We’re new to this camping malarky so any advice / recommendations on a family tent for 4 greatly received.

There are 4 of us but we carry enough “stuff” to sink a ship. Ideally a tent which is super easy to set-up – nothing which requires a degree – and is waterproof and has good storage space, plus won’t tear when one of my bonkers boys attacks it. Also something which does not take-up too much space when packed would be good.

Budget is £250 – £300.

Cheers.

I have this for sale,thought I had sold it then the proposed buyer went quite on me
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-brand-new-wild-country-halo-73-tent-1
It was erected in Sunshine then taken down,did not use the pegs or guide ropes so its as new.

Lichfiels Staffs based

Anything by Outwell will be good, I’ve got 3 of them – great tents and the big uns have sealed in ground sheets.

On a recommendation from someone here we got one of these

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/tents/preview.asp?id=452

http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=67

Very impressive for the price

We got a Vango diablo 600 for family car based camping that comes into that price range. Lasted 6 years so far, about 3 weeks per year on average, with kids jumping all over it. Good for few more years yet I think, touch wood.

It’s blimmin big tent, but lots of room is good for family camping when it rains. We’ve had 18 in the living area! It’s got 2 big bedrooms, and a completely sheltered porch good for storage, cooking in bad weather and so on. Front and back entrance. Integral ground sheet is good. I’d look for all those things in a family tent.

It’s relatively easy to put up – I can do it myself at a push, but it’s flysheet last, and no matter how fast you are, I’d think at least 20-30 mins of time before you’d get the flysheet over. So if it’s raining, that’s a lot of wetness to consider. Ditto when taking it down, and it’s too big to dry out in our back garden.

If I was buying another, I’d look for something that allows for fly sheet first or at the same time.

Decathlon do big tents you can pretty much just throw up now. Probably a good cheapish option?

outwell tents are fab – very well made, good design features.

montana 6 good, but sealed groundsheet tends to lead to condensation build up in cold and or wet weather.

hartford xl also very good – similar to the vango diablo 600, but better made. pitches inner first, and the entire tent is double-skinned, so much less condensation build up.

i worked in a camping shop – we had FAR more returns on vango stuff than outwell (hardly any on outwell).

cp – worth knowing for when I get a replacement!

Has anyone tried one of those massive pop up tents from Decathlon?

Snowslave, I was looking at the Decathlon pop ups last week thinking about getting the £150 4 sleeper.

A few guys we work with have the 2 man pop ups and the day tent for saving on the overnight money and occasional wild camping, nothing bad said about them.

Outwell Montanna 6.

Perfect family tent. Just wish I’d bought one instead of the Vango Diablo 900.

The 900 is a great tent, acres of space and very stable in bad weather, however it takes 2 to put up plus is inner first.

I’ve got two Outwells, theyre great. Well thought out designs and very spacious.

Don’t limit yourself to a 4 berth tent, just because there are 4 of you, they tend to be sized for midgets (apart from Outwell). Get a 5 or 6 berth.

We’ve got a 3 man decathlon pop up – it’s v roomy, cost buttons, and we take it to the beach or for garden camping sleep overs for the kids and stuff like that. But the ones I saw in there yesterday were more like the proper family size tents with separate bedrooms and decent standing space. And look v easy to put up and pack away. Interesting concept methinks?

Remember even Outwell tents can blow away

As above, Outwell are good, also look at Khyam.
Best bet is to go to one of the camping shows where you can see the various tents erected in a field, they should have the packed tent on show too.

Not trying to selll you anything or recommend a particular brand but get the biggest fecker you can find. Make sure you can stand up straight in it.

Two phrases you will NEVER here when camping as a family are:

We have too much space
I wish I could bang my head again

Coleman Weathermaster,

So big you could keep a couple of cars in there!

Also lives up to its name; we had a horrendous ‘summer’ holiday in the UK last year and the tent was amazing in keeping us dry in the most foul weather imaginable.

Packs up big though

Can’t remember the make of the one we had but it was called the Chateau 6 and had 3 double rooms, a separate kitchen, room for a six seater table with chairs and still room for a living room. Two of us could park the car, erect the tent and be enjoying a glass of wine without 45 minutes of arrival.

Kyham Ridgi-dome tents are good.

They are unique in that they have the appearance and space of a frame tent, but are easier/quicker to put up than a similar size dome tent. The tent poles are rigid and hinged and remain in the flysheet, you just unroll it, lift the centre boss and then fold out the legs 🙂

They are a bit more expensive but definately worth it when you arrive on site with rain clouds closing in, and in the time it takes your neighbour to arrange the poles for their frame tent (with the help of the whole family) you are tweaking your guy ropes and unloading the car 🙂

Another nod here for Outwell, we’ve got this and its really sturdy and big enough for my 6 4″ lanky arse to stand up in. http://www.yeomansoutdoors.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=1402

Get the carpet for it and you’ll realise why after a day or so.

We used ours this weekend in Aviemore where it was lashing it down and we were all cosy.

Anything from Outwell

Fantastic quality – loads of little design features that you will love

Incredible stitching and general manufacturing excellence

Incredibly good value for money

Get yourself round to some of the tent exhibitions – you’ll see how Outwell outperforms all the others

Go to their website and look at the “How to put up Outwell tents2

I’m a fan!

Get something that pitches outer first, drying the insides of big tents when they get soaked whilst putting them up is a nightmare.

We have an Outwell Nebraska XL, as well as an Oregon5, both fab,

My mam has the VermontXL, which I believe is designed to fit into the standard pitch oc C&CC sites, whereas ours been a T-shape, doesn’t (although the sites we do use, have never caused us any bother)

The Montana always gets good reviews too.

Oh, we picked our Nebraska XL up for £280 ex diplay (6 hours of display!) from a rugby field in Keswick in the pissing rain, so my top tip is, look for tent shows, hope its raining, and hope they don’t have anywhere to dry the things, and you may get a bargain.

Wow! Big response over a family tent!

Argos mate! Cheap tents a go go!

You know it makes sense!

Everyone’s a winner!

Try Winfields of Haslingden (they have a website!) We’ve just bought a Vango Tigris 600 family dome tent for £200 it’s plenty big enough inside for plenty of people and kit.

Also, they have a high hydrostatic head value, which means they’ll stay dry inside when the cheaper competitors have floated away in the typical english summers

Robens Double Dreamer?

Outwell for me. With the carpet!!!

Yes I know but it keeps the wife happy which is a great compromise and means we get to camp more which is a winner all round.

Coleman Weathermaster is superb quality, if a little dated now though.
Had a Coleman Savannah once…**** me what a brilliant tent but needed a flat-bed truck to take it anywhere.

If you want the best, & we’ve owned a fair few, go for an Outwell Montana.
Brilliant tent. Sewn-in groundsheets are the way to go.

I have this for sale: http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-ot-khyam-rigipod-tent.

It will easily be big enough for your needs, including having separate bedrooms for the kids, but it does take up a little space when packed.

Khyam are a very reputable brand.

We’ve got an Outwell Montana 6 – they’re brilliant tents and were very pleased with ours – although that Khyam tent for sale above is a bargain

got this http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/fs-very-large-tent

for sale..

Mail me if you want info!

Vango Icarus 500 are great.

Really, really simple to put up.

Just remember that it is incredibly important how well you put a tent up to its waterproofness and wind resistance. I have camped for up to 10 weekends a year for the last 5 years in an unbranded tent that cost £45 from a show and we have on 2 occasions been the only tent standing in the morning after gales out by Abersoch when people in £300 mountain tents have packed up or been blown down in the middle of the night.