Are expensive tents worth it?

[kathyis6incheshigh]

Ours was £100 despite being massive. We've had it 5 years now, and the porch poles are looking rusty and it leaks a bit and several of the poles are mended with gaffer tape after snapping in high winds. So clearly it is not exactly top-of-the range.
It some point it will probably die on us and we will go for another, which will be smaller.
We are pondering our next one in a very hypothetical way. So what are the advantages of the ones that cost £500 as opposed to £150? Are they worth the money?
Thanks

It depends where you are camping. If you are pitching it on a rockface in a gale halfway up a mountain then yes it is worth buying an expensive tent. If you are just going to family summer campsites then probably not.

we have expensive backpacking tent, from our proper camping days, a midrange backpacking tent for going in mild weather with the dds, and a mid range family tent for going to standard campsites.

I would never buy eurohike or similar though. they don't look right. too high for their width, too wibbly in high winds.

Just campsites for the family tent, though ultimately probably late spring/early autumn rather than just July and August.
DH and I both have expensive smaller ones from our youth as well!
What are the mid-range brands? Would that be eg Vango?

Obviously yes when you need high performance and lightweight for mountaineering etc.

But I think it's also worth paying a bit more for a tent for family camping, especially in the UK - it does rain and get windy and a stronger tent with better hydrostatic head makes a difference. (Or a canvas belltent as these are supposed to be very good at keeping out weather).

I did notice this when we went camping with friends - our more expensive tent was darker inside the bedrooms and sturdier - their cheapo one got buffeted around a lot. Ours also has lots of little design features, handy pockets etc which I really like.

Ours is a big one with two bedrooms and large stand-uppable living area, was priced £450 but I got it in a sale at £300. If you shop around you can get something pretty good for mid-price.

Ours is a coleman galileo

Tents seem to be much cheaper than they were even 5 years ago. Our new 8 man Khyam (5000 HH!) was £229, Shop around!

Yes, we have 2 Vangos for our midrange tents. the family one would be about £300 now I think, but we got an ex-demo version.

But there are Vangos and Vangos I think, the serious brands have been jumping on the cheapy tent bandwagon lately.

Yes here is ours for sale even cheaper.

Well I think so .

Our family tent is very expensive for its size but I was more than happy to push the boat out for something that is superbly made, will last for 20+ years if we look after it (it's a cabanon canvas), is a joy to camp in (less so to pack up and transport ) and in the storms and gales that frequently hit British campsites in the supposed fair camping months will remain standing and not leak.

It's horses for courses wrt tent but personally I reckon a holiday can be made (or lost) on the quality of the tent you are camping in. You get what you pay for imo.

Thanks all, this is interesting. To my surprise my Sunncamp Calypso here has the same HH as Muffle's Galileo. Doesn't look nearly as serious though!

I think if you go around one of the big tent displays that are on at this time of year you see quite easily why there is a big difference in prices for tents of a fairly similar size. Fabric, poles and the quality of how they are made will push the price up. You'll also be paying more for some better known named brands, Cabanon being no exception

Galileo has metal poles so you are paying for that partly - stronger and last longer (though a bastard to carry )

The extra weight would be annoying - we do sometimes go to sites without easy car access. However it would be smaller than our current tent (plan is to go for something with 2 bedrooms, or probably one divisible big one) and put any spare children in pup tents) which would offset the extra heaviness.

Muffle I was wondering about the little design features - handy pockets etc - whether they would add value or not get used.

We did actually make a flying visit to the Millets exhibition outside Kendal on the way back from Lakes yesterday but spent most of our time waltzing round the massive ones in awe at how big they were and explaining to dd why she couldn't have a pink one.

and zips
Look at zips too
Such a small thing...but a bugger if they bust

I think so. I've always bought good quality mountaineering tents when I used to do more of that and applied same principle to family tent. The material is generally better and lasts longer. Also tends less towards condensation etc.

And I love pockets...we use ours

mine is (was about £400) because it gets lots of use and we have stopped buying new tents as we like it so much

i think it is more the case that the right tent for you is worth the cost, rather than anything else

you dont want a cabanon though, marks you out as a bit common that does

I would always go for one called something rugged like North Face rather than Sunncamp. This being the UK.

Sunncamp just doesn't sound as though it's designed for bad weather.

We bought a canvass SoulPad, like bell tent, cost us almost £300, for the mid size, up to £50 0 for the larger size. Absolutely worth it. Light and airy in the heat, keeps the warmth in when it is cold, it looks pretty too!

i
dont
trust
suncamp

suncamp one,gifted to us, poles broke when pitching in wing

sunncamp two was requisitioned by Chinese emergency services (fairly enough obviously) before it reached us after the earthquakes

as a result I feel that for us they are jinxed

Oh I know Fennel, the first time it leaked and the pole broke I felt like we didn't really have any right to be surprised
I will insist on something called something like Gale Force Storm Master next time.

Re the pockets it depends on your personality - if you are anal like me it is just a dream come true.

DP "where are the matches"

Me: In THAT little pocket up there!" Bliss

if i was buying a tent i would get a bell tent/soul pad. they are soooo coolerama.

Yes belltent is my next planned tent purchase - I'm waiting till we move and hopefully have a bigger garden so it can double up for parties etc. I drool over them regularly.

They are luuuuuurvely - I have a big box just for swathes and throws! DH is NOT allowed sleeping bags although he wants one! It does not go! I cover everything not pretty over with throws!!!!! I have mobiles hanging outside too, and a hippy drop pocket thing (tie dye) which I tie to the central pole, and solar panel fairy lights!