Please come and talk to me about tents!

[raggedtrouseredphilanthropist]

I am a (short) single mum with a 2 1/2 yr old in need of a new tent for a festival.

I have just been getting ready for a festival and got the old tent out and realised there is NO WAY I can put it up on my own! It is MASSIVE! Left over from the old relationship where xh would have helped put it up.

So I need to get a new tent that I can manage on my own. I would like a lobby bit I can put the buggy in, keep the cooker away from ds while we sleep etc as well as probably a 2 man sleeping bit. But it seems all the 2 man (haha, if only ) tents have a TINY lobby, and the only alternative is a massive tent! And I don't want to go down the route of having a separate storage tent and sleeping tent.

any suggestions????

This kind of thing might work? here

You want more space than 2-berth really - space to spread out and put stuff.

that is very cool, but it's about the size of the other tent I tried to put up today. I don't want to bank on there being someone to help me put it up, so I need to be able to do it on my own.

Will I really need that much room do you think??

pricier but a bit smaller

3 or 4 man would be best just because it is horrible sleeping in a pile of your stuff. I know a toddler is small but their stuff is large! If you could take the one you have, I would bet £££ that someone will help you put it up - as a woman with a toddler any family would help you, any group of girls would probably want to help and coo over the LO, and if you were really stuck you could go to the family tent / support staff and ask.

we use a 3-man Vango beta 3plus, tis fab for me and 2 dc, porch at each end, we use one for storing stuff and the other for the cooker

i'm thinking of getting a vango orchy 400. but need to see the real thing rather than just internet pic.

what about something like this or the 350 if you want a bit more space

we have the Vango Sigma 350+ and it is great for a weekend with dc and me

sorry - it's 300+

I have a Vango Beta 450 for festival use (myself and 2 kids). The tunnel bit is large enough that you can sit up in, good with a child if it's raining and to store bits. They do a 350 version also. With small tents and a child I'd go for a 3 berth +

Ｉcan put the 450 up by myself and it's large & versatile enough that I use it for short camping trips if my H can't come.

Something like this may be useful for dragging everything across a field.
www.funkyleisure.co.uk/off-roader-festival-trolley-294-p.asp
You can get cheaper, often from places like B&Q if you don't want an off-road version.

I'm looking at the Vango Icarus 400 or 500. You can stand up in it, 4 or 5 berth. Costs about £120.

Am told should be easy to put up by myself.

I am gong to get an icarus 500 tomorow as 15% off at go outdoors on tents so takes it to £106 or something..... am right excited. It will serve me and dd well and as a weekend tent when my dh and ds finally sucomb....

Sounds like a good deal Nappyzone, I might look into that place myself.

am so excited - made a list of what else going to buy - brilliant without dh in my ear saying we dont ned this that and the tuther - yey! Bet i come home with something completely different - debated a vango juno tepee lookalike but not terrible practical are they lol.

Ooh what else you going to get? (Sorry for hijack OP)

I had a look on their website and it says Icarus 500 is £124.99?

doozle i just went down and its between 6 and 8 tonight there is 15% off in store only - i argued the toss withthe manager as guy on phone didnt say time so came home with one now m- whining toddler helps . Also there is a mistake in the brochure hot deals that shows a self inflating matt for £4.99 - this should read foam mat but if you point ther error out to them like me you can come away with a couple of £14.99 hi gear inflatable mats for £4.99. Should eb fine for the kids and me. Also as i was so pleased with myself i just treat myself to a lovely fat snuggly new sleeping bag which i will hide from dh and produce when he goes to get inthe lovely floral cheap ones he bought yonks ago. I have to go to work now but cannot wait to put up my icarus tonight. Its laurel green and id have prefered thebluebell ensign one but hey ho bargainhunters cant be fussy!

i resttrained myself buying anything else as i think i was getting daggers of the staff lol.

ah, I see. I don't live near a store actually so not sure I can get the deal. That's great you got it. I really like the green one.

You'll have to let me know how you get on putting it up!!

you could try ringing the hotline order number and trying to blag it - gotta be worth a try........

Hi nappyzone, well I tried the hotline but they told me to bugger off (in a nice way!). Not to worry, I've found it somewhere else for £119. Will probably order it tomorrow.

Did you try and set it up yet?

yes it has ben erected and is afb - the bedroom is already attached as well so no faffing once its up its sorted. am well chuffed with it.

Sounds great.