Utility tents - recommend me yours!

[LittleFriendSusan]

Me again (it's camping season again, no doubt I'll become a familiar face on here!)

Think we're going to get a utility tent this year - we've gone from a 3-bedroomed tent to a Montana 6, so no longer have a spare room to dump everything in - hence the utility tent! Well, we thought if all food, cooking stuff, gas etc goes in there, then the main tent can (hopefully) stay clutter-free...

Don't want to spend a great deal - seems the Outdoor Revolution Outhouse XL can be had for a good price so leaning towards that. Anyone got one? I see the porch poles are sold separately - can't see that we would use them TBH but dunno?

Opinions anyone? Am open to other suggestions!

Take less stuff?

That's my suggestion. Am still in shock that anyone could need a utility tent!

We don't NEED one as such... but hey, it would be nice!

Would just be nice to have somewhere for the cooker, cool box, kitchen stuff etc. Somewhere sheltered to prepare food etc without kids getting in the way (cos going on our usual luck, it will be wet and windy for most of the time we're away!).

Utility tents are marvellous Susan (as is your name btw) for all the reasons you list.

I never never never never cook in or near my tent so putting all the cooking stuff in it's own shelter that is VERBOTEN for the dc to enter is v sensible and practical. Then your main tent is left all un cluttered for sleeping and relaxing in.

omdb doesn't do relaxing

heh heh

Yes we have the outdoor revolution one in polycotton also seen on my profile in full set up mode. We also have the plastic one, but I hated it. The fibreglass poles bent alarmingly and it was too darned noisy (we sleep in a nice quiet canvas tent). The polycotton is a bit bobbins but it is MUCH sturdier and stronger and more pleasing to the eye and ear than the grey one.

Only other thing that pisses me off mightily is lots of sites will charge you extra for having one. I take umbrage at this as the combined footprint area of my tent plus my utility tent is way way less than some of the mofo tents you see nowadays.

grr

Still I love mine. It pleases me greatly.

damnable rogue apostrophe there. sorry

I like it on the floor, so ner.

Deary me, with those set-ups why bother camping at all? Slubber haven't I taught you anything?

If you want all that stuff littelsusan, why not just stay at home?

oh pish and piddle

omdb I am still your minimalism padawan. When it comes to w/e trips the mantra of choice whilst packing is 'what would omdb do'

however

For week long trips if you are taking more stuff, why not take ALL the stuff you can fit in your car and thusly maximise your camping gadgetry pleasure. And if you are taking lots of stuff why not place the dangerous stuff in a tent all of its very own?

but surely if you are taking so much you need a utility tent, you have a trailer? I can't see all that lot fitting in a car.

I am being hypocrytical though. I just remembvered that camping trips as a kid involved two cars, with the second car containing the driver and all the equipment (and water) when we went for week long camping trips in the dessert (wild camping) and we deffo had a seperate equipment tent then , plus the driver who doubled up as our cook, handyman, and camp guard too

Still, it was rough and ready and I stand by my minimalist ideals

See I want the polycotton one - DP thinks we should just get the bog-standard grey one. Think I should get him to read your post. Though our tent is of the noisy plastic variety so we get the rustling all night anyway...

Blooming nora! A guard? To protect you from what (dangerous animals or dangerous people?)

That surely is the ultimate camping gadget - a whole extra PERSON that does useful stuff.

"If you want all that stuff littelsusan, why not just stay at home?"

'Cos I don't live in Cornwall or anywhere else remotely desirable

We first went camping in a Micra with the kids and all our stuff (no roofbox or anything fancy like that) - so we've done the whole minimalistic thing. Gone to the other extreme now though - got a Picasso last year and have v large roofbox. And yes, got the trailer this year too - so I can indulge all my glamping fantasies to my heart's content.

Sod the utility tent - I want my own guard too .

oooooooh Roofbox AND trailer. Get the polycotton one. Much better. It has really heavy steel poles that don't fanny about in the wind. Or you could buy my plastic one

The guard was to protect our stuff from theiving shephard boys and protect us from desert bandits at night

This wasn't tame safe England or Europe though.