Would this tent be suitable for beginners?

[Geepers]

We have never been camping before so are complete beginners. We are a family of 6 so need plenty of space, but don't want anything so complicated that we ruin our holiday with the stress of putting up the tent!

This is the one I am looking at www.worldofcamping.co.uk/shop/wild_country_halo_73_tent._green._current_model.__1597

What do you think? It says it is an inner pitch first, and I don't entirely know what that means, only that it is not as easy to pitch. Is it much harder? We are spending so much time researching tents I can see the summer passing us by before we have made a decision.

looks great - go to the park and pitch it there before you go on holiday.

Take nail varnish with you - mark the poles with varnish one dot two dots and three dots to show which poles go together it they come appart.

Inner pitch means you put the inner bedrooms up first and then throw the puter sheet over the top.

I'm not sure.....

Inner pitch first means you will have a crappy time pitching in the rain, as the inner will get soaked, it's a case of either wait for it to stop raining, or wait for you bedrooms to dry.

To be comfortable you should always get a tent 2 berth bigger than the amount of people sleeping in it so really you want an 8 man.

I am also suspicious of anything so reduduced so early in the season, there must be a reason why they can't shift 'em.

Here are some in a similar price bracket (though you may get them cheaper)

Khyam Kansas 8

Vango Tigris 8 (this has been a popular mn choice this year)

Vango Colarado 800

Gelert Meridian 8

Coleman Riverside 9

Personally I like the Gelert, good specifications for the money, it isn't a brand I would usually go for but maybe they are upping their game.

thanks. I like the look of the vango colorado 800, but can anyone tell me what a footprint groundsheet is and if it is necessary/useful to have?

sorry for lack of caps am typing one handed.

A footprint is a groundsheet exactly the same size as your tent, which goes underneath your tent and protects your SIG (sewn in grounsheet) from damage.

If the ground is muddy it also means you only have to get your footprint out when you get home to clean it, rather than you whole tent.

So it is very useful but not essential.

Be bought the Wild county halo 43 last week and used it this weekend. We already have an outwell montana so wanted something smaller for the weekends
There is a review of the 73 here
The 43 is a lovely tent. Really solid and well made. It was a breeze to pitch....Fibre poles were strung and sleeves were colour coded and steel poles were interchangable so it didn't matter which ones went where. I imagine the 73 would be very similar...it just looked like a bigger version in the shop.It is inner first so if you are pitching in bad weather its a bit of a pain. We had a rain storm and it performed perfectly....never budged in wind either.
I would say that the halo 73 is big enough as long as you aren't going to use the central area as a bedroom. Wildthings is right- you need to up the berth a bit or rely on the living space when thinking about berth. The bit behind the porch is too small for a living area for 6 of you. However,The bedrooms on mine are for 2 people and i thought they were rather generous...didn't feel cramped at all...as long as the living area is generous you would be ok.

Having said all that...if you want something completely easy...then i would advise a all in one pitch.(where the bedrooms are already in place)

A footprint groundsheet is a sheet that is cut to the size of your tent. The vango colorado comes with a sewn in groundsheet...the footprint is something to go under to keep the bottom of your tent mud free. You can just use a tarp or you don't have to use anything if you don't mind a muddy bottom of tent.

Hth

Be bought?
We bought
even

I think the Wild countrys are reduced as the models have been around for a while so they may be bringing out new ones next year.

They have very good reputation but I wouldn't go for an inner pitch first tent..

not sure about really big tents but would recommend Khyams as seem really sturdy ...saw some people putting this up and was really straightforward

www.somersetcamping.co.uk/products/khyam-ontario-8-tunnel-tent/56/

not too sure re difference between this and the other Khyam though??