6 berth tent I can put up myself?

[ClareV]

Hi
I'm new to here and looking for some tips!!
We spent far too long at a tent shop yesterday, and came away liking the Vango Icarus www.outdoormegastore.co.uk/acatalog/Vango_Icarus_600_Family_Tunnel_Tents.html and the Kampa Croyde 6 www.camperite.co.uk/more/on/details/00274
There are 5 of us, but I don't want to buy something too large, as the eldest will move into a little tent at some point.
I also want to be able to put the tent up easily myself (and put it down!) so that we can make the most of school hols with hubbie joining us at the weekend.
Anyone got any thoughts on these?
If we got the Vango, we would get the porch extension to give more flexibility.
Thanks!!

personally i would go with the vango, i dont think you could go wrong with the vango range + its smaller than the other tent you were looking at

I've just bought a Vango Icarus 600 for exactly this reason. I managed to put it up in the back garden myself in about 20 mins, although I did not peg every guy rope out as the garden is too small. It seems really nice and spacious and as spud01 says, you can't really go wrong with a Vango.

excellent. thanks both of you.
not worried about it taking a while, just being possible (with 6, 2 and 9mth old in tow!).
piffpaffpoff - did you go for the awning extension bit? are you using the tent soon? would love to hear how you find it.

Oh, I like the Vango one! You've done me a favour as I was going out looking for 6 person tents at the weekend. A couple suggested on MN were lovely but expensive and looked rather 'pro'. This looks spacious, simple and perfect for our hols!

Kathy xx

ClareV - I did get the awning extension (and the carpet, and the groundsheet thingy....I'm a sucker for an accessory or three). If the forecast is OK, we are planning to go away for one night this weekend just to try it all out (and to see if the dcs will sleep AT ALL in a tent!) so if we go, I will report back on how we get on.

DS (3y) is VERY excited about it, DH (43y) less so...

that would be fab, thank you!!

Ok, here is my Vango Icarus 600 report....it's great! Really roomy, and once you have the porch up it is brill, there is just so much space. I have the carpet as well and that was a brilliant, it's so nice getting out of bed in the morning and putting your feet on a carpet rather than a cold black groundsheet!

Couple of points to note - I don't think I would be able to put the canopy up singlehanded as it is a bit of a faff to get it 'lined up' and hooked onto the tent. However, I will be having a jolly good go at it, as it was a huge extra space for cooking, sitting, eating etc and it might get easier the more times you do it. Secondly, I don't know how well the tent would 'handle' in strong winds, but that is more a comment on the tunnel design rather than this specific tent. Fortunately we had sunshine and a light breeze this weekend so no worries there!

Thankfully, the dcs slept fine and did not awake at 5.00am as I feared, and when we got home, ds (3) asked if I would put it up in the back garden so he could sleep there so I think that proves he enjoyed it. Hooray! So I am now happy to go ahead with our planned solo (i.e. no DH) trip in the school holidays. Can't wait!

Thanks so much for writing all that. It's much appreciated and the tent sounds fab. Definitly the one i want to get - just got to persuade the other half now!
Good luck with your solo trip! How many kids have you got? I'm contemplating braving it with our 3 - just got to figure out how to do toilet/shower trips with them all!

Oo claire you are brave! I'm trying to convince dh thet I can do it and still trying to decide which tent I like the vango tigress i think

you go girl!!

Hi, Yes i just bought the Vango Icarus 600 and I have 4 children (8, 7, 5, 3) and am planning on going away without DH in the school hols, but also worried about how i am going to cope with toilet/shower trips and all that. I am also taking the dog!!
I had a go at putting up the tent on my own today in the back garden, with DH waching as he said 'you need to practise as i wont be with you' Thanks! He actually ended up helping at the point of putting the pegs into the poles once i had the first end in, as putting the second end in was proving difficult - needed brute strength. Also trying to pull the tent forward was quite difficult as really need 2 people otherwise it was running round one side moving it a little whilst trying to run back to the other side and stop it all from collapsing to move the other side.

It was a great spacey tent once erected and kids loved it, but its another thing when we go to site. I will have to practise a few more times at erecting it and putting it away.
I eventually got it back into the bag and we had a few goes re folding but there is no chance of ever getting anything else back in there!
I would like to get the canopy but DH isn't happy until i prove that I will use the tent more than once, as thats what he thinks will happen. Wish me luck !

Hi ClareV, just seen this thread as we've just got the camping bug, we recently bought the Croyde 6 and just did our first weekend away, and there was no way I could have put it up myself!

It's a good solid tent with heavy poles but it needs one person to hold the other side of the legs/roof poles whilst inserting the pins. Very roomy though for the 3 of us!

Thanks everyone! We went for the Vango Icarus in the end. I did manage to put it up myself in the garden - did it my own way which worked ok with my 6 year old helping (and DH watching from the sidelines saying'that's not the way you are supposed to do it..')
Gilled - instead of getting the 4 corners pegged first (no way I could stretch it out myself), I pegged the bag 2 corners down, then DS helped me pull the back poles up, hten did middle pegs and poles and finally the front ones, then wizzed round them all again pulling into final shape. That seemed easier than trying to get it in the right shape before the poles were up. Hope that makes sense!!