Easy to pitch 4 berth tent - Vango Icarus?

[Piffpaffpoff]

I'm looking for something that the two DCs and I can go away in for a some short trips during school holidays. It needs to be easy for me to pitch on my own, and I'd also like it to have two sleeping areas, a sewn in groundsheet and be big enough for me to stand up in. The Vango Icarus seems to tick all these boxes - anyone got one who can let me konw what it's like? Or anyone like to recommend me a suitable alternative? I don't want to spend more than £150.

Thanks

I brought one of these last year for when we spend the night/wkend camping. poor dp was spending more time pitching than camping! we used it once, horrific experience. all poles snapped and tent colapsed in the wind. prior to the drama, found the tent drafty and damp. know had good write ups and to be fair got a no quibble refund from vango but never again. Going to stick to kyham.
Cant offer known good alternative myself at the mo, looking again for our weekend tent. Our Kyham has been fab and we (touching wood) have never had a problem.... its eight berth tho!
good luck!

I have an Icarus, well it's a weekender, apparently the special addition came with footprint, carpet and a sun canopy but it's the same tent and I really like ours. So much so that we are parting with the Diablo and soley using this now. The sleeping area is one, but can be seperated with a curtain, although the kids can still get under it. It takes me and DH about 10 -15 mins to put it up, the only bit you might struggle alone with is the geting up off the floor but if your DC can hold onto the back pole you should be fine. Standing room is fine, just have to duck in and out of the door. The Groundsheet isn't sewn in around the door but I have just run a length of velcro along it to stop it flapping in the wind. We also use a canopy on the front to store the cooking stuff, table etc but we have the 5 berth and there are 4 of us and a dog!

hi-also looking for 4 berth weekender...saw a lot of Icarus last year that collapsed... friends have a bigger Kampa and been raving about the qualilty so this is on my list but probably too dear..

www.kampa.co.uk/tents/frinton4.html

another is

www.thetentteam.co.uk/category/1489/Outwell-Tents/

our last weekend tent was a vango oregon (predecesser of icarus) and 2000hh - just all felt v thin and groundsheet wore through so I would go for at least a 3000 with vango as they seem to have better groundsheets as well!

oops forgot to do links

www.thetentteam.co.uk/category/1489/Outwell-Tents/

www.norwichcamping.co.uk/kampa-frinton-4-2010.html

hth

We have this tent and love it for weekend camping. It takes dh and I about 10-15 mins to pitch (depending on how co-operative ds is being). Sewn-in ground sheet and decent size porch to store stuff in.

We have a Coleman Mackenzie X4 tent, bought specifically for weekends and well designed for one person to put up on their own. We've been very happy with it. Might be slightly over budget though.

A vote for Vango Icarus here. I can put it up with DD age 6 - although would be easier with another adult.
There is a 400 and 500 I think - I went for the bigger to get the headheight but on reflection might have gone for the smaller for slightly easier putting up.
It won some award in the camping magazine. I think mine was £120 last year.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your comments.

3rdnparty, I had looked at the Frinton as it has got some sort of extra blackout material in the sleeping are which would be great but it's just a bit too expensive.

I think I am going to go for the Icarus 500 or, maybe even the 600. I'm leaning towards the 600 as we got the smaller version of our last tent and spent all our trips wishing we had got the bigger one!

yes ouch hadn't noticed the price of the frinton..... really fancy the blackout thing though....only 3 of us so am debating if Bude4 is doable on my own as ds only 4...

Well, I have decided that I am definitely going for the Vango Icarus 600. We went to Go Outdoors today to look at the tents they had up to get a sense of the size of them all and it made it clear to me that I really want the most space I can get! DS had a great time running in and out of all the tents and I discovered a whole new world of accessories have been invented since I last bought camping equipment - carpets, inflatable sofas, camping wardrobes etc etc. Brilliant!

Am now off to ebay/gumtree everything that is not nailed down so that we can camp in luxury!!!

I spotted the Vango Kairos 500 today and have come over all tent lusty about it. Just looks so ruddy easy to pitch. As a second tent - we have a Khyam Ontario 8 berther for long trips - it would be ideal.

Sadly I may be about to get a Saturday morning job which may put the khybosh on my weekend plans this year. Or does it just mean we need one we can chuck up and DH can pick me up from work and we can go away for 1 night to not very far away in which case hooray??

Hi, for a decent price on the kampa frinton 4 try looking on ebay - there is a camping shop on there (campingworlduk) that is currently selling the kampa frinton 4 for 250 but if you select the package with footprint they show the price as 169.00 for some reason! I haven't received mine yet (only bought it on Saturday) but it is apparently in the post - will put feedback on ebay so you can see if the price is as good as it seems to be!
It looks a really nice tent (saw one put up on Saturday) though have no idea how easy it is to put up. However, I've also noticed the dates you have put these comments on so maybe you're already tented up! Thought I'd mention it anyway!