very weatherproof...(we were the last tent standing on Anglesey one year). Standing up room. 2 beds or one big one. Storage. Sewn in groundsheet. Porch for wellies/wet stuff.
Brill

JackiePaper · 20/02/2009 19:42

we've just bought an outwell wolf lake 7, which is aluminium poles and polycotton, have only read good reviews of it and is supposed to be very sturdy and long lasting. haven't actually camped in it yet tho!

i think tents with either steel or aluminium poles are meant to be a lot sturdier than the bendy fibreglass ones.

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 19:48

we have a wynnster corvus 6 that is plenty big enough for the 4 of us and definitely weather proof, with proper poles too...not sure if they still make it, but would recommend the brand (we also have a smaller wynnster one for weekends)

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 19:49

here

FeelingLucky · 20/02/2009 19:55

duckyfuzz - love your tent. Can you make the 2 sleeping compartments into one big one?

Original poster
MrsMuddles · 20/02/2009 19:57

Ducky, that is a great looking tent! Wynnster products are often underrated but IME excellent quality.

OP posts:
duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 19:57

no, we all sleep in the big one together (this makes life/toilet trips easier and warmer!) and use the little one for storage

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 19:58

MrsM I love it, we saw it at a tent show and had to have it

FeelingLucky · 20/02/2009 20:02

duckyfuzz - how old are your 2 DCs? And, do you all sleep on one big mattress or will big compartment take two mattresses?
Sorry for all questions ...

btw - think you recommended pink martini to me a while back. If it was you, just to say I bought the CD and loved it. Have now bought another CD of theirs which arrived from Amazon today!

FeelingLucky · 20/02/2009 20:03

sorry, one more question - where was the tent show? I'd love to go to one.

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 20:06

oh yes pink martini was almost certainly me, glad you like it!

I have 5 yo twin girls, they go in the middle with DH and I on either side, each on our own thermarest type thing, DH gets the wriggliest DT as he sleeps better than me!

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 20/02/2009 20:06

We've got this one and it's great. The "porch" is really bug for the stove and all coats and shoes, the "lounge" is a great space, very useable and really quite warm due to the sewn in groundsheet and the two bedrooms are a good size.

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 20:08

the one we went to was in the north east, there are plenty around, usually listed on uk campsite I think, or googlable

FeelingLucky · 20/02/2009 20:13

Thanks duckyfuzz I'll start googling.
And, what car does everyone have to fit in all that camping paraphernalia. We need a new car, but can't decide and don't quite have enough dosh yet/

duckyfuzz · 20/02/2009 20:18

ah yes, the car! We have a mondeo estate, great camping car!

Original poster
MrsMuddles · 20/02/2009 20:18

Yes I feel a tent show visit coming on. FeelingLucky, we have resigned ourselves to probably needing to get a small trailer for camping stuff!

OP posts:
IwishIwasmoreorganised · 20/02/2009 20:19

We've got a VW Passatt estate with a roofbox and it's rammed in!

Dh does like to be prepared for absolutely any eventuality (sometimes I'd prefer to pack up and come home but as he's always got something to deal with whatever's cropped up we end up staying!!)so we take a huge amount of stuff with us and DH is (as we speak) considering getting a trailer this year!!!

slayerette · 20/02/2009 20:20

www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=780

We have the Bear Lake 6 - polycotton, spacious, no bendy poles, sensible oblong footprint...

Shop around - prices vary wildly online!

FeelingLucky · 20/02/2009 20:25

The VW Passatt estate is huge! And you have a rooftop too ... your house must be empty when you go camping, IwishIwasmoreorganised

Crunchie · 20/02/2009 21:25

we have aztec falcon 8 and absolutely love it. It is huge and only good for more than a coupleo f nights - takes an hour from arrival to drinking tea!!

I am also looking at this one as a quick one for weekends away. You will find you need a collection of tents as one is never enough!!

Basically sometimes you will want a simple 'weekend' tent, other times all whistles and bells for a week in france. We have one large one, two small 'pop-up' or 10 mins to errect tents, plus I really bell that bell tent too!!

Crunchie · 20/02/2009 21:25

we have aztec falcon 8 and absolutely love it. It is huge and only good for more than a coupleo f nights - takes an hour from arrival to drinking tea!!

I am also looking at this one as a quick one for weekends away. You will find you need a collection of tents as one is never enough!!

Basically sometimes you will want a simple 'weekend' tent, other times all whistles and bells for a week in france. We have one large one, two small 'pop-up' or 10 mins to errect tents, plus I really bell that bell tent too!!

cali · 20/02/2009 21:28

another outwell montana 6, used it a lot last year in Scotland. Couldn't fault it.

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 20/02/2009 21:30

I told you my DH likes to takes lots with us!!

sundew · 20/02/2009 21:34

We have a Kyham Classix XXL - they are fab tents. They go up really quick - they have a special pole system that just clicks into place so the main tent is up and pegged out in 20 minutes (honest). it can go up in really awful weather and withstands really horendous stormy, windy weather with no bending as the poles are solid. Trust me - we've been on a campsite in Wales where most of the tents were blown down / ripped to shreds and ours stood up brilliantly.

They aren't cheap - ous was about £300 3 years ago but worth every penny.

feetheart · 20/02/2009 21:40

We have a Picasso that can fit 2 adults, 2 children, our huge tent and all our crap essentials. Bought purely for its HUGE boot

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