Bit eary but glasto tent?

[navyeyelasH]

I am a keenish camper but very poor! I probably go about 5 times a year and only if the forecast says it's going to be nice.

We normally use either a 3 man cheapo tent or a bigger 6 man tent called a Leben Bonn 6 here. We bought the Leben Bonn from ebay and used it a few times with no problems and then during one trip the weather turned really rainy and it leaked really badly!

When we bought the tent it was sort of stuck together and we had to peel it apart which caused something to sort of flake off the tent - I'm guessing some sort of waterproofing?

So my question is do I need to get a new tent or should we take the Leben Bonn 6 and somehow make it waterproof?

There are 2 adults only btw and we have to carry our own gear for about 3 miles.

I saw a Gelert 4-man pop-up for about £65 the other day. It's in a big flat circular bag & I think comes with a carrying strap. Will look for a link.

this one - there's an image of the dimensions there too, 273x218, height 153

brilliant for a festival - provided you can manage to wrestle it back into the bag afterwards!

Thanks ponders, I know nothing of tents and intend to start learning fas but given Glastonbury is guaranteed to rain (!) will it keep us dry?

We are both really good at pitching tents and have a big garden to practice in before we go so it's more important that it's first dry and secondly roomy, maybe with some sort of porch/separate room to keep wet things?

This one does have an inner and an outer (so not exactly pop-up, actually ) but maybe isn't roomy enough for you.

You could buy a waterproofing spray for your big one but if it's lost some coating that might not work...

(I always used to like the old fashioned A shape ones - they don't seem to make those any more )

Argos have their tepees on sale at the mo and I was tempted by them. It's really hard as I'm not sure how trashed my tent is likely to get? It's probably worth ensuring it's flame retardant too right as I'd assume there will be lots of crazy drunk people around not me of course

Also if it rains so bad that it flood the tent would have to be pegged down I guess? Do these sorts of pop up ones need pegging down?

festival kit recommendations - any use?

It's the carrying for 3 miles that would worry me (is it really 3 miles???)

I haven't been to Glasto since 1995 but the idea back then was to take the cheapest, shittiest tent you could find, as any decent tents would be...
a. A target for thieves
b. Possibly set on fire by stoned/drunk yoofs
c. Possibly squashed flat by yourself as you stumble back at night.
So unless Glastonbury has become more sedate since then, I'd stick with a tent you've already got, sprayed with waterproofing, or get something very basic.

The pop up ones do have a few pegs but in case of actual flooding I don't know how much help they'd be!

(NB I am not a festival-goer, but my son went to Leeds with a 2-man pop-up last year & that was OK)

Ponders, I'm not really sure how many miles it is we are getting a Glastonbury organised coach up there and I don't know where it will drop us off but I know the field we want to camp in is quite a trek so I reckon 3 miles would be fair. We also have all our food, alcohol, clothes etc etc etc to take.

I was thinking of using one of those trolley things you use to move heavy items, stacking everything up on that then using industrial cling film to wrap it all in place! But I'm not sure if they would let us put that on the coach.

CuppaTeaJanice, that's my worry. We will be in quite a 'lively' field too I hope. The thing is the tent we have is quite heavy! What sort of waterproofing would I need my one concern is a leaky tent. At least if it gets trashed I wont mind as it was really cheap off ebay.

Sorry Ponders, only just saw your last post. I've been to every festival bar Glastonbury (I'm 26), every other festival is nothing like Glastonbury. But when the rain comes it doesn't seem to stop and everything gets ruined. In 1995 (I think) it flooded massively, so if you didn't pick a good pitch you were screwed. I had friends whose tents literally collapsed or washed away!

If I was going anywhere else I'd take my little 3 man and deal with it but Glastonbury has a curse I'm sure of it! We'll be there from Wed-Mon too so longer than your average 2 night festival so you can't really slum it for that long.

this sort of thing looks like it could work. Would be quite cramped but manageable. Maybe take a gazebo too or similar as we plan to cook for 3 days or so.

But it's a bit price. Is the waterproofing rating good? I'm going to investigate wikipedia!

2000mm hydrostatic head is excellent for a tent that price & it looks like a good footprint

this tepee is 2000 too though... (& 14'9 across, 7'6 high in the middle!)

good explanation here. "Proper" tents (ie expensive ones) are usually 3000.

Wow so many things to consider! The tepee is lovely but not sure it'd be practical; I think we really would need at least one seperate part, even if it's only a porch so we can store wet and muddy clothes untill we're sober enough we put them away. Can you get such things as like tall annexe sort of tents? I'm wondering if we might be better off taking a small 2 man tent and an 'annexe' tent to cook in?

Although would prob cost more! And weigh more..

What does footprint mean, like layout? Thanks for all the help ponders! Our 6 man tent it supposed to be 2000hh but leaked really badly. I'm guessing this was just a dodgy tent though?

Is it the rating of the outer part that matters most? Also is a fitted ground sheet better do you think? I'm also thinking it might be better to get a tent with only one door for security reasons?

I'm probably over thinking this - not as all Glastonbury like am I?!

bumpy

CPJ - yes, its very much more sedate since then but, it is bloody packed!! I dont know where they fit the people in. Its still the best festival I think. Ive thought of a teepee as well but I dont fancy carrying one, the pop ups look great but they are a struggle to get back down. If you are lucky enough to get to the carpark near family camping its not too band a hike, about 30 mins which is bad enough with all your gear any other carparks and it seems like a lifetime, that walk. I hope you are planning on getting there early, we got there first thing Wednesday morning last year and it was still packed. I must admit I have got lazy (or just richer) I tend to take the minimum (tent and sleeping bag) and buy the rest of what I need there. Terrible, I know but, Im not getting any younger!

I take it you are planning on going to the park area? thats where all the younger lively people seem to go, it is at the top of a very huge hill. Good Luck!! just dont camp near the dance area, it will be tempting as its nearer but its very flat and, if it does rain, it will be the first to go. Its never to early to think about Glasto, the lineup is announced tomorrow!! Oh, its no curst, it was boiling last year. It is a fab festival for children but, it is not a short weekend, it literally does start on the Wednesday, I often wonder what the parents say to their childrens schools when they are dragging them down there.

I'm going down on the Wednesday, should arrive at 9.30am so nice and early! I hope we camp on Pennards hill; I looked on google earth (have you seen the amazing glastonbury map you can get!) and as I'm getting a coach down I think it's about a 1.3 mile walk.

That's a long way! We will have food and booze to carry as we are not rich enough to be lazy!

The best tent seems to be one with a seperate space as well as a room so that we can cook in it and store wet stuff in it. Just have to find one as cheap as possible!

Thanks Kittya; is the lineup really tomorrow!! WWOOHOO

The traffic is so bad, you may as well walk!! What kind of food are you taking? you can get everything there, and I mean everything. Try not to carry too much. Pennards hill, is that opp the pyramid? thats where we camp,its not that noisy once the bands go off, it wakes you up when they start in the morning though. At least thats where the flushing loos are!! We just take plenty of tea bags and coffee and baileys and snack all day. You really can do what you want there, I guess cos we are oldies we have the money to chuck away!! I usually just get a cheap tent and try it out before hand. Dont forget your wellies,I just got mine from Asda!